Podcasts about William Gaines

In November 1977, DC Comics made a proclamation that would change the entire comic book publishing industry. Only, it didn't happen. Instead of an explosion of comics, DC Comics suffered a massive implosion. But does this make DC Comics a loser, or was it just ahead of its time? Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) This series was produced for those wanting to learn more about the comics they consume. The below list includes the sources we used to gather information. All quotes, and clips used in this production are used under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. RESOURCES Senator Joseph McCarthy, 1953 statement retrieved from The Miller Center https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/age-of-eisenhower/mcarthyism-red-scare Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed in 1953 for espionage clip, retrieved from the Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1341583.html Have you no sense of decency, sir? Retrieved from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7x8RkdG6I0 Seduction of the Innocent by Frederic Wrtham (2021 Edition) https://amzn.to/41iL7NA Frederic Wertham and William Gaines's testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency were retrieved from WNYC.org and the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection https://www.wnyc.org/story/215975-senate-subcommittee-juvenile-delinquency-ii/ The Ten Cent Plague by David Hajdu https://amzn.to/3TfhURL The 1954 Comic Code Authority Rules https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Code_Authority Comic Book Sales Data via Comichron https://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales.html "So Much Moralizing" Stan's Soapbox, March 1970 New York Times, February 04, 1971 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/04/archives/a-comics-magazine-defies-code-ban-on-drug-stories-comics-magazine.html?_r=0 Comic Code Authority Shuts Down https://majorspoilers.com/2011/01/21/last-nail-in-the-coffin-for-comics-code-authority-archie-says-good-bye/ Tom Brevoort reflections on Rolling Stone's article about Marvel Comics https://tombrevoort.com/2021/02/14/blah-blah-blog-rolling-stone/ (referenced as: https://zak-site.com/Great-American-Novel/comic_sales.html) The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino by Carmine Infantino and J. David Spurlock (2001) https://amzn.to/3RAUox3 Jenette Kahn Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenette_Kahn Sequential Tart Interview with Jenette Kahn by Jennifer M. Contino, retrieved from the Internet Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20031026213108/http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/may01/kahn.shtml DC Comics Publishorial, "Onward and Upward" DC Comics Logos Over the Years The Comics Journal #40 Kim Thompson, “An Interview with Marvel's Head-Honcho: Jim Shooter” (p. 38) https://www.tcj.com/tcj-archive/the-comics-journal-no-40-june-1978/ Quotes from The Comic Reader, Comic Media News, and others were sourced from: Comic Book Implosion: The Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978 by Keith Dallas and John Wells  https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1374 Other resources Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker https://amzn.to/3RkGfTB Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe https://amzn.to/3RfGbUX MUSIC AND SFX Unspoken - licensed via Premiumbeat.com Break Through - licensed via Premiumbeat.com Patriotic Epic - licensed via Premiumbeat.com OMnis - Music by DSTechnician from Pixabay Big Day Out - Music by Geoff Harvey from Pixabay Defenders of the Truth - Music by Zakhar Valaha from Pixabay Inspiring Cinematic Ambient - Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay Superhero Hollywood Trailer - Licensed via PremiumBeat.com Documentary Background - Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay Out of Time - Music by Zakhar Valaha from Pixabay Summer Adventures - Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay This Minimal Technology (Pure) - Music by Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay Sound Effects from Pixabay CLOSE Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends!

In November 1977, DC Comics made a proclamation that would change the entire comic book publishing industry. Only, it didn't happen. Instead of an explosion of comics, DC Comics suffered a massive implosion. But does this make DC Comics a loser, or was it just ahead of its time? Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) This series was produced for those wanting to learn more about the comics they consume. The below list includes the sources we used to gather information. All quotes, and clips used in this production are used under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. RESOURCES Senator Joseph McCarthy, 1953 statement retrieved from The Miller Center https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/age-of-eisenhower/mcarthyism-red-scare Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed in 1953 for espionage clip, retrieved from the Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1341583.html Have you no sense of decency, sir? Retrieved from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7x8RkdG6I0 Seduction of the Innocent by Frederic Wrtham (2021 Edition) https://amzn.to/41iL7NA Frederic Wertham and William Gaines's testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency were retrieved from WNYC.org and the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection https://www.wnyc.org/story/215975-senate-subcommittee-juvenile-delinquency-ii/ The Ten Cent Plague by David Hajdu https://amzn.to/3TfhURL The 1954 Comic Code Authority Rules https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Code_Authority Comic Book Sales Data via Comichron https://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales.html "So Much Moralizing" Stan's Soapbox, March 1970 New York Times, February 04, 1971 https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/04/archives/a-comics-magazine-defies-code-ban-on-drug-stories-comics-magazine.html?_r=0 Comic Code Authority Shuts Down https://majorspoilers.com/2011/01/21/last-nail-in-the-coffin-for-comics-code-authority-archie-says-good-bye/ Tom Brevoort reflections on Rolling Stone's article about Marvel Comics https://tombrevoort.com/2021/02/14/blah-blah-blog-rolling-stone/ (referenced as: https://zak-site.com/Great-American-Novel/comic_sales.html) The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino by Carmine Infantino and J. David Spurlock (2001) https://amzn.to/3RAUox3 Jenette Kahn Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenette_Kahn Sequential Tart Interview with Jenette Kahn by Jennifer M. Contino, retrieved from the Internet Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20031026213108/http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/may01/kahn.shtml DC Comics Publishorial, "Onward and Upward" DC Comics Logos Over the Years The Comics Journal #40 Kim Thompson, “An Interview with Marvel's Head-Honcho: Jim Shooter” (p. 38) https://www.tcj.com/tcj-archive/the-comics-journal-no-40-june-1978/ Quotes from The Comic Reader, Comic Media News, and others were sourced from: Comic Book Implosion: The Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978 by Keith Dallas and John Wells  https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1374 Other resources Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker https://amzn.to/3RkGfTB Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe https://amzn.to/3RfGbUX MUSIC AND SFX Unspoken - licensed via Premiumbeat.com Break Through - licensed via Premiumbeat.com Patriotic Epic - licensed via Premiumbeat.com OMnis - Music by DSTechnician from Pixabay Big Day Out - Music by Geoff Harvey from Pixabay Defenders of the Truth - Music by Zakhar Valaha from Pixabay Inspiring Cinematic Ambient - Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay Superhero Hollywood Trailer - Licensed via PremiumBeat.com Documentary Background - Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay Out of Time - Music by Zakhar Valaha from Pixabay Summer Adventures - Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay This Minimal Technology (Pure) - Music by Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay Sound Effects from Pixabay CLOSE Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends!

This week is Karens Spooky Month pick with Demon Knight from 1995! Good? Bad? Dont let us sway you. Our Creator Profile this week is the legendary Wes Craven! Please help support us and share us with your friends and be sure to rate us. Thank you all so much!

My guest this week is comedian Danny Gallagher! When did Danny get started with MAD Magazine? What is the MAD Fold-In? What did Danny NOT find at his grandparents' house? When was Nickelodeon more "us against them"? What strip did MAD Magazine recently reprint? What did MAD Magazine never do? When did the Comics Code start? What weird rules did the Comics Code Authority force comics creators to adhere to? What was William Gaines like? What did MAD Magazine make fun of? What is Spy Vs Spy? What was MAD's Star Wars parody called? What are The Mask comics? What happens to people when they put on the Mask? What are some differences between the movie and the comic? What happened when DC Comics took over MAD? Does MAD ever do new articles anymore?  Reading list: Superduperman Scholar Finds Flaws in Work by Archenemy of Comics 10 Crazy Rules The Comics Code Authority Made Creators Follow A Seduction of the Innocent website Good days and MAD by Dick Debartolo Tales From The Crypt (free on Comixology Unlimited) The Mask Dark Horse Presents Concrete (free on Comixology Unlimited) Recorded 9-15-23 via Zencastr

In this episode, Greg and Leon discuss the following comics: TERROR ILLUSTRATED (https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/3007-091/The-EC-Archives-Terror-Illustrated-HC) CLEMENTINE (https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/clementine) EAT MY FLESH, DRINK MY BLOOD (https://dauntlessstories.com/emfdmb) available here! (https://dauntlessstories.com/emfdmb) https://dauntlessstories.com/emfdmb MARVEL MONSTER GROUP: TALES OF THE ZOMBIE (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Zombie_Vol_1_1) NOTES: Some of the resources/ sources used in Greg's discussion of Horror Magasines - LOSTSOTI.ORG a site that is full of information and resources pertaining to the anti-comics campaign of the 40s and 50s (http://www.lostsoti.org/) - Transcripts of the 1954 Senate Subcommittee Hearings into Juvenile Delinquency (https://www.thecomicbooks.com/1954senatetranscripts.html) A couple of great articles about the return/ resurgence of Horror comics in the 1970s and the relaxation of the Comics Code Authority's rules. The 1970s Horror Comics Boom Part 1 (https://blog.gocollect.com/the-1970s-horror-comic-boom-part-1/) and The 1970s Horror Comics Boom Part 2 (https://blog.gocollect.com/the-1970s-horror-comics-boom-part-2/) Send any questions or feedback to (mailto:acecomicals@gmail.com) acecomicals@gmail.com. And also please subscribe (http://www.acecomicals.com/subscribe) and leave us a review! If you like what we do please consider donating to us (https://ko-fi.com/acecomicals) at https://ko-fi.com/acecomicals. All contributions will be used to defray the cost of hosting the website. Ace Comicals, over and out!#

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/art

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

American comics from the start have reflected the white supremacist culture out of which they arose. Superheroes and comic books in general are products of whiteness, and both signal and hide its presence. Even when comics creators and publishers sought to advance an antiracist agenda, their attempts were often undermined by a lack of awareness of their own whiteness and the ideological baggage that goes along with it. Even the most celebrated figures of the industry, such as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jack Jackson, William Gaines, Stan Lee, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller, have not been able to distance themselves from the problematic racism embedded in their narratives despite their intentions or explanations. In Bandits, Misfits, and Superheroes: Whiteness and Its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels (University of Mississippi Press, 2022), Dr. Josef Benson and Dr. Doug Singsen provide a sober assessment of these creators and their role in perpetuating racism throughout the history of comics. They identify how whiteness has been defined, transformed, and occasionally undermined over the course of eighty years in comics and in many genres, including westerns, horror, crime, funny animal, underground comix, autobiography, literary fiction, and historical fiction. This exciting and groundbreaking book assesses industry giants, highlights some of the most important episodes in American comic book history, and demonstrates how they relate to one another and form a larger pattern, in unexpected and surprising ways. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Zach Chapman joined me on the latest GHOULISH to discuss the history of horror comics, EC horror, the time William Gaines testified to Congress while on speed, comic book censorship, manga artist work ethic, prose vs. comic writing, and his new anthology horror comic HOUSE OF BLOOD. Support the HOUSE OF BLOOD Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/houseofblood/house-of-blood-vol-1-a-new-horror-anthology-comic Join The Ghoulish Times: https://theghoulishtimes.substack.com/ Join Dog Ears, a writing & publishing newsletter: https://dogears.substack.com/  Browse the books on our webstore: http://perpetualpublishing.com/shop/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pmmpublishing Theme song by Heathenish Kid

