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Horror: The First Time America's Paranoia Infected the World
Every generation the media is blamed for the unruly behaviour of the young. In the 80's it was Heavy Metal, during the 90's it was rap and computer games. Well, there was once a time when comic books were seen as the greatest danger to the youth of the world, and the American Government decided it needed to do something about it. The Senate Hearings into juvenile delinquency would not only change the comic industry forever, it inspired an age a true horror across the globe, allowing government sanctioned witch hunts ruled by men like Joseph McCarthy to destroy the lives of everyday people looking for hidden perils in a seemingly dangerous world...and this all began with the war against comic books.
The modern political environment is not the first time America's paranoia infected the world. There was a time when comic books were branded public menace #1, and many governments moved to destroy the industry. With a cast that includes Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Joseph McCarthy, America's first serial killer, Albert Fish, Stan 'The Man' Lee and many others, 'HORROR - the First Time America's Paranoia Infected the World' is a tale based on the true stories of those affected by these strange times.
The modern political environment is not the first time America's paranoia infected the world. There was a time when comic books were branded public menace #1, and many governments moved to destroy the industry. With a cast that includes Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Joseph McCarthy, America's first serial killer, Albert Fish, Stan 'The Man' Lee and many others, 'HORROR - the First Time America's Paranoia Infected the World' is a tale based on the true stories of those affected by these strange times.
326 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 1, 2021
I bought this book for the subtitle, hoping it would contain new info on the worldwide effects of America's 1950s moral panic over comic books. I was disappointed to discover that topic only appears on a few pages and focuses on Canada, the UK, Australia, and a little bit on Europe. I did learn a few things I had not read about before and I'm grateful for that portion of the book. The author also does a good job of quoting articles and interviews from 40s and 50s publications that played roles in the eventual congressional hearings on comics and the establishment of the Comics Code. Unfortunately that story has been told many times, perhaps best in David Hajdu's The Ten-Cent Plague.
What remains is a disorganized ramble that contains some of the worst edited, fact-checked, and proofed copy I've ever seen in a professionally published volume. A few examples are worth pointing out, though they hardly give a picture of the extent of the problems. Fredric Wertham's first name is spelled four different ways in the 300+ pages, sometimes spelled multiple ways on a single page. A digression about Bill Mauldin never manages to spell his surname correctly. Plurals and possessives are mangled to a degree that becomes comical and apostrophe placement appears to be semi-random. Worse is the near total absence of sourcing the cited material (though one chapter makes an attempt) so that the intriguing "fact" that Wertham discovered the "secret" of William Marston's unorthodox sex life but did not reveal it is unverifiable. Chronology is also a problem with the history, so digressive that even a knowledgeable reader may be left uncertain when things took place. I hate to criticize a work that seems passionate and well-intentioned and that does contain some gems of obscure information, but the fault here is largely that of the publisher, who should be ashamed of allowing so many gross errors into print.
What remains is a disorganized ramble that contains some of the worst edited, fact-checked, and proofed copy I've ever seen in a professionally published volume. A few examples are worth pointing out, though they hardly give a picture of the extent of the problems. Fredric Wertham's first name is spelled four different ways in the 300+ pages, sometimes spelled multiple ways on a single page. A digression about Bill Mauldin never manages to spell his surname correctly. Plurals and possessives are mangled to a degree that becomes comical and apostrophe placement appears to be semi-random. Worse is the near total absence of sourcing the cited material (though one chapter makes an attempt) so that the intriguing "fact" that Wertham discovered the "secret" of William Marston's unorthodox sex life but did not reveal it is unverifiable. Chronology is also a problem with the history, so digressive that even a knowledgeable reader may be left uncertain when things took place. I hate to criticize a work that seems passionate and well-intentioned and that does contain some gems of obscure information, but the fault here is largely that of the publisher, who should be ashamed of allowing so many gross errors into print.
July 22, 2021
An interesting read, perfect for the status of our world now!
Hore pens a magnetic story in HORROR: The First Time America’s Paranoia Infected the World. I have read work from this author before, and I really enjoyed it. The title of the story may at first seem like there is this infection covering the globe, but it reminds the world (at least those who lived in the 50's children and adults alike) (and not me), that there was this deep infection, more like a horror that would cripple the minds of the budding next generation. The infection, comic books. The evil that pulled the children into interesting stories of monsters, goblins, science fiction, and superheroes. I loved this story. It kind of reminded me of the paranoia that spread when people first saw the movie, "War of the Worlds" where they thought there was indeed an invasion. This author has a great imagination and I'm glad it's being shared with stories. It's an interesting story and how the government was brought in to thwart "juvenile delinquency." This is a magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber, so much I couldn't put it down. The title drew me in, but the story made me stay. This story captures the reader's attention at chapter 1. I have fast become a big fan of Hore. HORROR: The First Time America’s Paranoia Infected the World is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author.
Hore pens a magnetic story in HORROR: The First Time America’s Paranoia Infected the World. I have read work from this author before, and I really enjoyed it. The title of the story may at first seem like there is this infection covering the globe, but it reminds the world (at least those who lived in the 50's children and adults alike) (and not me), that there was this deep infection, more like a horror that would cripple the minds of the budding next generation. The infection, comic books. The evil that pulled the children into interesting stories of monsters, goblins, science fiction, and superheroes. I loved this story. It kind of reminded me of the paranoia that spread when people first saw the movie, "War of the Worlds" where they thought there was indeed an invasion. This author has a great imagination and I'm glad it's being shared with stories. It's an interesting story and how the government was brought in to thwart "juvenile delinquency." This is a magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber, so much I couldn't put it down. The title drew me in, but the story made me stay. This story captures the reader's attention at chapter 1. I have fast become a big fan of Hore. HORROR: The First Time America’s Paranoia Infected the World is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews