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The Horror! The Horror!: Comic Books the Government Didn't Want You to Read!
The Horror! The Horror! uncovers a rare treasury of some of the most important and neglected stories in American literature—the pre-Code horror comics of the 1950s. These outrageous comic book images, censored by Congress in an infamous televised U.S. Senate subcommittee investigating juvenile delinquency in 1954, have rarely been seen since they were first published—and are revealed once again in all of their eye-popping glory. Jim Trombetta, in his commentary and informative text, provides a detailed history and context for these stories and their creators, spinning a tale of horror and government censorship as scary as the stories themselves.
Bonus DVD--Confidential File, a rare 25-minute TV show that first aired on October 9, 1955, about the "evils" of comic books and their effect on juvenile delinquency is included with the book.
Please note that the enclosed DVD begins with a 58-second test pattern, followed by the tv show.
Praise for The Horror! The Horror!:
"In addition to offering a generous helping of controversial comics . . . Trombetta's book provides insightful history."
-New York Times Book Review
Bonus DVD--Confidential File, a rare 25-minute TV show that first aired on October 9, 1955, about the "evils" of comic books and their effect on juvenile delinquency is included with the book.
Please note that the enclosed DVD begins with a 58-second test pattern, followed by the tv show.
Praise for The Horror! The Horror!:
"In addition to offering a generous helping of controversial comics . . . Trombetta's book provides insightful history."
-New York Times Book Review
303 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 24, 2012
Let me commence this nostalgia-packed, image-heavy jaunt down the wonderfully tasteless, viscera-laden history of horror comics, with one of my favorite covers…
Radium-induced face melt...uh, WIN...they don’t make comics like that anymore, and it makes me woeful that I didn’t grow up with these books.
Well, reading The Horror The Horror is the next best thing. This is, by far, the best comic retrospective I’ve come across to date and is miles of grisly ahead of its nearest competitor. While I’m a big fan of the EC Comics reprints (pricey though they may be), I think they have given me an overly narrow view of the breadth of material produced in the 50’s.
Well, this book seriously broadened my horizons on that front and opened my eyes to new vistas of the icky, the gory and the deliciously depraved. In other words….AHHHHH!!
This book easily gets five stars just for the incredible covers included in the material. I didn’t count the total number, but there must be hundreds, and almost all of them are ones that I had never seen before. Covers from the heyday of comics, when creative freedom was at its zenith, and the covers were designed specifically to lure in readers with promises of the lurid, the taboo, and the monstrous.
Nothing was out of bounds or too much, as long as it sold copies, and each new issue tried to outdo the shocking quotient from the month before.
Yes….those women in the background are actually on fire!!
For me, what added significantly to the fun I had perusing this gorgeously gruesome gallery of the grotesque is that the editor, Jim Trombetta, provided insightful commentary on most of the covers depicted, which evoked a great sense of admiration for the work. For example, take this cover of Out of the Shadows 8 (1953).
This cover was included in a section of the book discussing war atrocities committed during WWII and the Korean Conflict, which included the taking of heads and “faces” as trophies from fallen enemy combatants. Trombetta describes how the public revulsion for such practices may have been darkly mirrored in the comics of the day.
It’s like walking an art exhibit with the curator who points out details and nuances that make you appreciate the work even more. That is what really set me over the moon about this collection.
In addition to the covers and the commentary, there is also included several dozen full length stories from the comics behind the covers. While the quality was not always high, quite a few really surprised me with how outstanding they were. Nightmare World was terrific with its depiction of a drug-induced, altered reality, complete with brain-transplants and a Twilight Zone ending, and Foul Play has to be the most ghoulish game of baseball ever played. Some really good stories, and all of them were just a bonus because the covers and commentary were more than enough.
Speaking of the covers…let’s look at a few more that blew me away with how dark and brutal they were from this time I associate with I love Lucy. For example, I don’t recall Ricky ever holding Lucy’s head down on a lit stove…
…or the two of them ever being terrorized by a couple of malevolent mob goons with a red hot poker.
The facial expressions and the sense of malice really comes through and I think some of the artists during this period were inspired.
Okay…here’s one of my favorites, but it is going to need a bit of a close up so you can get an idea of just how “holy shit, no way they just did that” the stories got during this period. Here is the cover of Law Breakers Suspense Stories 11
If you look closely at evil, drooling, psycho nutbag, you will notice what those red, dripping things are in his hand and on the floor in front on him…here look closer…
..and the caption: ”I know you are a Mute, Miss Kimberly, But even if you could yell, the people downstairs couldn’t call the police. You see…I already cut all their tongues out."
