The Golden Age of Horror Comics - Part 1
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Here in part 1 we are looking at the first rise in horror comics in the mid to late 1940's and how that affected the comic book landscape, resulting in a national conversation about media and juvenile delinquency that continues to this day.
Twitter: / praise_shadows
Email: inpraiseofshadows1:gmail.com
Patreon: / praiseofshadows
Hey everybody! Thanks for watching I hope you enjoyed it. I wrote both parts at the same time so hopefully there won't be as long a wait until part 2 comes out. A video series like this can be kind of hard to do on UA-cam because if the first episode doesn't do well then the next one usually really underperforms, so if you want to share this one around that would be really appreciated. I hope you all have a really safe and happy Halloween next week, thanks again!
I'll sure do
You are great, man! One of the most underratef channels of youtube, and the best one comcerning horror for sure
You truly make great content and your channel is underappreciated.
Excellent work. I love your analyses on horror films and literature. I look forward to part two.
Love the Channel
This is EXCELLENT, thank you for putting so much work into it!
Captain Midnight,Fizz Pop and this guy are the triumvirate of old pulp and comics!
My sentiments exactly.
Cappptain MIDNIGHT!
Really good job! Takes me back.... I read 'em; I turned out alright!
The _5 Fold Understanding_ YT Channel did A micro doc Years ago about - The History of Horror Comics & _House of Mystrey._ His audio was scrambled upon upload. But it's Full of Intresting Notes & Solid imagery about DC Horror, Gothic Romance covers, the 70's industry & such (shows how Multiple _House of Mystrey_ Classic Comic covers actually connect to one another). He also notes how if you go to the Legit 'Comics Plus website'. You can Read OPEN DOMAIN Horror Comics *(Like EERIE)* in HD.
I like the paintings in the background.
I have learned:
As a blonde, wearing red dresses is asking for supernatural trouble!
also: never trust a politician name Estes
@@k.morningstar7983 you mean, never trust a politician!
True story.
Sugar, your name is so apt then. I want to see you now.
Ngl, it’s almost hard to believe that some of those Tales From The Crypt comics came from the 40s and 50s, they really do look beyond that.
EC horror comics of the 1950s were freaking great I can't believe what they got away with. Play eventually actually turned into Mad comics
@@peterhinkle6412 its crazy how themes found their audiences, didnt matter how. Nowadays, everything is so watered down and derivative, digital gatekeeping on and offline. This was a reminder of how it used to be. I miss those days. Well done video.
The Master Race story from 1955 is still studied today as a pinnacle of the form. EC were on another level.
Hard to believe that the hbo series is 25 yrs old too
They looked like they were from the Bronze Age at times
My dad was born in 1940, he grew up reading all of these comics - and purchased the entire republished collection in the 2000s. He passed in 2019, and his wife decided to gift them to me today. I’ve been crying since and decided to see what I could pull on EC. This is literally perfect. Thank you
His wife is your mom right!??
I'm a little older than you (well, a lot, born 1948 in England, so I grew up reading Victorian ghost and horror stories written by people such as LeFanu, Dickens, EF Benson, etc, but I remember in the 50s reading about all the fuss with comic censorship in the US and feeling really bitter that I never got the chance to read all those amazing EC titles. I knew the artists involved from early Mad issues, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, etc, and I just knew they would have been incredible illustrating horror. When I got older I got the chance to see what I'd missed and it was just amazing. Great documentary!
I use to read these comics, I love,one about a vampire woman from a planet of people with water. that was blood in us but water to them, she was the only survivor of that planet that came to earth.
As someone half a century from you, it's very cool to hear your experience, especially from someone of your...(I'm a little high and trying not to disrespect you or sound sarcastic)... venerable years...presuming you'rrre telling the truth, of course.
👍
Lol to the part alot older than u.
No mention of Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley?
Hilarious how they thought that there would be roving gangs of comic book nerds terrorizing the country, raping and pillaging.
At the time, comics had a much broader appeal in general. Most genres like westerns and horror were still viable, largely because tv wasn't a taking over the entertainment market. That a large section of youth read them only increased the number that were statistically going to be socially unacceptable by the stringent standards of the time. Comics only really became a focus of nerd culture after the code, when only superhero works really survived because it was easier to divorce them from more salacious material and bind them to a moral message. It was only the nerds who could extract meaning and enjoyment from them because they have a particular tendency to adopt mythology, which was always an element of superheroes along with the appeal of the power fantasy.
In sort, there were no particular comics nerds at the time. Those came after the code, explicitly because it gutted the market.
@@morganrobinson8042 Wow. This is well-reasoned. Nicely done.
Antifa?
@@GallowayJesse
"Mostly peaceful protests."
now the gamers are the new menace of society
I think that Stan Lee had a wonderful quote about Dr. Frederick Wertham, "He would interview these juvenile delinquent kids and he figured out they were all reading comic books. Well they were all drinking milk too but that didn't seem to bother him." But man, this channel consistently puts out such amazing content. I love looking at the illustrations and covers of these old comics from publishers like EC, and it is that kind of campy, over the top horror from those comics and from Creepshow that I've truly grown to love, as well as the cosmic horror began by Lovecraft and carried on through successive generations. Thanks for the documentary!