Les comics d'aujourd'hui sont-ils gangrénés par la représentation de la diversité et par un omniprésent message de tolérance ? Retour dans les années 1950, une époque bénie où on nous emmerdait pas avec toutes ces conneries ! A long time ago… Régulièrement, on peut voir une partie du lectorat fan de comic books se plaindre du contenu politisé de certaines publications. Aujourd'hui, d'après eux, les comics déborderaient de messages plus ou moins cachés prônant la diversité et défendant les positions de ce que certains et certaines appellent “le wokisme”. Si l'un des derniers exemples en date est la révélation de la bisexualité de Jon Kent, le fils et successeur de Superman, la liste est longue comme le bras. Que ce soit sur le papier avec Miss Marvel, de confession musulmane, ou au cinéma avec le comédien afro-américain Jeffrey Wright dans le rôle du commissaire Gordon du “The Batman” de Matt Reeves, la moindre évolution d'un personnage fait monter au créneau toute une frange de l'opinion. Mettons les choses au clair tout de suite : les histoires de super-héros ont toujours été politisées et chargées d'un message social. Dire le contraire, c'est mentir. Dès le premier numéro de Action Comics en 1938, Jerry Siegel et Joe Shuster mettent en scène Superman en train de corriger un mari violent et un politicien véreux. En 1946, dans son show radiophonique, Il affronte même des suprématistes blancs dans “Clan of the Fiery Cross”, adapté en comic book chez DC Comics sous le titre “Superman Smashes the Klan”. Dans les années 1970, d'autres personnages vont cristalliser les travers de l'Amérique dans leurs aventures. Le duo formé par Green Lantern et Green Arrow, sous la plume de Dennis O'Neil et le crayon de Neal Adams, va traverser les États-Unis et mettre en exergue les fléaux qui gangrènent le pays : racisme, drogue, sexisme, et dérives sectaires… En 1972, Luke Cage, alias Power Man, co-créé par Archie Goodwin, Georges Tuska et Billy Graham, montre le visage des ghettos où les afro-américains sont abandonnés par un système imprégné par le ségrégationnisme et la discrimination raciale. Toujours chez Marvel, à partir de 1975, les X-Men de Chris Claremont se posent en défenseurs du pacifisme, de l'humanisme et de la tolérance alors qu'ils sont eux-mêmes rejetés par la société qu'ils s'efforcent de protéger. Et que dire d'un personnage comme Captain America, qui dès sa première aventure, en 1941, va carrément mettre une droite à Adolf Hitler en personne ? Si comme une bonne partie de la première vague de super-héros du Golden Age apparue durant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, il va jouer le jeu de la propagande américaine en encourageant l'effort de guerre, à partir des années 1970, Steve Rogers incarnera une autre vision des États-Unis, allant jusqu'à s'opposer physiquement à un président piétinant les valeurs pour lesquelles il se bat. Tout aussi politique et symbolique, mais beaucoup moins docile. Ce ne sont là que les exemples les plus connus et les plus flagrants du sous-texte social et politique présent dès les premiers pas de nos super-héros préférés. Les comics ont toujours été le reflet de la société dans laquelle ils étaient produits. Et si cette affirmation est sûrement plus vraie que jamais, penser que les publications du XXème siècle étaient totalement neutres en terme d'idéologie, et bien c'est faux. Et de la même façon, si vous avez tout à fait le droit d'être en désaccord avec les messages véhiculés par les comic books d'aujourd'hui, vous ne pouvez pas leur reprocher de contenir ces messages, car cela fait partie de la nature même de la bande dessinée américaine depuis qu'elle existe. Space Oddity Fondé en 1944 par le pionnier du comic book Max Gaines, Educational Comics, qui deviendra plus tard Entertaining Comics, se spécialise tout d'abord dans des adaptations en bande dessinée de la Bible et de l'histoire des États-Unis. Quand Max décède accidentellement en 1947, c'est son fils William qui reprend la société et donne une nouvelle direction à EC Comics. La particularité de William Gaines, c'est qu'il n'y connait rien aux comic books. Se destinant à devenir enseignant, c'est plus par respect de l'héritage familial que par passion qu'il va reprendre la maison d'édition, se contentant dans un premier temps de maintenir la ligne éditoriale établie par son père. Mais EC Comics est lourdement endetté et c'est grâce à l'intervention du dessinateur Al Feldstein, qui encourage Gaines à revoir son catalogue et à surfer sur les tendances en publiant des récits policiers, des westerns ou des histoires de romances, que l'éditeur va atteindre un certain équilibre financier. Gaines et Feldstein , tous deux amateurs d'horreur et de fantastique, vont tenter de publier quelques histoires dans ces styles qui ont le vent en poupe chez les jeunes, et rapidement constater que c'est un succès. À partir de 1950, les périodiques de EC Comics se transforment peu à peu en poussant les curseurs toujours plus loin. Les histoires policières mettent en scène des meurtres sordides toujours plus gores, et les comic books de guerre ou de romance sont renommés pour devenir des magazines d'horreur ou de science-fiction remplis de monstres et présentant plusieurs courtes histoires caractérisés par leur chute toujours plus choquante ! The Vault of Horror, Tales from the Crypt et The Haunt of Fear forment le trio de tête du catalogue EC Comics qui va inspirer pratiquement tous les autres éditeurs de l'époque, entraînant le marché dans une surenchère sanguinolente qui aura bientôt d'importantes répercussions sur l'histoire des comics, mais je vais y revenir. William Gaines, qui a grandi en lisant des pulp's, va également plébisciter la publication de récits de science-fiction dans ses magazines, un genre qui trouve un souffle nouveau à cette période, inspiré par les peurs d'invasions et de conflits nucléaires nées de la Guerre Froide. Et justement, maintenant que le contexte est posé, revenons-en au sujet principal de cet article : Judgment Day, une histoire de science-fiction publiée par EC Comics en 1953. Such a lovely color for you Paru pour la première fois dans le dix-huitième numéro de Weird Fantasy, Judgment Day, écrit par Al Feldstein et dessiné par Joe Orlando, est un récit typique de l'époque. Courte histoire de 7 pages, elle met en scène Tarlon, un astronaute terrien envoyé par la république galactique sur la planète Cybrinia afin de déterminer si celle-ci mérite ou non d'être intégrée au consortium qu'il représente. Cybrinia a la particularité d'être habitée par des robots laissés ici en autonomie par les humains pour y développer leur propre société. Et alors qu'il visite l'usine dans laquelle les êtres artificiels sont fabriqués par leurs semblables, Tarlon s'étonne de n'avoir croisé jusque là que des robots de couleur orange. L'émissaire terrien apprend alors de son guide que les robots bleus, eux, vivent dans un quartier à part, nommé “Blue Town”, et que dans le bus pour s'y rendre, les robots orange et les bleus ne doivent pas se mélanger, chacun ayant une place prédéfinie, à l'avant ou à l'arrière. Une fois à Blue Town, Tarlon demande à visiter l'usine dans laquelle les robots bleus sont fabriqués et il découvre, assez étonné, que le procédé est tout à fait identique à celui des robots orange, excepté la phase d'éducation, durant laquelle les robots bleus sont conditionnés pour être serviles et rester cantonnés aux tâches les plus ingrates, alors qu'il n'existe aucune justification à cela. Lorsqu'il questionne son guide orange quant à cette situation, ce dernier explique qu'il en a toujours été ainsi et qu'en tant que simple individu, il ne peut rien faire pour changer l'ordre établi sur Cybrinia. Tarlon quitte alors la planète en informant son hôte que son monde n'est pas prêt pour rejoindre la république galactique, mais que si son peuple se remet en question, tout espoir n'est pas perdu car il fut un temps où les habitants de la Terre avaient, eux-aussi, des difficultés à vivre ensemble. Une fois en route vers la Terre