Page:1954 Juvenile Delinquency Testimony.pdf/321

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Counsel Beaser asked Preeblich how mnany different comic book titles are published monthly and Frochlich answered, “about 425

Beaser then @id some simple multiplication and multiplied 425 titles by the uverage print order ef 350,000 issues und came up with the staggering fizure of 148,750,000 comic books a nouth.

The business manager said his company is 2 member of ihe Association of Comie Magazine Publishers aud carried the association’s seal of approval on its nliagazines.

Previously Attorney Henry Schutz, counsel for the association, testified that the seal was “1ocaningless.”*

Beaser hell up a copy of oue of the comic books published by Frochlich’s cour pany. Its cover showed a skeleton “mugging” a corpselike creature. In large print, it said, “Come Into My Coifiu.” Beaser also disptayed enilurged photo- graphs of some of the pictures and (ext contained in the camic book,

Do you think this conforms to the code?” Counsel Geaser asked,

“You are taking it onl of evntext and trying to judge the whole by four panels. I can’t answer that question,” Froehlich replied,

Froehlich was asked why his company publishes horror and crime comics along with other comic books. He replied, “We're in the publishing business, If there's a demand for horrer and crime comics, why shouldu’t we Lill the demand, Why nol ban automobiles beeause some people get kitled in them?” he asked.

“Phe manufacturers put brakes on autos,” Beaser declared.

Froelilich told the coimuittee if it could be definitely preven that comic books harm ehildren, his firm would vot publish (hem.

Ikuw these comic books are distributed came under fire with the testimony of Altorney William Richter, counsel for the News Dealers Association of Greater New York.

Tie charged the distributors of forcing newsdealers to handle comic heoks through “tie-in gules.” ‘fhe veldor gets magazines in cne bundle ticd together sp securely that the newsdealer ean'i even inspect the merchandise,” he said.

The yendor has to pay for the magazines and can’t get a rebute for the mag azines not sold unless they hold them for a mouth or two, Ile said most vendors ju New York haven't room to store the undesirable books for a mouth or loner so are forced to display them for sale.

He said many vendors hare reported that if they continue te send hack comic books, they find they ean’t get zood magazines.

“This practice is prevalent throughout the canuntry,” Richter declared. “The majority of the comic books on the newsstands loday are outright trash aud the newsdealers don’t want (o handle it,” he added.

Richter displayed a copy of the comic hook, Mad, published hy William Gaines, who had lestified on the opening duy of the probe.

“How Gaines could sit here yesterday and justify his magazines is beyond comprehension,” Richter said.

Holding an issue of Mad up to the television cameras, Richter said, “Magazines like this are worse than horrer or erime comic books, These ridicule everything in 4 Vicious and gruesome manner, Whey’re demoralizing.”

He axked the cominittee ta consider passage of Pederal laws ontlawing maga- vine tie-in sales and pledged the aid of his association in helping dratt such legislation.

The committee adjourned the hearings and annowneed it would study the evidence und testimony.

Editorial, April 25, 1954

The Senute subeommittee investizatiny the coinic-hook industry, and tts rela- tion to juvenile delinqnency, has broughy to light an inleresting phase of this multi-million-dollar business. ‘The committee discovered that some comic-book