*The quote is actually "(Wertham) did a study that demonstrated that most of the kids in reform schools read comic books. So I said to him, 'If you do another survey, you'll find that most of the kids drink milk, too."
And Stan Lee was a Jew number did you know that?
That's what I was thinking as well. They probably read Shakespeare and Twain as well!
@@plaguedoctormasque8089 Of course he was Jewish as were a lot of early comics creators.
Such as Joe Simon & Jack Kirby and Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and Will Eisner & Harvey Kurtzman among many others.
And how many of them were wearing Jeans? Or eating hamburgers.
I remember reading a passage of Wertham describing a particular Batman panel with this scandalous tone, saying it's a "homosexual's wish dream" or something... and then I looked at the panel and it's just Bruce sleeping on a sofa while Dick's doing his homework on the opposite side of the room.
It made me laugh, but also, wow, how delusional do you have to be to sexualize something like that? It's literally just a dad and son existing in the same room, yikes.
I can't speak for homosexual man, but as a lesbian woman i can attest you that is the dream.
But in all honesty this would be the asexual dream, maybe with more garlic bread.
@@ariaofdysphoria994 yeah, i as a fellow lesbian i agree
@@ariaofdysphoria994 As someone who surrounds myself in asexuals, I also agree.
😅
He really was an SJW of his time. Before calling me crazy look him up: he fought for minorities, for women, for kids... He genuinely thought he was fighting for justice. He thought he was his duty to make "lewd" comics disapper, exactly like SJWs of today think it's their duty to censor (or ban) lewd anime and Japanese videogames.
Holy shit, this was one of the best UA-cam productions I've seen on the platform kudos
To your opening point about disposable art - it still trips me up to think that, prior to the 80s, cinema was the same way. Movies were made to play for a few weeks in a theater, then disappear. So strange.
Thanks for all you do!
Horror doesn't create reality, reality creates horror.
and who creates reality? we, horror people
@@flo84floflo84 I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean frankly... so I'm afraid I can't really provide with a response.
@@flo84floflo84 What are you talking about? lol. I can't understand your scattered statement.
@@dexterdextrow7248 Dexter I get the feeling it went right over her head lol. Very enlightening Dex. Would of been something if Gaines had said those words to that dense audience at the hearing.
👏👊✊ well said !!!!
Dammit! That jerk in the intro didn't even have the indecency to tell us which comic issue that unspeakable sexual act was from! How are we to hunt it down now??
@Jamie Pritchard Well, at least it wasn't something TOO despicable, like ladies going around hatless in public.
In the TV documentary, this Tail Gunner Joe lookalike goes on to stage a fake news 50s-style scene where a group of boys go on to torture one of their member with tropes supposedly learned from comic books they've just been reading. This climaxes with them placing sticks between the toes of the boy's stripped bare feet, which seems like something more likely learned during Billy's stint as a POW in North Korea than anything out of any comic book. Frankly, this scene is repugnant, suggests the imagination of an unspeakable sexual deviant, and provokes blowback thought as the documentary innocently introduces us to a whole other profitable new field...TELEVISED VIOLENCE.
@@toonbat or with their bare necks showing or heaven forbid...their ankles showing giving decent men unwholesome thoughts..oh I feel faint!!!
I’ve seen a repro of the last page - the woman murders her new husband because he has a navel, meaning he was gestated internally. The twist ending is that she (and everyone around) are a different species and lay eggs instead of live birth. (I do not know how a human came to marry an oviparous alien female, maybe he was a stranded astronaut?)
Anyway, I guess Wertham considers that to be some form of bestiality? Or maybe it’s unspeakable because there is no technical term for human-alien sexual interaction.
@@bmlgordon Damn! I can only guess it's 'unspeakable' because everyone who tries talking about it is laughing too hard to finish a sentence.
Funny how Max Gaines was a nasty, abusive man yet preached to kids about religion and morality but Bill Gaines was a really decent guy and created horror comics. I see this a lot with people. Those who preach the most tend to be the one's that deep down are quite vile.
Virtue Signallers are very often scumbags.
Do as I say not what I do....
The seat of all modern SJW "Virtue Signalling". Ugly sociopaths weaponizing the dominant cultural norms to inflict harm on people they don't like.
It's a psychological defense mechanism called reaction formation.
...And the grand Demogorgon from which all comic books floweth, when you consider Max was the architect of the All In Color For A Dime CONCEPT as well as the agent provocateur in the purchase of most of the classic DC roster. Isn't it amazing how the rotters in our society also seem to be mass culture geniuses? There's very nearly a neat EC plot twist in which a purveyor of "cartoon books" (you know the kind!) Reforms and makes nice cute comics such as Wertham would have admired, only to have his fumbling, fatass son burn the entire industry down in one great blaze of Wagnerian glory.