à bord de sa navette, Tarlon retire son casque et c'est le visage d'un homme noir qui est révélé au lecteur. Si, aujourd'hui, cette parabole pourrait sembler un peu moralisatrice et dépourvue de finesse, elle expose pourtant en seulement quelques pages tous les problèmes et les non-sens nés du racisme et de la ségrégation, et ça à tous les niveaux d'un système. Et c'est aussi effrayant que décourageant de constater que pratiquement soixante-dix ans plus tard, la situation n'a pas vraiment changé. En fait, lors de sa publication en 1953, Judgment Day sera très bien accueillie par les lecteurs et bon nombre d'entre eux témoigneront même que cette courte histoire les a poussé à se remettre en question. Mais quand EC Comics décide de réimprimer le court récit dans le trente-troisième numéro de Incredible Science Fiction en 1956, c'est une autre histoire… Sauvons la jeunesse ! Car entre temps, le monde de la bande dessinée américaine a changé. Au début des années 1950, l'Amérique cherche un nouveau bouc émissaire à qui attribuer la hausse des chiffres de la délinquance. Sous l'impulsion de livres comme Seduction of the Innocent de Fredric Wertham, de la commission menée par le sénateur Estes Kefauver, et du magistrat Charles F. Murphy, les comic books se retrouvent au centre de l'attention comme grands responsables de la déchéance de la jeunesse qui sombre peu à peu dans la criminalité. Bien avant que l'on accuse le Heavy Metal, les Jeux de Rôles ou le Jeu Vidéo de transformer les adolescents en créatures immorales et sanguinaires, les comics ont fait l'objet d'une campagne de désinformation menée par des politiques, des intellectuels et des religieux adeptes de raccourcis faciles et préférant s'en prendre à l'art plutôt que de regarder en face l'échec d'un système qu'ils entretiennent pour préserver leur petit confort. Ainsi, alors que l'on assiste dans plusieurs états à des autodafés durant lesquels d'honnêtes citoyens détruisent les comics qui pervertissent leurs enfants, il est décidé en 1954 de mettre en place la Comics Code Authority, un organisme d'autorégulation visant limiter les dérives des publications destinées à la jeunesse. Le Code impose dès lors de nombreuses règles aux bandes dessinées publiées par les éditeurs américains, parmi lesquelles l'interdiction de représenter le crime ou tout autre activité illégale sous un jour favorable, de ne jamais encourager le lecteur à remettre en question l'autorité en place, ou bien encore l'obligation de toujours faire triompher le bien face au mal. Ces grands principes s'accompagnent d'une large censure des thèmes abordés et des images pouvant être montrées : le Code interdit le sexe, la nudité, les scènes gores, la violence excessive, la torture, le cannibalisme, les morts-vivants, les vampires, les loups-garous, ainsi que tout ce qui est jugé “contre-nature” ou “anormal” à l'époque, comme l'homosexualité ou toute forme de fétichisme. De plus, plus aucun magazine ne pourra utiliser les mots “Horror” ou “Terror” dans son titre. Le respect de ces règles assure aux publications de pouvoir porter sur leur couverture le sceau “Approved by the Comics Code Authority“, et ainsi d'avoir la possibilité d'être distribuées en toute légalité, là où une bande dessinée dépourvue du célèbre logo risquait tout bonnement d'être refusée par les kiosques et ainsi de représenter une perte considérable pour l'éditeur qui ne pouvait alors plus écouler ses stocks. Si dans un premier temps, on peut penser que certaines des règles du Comics Code sont plutôt bénéfiques et limitent les dérives, on comprend assez rapidement que beaucoup d'entre elles sont largement soumises à interprétation lors du passage des publications devant la commission. Et c'était d'autant plus vrai dans le cas de EC Comics, qui, entre ses histoires horrifiques en grande partie à l'origine de la polémique et le caractère bien trempé de Bill Gaines, avait tout pour être dans le viseur du juge Murphy. Aussi, lorsque la réimpression de Judgment Day fut présentée avant sa publication, Charles F. Murphy déclara à Feldstein que le héros ne pouvait en aucun cas être noir, et ça sans aucune justification. S'ensuivit une prise de bec musclée entre le juge, l'auteur et l'éditeur, à l'issue de laquelle EC Comics refusa catégoriquement de changer quoi que ce soit à l'histoire. Pour vous dire à quel point Murphy tenait à avoir gain de cause, incontestablement pour emmerder Gaines, il n'y a pas d'autre mot, et bien face à la détermination de ce dernier, il aurait demandé à ce que les gouttes de sueur présentes sur le visage du personnage principal soient retirées. Une exigence absolument surréaliste qui, une fois encore, ne peut absolument pas être justifiée par l'une des règles du Comics Code. L'histoire sera finalement republiée telle quelle, sans prendre en considération les objections de la CCA. Un acte fort qui signera également la fin d'une époque pour EC Comics. Weird ScienceLa vérité, c'est qu'il existe un sous-texte peu glorieux et typique du puritanisme américain au Comics Code. Si celui-ci demande à ce que les femmes soient représentées de manière réaliste et le moins sexualisées possible, c'est pour mieux en faire des demoiselles en détresse ou de sages ménagères attendant un providentiel héros masculin, de préférence blanc et bien viril. Car si le Comics Code interdit aussi toute forme de discrimination, la commission s'assure tout de même que chacun reste bien à sa place, dans un pays où la ségrégation est toujours en vigueur en 1956 et où il faut veiller à ne pas attiser les revendications sociales des afro-américains. En fait, la principale règle outrepassée implicitement par Judgment Day était certainement celle de ne pas contredire le pouvoir en place. Prôner l'égalité et la tolérance entre des robots, pourquoi pas, mais en mettant en scène un personnage principal qui aurait lui-même était la cible de discriminations à l'époque, EC Comics va trop loin pour la Comics Code Authority. Bien avant que Stan Lee ne défie le Code en publiant une histoire traitant du problème de la drogue chez les jeunes dans les pages de Spider-Man, ou que le Swamp Thing d'Alan Moore ne s'affranchisse définitivement de l'estampille de la CCA, William Gaines et Al Feldstein ont été des précurseurs et EC Comics en a payé le prix. En ne se pliant pas aux règles imposées, l'éditeur s'est mis dans une situation très délicate qui l'obligera à abandonner la publication de comic books pour se concentrer sur des périodiques au format magazine échappant à la censure du Comics Code, dont le plus célèbre reste sans conteste MAD. Un triste sort qui rappelle pourtant le rôle majeur de la fiction, en l'occurrence de la science-fiction, et l'importance d'un art populaire accessible au plus grand nombre dans l'évolution des mentalités. De Victor Hugo à Star Trek, en passant par la Doom Patrol ou même The Witcher, chaque œuvre porte un message qui reflète les préoccupations de son temps. Qu'il s'agisse de conflits sociaux, de l'acceptation de la différence, ou de la nécessité d'une prise de conscience collective, ces thématiques parfois bien cachées pèsent pourtant bien plus qu'on ne pourrait le croire dans l'amélioration de notre quotidien quand les œuvres en question touchent des millions de personnes. Pour l'anecdote, et pour comprendre à quel point la science-fiction a encore du travail, il faudra attendre 1983 pour que Guion Bluford devienne le premier astronaute afro-américain à aller dans l'espace. Soit 14 ans après qu'on ait marché sur la Lune. Si vous voulez en savoir plus sur EC Comics et sur cette histoire, je vous recommande de jeter un oeil au livre EC Comics : Race, Shock & Social Protest de Qiana Whitted, qui m'a été très utile pour l'écriture de cet article. N'hésitez pas à partager cet article sur les réseaux sociaux s'il vous a plu ! Recevez mes articles, podcasts et vidéos directement dans votre boîte mail sans intermédiaire ni publicité en vous abonnant gratuitement ! Get full access to CHRIS - POP CULTURE & COMICS at chrisstup.substack.com/subscribe

