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theartolater's review
4.0
The title of the book says it all - a very academic look at the government’s war on comic books in the 1940s-1950s. Some things never change.
bstratton's review
4.0
Not the first book about the censorship of comics in the first half of the 20th century, but it might be the most comprehensive and best-written. It doesn't cover a lot of new territory, but it does an outstanding job of covering a pivotal time for the First Amendment and geek culture.
jmccloy77's review
5.0
An absolute must read for anyone interested in comics, horror, censorship, or the mid 20th century in general.
saturnserina's review
4.0
Very well researched with a wealth of history. Only complaint that the author ended it on a sad note.
brea's review
5.0
i loved this - if you read comics and like history, it's the best combo. and i am in both of those categories.
hajdu combines the cultural climate of the time with specifically comic history. it's really a well-done history of comics (specifically horror).
hajdu combines the cultural climate of the time with specifically comic history. it's really a well-done history of comics (specifically horror).
colej67's review
4.0
Very fascinating. My one problem was so many people/publishers were named that it was hard to tell them apart or remember why they were mentioned.
The comic books scare was almost too wild to be real.
The comic books scare was almost too wild to be real.
andreablythe's review
4.0
This book covers the history, development, and controversies that surrounded the comic book industry from its inception in Sunday newspapers at the beginning of the century to its "golden age" in the late forties/early fifties through to it's near collapse at the end of the fifties.
This was a fascinating book, one that I thought did a fabulous job of capturing the rapture of the artists, writers, and publishers and contrasting that with the fervor of those wishing to put at end to the threat of the ten-cent menace as they saw it. I was shocked to learn just how intense was the hatred of comic books. The hearing for banning comic books were right up there in interest with McCarthy's communist hunts, not to mention the numerous book burnings that occurred.
Hajdu quoted directly from those involved on both sides of the controversies. That combined with his excellent descriptions of the people, events, and comics involved really made the time and the passions come to life for me.
This was a fascinating book, one that I thought did a fabulous job of capturing the rapture of the artists, writers, and publishers and contrasting that with the fervor of those wishing to put at end to the threat of the ten-cent menace as they saw it. I was shocked to learn just how intense was the hatred of comic books. The hearing for banning comic books were right up there in interest with McCarthy's communist hunts, not to mention the numerous book burnings that occurred.
Hajdu quoted directly from those involved on both sides of the controversies. That combined with his excellent descriptions of the people, events, and comics involved really made the time and the passions come to life for me.
sfian's review
4.0
Another fascinating look at the history of American comics, this time focusing on the controversy of the fifties and comics influence on American youth.
A little dry in places, sometimes in need of a bit of an edit (same fact repeated within a few lines) and would have benefited from a few more pictures than those in the short insert - the book spends a lot of time describing the art that was deemed inappropriate when a picture would have shown it.
Despite its (minor) shortcomings, though, it is an interesting read that fleshes out details that I only had a vague idea about. For example, I knew nothing of the burning of comic books (although it does, at times, appear as though the author is planning on listed every single bonfire that was built) nor that legislation was passed in the UK. It also contains a number of details of the origins of some of the lesser known (again, by me) titles.
A little dry in places, sometimes in need of a bit of an edit (same fact repeated within a few lines) and would have benefited from a few more pictures than those in the short insert - the book spends a lot of time describing the art that was deemed inappropriate when a picture would have shown it.
Despite its (minor) shortcomings, though, it is an interesting read that fleshes out details that I only had a vague idea about. For example, I knew nothing of the burning of comic books (although it does, at times, appear as though the author is planning on listed every single bonfire that was built) nor that legislation was passed in the UK. It also contains a number of details of the origins of some of the lesser known (again, by me) titles.