I don’t understand the argument of “Comic books lead to kids committing crimes”. I believe Wertham brushed aside the fact that all these comic books, ranging from horror to superhero comics always had one thing to say: if you did something terrible, you would be punished for it. It takes a special kind of stupid to say that teaching children that if you do terrible things, you’ll be punished for it is a bad thing.
And I believe Fredric Wertham is that special kind of stupid.
He’s republican, are you really that surprised?
He believed that all forms of violence, even as punishment, was harmful for children to see, so he was against superheroes too.
@@mackenziecarver6807 I'm a conservative and I love old horror comics; your article is invalid because it was Tipper Gore and her democrat "Mad Mom Squad" who was doing this in the '90s; it's the democrats who are out there trying to cancel everything they don't like. Grow up and realize that the left wing and the right wing are part of the same bird
@@farpointgamingdirect oh I’m fully aware that the left and right are one in the same. It’s why I don’t consider myself to be on either side. I’m a writer and I can’t stand being told what I can and cannot write
@@mackenziecarver6807 If you think the Left and the Right are one in the same...you're not paying attention and are a total moron. The Right are taking away people's rights, banning books, and want to force their Christian nationalism on us. Not to mention the fact that they are corporate-owned tools. The Left wants all people to be treated with dignity and respect. Which is why we support and fight for progressive policy. We also believe in freedom and democracy. That means we want a fair system and we want people to be allowed to do as they please, as long as they're not hurting anyone. Get it? Huge difference, huh?
R.L. Stine has the personality like he wants to brighten people's lives up but looks dead inside 😆
He wants to be Jack Black
Yes he does haha....I feel like that
He wrote joke books under the name “Jovial Bob Stine” before he wrote Goosebumps and teen horror novels.
"I think Hitler was a beginner" is a hell of an out of context quote
I think it'll go away with a wall be perfect it'll go away I'm a stable genius I know what I'm talkin about is far harder to swallow than Hitler Hitler is dead he can't hurt anybody anymore but the orange fascist is alive and well until We get a hold of him
@@plaguedoctormasque8089 yep, and trump will be fondly remembered as a light preview of the horrid nightmare that will succeed Biden. Causes the Demo have learned no lessons.
@@plaguedoctormasque8089 judging by that nonsense you wrote, it's no wonder you're a leftist. Truth is we're going to add to that wall, Trump is getting his second term, and biden is going to prison with hilary not far behind
Trump 2020🇺🇸 don't like it then gtfo sore losers
@@derealized797 Ooh, the projection. Triggered your orange puppet isn’t popular anymore, snowflake?
@@jacoblevenson7934 fine bend and spread its what Your best at.
It's a classic phenomenon. Parents blaming comic books or video games for their own dysfunctional children when the real cause is actually child abuse.
Back when writing was invented, they said it would make the kids "lazy" not having to "keep everything in their heads"...
When bad parents leave their young kids alone on the internet and the kid clicks on a scary image and gets frightened instead of the parent accepting it was their fault for leaving the kid alone they blame the internet for having the scary image.
or the classic move of taking their kids to horror movies then demanding horror be banned as it was violent and "inappropriate" for their kids.. despite the films being rated for teens and up.
And sometimes mental disability's/ parents not knowing that every child is different and thus might have to be raised differently
That Guy Yeah I agree. I’m of the opinion that most mental illness is caused by child abuse and neglect but I also think that there are people who are just born broken.
Me: I don’t know if I can watch for an hour
Sees the intro: lemme get my good headsets and some snacks gonna be hear for a while
I see a Kouishou Rajio avatar I gotta say something
NattoSumi a kindred spirit
*Here.
This is one of my favorite videos discovered the entire year. I actually sent it to an ex friend who insisted that comics weren't art and were just cheap pop culture junk food, so I was talking about their impact through culture and use this video among other arguments. He firstly got mad at me for enticing him on watching a video this long on the topic, and then continued to pretentiously say this is a bad argument for comics being art because it took a "moralistic" approach to justify them. As if arts and morals had nothing to do with each other. Anyway, thank you In Praise of Shadows for helping me cut someone extremely toxic and close minded out of my life. That dude, beyond that disagreement, was an absolute pretentious asshole. And this video is amazing. Can't wait for the second part.
Sound like the kind of toxic person that only considers "high" art as true art.
Good riddance I say.
Just a heads up, Hilary Clinton has said the same thing about violent video games that Trump did. It seems to be an old person's, or someone who's never played video games themselves, view on things, not necessarily a political take.
Holy shit Orson Wells was lit AF.
Man never pulled punches.
He had to deal with censorship too.
I dont like how he sidelined the person who made Citizen Kane with him, but yeah here he is based.
i've been reading "paperbacks from hell" by grady hendrix & will erikkson. it's amazing to learn how 70's and 80's paperback art and horror comics have influenced each other! i love this video and you've turned me on to the horror genre! happy halloween!
It all goes back the old Pulp Magazines, baby. Cheap and eye-catching.