In this final installment of our moral panic series, as well as our final episode of 2021, we go into various banned books, fears about literature's effect on "weaker minds," the hearings on comic books and juvenile delinquency, and what makes a moral panic. Whether it's murders attributed to Catcher in the Rye or the big boss battle between Fredric Wertham and William Gaines, there's plenty of historical examples to draw from. Then Ben wraps up with some considerations (and criticisms) of moral panic theory and how it can be misapplied.

Below find a re-release of one of our favorite episodes of all time. It's a battle for the ages! It's Em vs. Frederic Wertham! No holds barred!-------------------------------Uncovering the Bronze Age #005 (encore) -- Uncovering the CodeOriginally released October 31, 2014This Halloween, Em delves into one of the most terrifying, bone-chilling topics known to comic fandom -- Seduction of the Innocent and the Comics Code Authority!Follow along on the journey through the mind of one of the most infamous names in all of comic book history. What you find may SURPRISE, THRILL, and DISTURB you!Intellectual analysis and academic criticism abound in this PULSE-POUNDING episode. And prepare for the SHOCKING twist ending that closes out our tale.This is the story of Dr. Fredric Wertham ...Click on the player below to listen to the episode Right-click to download episode directly You may also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or the RSS Feed.Send e-mail feedback to relativelygeeky@gmail.comPromo: In CountryFeaturing the Voices of:Noel Thingvall: Masters of CarpentryStephen Lacey: The FantasticastPaul Spataro: Back to the Bins.The Irredeemable Shagg: Fire & Water Podcast(The late) Shawn Engel: Just One of the Guys.Bibliography:Seduction of the Innocent by Frederick Wertham, MD. Copyright Rhinehart and Co. Inc, 1954The Comics Code: 1954, SeductionOfTheInnocent.OrgTales from the Code, CBLDF.org"Fredric Wertham: Anti-Comics Crusader Who Turned Advocate" by Dwight Decker(Essay about Wertham and the creation of "The World of Fanzines")Additional reading:"Seducing the Innocent: Frederick Wertham and the Falsifications that Helped Condemn Comics." Carol L. Tilley. Information and Culture: A Journal of History, 47 (4). 2012.The Study of Man: Paul, the Horror comics, and Dr Wertham, Commentary Magazine (1954) (A contemporary article from a father about his son's comic reading habit) The Testimony of William Gaines (Transcript: April 22nd, 1954)(Other transcripts, including Wertham's testimony, also available)