When you add in to the equation what the maniac obviously has in mind for the victim, this becomes a seriously chilling visual…even by today’s standards, and this is 1953.
In between all of the nasterrific crime, chaos and carnage, Trombetta also touches on the issues of censorship, and the Senate Hearings that led to the death knell of these types of comics in the wake of Dr. Frederic Wertham’s publication of Seduction of the Innocent. Trombetta’s treatment of this is very cursory and you would be better served reading David Hajdu’s The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How it Changed America for a full account of this aspect of comic history.
Okay…after all of the seedy, salacious debauchery above, I want to end this review on a positive, and share my favorite image (and story) of this whole period, as a way of demonstrating the power of the medium. In 1953, Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein, the creative maestros behind EC Comics, co-wrote a story called “Judgment Day.”
In brief, it tells of an unseen, helmeted spaceman who visits an alien planet to determine if the world should be offered membership into the Galactic Republic. The world is populated by two kinds of robots, one blue and one orange. The blues rule and consider the oranges inferior, forcing them to live as a permanent underclass.
Even after visiting the robot factories and learning that both types are exactly the same, except for their “skin color,” the blues refuse to consider granting the oranges equal status. The spaceman’s verdict: no invitation to join the Galactic Republic until all robots are treated equally.
Granted, the message is a bit obvious, but it is in the final panel of the comic that the story makes its most profound statement. Returning to his ship, the spaceman removes his helmet and we see his face for the first time…he’s a black man…and the final caption reads
Even today, this is still among my favorite pieces on racial equality and an example of what comics, science fiction and other speculative genres can do so well.
5.0 stars. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION.
Radium-induced face melt...uh, WIN...they don’t make comics like that anymore, and it makes me woeful that I didn’t grow up with these books.
Well, reading The Horror The Horror is the next best thing. This is, by far, the best comic retrospective I’ve come across to date and is miles of grisly ahead of its nearest competitor. While I’m a big fan of the EC Comics reprints (pricey though they may be), I think they have given me an overly narrow view of the breadth of material produced in the 50’s.
Well, this book seriously broadened my horizons on that front and opened my eyes to new vistas of the icky, the gory and the deliciously depraved. In other words….AHHHHH!!
This book easily gets five stars just for the incredible covers included in the material. I didn’t count the total number, but there must be hundreds, and almost all of them are ones that I had never seen before. Covers from the heyday of comics, when creative freedom was at its zenith, and the covers were designed specifically to lure in readers with promises of the lurid, the taboo, and the monstrous.
Nothing was out of bounds or too much, as long as it sold copies, and each new issue tried to outdo the shocking quotient from the month before.
Yes….those women in the background are actually on fire!!
For me, what added significantly to the fun I had perusing this gorgeously gruesome gallery of the grotesque is that the editor, Jim Trombetta, provided insightful commentary on most of the covers depicted, which evoked a great sense of admiration for the work. For example, take this cover of Out of the Shadows 8 (1953).
This cover was included in a section of the book discussing war atrocities committed during WWII and the Korean Conflict, which included the taking of heads and “faces” as trophies from fallen enemy combatants. Trombetta describes how the public revulsion for such practices may have been darkly mirrored in the comics of the day.
Here a medieval troll is about to perform the face-removing process on what appears to be a contemporary American …What gives the drawing life, despite its gothic conventionality, is the alertness and even zest in the assailant’s eyes. He is aware of the victim’s every move and eagerly anticipates getting to work on him. The victim, of course, can do nothing but sit and wait for it.If you go back and look at the cover again, you can now see more in the image than you did at first glance. Is his analysis speculative and a bit over the top…sure, but it’s so engaging.
This image suggests a form of posttraumatic stress, a memory or flashback returning in transmogrified form. But in its conventionality (dungeon, deformed assailant), it seems less the experience of any particular individual that a collective nightmare in which a whole culture could, if it wished, see itself darkly.
It’s like walking an art exhibit with the curator who points out details and nuances that make you appreciate the work even more. That is what really set me over the moon about this collection.