Oh so juvenile crimes were invented by comic books? I thought kids were all good until video games came along!
Or roleplaying games. Mileage may vary depending on the parent in question
Everything was fine and dandy until them kids got hooked on them picture shows
men not wearing hats.
the horror
32:40 gotta hand it to them, "This magazine is haunted" is an awesome name
I never realized just how much horror was made in the golden age of comics.
Same here!
That "radio witch" was Old Nancy, the Witch of Salem. She was always accompanied by her wise black cat who was named Satan. Nancy was the host of a radio program called The Witch's Tale, back in the thirties.
You can find Old Nancy on Sirius XM's Classic Radio Shows station this Halloween.
I'll look for it thank you.
@@cha5 You can find alot on youtube, Weird Circle and the hall of fantasy are my favorites.
I think it's pretty insane how out of touch adults are with children and how quick they are to defend them without letting them speak, which kids are usually willing to do and are very honest about how they feel.
As an artist and someone who pores over those comics, we always have to fight the good fight and remind parents that they are the ones responsible for the upbringing of their children. And if they are so concerned with what their kids are consuming, then they should be more involved in that content. No form of media will convince children to become murderers or criminals, poor upbringing and lack of community support does that.
I love your content and I feel like I found an old friend that I can't spend enough time with. Keep it up, take breaks and stay safe out there. You never know what lurks in the shadows....
I love this, very well said✨
To be fair, especially after suffering through the Satanic scare, Judith Reisman, Jack Thompson, ad. nauseam; keeping books behind the counter or restricting sale to at least 15 a la Wertham would have been a good compromise.
The sense I get with these moral outrages is that once these things move out into the open, it becomes a part of the culture war and things can only get worse until the morally uptight die or lose prominence. They want a facade of the underground in A Boy and His Dog to project, and who are we to deny them?
The trajectory has been towards a more permissive society, even with all their restrictions (I wonder what Tipper Gore thinks of Cannibal Corpse), and short of an outright ban, having sub-cultures move in parallel seems the best way to maintain autonomy with the least amount of friction. The interested (even under-age) will still find their way to the fringes, and the moral crusaders can maintain their illusion of a god-fearing country as the culture leaves them behind.
The people who try to get things censored or banned supposedly because they're unsuitable for kids really just want to get rid of them because they themselves don't like them and are using the kids as an excuse.
What lurks in the dark? Only what we carry with us...our fear hatred superstitions dark desires things that we keep locked away deep in our psyche...the monsters exist and they are us...
I've been watching a series on a gross transphobic book, about how trans boys are brainwashed girls; and watching this reminded me of that book, in essence adults decided they know what their kids think and don't bother listening to their kids. It's abuse
Junji Ito's manga remind me of these old EC comics a lot
I know what you're saying. Thise human caterpillars panels reminded me of Junji Ito a LOT.
Absolutely. Some of his short stories are thematically very close to the EC comics. But I imagine that if he had publiciesd his works at that time (and in america), comics would have died out for good... or maybe not, idk
Right? I was thinking about it all throughout the video
Spirals 🤫😜
Wertham was a classic example of someone who sees a devil in every shadow, but never the one looking back at him in the mirror. He was, incidentally, a big fan of old English folk music, ironic given its own often grim subject matter.
he started off as a hero and lived long enough to become proto Jack Thompson/Tipper Gore
dude, can we focus on more important things, like the home lives of some of these kids? he sounds exactly like the reporters in the early 20th century were reporting on how men not wearing hats and women wearing pants were destroying society
@@k.morningstar7983 Why isn't he important?
@@TruculentSheep It's crazy because Wertham was actually doing good things before he began his crusade against comic books-he was running a low cost health clinic in Harlem and his writings on the brain were cited in brown v. board of education. He also psychoanalyzed the child killer and rapist Albert Fish.
I actually get how people in the industry didn't take him seriously, everything he said was so hilariously dumb how could they. They just didn't realise America was a fascist country back then, curtailing any rights the ruling class didn't like.
@@Barnesofthenorth You have no fucking clue what "fascist" is if you think the government making a law forcing comics to have a code, which did not effect more adult oriented magazines, constitutes the USA being one.
"Comic books teach children how to assault people, and *gasp* even steal candy!" 55:18
And even after banning comics somehow we still had crime even in the decades before video games I WONDER HOW DAT HAPPENED
That happened because of satanic rituals and rock music and Dungeons and Dragons, ua-cam.com/video/1W7c8QghPxk/v-deo.html
@@andrejaeckle9828 Hope that was a joke there for i don't find it funny
@@madmike131369 Y'all just find new things to blame on. After that Rock and roll, y'all blame dungeon and dragons. After that y'all blame horror movies like the exorcist. And then mortal kombat, doom, and video games in general.