Settle in for an extra-spooky Halloween episode! We’re joined by Michael Monello, one of the creators of The Blair Witch Project, Co-founder and Creative Director of Campfire Media and co-producer of the Video Palace podcast for Shudder, and Qiana Whitted, a professor English and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina and author of EC Comics: Race, Shock and Social Protest, which won the 2020 Eisner Award for best academic/scholarly work. Together, they discuss horror in film, radio/podcast, comics, novels, television, and every-day life, helping to map the genre for our listeners. They start with reflections on their own early exposure to the genre. Whitted discusses the way EC comics introduced racism as a form of horror across their suspense and shock oriented titles and she situates these stories within the political debates that followed from Frederic Wertham’s attacks on horror and crime comics and the ways these paved the way for the comics code. Monello traces the ways Video Palace took inspiration from radio horror series in the ways it uses sound to draw the listener in with a mixture of fascination and dread. Along the way, they reflect on how horror has been a site for social transgression and artistic experimentation, and consider the ways international horror films can break the formulas and take us out of a familiar space. And they end with speculations about what forms of horror will allow us to rethink our society in the wake of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter.Full Transcript will be available soon on our website at https://www.howdoyoulikeitsofar.org/episode-74-horror-social-change-and-experimentation-with-michael-monello-and-qiana-whitted/Here’s your horror watch/read/listen list from this episode (you may want to leave the lights on!):Horror in CinemaGremlinsGhouliesNightmare on Elm StreetUniversal MonstersMidsommarThe Blair Witch ProjectMedia HorrorGeorge RomeroCreepshowUPA – “The Tell Tale Heart" (animated)German Expressionism – from Germany to American horror filmCabinet of Doctor CaligariDavid Lynch – Blue VelvetDawn of the Dead (extended Mall Hours version)Tod Browning – FreaksRobin WoodsAudition (Japan)Terrified (Argentina)Carrie (multiple snap endings)John Waters (outsider culture)Jordan Peele – Get Out (alternate ending) ; UsHostProducer Val LewtonA Quiet PlaceDocumentary: Horror Noire: A History of Black HorrorHorror in ComicsEC Comics: Race, Shock and Social ProtestSwamp ThingTales from the CryptEC comics – William Gaines,  Al FeldsteinVault of TerrorHaunt of FearFrederic Wertham and Moral Panic around Horror and Crime ComicsComics Code“The Whipping”EC Comics illustrator Wally WoodBernie Krigstein – “Master Race” ; ImpactEC Shock Suspense Stories – “The Patriot” ; “You, Murderer” (adaptation of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)Horror Fandom60s Monster CultureFamous Monsters of Filmland – Forest J. AckermanHorror fanzinesUrban legendsHorror in LiteratureStephen King – IT ; Pet SemeteryAnne RiceO. HenryVideo Palace: In Search of the Eyeless ManH.P. Lovecraft – Weird TalesEdgar Allen Poe – “The Masque of the Red Death”Horror in Sound MediaVideo PalaceWalt Disney’s Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted HouseLights OutInner Sanctum Arch Oboler Quiet Please – “The Thing on the Fourble Board”The Cramps – Bad Music for Bad PeopleCBGB punk culturePassenger List podcastHorror in Television Sid and Marty Krofft – Land of the LostTales from the CryptTwilight ZoneLovecraft CountryInterested in the parallels to comedy and improv Colin mentioned? Check out our earlier episode with Caty Borum Chatoo from American University and the Yes, And...Laughter Lab------------------------------------------Featuring Walt Disney’s Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House https://youtu.be/H6rQyRxLBrYAnd Bridge Of Death (From “Chernobyl” TV Series Soundtrack) · Hildur Guðnadóttir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM_HhU_CV44------------------------------------------