In addition to the covers and the commentary, there is also included several dozen full length stories from the comics behind the covers. While the quality was not always high, quite a few really surprised me with how outstanding they were. Nightmare World was terrific with its depiction of a drug-induced, altered reality, complete with brain-transplants and a Twilight Zone ending, and Foul Play has to be the most ghoulish game of baseball ever played. Some really good stories, and all of them were just a bonus because the covers and commentary were more than enough.
Speaking of the covers…let’s look at a few more that blew me away with how dark and brutal they were from this time I associate with I love Lucy. For example, I don’t recall Ricky ever holding Lucy’s head down on a lit stove…
…or the two of them ever being terrorized by a couple of malevolent mob goons with a red hot poker.
The facial expressions and the sense of malice really comes through and I think some of the artists during this period were inspired.
Okay…here’s one of my favorites, but it is going to need a bit of a close up so you can get an idea of just how “holy shit, no way they just did that” the stories got during this period. Here is the cover of Law Breakers Suspense Stories 11
If you look closely at evil, drooling, psycho nutbag, you will notice what those red, dripping things are in his hand and on the floor in front on him…here look closer…
..and the caption: ”I know you are a Mute, Miss Kimberly, But even if you could yell, the people downstairs couldn’t call the police. You see…I already cut all their tongues out."
When you add in to the equation what the maniac obviously has in mind for the victim, this becomes a seriously chilling visual…even by today’s standards, and this is 1953.
In between all of the nasterrific crime, chaos and carnage, Trombetta also touches on the issues of censorship, and the Senate Hearings that led to the death knell of these types of comics in the wake of Dr. Frederic Wertham’s publication of Seduction of the Innocent. Trombetta’s treatment of this is very cursory and you would be better served reading David Hajdu’s The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How it Changed America for a full account of this aspect of comic history.
Okay…after all of the seedy, salacious debauchery above, I want to end this review on a positive, and share my favorite image (and story) of this whole period, as a way of demonstrating the power of the medium. In 1953, Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein, the creative maestros behind EC Comics, co-wrote a story called “Judgment Day.”
In brief, it tells of an unseen, helmeted spaceman who visits an alien planet to determine if the world should be offered membership into the Galactic Republic. The world is populated by two kinds of robots, one blue and one orange. The blues rule and consider the oranges inferior, forcing them to live as a permanent underclass.
Even after visiting the robot factories and learning that both types are exactly the same, except for their “skin color,” the blues refuse to consider granting the oranges equal status. The spaceman’s verdict: no invitation to join the Galactic Republic until all robots are treated equally.
Granted, the message is a bit obvious, but it is in the final panel of the comic that the story makes its most profound statement. Returning to his ship, the spaceman removes his helmet and we see his face for the first time…he’s a black man…and the final caption reads
Even today, this is still among my favorite pieces on racial equality and an example of what comics, science fiction and other speculative genres can do so well.
5.0 stars. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION.
November 16, 2021
It’s the Worm! What sharp illusions! How strange are the fancies of the mind. Am I the only man in the world who sees them as they really are? Melt – melt! It’s Tom’s leg! My footsteps sound like drumbeats in this vacuum of an avenue. Yes, we’ll drain this dame dry. She struck down her victims in a frenzy of wanton greed. Was it vexed by a twisted and passionate love? Here is the quart of blood you ordered! Using this tablet as our master cipher, we can read any inscription in the crypt. Ted!! Joyce!! I live with corpses! Pain, and more pain, and finally death, Franklin. It splits into tiny particles, but the red NUCLEUS is still there! I’d even be handsome without these thick glasses. Kiss me, Mary. Mary? Mary? No one will find us here! Wait… Harry’s come back from the dead! Hail the United World Zombies! Our power is secure. All non-zombie traitors are in custody! You weak fool! I made you love what you hated! Oh Jim – I’ll be right with you. I’ve got something to tell you, something frightful. HE DIDN’T WANT TO SHOW WHAT WAS BEHIND HIS LIPS! HE DIDN’T WANT TO SHOW WHAT WAS BEHIND HIS LIPS! HE DIDN’T WANT TO SHOW WHAT WAS BEHIND HIS LIPS! What’s the matter, sweetheart? Why does your voice sound so strange? Cannibals never boil more than one human at a time! The dank smell of the waterfront stings the girl’s nostrils as she follows her bridegroom’s hurrying steps up the creaking gangplank towards the gloomy hulk. The beads of perspiration on his dark skin twinkle like distant stars. The awful prognostications of doom. His head, grown to the size of a WATERMELON! Lorna – don’t open that – Lorna! Lorna!! AIEEE!