@@derrilazkia1002 i know
@@madmike131369 you didn't sound so sure before
I was a kid in the '60s, and every week when my Mom went shopping, she'd give me a quarter to spend. I'd either buy two comics for 12c each, or one 'big' comic for a quarter. I loved horror comics, along with Bierce, Poe, Lovecraft, Chambers, Jackson, Bradbury, etc. - Mom never told me what I could or couldn't read. I wish I still had some of those comics from so long ago, but as you point out - they weren't made to last. But my love of horror is still with me. And I particularly like the 19th cent. writers like Blackwood and Bierce, but also the pre-WWII and '50s writings.
You got some good taste sir...
@@josephcontreras8930 Thank you. :)
Despite the creepy and often erotic covers of my most fave black n white inked comics of my youth.,ERRIE & CREEPY Mags..especially the awesomely great Vampirella and The Crypt Keeper..my mum did the same with me just to shut me up and keep me happy still..mum thought Vampirella was a tad far too sexy for a young lad,but,it was a comic afterall and it went on to inspire my passion for art,painting and drawing..of which led me art college learning of graphic illustration and portraiture..which is now my very own self employment bliss that I do every single day I breathe..and it pays the bills. No boss..no hours set..no executive wankers demanding artwork changes for advertising purposes..just good fellow humans who enjoy my mad scribbles and want to place the scribbles on the home walls or upon their teeshirts or anything they so choose. And all because a good mum thought a comic would bring her lad some fun..and some quiet an calm. Creepy comics..an comics in general..inspired my future life.
Bless all good mums out there when they see that special gift in a child and then let the child run with it to where once only were dreams..then to become a blessed artistic future that forever continues to inspire.
Thanks mum. ✊😊✌💕..
(/-\)..
@@shakesperezen6078 That's wonderful! Art is one of my passions, but I have very little talent, myself. But I certainly appreciate it in others and have studied it for much of my life. And yes - Bless all good mothers who encourage their children to follow their dreams. :)
@@curiousworld7912 The saving graces of all humankind be Mothers Sweet an Good and ever present in the lives of children who inherit their dreams from beloved ancestors ever so true. If only more would guide and inspire and lead with loves so ancient and simple that we all may yet live in a world where dreams and imaginations are fed and nourished well and shown light..instead of fears ridicule and darknesses.
More of the human sweet beautiful good I say..more the much much better.
✊😊✌💕
(/-\)..and everyone has a art muse somewheres within..the creative spirit waits in quiet..tis only you that can give it the light it needs to thrive best my friend. Art,creative will,dreams and imagination..Its there..all..just listen for the whispers and it shall come..no matter it's form. For Talents are many,Dreams Aplenty and Imaginations can Soar High.
the turn of EC comics from "ilustrated stories from the bible" to inspire a satanic panic and at least 3 generations of horror writers is my favorite example of "fuck you dad, I do whatever I want".
HAHAH good one, bro.
I'm late, but just wanted to say this is such a phenomenally well-constructed and researched video you've made here. Your deep passion and personal connection to the subject of horror comics is apparent from the first second til the last. Very well done! I'm planning to watch Part 2 later today :)
I just finished the video and thought “That was pretty great, all done” then I realized it’s part 1.
"Teach a boy homosexuality without introducing him to it,"
Actually I'm sure a lot of people who are gay found that out with their own experience.
Yeah but this was the 50s.Even now most homophobes believe homsexuality is a type of brainwashing
Not to mention that it's not something you teach to somebody. It's always been there, it's just how someone is. That's why it's called an awakening. XD
Im hetero, so idk, but im pretty sure you "know" you're homosexual before trying it out, I dont think you'd get into an intimate situation without feeling like it, unless you REALLY bottle up your sexuality
@@sudevsen
Not alot of drag kids in the 50s?
Most homosexuals became that way through trauma, either turning them onto, or away from, things they would have, or not have, normally been interested in. I know 3 gay people, & this is the admitted case with all of them.
"Wonder Woman is a lesbian story with BDSM undertones." Yes and?
I see no problem here.
I thought the bdsm was an overtone
I scoffed at every conclusion they came to until they got to Wonder Woman where I had to kind of balance the scales. "Well...."
@@SpikeRosered This is a pretty long video to be scoffing at so often, you must be tired.
“Please don’t kinkshame.” HBomberguy
Me: *agreeing that these comics aren’t for children*
Also me: *gasp* how dare they ban this stuff?
I've lost count on how many times I've watched this amazing two-part documentary. Comic history is so fascinating and you presented it so well.
As a webcomic artist I absolutely love hearing about the history of traditional comics in such detail🌟✨
Robin was a friend's gay awakening so maybe there's something there.
Well, there is a lot of heavy sexualization around Nightwing (adult robin), so I wouldn't be surprised
Grant Morrison describes it best. Batman as a concept is very gay in a non pejorative way. Just like Wonder Woman was very openly sexual and Superman was a hero for the working class (until the creators left and the character took a 180° turn).
I love how returned these traits to the characters whenever he got to write them.
Whats wrong with that? Wait not for me but for that Batman guy and his need to endanger children to high flying acts and very small G-Strings.
Not gonna lie, I can see how Robin's outfit could be interpreted as homoerotic. Personally, I just find it hilarious.