What's old is new New amazing work of Jeff Lemire, EC Comics new old comics and the SNES Classic. DESCENDER One young robot’s struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. A rip-roaring and heart-felt cosmic odyssey that pits humanity against machine, and world against world, to create a sprawling space opera from the creators of Trillium, Sweet Tooth, and Little Gotham. ASCENDER Powerhouse creative team JEFF LEMIRE and DUSTIN NGUYEN launch an all-new sequel series to DESCENDER with the launch of ASCENDER! Set ten years after the conclusion of DESCENDER’s storyline, magic has taken the place of machinery and the rules are very different indeed… Mila, the daughter of Andy and Effie from DESCENDER, spends her days exploring the lonely wilds of the planet Sampson and trying to stay out of the clutches of the evil disciples of the all-powerful vampire witch known only as Mother. But, like her parents, Mila doesn’t like to play by the rules, and when a certain robot pal of her dad’s shows up, nothing will ever be the same! With all the scope and heart of the sci-fi classic DESCENDER, LEMIRE and NGUYEN reunite to take readers on an unforgettable fantasy quest! Like you I’m sure you can tell when something is good, whether it’s a book, comic book or podcast you can’t stop consuming it. This is one you won’t be able to put down. Like most of Lemires work it’s excellent and addicting.  The whole future dynamic between robots and humans is fascinating to all of us, especially now when AI is getting closer than it ever has been. The art is gritty and fits the story telling. The story starts with Descender and chapter two is Ascender. Also as I have said before I like the story because it has a beginning and ending.If you like the conflict between humans and robots you will love Jeff Lemires Descender/Ascender.   This isn’t new, but it’s new to me. EC Comics collection from Dark Horse. When you think Dark Horse might be down for the count they hit back hard, THE EC ARCHIVES Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books, which specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series. In 1954–55, censorship pressures prompted EC Comics to concentrate on the humor magazine Mad, leading to the company’s greatest and most enduring success. Initially, EC was privately owned by Maxwell Gaines and specialized in educational and child-oriented stories. Later, during its period of notoriety, it was owned by his son, William Gaines. He sold the company in 1960, and it was eventually absorbed into the Kinney National Company, the same corporation that later purchased DC Comics and Warner Bros. EC had success with its fresh approach and pioneered in forming relationships with its readers through its letters to the editor and its fan organization, the National EC Fan-Addict Club. EC Comics promoted its stable of illustrators, allowing each to sign his art and encouraging them to develop unique styles; the company additionally published one-page biographies of them in the comic books. This was in contrast to the industry's common practice, in which credits were often missing, They were also known for their shock endings in the stories, like Weird Fantasy #18 (April 1953) The story depicted a human astronaut, a representative of the Galactic Republic, visiting the planet Cybrinia, inhabited by robots. He finds the robots divided into functionally identical orange and blue races, one of which has fewer rights and privileges than the other. The astronaut determines that due to the robots' bigotry, the Galactic Republic should not admit the planet until these problems are resolved. In the final panel, he removes his helmet, revealing himself to be a person of color. Which in 1953 America was shocking. Almost all of their stories had an ending like this. Another fun series is Adventure into the unknown. One of the stories simply titled Haunted house might be what a Scooby Doo episode was based on. A couple has to stay overnight in a haunted house in order to get their inheritance from a rich relative. The lawyer in charge of the estate tries to scare them out of the house by making the house appear to be haunted. Classic story and art from 1948. At the time these stories were considered edgy before the comics code of authority. These comics are the reason for the code. What a great idea! Rather than create new characters and stories why not go back 75 years and retell stories to many who have never seen it. This concept fits the saying “why recreate the wheel” you have great stories very few today have seen, why not reprint and give a chance for new readers to experience and enjoy an old story. IDW also released a special limited run edition feature the best artists edition, but I believe the Dark Horse reprints are complete and unabridged. If you have listened to this podcast for any length of time you can tell I’m a bit of a nostalgia nut. Seeing these old comics even though I didn’t live in this time period I still like the vibe I get from reading them. The optimism they project is inspiring, for example the writers had humans traveling in space like we drive to the grocery store. Yes, I will admit some of it is a bit corny but getting a glimpse of what people living in that time period were thinking is fun to consider.   Look at least one of these volumes and see what you think. The people who created these comics and stories were the pioneers of the industry that we enjoy today. They were learning as they went along. They created the medium and creators today are perfecting the medium. This reminds of the SNES classic my kids gave me. To clarify if you don’t know the SNES classic is a small Super NES console with 21 SNES games on it. No carts and they included controls identical to the original 1990 controllers. The games play just like the originals. again, what's old is new again.                       Best of all you can hack it to play even more retro games from the NES to Sega Genesis and more. Nostalgia is in and in a big way. With all that is going on in the world I believe people like to go back to what they believe in their mind was a simpler time. Whether it was or not is debatable, but if you go back to when you were 10 it was a simpler time. Or at least I hope it was for you. When you are 10 you don’t have to concern yourself with a job, house payments and getting the next promotion. The most you had to worry about is who you are going to hang out with today and what game to play. Some may knock people who like to talk about and buy things from their childhood. I would say like most things there is a healthy and unhealthy balance that needs to be adhered to. For example, do not put a second mortgage on your house to buy that one-of-a-kind limited-edition Star Wars action figure. The guys over at the MEGA podcast came up with the idea of having a mini collection of MOTU figures. I believe the number to be considered mini was 8-10 figures. I thought this was a good way to not go overboard, but still have a piece of your childhood. Overall, I don’t think it’s bad to have a few things from your past. You know the feelings and memories that come rushing back when you hold that one thing from your childhood and instantly you are 10 again and you have your whole world to explore. Even if it’s only for a few minutes at least let people enjoy it and let them share their memories with you and the excitement they got to experience. A friend told me his wife didn’t understand why he collected and talked about old MOTU figures. He said because it brings back feelings and memories from a good time in his life and made him feel good to revisit those memories again. She still didn’t understand why. A few months later her birthday came around and he bought her an original bear she had as kid that she mentioned she had lost during a move when she was a kid and wished she had never lost it. When she opened the box she was stunned and started to cry as the memories of the bear came rushing back. He had bought her the exact bear she had lost. And he said this is why I buy those old figures. That story nailed it for me. Maybe you have a similar story. If so you can email me cn@covertnerd.net or go to covertnerd.net to find out how to reach me. I will put a link in the show notes that you can access on whatever device you are using to listen to this podcast. Let me know about your thoughts on this episode and any ideas you have for future topics I would love to hear what you think.   60's Reboot Podcast Covert Nerd Facebook Covert Nerd Website Covert Nerd Instagram Covert Nerd Twitter Covert Nerd Merch Proud Member of The Last Starfighters Entertainment Group. For more great content go to the Facebook Page:

Today I have the story of William Gaines, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Feldstein, and Alfred E. Neuman. It’s the tale of Mad Magazine. It began with the tragic death of Max Gaines and ends more than 60 years later.

Festival knees, teenagers in China, tiny homes, the importance of hydration... cop a squat and enjoy this week's adventuresome guest, William Gaines!