January 5, 2011
3.5 stars
This was a little bit disappointing, in that it was sort of neither fish nor fowl; it seems a bit like the author both wanted to release a big fancy collection of horror comics, and also write an historical, critical book about them, and the end result is that this book is a mediocre example of both. If you just want to see the horror comics, you will be a bit disappointed, as many of the stories are only alluded to or not reproduced in full; each chapter averages most of one story, along with a lot of covers and a few single pages or frames from other stories. Additionally, if you're looking for in-depth critical discussion of the role horror comics played, or a detailed history of their censorship, you will also be disappointed.
This is still an entertaining book, however, and the paper quality is great -- I doubt the comics have looked this good since they were first printed. It made me want to see out more information about the Comics Code, and find more horror comic reprints.
This was a little bit disappointing, in that it was sort of neither fish nor fowl; it seems a bit like the author both wanted to release a big fancy collection of horror comics, and also write an historical, critical book about them, and the end result is that this book is a mediocre example of both. If you just want to see the horror comics, you will be a bit disappointed, as many of the stories are only alluded to or not reproduced in full; each chapter averages most of one story, along with a lot of covers and a few single pages or frames from other stories. Additionally, if you're looking for in-depth critical discussion of the role horror comics played, or a detailed history of their censorship, you will also be disappointed.
This is still an entertaining book, however, and the paper quality is great -- I doubt the comics have looked this good since they were first printed. It made me want to see out more information about the Comics Code, and find more horror comic reprints.
November 9, 2010
This book is two things in one. First, it is Jim Trombetta's reminisces, anecdotes, and discussion about the horror comics from the 1950s, before "The Code" shut them down. Secondly, it is a collection of lots and lots and lots of rare covers and panels of art from those comics. As the EC trio--Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear--are well known and still reproduced today, Trombetta focuses mostly on all the others that have been forgotten. The majority of the artwork in this book has been practically forgotten, which is worth the cover price alone. L.B. Cole's early proto-psychedelic art, Hy Fleishman's many takes on the human skeleton, the rotted semi-mouths that the undead wear on horror comic covers, and don't forget the spider webs. It might be surprising to see multiple covers of facial explosions (is there a technical term for this?) or rotting flesh and moderately obvious homo-eroticism (as is pointed out, one artist, Don Heck, loved to paint pictures of male monsters attacking prostrate men, often with artistic focus on the attacker's crotch).
As for the second half, the commentary, it can be hit or miss. In some sections, Trombetta nails the hypocrisy and overwrought panic of the officials that were gunning were comic censorship [see Comic Code Authority's Charles Murphy who objects to a sympathetic black character in a story about overcoming racism]. He expounds on common motifs and ideas, summing up large chunks of an era. In others, though, he breaks out the psychoanalysis stick and some pop-lit critique that is never 100% off the mark, but comes across as trite. Still, it reads like a fan talking to fan, and that is something I can always dig.
As for the second half, the commentary, it can be hit or miss. In some sections, Trombetta nails the hypocrisy and overwrought panic of the officials that were gunning were comic censorship [see Comic Code Authority's Charles Murphy who objects to a sympathetic black character in a story about overcoming racism]. He expounds on common motifs and ideas, summing up large chunks of an era. In others, though, he breaks out the psychoanalysis stick and some pop-lit critique that is never 100% off the mark, but comes across as trite. Still, it reads like a fan talking to fan, and that is something I can always dig.
November 18, 2013
I think I would have liked this better if it had been purely a collection of 50s horror comics. I may have even liked it better if it been purely a nostalgic critique of 50s horror comics. Instead, it's a little bit of both, a jack of all trades and a master of none. Part of my disappointment comes from how few stories are reprinted in full. I would have dearly loved to see the entirety of "Judgement Day", for example, instead of just the most famous panel.
But the work that is reprinted here is generally great, in a fun, pulpy way. Exactly what I expected, really. The reprinted covers are great, and I can see exactly why these things were apparently flying off the shelves. I can also see why the idea of kids reading this stuff was alarming to some people.
Trombetta's commentary can be fairly insightful, but it can also miss that mark wildly. In particular, I was unimpressed with how casually he dismissed the sexualized nature of the violence against women in some of these comics. Yes, men are menaced and brutalized, too, but the nature of the violence is quite different in tone. But that was a bit of a low point for him, and he's considerably more thoughtful in most of his other commentaries. The chapter about heads as trophies is particularly good.