I like snl superhero skit ambiguously gay duo with Gary and ace...😀
I know Wertham did some really good stuff but come on... You can't say, "I think Hitler was a beginner compared to the comic book industry" with a straight face and not think that that's not gonna age well
What good did he do? As far as I can see reading most of his stuff he was a pretty out of touch and depraved character himself...and to think such a person had so much power to exercise along the lines of his own prejudices and bias's...he ruined something that was not effecting anyone the way he saw it...all his evidence is warped and fabricated to match what he wanted...
Loving this series. Huge Vertigo fan (early Hellblazer, Preacher and Lucifer were my introduction to comics) so really looking forward to seeing where your series goes.
This is similar to the Mortal Kombat scandal of 1994, ...or the "Hot Coffee" scandal of 2004.
I just want to say that this is, whether you actually even intended it, to be one of the most important documentaries ever made that I've seen on the subject of censorship and free speech, and that's not even taking into account the amazing production value and fun factor. I''m very serious. God bless.
I also want to add, that whether you actually even intended it, your comment is one of the best comments I've ever seen about saying good things about this video
@@skerrkro2952 lmao
@@skerrkro2952 I also want to add, that wheter you actually even intended it, your comment is one of the best comments highlighting the original comment saying good things about this video
This is awesome. just started watching, but love the work you put into these. You're the only one i trust for good, smart, horror-related content. so this is brilliant
1:22:45 "I am just a doctor. I can't tell what the remedy is."
Wait, what?
He had to write it
I was thinking the same thing, you’re a doctor! You supposedly diagnosed the illness but you don’t know what the cure or treatment is?
During the 90's there was also a cartoon called 'Tales from The Cryptkeeper". In the 2nd season, they started including The Old Witch, and The Vaultkeeper as characters that would compete to tell their tales. That was a good tribute to the old-school E.C. comics.
I think it was just "Tales from the Crypt" but I remember that cartoon! Kinda surprised it didn't come up
@@wychwoodmusic Close. 'Tales from the Crypt' was live action horror on HBO. It was an adult show. The children's cartoon was 'Tales from the Cryptkeeper'. I'm 100% certain, and it streams on the Roku channel.
I've been looking for that Christmas story from the beginning for YEARS, since i also read it in my elementary school library. Finally, my life is complete.
What I like about these old horror comics is that they don't need a hero to recite some moral. Instead, you have awful human beings who do awful things, while at the same time there are people who want to do good. It's so much more chilling to be dependent on personal choices, and how wrong those choices can turn out.
Also kuddos for the son at the start to take over a failing company and be LEGIT good to comic artists. That knowledge makes me happy :D
I feel that stories like Gideon Falls, Wytches and Something Is Killing the Children are keeping this world of horror alive.
Is it available in comic form?? Where can I find it?
I have a poster for Gideon Falls, but I never checked it out. Just thought it was neat how the city looked like a head, and I found it in the trash. Gonna try to find the comic, finally, now that I've seen it recommended.
Harrow County
You are doing a grand service to the world of published literature, fiction and comics here by chronicling this historically and culturally significant history of events. Watching this video in addition to the interest and search for information regarding this medium that I already possessed has inspired me to create my own horror theme story anthology series hosted on my current platform for self owned independent publishing - Wattpad. The series is called “Carnival of Evil” and is hosted by the reoccurring horror host: Bones Master. He’s a skeleton grim reaper figure in a black cloak and hood. He often pops up standing around somewhere doing something menial such as raking leaves in the background or taking the tickets at the carnival while the story is being told. Thanks for your extensive research and efforts towards telling the story behind the stories. I salute you friend. - En Pandit Cole in association of iLLiterature Publications.
Watching this for at LEAST the third time, and I JUST noticed that the music playing in the background matches the era of comics which is being covered, REALLY nice touch.
I don't even read comics and I throughly enjoyed this video and all your videos, production value is outstanding and I always look forward to a new IPOS upload
As a current horror comic book creator, this video is amazing. Thanks for making it and getting the word out about the weird thing I've dedicated my life to!
I’ve been watching your videos, and I love every single one of them. You helped me more than you know, during this pandemic. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Can’t wait for the next video. Be well, friend. You are much loved in this house.
Great work indeed! Gracias from the Dominican Republic!
Found an error. When you talk of Superman's first appearance in comics, you said it was Detective Comics. Wasn't it Action Comics?
If I’m understanding correctly action comics was the line but detective comics (dc) was the publication line basically tales from the crypt vs EC comics he even showed the dc stamp on the action comic cover
Did you... Mentioned Gogol?! As one of the first author who wrote short horror stories?!
It was unexpected yet flattering. I got so used to western people ignoring Russian authors, even most of our classic Big Three +1 (Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky + Tolstoy, the first one, with novels), since in translation in English most of cultural and language impact just disappears, so it is weird to hear one of the most well known author from English-speaking person.
Thank you.