MAD Magazine is a humor magazine founded in 1952 by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines. It was extremely popular and influential in the mid-20th century, especially under editor Al Feldstein (1956-84), peaking in circulation at 2 million in 1974. It has published 550 regular issues, as well as hundreds of special editions. On July 2, 2019, MAD announced that it would stop publishing new issues by the end of the year.A 1963 issue of MAD included this flexi-disc, purporting to be MAD's mascot Alfred E. Neuman performing the song "It's a Gas," written by N. Blagman and S. Bobrick on the MAD label. The song was written by Norman Blagman and Sam Bobrick, and performed by Mike Russo, Jeanne Hayes, and the Dellwoods. The song apparently features Al Feldstein saying "It's a Gas!" and King Curtis on saxophone. It also features belches provided by the musicians, which were cut into the recording during post-production."It's a Gas" was originally recorded for RCA under the name the "Sweet Sick-teens." RCA released two songs from the session, but refused to release "It's a Gas" because it was in poor taste. MAD loved the track, and was delighted to include it with an issue of the magazine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Aquí tenemos su número de mayo. Parece que hay un hombre con un hacha llena de sangre agarrando una cabeza que ha sido cortada de su cuerpo. ¿Cree que eso es buen gusto?", preguntó el senador Kefauver. "Sí señor, lo creo, para la portada de un cómic de terror", respondió William Gaines, dueño de la editorial EC. Esta conversación tuvo lugar el 21 de abril de 1954 en el marco de la subcomisión del senado de EEUU para la investigación de la delincuencia juvenil. Probablemente, es el intercambio verbal más importante de la historia del noveno arte. No es exagerado decir que, después de ella, nada fue igual.Al igual que la alarma social de los ofendiditos de la época llevó a la industria americana del cine a establecer en 1934 unos límites a lo que los espectadores podían ver en la gran pantalla (el llamado Código Hays), los tebeos comenzaron a estar en la diana de las mentes de los próceres del buen gusto a partir de la década de los 40. Lo que ocurrió lo explica magistralmente el periodista Daniel Hajdu en su libro La plaga de los cómics (cuando los tebeos eran peligrosos) que acaba de publicar la editorial Es Pop. El crítico Alvaro Pons visita Más Allá (pero no tanto) para hablar de unos hechos conocidos por los aficionados pero no siempre bien explicados.El podcast El ataque de los cómics asesinos ha sido publicado en Plaza Radio

On this episode we chat with John Siuntres (host of the Wordballoon podcast). In this episode we talk about Stan Lee, Mad Magazine, William Gaines, Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Mahfood, Josh Fialkov, and the importance of perspective in life. We Now Join The Program Already In Progress is an interview podcast with a catch. Just because the mic’s are hot doesn’t mean it will make it on the air. Our show starts cold when the host Saul Colt and the guest get into a nice groove. Sometimes that is immediately  and sometimes that can be 30 mins in. The result is you get an interesting conversation between Saul Colt and people he loves and admires without the awkward time at the beginning waiting for people to get comfortable. Reach out and say hi at www.joininprogress.com or @saulcolt on Twitter #joininprogress Our show is now supported by Audible. Grab your free download and 30 day free trial at www.audibletrial.com/saulcolt

Los monstruos de la literatura ya son por sí mismos espeluznantes, ¿pero qué hay de los artistas que llevan a esas abominaciones a cuatro tintas en el papel? En esta emisión hablamos de Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Len Wein, William Gaines, Steve Neils y otros visionarios. Con Fernando Santamaría, Nina Groncho y Erick Yáñez. También invitamos a Diego García y Marisol Mendoza de Editorial Chipotle. ¿Quieres más terror en tus oídos? Entra a psicofonias.com.mx/ y escucha relatos de terror que son como películas para tus oídos. TAMBIÉN ESCUCHA "TERROR EN UN SUSPIRO" EN SOUNDCLOUD bit.ly/2PBDFIa ESCUCHA "POR QUÉ NOS DA MIEDO" en otras plataformas: iTunes: apple.co/2Lum5Dq Google Podcasts: goo.gl/i3rdoz

Mad magazine creator William Gaines interviewed in 1983. The Comics Journal #81, Gary Groth and Dwight R. Decker.

Mad magazine creator William Gaines interviewed in 1983. The Comics Journal #81, Gary Groth and Dwight R. Decker.

Heron starts talking about Facebook ads. Tom floats the new name for the podcast. They discuss pharmacology versus psychology. Tom raises the phylum of the monkey Heron observes. They talk about who should be allowed to self-publish, power structures and sexuality. Tom confirms he's okay to die now. They discuss meeting listeners. Tom is thankful he isn't an academic. Heron asks why things Tom produces are now moving from just being free. Tom talks about one of his heroes, William Gaines, publisher of Mad magazine and the absence of contemporary war comics and toys. They discuss the Bonobo Future comic/movie and move on to some discussion on WikiLeaks.

Heron starts talking about Facebook ads. Tom floats the new name for the podcast. They discuss pharmacology versus psychology. Tom raises the phylum of the monkey Heron observes. They talk about who should be allowed to self-publish, power structures and sexuality. Tom confirms he's okay to die now. They discuss meeting listeners. Tom is thankful he isn't an academic. Heron asks why things Tom produces are now moving from just being free. Tom talks about one of his heroes, William Gaines, publisher of Mad magazine and the absence of contemporary war comics and toys. They discuss the Bonobo Future comic/movie and move on to some discussion on WikiLeaks.

AroundComics.com Comic Books Culture Podcast Ep. 107Powerful forces from beyond have brought together a podtastic panel for this weeks News and Reviews. Join Chris, Tom and Sal as they are joined by New X-Men artist Skottie Young, Scar Tissue artist Dave Wachter, and Comic Book Queer hosts Eric and Stevie D, as they discuss The Bill Finger Awards, the William Gaines movie, Jim Shooter's return to the Valiant Universe, Stan's signing with Disney, and who is dead or alive in the world of comics. And don't miss the second half of the show as the Ghost of John Siuntres and Tom fight it out about Avenger's Illuminati 3. They boys also go over some emails and voicemails. All apologies to Gardner Fox and Don Rosa. Support the show