Still, I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if it had more full stories. The covers are just the first impression of a comic, and there's much more inside.
But the work that is reprinted here is generally great, in a fun, pulpy way. Exactly what I expected, really. The reprinted covers are great, and I can see exactly why these things were apparently flying off the shelves. I can also see why the idea of kids reading this stuff was alarming to some people.
Trombetta's commentary can be fairly insightful, but it can also miss that mark wildly. In particular, I was unimpressed with how casually he dismissed the sexualized nature of the violence against women in some of these comics. Yes, men are menaced and brutalized, too, but the nature of the violence is quite different in tone. But that was a bit of a low point for him, and he's considerably more thoughtful in most of his other commentaries. The chapter about heads as trophies is particularly good.
Still, I think I would have enjoyed this book much more if it had more full stories. The covers are just the first impression of a comic, and there's much more inside.
May 4, 2011
Amazing collection of comic book covers and selected stories (and excerpts) from controversial pre-Comics Code horror and sci-fi comics, presented in themed chapters with insightful introductions. Huge, full-color reproductions of some seriously unbelievable stuff, some of which must be incredibly rare. My one nitpick is that some of the stories are only presented as one page or the last few pages (rather than full stories), but the fact that the book comes with a pack-in DVD of a TV special made in 1955 about the "comic book menace" (and the fact that hardly a page goes by without something to completely blow your mind) more than balances out any small complaints. If you're a fan of comics and/or horror in general, this book is going to make you very, very happy.
February 26, 2011
Companion piece to The Ten-Cent Plague; more of those horror and crime comics that sent the proper authorities and "establishment" into a lather decades ago. You want to see what caused juvenile delinquency in the 50's? It's splashed right hear in full-blown glorious color.
July 12, 2018
My first impression of this book was pretty much inline with the other reviews I see here: that it's neither fish nor flesh, that it's bound to please no-one as it reproduces too few comics to satisfy a reader who wants to enjoy the comics themselves and that its commentary is too light to please someone who wants to read a serious, scholarly study of the crime/horror/sci-fi comics of the pre-code early 1950s.
As I went on, however, I found that I actually enjoyed the variety, seeing the comic art, reading the occasional story, and thinking about how the commentary sections put the art and stories into historical, social, and political perspective. Because it's an Abrams art book, it's bound to fit into those perimeters--color reproductions of art with some, but not too much commentary--it's a coffee table book, after all.
Since I wasn't leafing through but actually reading it, I did occasionally bray at the panels or single pages cut out of the context of a full story, and yearn to read a story only alluded to in the commentary, to turn from the many covers to see what's inside some of those books. Still, a mix can be a good thing. The reproductions are lovely, and although I liked the Four Color Fear volume that I bought a couple of years ago better--it's a straight compilation of stories reproduced from non-EC horror comics of the 1950s from their original artwork, I imagine--the technique here of actually photographing the old strips and covers, showing the creases, yellowed paper, and printing errors, was effective in evoking the material aspect of reading comics as opposed to perfect reprints.
This book also smells really good.
The worst thing about the tome is Trombetta's writing, I'm sorry to say. Too much silly journalistic technique and not enough clever scholarly acumen. He says many interesting and thoughtful things, he just says some of them awkwardly and others poorly. For instance you don't "need" so many quotation "marks" to always "disown" words with which you don't "agree." Do you?
As I went on, however, I found that I actually enjoyed the variety, seeing the comic art, reading the occasional story, and thinking about how the commentary sections put the art and stories into historical, social, and political perspective. Because it's an Abrams art book, it's bound to fit into those perimeters--color reproductions of art with some, but not too much commentary--it's a coffee table book, after all.
Since I wasn't leafing through but actually reading it, I did occasionally bray at the panels or single pages cut out of the context of a full story, and yearn to read a story only alluded to in the commentary, to turn from the many covers to see what's inside some of those books. Still, a mix can be a good thing. The reproductions are lovely, and although I liked the Four Color Fear volume that I bought a couple of years ago better--it's a straight compilation of stories reproduced from non-EC horror comics of the 1950s from their original artwork, I imagine--the technique here of actually photographing the old strips and covers, showing the creases, yellowed paper, and printing errors, was effective in evoking the material aspect of reading comics as opposed to perfect reprints.
This book also smells really good.