I personally was never afraid of anything horror, even as a very young child. I was always fascinated and excited by horror. I watched Tales from the Darkside and Twilight Zone with my grandfather when I was very young, maybe 7 or 8. I LOVED it! Never nightmares or fear. I wanted more. I was a strange little girl I guess. And now, I'm a strange grown woman. I wouldn't have it any other way.
You ever wish that, for that court case,
they might have asked children who enjoyed the comics why they did so?
I think that would have helped a bit.
Edit: Oh wait, he actually mentions this.
I have to ask, where in the HELL did you find all these comic covers? There are hundreds of some of the most obscure comics there are. Not to mention the actual condition of them. Where dude? lol
“I think Hitler was a beginner to the comic book industry” is quite possibly the funniest quote I’ve ever herd.
It's amazing how these supposed "intellectual" psychologists blame comics for all the problems in those times. They claim to be objective observers, and "men of science", but let their bias and fringe assumptions dictate their reasoning. They would use their diplomas as shields against legitimate criticism, and gaslight those who dare to question them. And what's worse, the public goes along with it, and accept it as gospel truth, because of how it enhances their confirmation bias.
I get what you're saying, but there's a difference between blaming everything on comics and identifying comics as a bad influence.
@@nekroneschwartz2013 I would question even that they were a bad influence. I recall a friend of mine saying with utter horror that she came home early one day to find the baby-sitter was letting her kids watch ‘The Simpsons’. Gimme a break. My 2 kids were watching the Simpsons since they were able to sit up and they are now 2 well adjusted polite adults whose teachers loved them as they went through school. Kids from good homes with good examples and role models don’t turn into disrespectful brats because they laugh at Bart Simpson’s antics, nor do they turn into homicidal maniacs because they read horror comics. I grew up with ‘em and still love ‘em. Kids from bad homes with a propensity to violence with little empathy for others will act out even if they sit around watching ‘The Brady Bunch’ or ‘Full House’ re-runs.
@@nekroneschwartz2013 are books a bad influence really
"When the fringe say things that are unscientific enough times that people start to believe it" applies to just about every moral panic or social movement in history. These past 20 odd years are no exception.
@свевский I just might be.
Superman as the "ideal fascist hero".
Homelander: "Allow me to introduce myself".
but the Homelander was written as a satire for Superman. it seems more serious when a society creates something unconsciously fascist as an icon.
Superman, being fascist?
What?
The idea of Superman being admired by fascists is ironic considering his creators were both jewish.
I see the original Siegel & Shuster Superman as a libertarian socialist hero. He punishes war profiteers, landlords, and other capitalist pigs in service of the working & underclass, in contempt of the state.
The illustrations from this era of comics are still the most horrifying I've seen.
This was staggeringly amazing, I learnt so much from this and yet felt a huge sadness inside me.
Wertham did a horrific job on the horror comic genre, I am actually sat here drawing a horror comic while watching this fabulous presentation, From this moment onwards whenever I need me some inspiration for future horror illustrations I think next time I draw a random victim being torn apart by dead things I will use Wertham as the one being killed... yeah that’s what horror comics hearing has done to me!!!
.. but relax I spill ink not blood.
I'm a little bit older than you I believe but I have a similar story. When me and my 8-year-old or so daughter would walk by Spencer's she would make us walk on the other side too. She would not go anywhere near that store but it was not because of the Crypt Keeper it was because of the Chucky doll she knew was in there.
Bless her heart! JUST like MY daughter! 😂😂😁 Didn't like ANYTHING spooky... When she was little, if she saw anything scary on tv, or in a magazine or book throughout the day,, she'd always make me come into her bedroom that night and sit beside her bed. Usually wanting me to place my hand on her head until she fell asleep (all the way up until she was about 10 or 11). Now she's almost grown, and I'm REALLY missing her needing me to be her protector against the "monsters" and "boogeymen"! lol
Wow that's real, I did the same thing when I was a little kid for the exact same reason. Except it was Hot Topic lol.
I binged watched the whole "Tales from the Crypt" HBO series in YT at 480p long time ago.
Gotta say,i absolutely loved every episode. I think it's time for a rewatch.
Those shows are shit. You have bad taste. They're ineptly created by bored people.
@@electrojones dude... Get a therapist,i know you probably hate your parents for abandoning you but that's not my problem.
@@christiangutierrez8841 oh come dude He Just has another opinion than you,No need to insult His parents.....
@@sd-wc9ep hey, that's more than a "different opinion".
That was plain hatred from a frustrated and edgy excuse of an "adult".
@@christiangutierrez8841 everyone sucks here lmao he gave out an unasked for opinion which was extremely blunt and maybe insulting and you stooped down to his level by talking about his parents not loving him lmao what the fuck
this really makes my day.. thank u
I was always a morbid child feel in love with the Addams family Hell raiser Freddie Kruger tales from the crypt etc. Since age 3 and wont stop
Incredibly in-depth. Well done!
Does anyone know where you can read old horror comics or just old comics in general online?
Some of the titles are reprinted. Look up EC comics. VAULT OF HORROR and TALES FROM THE CRYPT.
