Book description
In the years between the end of World War II and the mid-1950s, American popular culture was first created in the pulpy, boldly illustrated pages of comic books. But no sooner had comics emerged than they were beaten down by mass bonfires, congressional hearings, and a McCarthyish panic over their…
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Ten-Cent Plague as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I don't ordinarily read non-fiction. I picked this one because I was interested in the history of comic books in America. I was instantly hooked by the depth of research, which features interviews with many of the writers and artists who experienced the events personally.
I was amazed to learn how extensive the comic publishing industry was prior to the 1960s, and how quickly the political groups opposed to the industry decimated it. More than that, it was eye-opening to realize that this was a story that I had never suspected existed.
I read this during Banned Books Week and…
David’s book came out while I was still searching for the truth about Uncle Lev, and it provided a useful and entertaining overview of the effort to censor comic books—catching Lev directly in its cross-hairs—and the industry code that was implemented as a result. Ultimately, David argues, “the generation of comic-book creators whose work died with the Comics Code helped give birth to the popular culture of the postwar era.”
From Brett's list on the history of golden age comics.
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