The worst thing about the tome is Trombetta's writing, I'm sorry to say. Too much silly journalistic technique and not enough clever scholarly acumen. He says many interesting and thoughtful things, he just says some of them awkwardly and others poorly. For instance you don't "need" so many quotation "marks" to always "disown" words with which you don't "agree." Do you?
September 15, 2013
It seems fitting that I finished this book on a Friday the 13th.
November 8, 2020
Let me tell you, this is one of my most prized collectable books and that judgement is based off of the artwork alone.
This book is a nice size, about copy paper size in height and width and contains a whopping 304 pages and there is a ton of high quality 50s comic book scans because these have fallen off of copyright and there is a ton of those images in this review. I feel like I’m in a museum when I’m reading this thing. . .
It’s just amazing and Sméagol honored to simply hold it. I checked Google Shopping to see what it was going for, but it looks like it’s all out of print now.
I located this unit at a Books-A-Million several years ago and they deserved my money, even if it was at retail price. Why would I say it like that, though? Well for reasons I will get to a little later in this review, but I would have never, ever located it otherwise.
It has a thick, card stock cover and also comes with a DVD of a warning video played in the 1950s concerning these comics in relation to children ( pictured below ) that I am not covering in this review.
Jim Trombetta covers a myriad of topics surrounding these comics that includes around 42 ( out of over 300 – so you really can tell how much of this book is artwork, around 85% artwork in this book ) pages of written history, but most notably the controversy these comics created in a moral sense. Then, there were laws put in place and it really changed not only the comics industry, but also the entertainment industry in respect to those morals. It lead to a low level form of censorship.
However, there is one very sad thing about this book and how it relates to a marketing standpoint. The name. Not to be brash, but think about it — The Horror! The Horror!: Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read! — is a terrible idea to name a book and it never turns search results because Google, Amazon, etc all assume you are talking about genre when you look for it. I don’t know many people that would remember anything about the title past ‘The Horror! The Horror!‘. On the other hand, props to the author for coming up with a great idea for the content of a book. I had to type the author’s name in to find the book anywhere on the internet! Which probably explains why it didn’t do well and is now out of print.
The book also covers other comics relating to war, crime and the strange / science fiction and ties the art to other parts of real American culture with relations in time, but otherwise unrelated real horrible things which I personally didn’t mind. It’s completely unnecessary in relation to art, but not from a cultural standpoint.
Other chapters contain information and background on characters such as the werewolf or the skeleton which I thought was very much warranted.
The writing is not the very best in terms of quality and fluidity and sometimes punctuation, etc. However, I didn’t care that much since I feel like I’m being educated in the process.
Recommendation:
This prized bundle of printed paper about other printed paper is a great way to appreciate the history of a major part of the entertainment industry in the American decade of the 1950s but not only to the art, but also dives into cultural history for a tribute to an era in time when comics ran amuck and some truly entertaining things were being created for an adult horror fanatic to enjoy. These comics changed the path of the entertainment industry in America and also put a staple in time in regards to style and form so in that respect the historical value in relation to culture is great. I give this book ★★★★★ five stars out of five.
Guys, until next time – may you find all the happiness that your life can fit in it’s happy spot – S.D. McKinley
This book is a nice size, about copy paper size in height and width and contains a whopping 304 pages and there is a ton of high quality 50s comic book scans because these have fallen off of copyright and there is a ton of those images in this review. I feel like I’m in a museum when I’m reading this thing. . .
It’s just amazing and Sméagol honored to simply hold it. I checked Google Shopping to see what it was going for, but it looks like it’s all out of print now.
I located this unit at a Books-A-Million several years ago and they deserved my money, even if it was at retail price. Why would I say it like that, though? Well for reasons I will get to a little later in this review, but I would have never, ever located it otherwise.
It has a thick, card stock cover and also comes with a DVD of a warning video played in the 1950s concerning these comics in relation to children ( pictured below ) that I am not covering in this review.
Jim Trombetta covers a myriad of topics surrounding these comics that includes around 42 ( out of over 300 – so you really can tell how much of this book is artwork, around 85% artwork in this book ) pages of written history, but most notably the controversy these comics created in a moral sense. Then, there were laws put in place and it really changed not only the comics industry, but also the entertainment industry in respect to those morals. It lead to a low level form of censorship.