@@jjrbarnett And dont forget The Haunt of Fear
You can read old comics that are in the public domain at sites like the Comic Book Museum and Comic Book Plus. They include a wide variety of genres, including crime and horror.
The Quality of your intro, let alone the entire following video is astounding!
I am 60 now but my parents absolutely hated comic books, but they did not read much at all.
I forget to mention that my parents believed everything that Wertham said.
*First half of the video* : These terrifying short stories paved the way for what we know as horror today
*Second half* :Yeah but anyway whipepo and america are bad
Only the weak minded, gullible, sociopathic. people would fine committing crimes in the Real world, from reading comic books crimes is sad,stupid .
In 1972, when I was 7 years old, my grandmother let me read Tales from the Crypt (along with Archie, Richie Rich, Scooby Doo etc...). I never robbed, killed or assaulted anyone, but the horror comics were too scary and lurid for a child that age. They disturbed me. And it's funny in retrospect, but in second grade I wrote something for class about a monster called Shape Man who would " show you his shapes, then drink your blood and eat your flesh". Needless to say, my Mom got a call from the teacher for that one. I'm against censorship but come on, very young children shouldn't be exposed to those gory images.
I was thinking the same thing. We had horror for children in the 90's, and it was chilling to us, but I couldn´t picture my parents letting me read comics like some of the ones pictured on the videos. Just add a recommended age for each thing and case close.
I was reading horror comics from a very early age, and the first real book I read was stories by Edgar Allan Poe. None of it ever had any effect on me. It all depends upon the child.
Nice job man. There's only a small criticism I'd want to make: you spent to much time just listing things you could make your point with way fewer
I actually like him listing all the comics
oh hell yeah can't wait to dig into this. Loved your witches vids
Thanks dude, I hope you like it!
That Ray Bradbury thing is messed up. Who has to be TOLD you don't steal people's stories? You make a whole big point of talking about the IP of artists, but what Gaines did was downright theft. So, fine, Bradbury was cool about it. It was probably more of a business decision. At that time he wasn't the giant in science fiction he'd go on to become. He probably knew just making a deal with Gaines was a better bet than long, drawn-out legal action. That doesn't make Gaines any less of a dirtbag. If Bradbury hadn't contacted him, Gaines would've just gotten away with stealing. Which he probably DID with many other writers.
while I cannot hate adults for trying to protect their children it does not change the fact that most of their efforts outside of just talking with their children regularly has failed spectacularly and I can say with confidence that everything I know about how to break the law find drugs participate in underage drinking smoking or any other questionable activity was learned from people attempting to warn or scare me away from them as a child.
I was just rewatching your video catalog over the past two days, and now I've got this! Your content is great 👍
Mad World Of William H Gaines is a great read, if you havent had the pleasure yet.
May I just say as a rabid EC comics and horror fan, the amount of detail in your video is staggering! I cannot wait for the next part. :)
Sounds to me like the psychiatrist has a undertone of gayness to him. Because he is the only one who sees this in a work of fiction that was meant to entertain the mind for a while. Very insulting to the people who work so hard just to bring a ten cert comic to life in the imagination of a child. But as most psychiatrist have been told by most people that's an opinion and not fact because it is what they want you to believe their theory as too what they created too justify their own outlook of their own thoughts and if you don't believe like them it gets them no where.
EC comics came well before my time but now I realize I've seen it's influence in culture everywhere. I remember 'EC style' art in tattoo parlors, music festivals, punk/metal CDs, videogames, crafts and posters,t-shirts, and of course modern comics from Swamp Thing to Spawn.
This is seriously one of the most well made, respectable videos I've ever seen on UA-cam. The editing, clear script, research. Incredible content.
The intro! So good, very Saul Bass style
I remember going to the book fair at school. My folks didnt have alot of money, so I would buy those books in the clearance box. Besides slasher films and universal monster classics, it was those books and comics that showed me what horror on paper could be. I wish I had those old books, but this is still good. 🍻
Damn the guy actually had a "this thing I don't like is worse than Hitler" line.
This guy loves listing things almost as much as I hate sitting through those parts of the script
Wow, just W-O-W. What a great essay on comicbook-history and the way the medium evolved. A serious, very deep look on things like presentation, topics (like racism and other real world issues), the changing role of the artists, and so on . And besides that you have an entertaining flow in your moderation of the video. Even the background-music and video-cutouts are totally fitting. Nothing lame here; a fantastic piece of work ! I anonounce you comic-professor with honours (eventhough i have no rights to do that).
This is some seriously diligent, Thorough shit, here, well done--UA-cam doesn't deserve you, of course...but keep up the good work, all the same!
I would say “I think Hitler was a beginner in comparison to the comic industry” is a hell of a thing to say considering the original American superhero comic was made by the children of Jewish immigrants.
0:20 he prolly just worried about getting demonetized.
Awesome video but please stop the complete listicle mood killers. It kills my fascination and attention because I know they'll go on for way too long. They're clunky and awkward
Well, just fast-forward, problem solved.