However, there is one very sad thing about this book and how it relates to a marketing standpoint. The name. Not to be brash, but think about it — The Horror! The Horror!: Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read! — is a terrible idea to name a book and it never turns search results because Google, Amazon, etc all assume you are talking about genre when you look for it. I don’t know many people that would remember anything about the title past ‘The Horror! The Horror!‘. On the other hand, props to the author for coming up with a great idea for the content of a book. I had to type the author’s name in to find the book anywhere on the internet! Which probably explains why it didn’t do well and is now out of print.
The book also covers other comics relating to war, crime and the strange / science fiction and ties the art to other parts of real American culture with relations in time, but otherwise unrelated real horrible things which I personally didn’t mind. It’s completely unnecessary in relation to art, but not from a cultural standpoint.
Other chapters contain information and background on characters such as the werewolf or the skeleton which I thought was very much warranted.
The writing is not the very best in terms of quality and fluidity and sometimes punctuation, etc. However, I didn’t care that much since I feel like I’m being educated in the process.
Recommendation:
This prized bundle of printed paper about other printed paper is a great way to appreciate the history of a major part of the entertainment industry in the American decade of the 1950s but not only to the art, but also dives into cultural history for a tribute to an era in time when comics ran amuck and some truly entertaining things were being created for an adult horror fanatic to enjoy. These comics changed the path of the entertainment industry in America and also put a staple in time in regards to style and form so in that respect the historical value in relation to culture is great. I give this book ★★★★★ five stars out of five.
Guys, until next time – may you find all the happiness that your life can fit in it’s happy spot – S.D. McKinley
February 18, 2015
Il primo libro del 2014 era sulle allucinazioni; questo è sui fumetti dell'orrore americani dei primi anni Cinquanta, ed è ricchissimo di illustrazioni pop-splatter-trash. Se consideriamo che come prossimo libro, ora, sono tentata di iniziare Stecchiti. Le vite curiose dei cadaveri, di Mary Roach, ce n'è abbastanza per farmi venire gli incubi!
Scherzi a parte, questo The Horror! The Horror! (sottotitolo: Comic Books the Government Didn't Want You to Read!), di Jim Trombetta, visto nella libreria di una "vicina" di Goodreads, è in realtà un saggio molto serio che analizza un genere popolarissimo, i suoi temi predominanti e la sua arte, e soprattutto i motivi per cui a un certo punto venne energicamente combattutto dal governo americano fino all'imposizione di una rigidissima censura, il "Comics Code", datato 1954. L'autore ha inoltre pescato dalla sua collezione e riprodotto nel volume tantissime copertine di giornaletti oggi rarissimi, di cui potete immaginare il kitsch assolutamente irresistibile (alcuni esempi si possono vedere in questa recensione di un utente di Goodreads, anche se è possibile che il link sia accessibile solo a chi è iscritto al social network: un'alternativa qui), nonché alcune storie nella loro interezza.
Fumetti e riviste quali Weird Tales of Terror, Horrific, Uncanny Tales, Haunted Thrills e via dicendo erano fra gli svaghi più popolari e diffusi tra i ragazzini americani dell'immediato dopoguerra: ben presto però risvegliarono l'attenzione preoccupata di psicologi e politici, finché, appunto, non si decise di regolamentare il settore. Tra le prescrizioni, che a noi ora suonano quasi ridicole ma che piombarono tra capo e collo su tutta una schiera di operatori del settore, che oltre tutto si ritrovarono anche a essere additati e accusati dalla Commissione governativa apposita quali "corruttori della gioventù", il divieto di usare le parole Horror e Terror nei titoli, il divieto di rendere in modo minimamente attraente o simpatico i cattivi o di presentare situazioni che potessero suscitare "sfiducia" nella legge o nelle forze dell'ordine, l'obbligo del lieto fine nelle storie (!). In teoria, i dettami del Comics Code non erano tassativamente vincolanti, ma gli edicolanti e i rivenditori si rifiutavano di esporre i giornaletti che non vi si attenevano, per cui, di fatto, per delle pubblicazioni che, non dimentichiamolo, erano sì forme d'arte ma anche, anzi soprattutto, operazioni commerciali (lo scopo era vendere!), vi era ben poca scelta.
Come in tutti i casi di censura, emerge "in negativo" che le copertine, le illustrazioni, le storie di queste pubblicazioni andavano a toccare, in modo consapevole o meno (forse uno degli aspetti che mi ha meno convinta del saggio è stato caricare fin troppo e in modo generalizzato di intenzionalità i messaggi reputati "pericolosi" trasmessi da queste riviste), nervi scoperti della società del tempo, come naturalmente la paura dell'olocausto nucleare, la divisione in blocchi e la paranoia anticomunista ("Dungeon of Doom", pp. 37-41), traumi non ancora elaborati, come gli orrori, da poco emersi, della Shoah, ma anche altri tragicamente attuali, come la guerra di Corea, in cui forse per la prima volta vennero impiegati (o si iniziarono a conoscere) tattiche e armi da "film dell'orrore" (come l'uso del napalm, o le torture fisiche e psicologiche sui prigionieri), e così pure incubi più quotidiani e casalinghi come la realtà delle discriminazioni razziali (emblematico l'esempio citato alle pp. 273-274; inoltre, alle pp. 266-271, una rarità: una storia, riprodotta integralmente, di uno dei pochi artisti afroamericani dell'epoca, "Some Die Twice" di A.C. Hollingsworth, che si svolge su una nave negriera), la violenza domestica (specie sui bambini), fame e povertà (che stridevano troppo con l'immagine esaltante e vittoriosa della nazione più potente del mondo). Questo non vuol dire che tutti i fumetti contenessero messaggi progressisti troppo scomodi per l'autorità, anzi: alcuni erano sicuramente capolavori di satira (la società degli zombie della storia "Corpses ... Coast to Coast!", alle pp. 193-198!), ma più spesso i racconti solleticavano infantilmente gli istinti e i pregiudizi più beceri. Il problema era, però, che osavano trattare, scopertamente o dietro la metafora del fantastico o l'immagine del vampiro e del lupo mannaro, con una violenza inedita, e a un pubblico considerato "innocente", argomenti che si preferiva piuttosto sottacere che affrontare.
Vero è che, forse, l'egemonia dei fumetti, e dei fumetti del terrore in particolare, avrebbe comunque dovuto cedere, prima o poi, di fronte all'avanzata di nuovi media, come la televisione, ma sicuramente il Codice ne accelerò la fine. D'altra parte, quella dei censori fu una vittoria molto effimera, proprio perché gli stessi temi, la stessa "sfacciataggine" nella raffigurazione della violenza e nel trattamento di temi politicamente scorretti sarebbero riemersi, di lì a poco, proprio in cinema e televisione.
Interessante il parallelo dell'autore fra l'atteggiamento del governo USA negli anni Cinquanta e quello post 11 settembre 2001, caratterizzato, mutatis mutandis, da una svolta a 180°: allora, si scelse di pacificare l'opinione pubblica tentando di eliminare, anestetizzare, infiocchettare qualsiasi riferimento o accenno alle paure più comuni dei cittadini, alle emergenze sociali. In anni più recenti, invece, l'orientamento è stato quello di tenere costantemente alto il livello di allarme nella "guerra al terrore", di attizzare, più che smorzare, la paura.
Al saggio in sé va un voto di 3,5: ma nel giudicare questo libro grande peso devono avere, ovviamente, la parte grafica, la confezione, l'apparato iconografico, che ne fanno un oggetto prezioso e bellissimo. E poi, le storie che sono riprodotte nella loro interezza! Alcune davvero inquietanti e spaventose e geniali e consapevolmente provocatorie, altre godibili proprio perché ridicolmente, sfacciatamente trash. E in più, in allegato c'è anche un DVD con un documentario televisivo andato in onda il 9 ottobre 1955 (una puntata del programma Confidential Files, condotto da Paul Coates) che mette in guardia contro l'influenza perniciosa dei fumetti sui ragazzini (paradossalmente sembra di guardare una delle esilaranti parodie del genere che si vedono negli episodi dei Simpson... ma questo è vero, oltre che più spaventoso dei fumetti stessi. Tra l'altro, come nota l'autore, è anche fuori tempo massimo perché i fumetti dell'orrore sono già stati banditi l'anno prima)! Solo un appunto: ma è obbligatorio che la "firma prestigiosa" di turno scriva i propri pensierini nell'introduzione? L'editore è così convinto che questo renda ancora più appetibile il suo libro? Qui si tratta di R.L. Stine, famosissimo anche in Italia per la serie dei Piccoli brividi: è un nome che sicuramente ha attinenza col tema trattato, ma nella paginetta di introduzione si limita a dire, in tono spiritoso, che da ragazzino a lui e ai suoi amici piacevano molto questi fumetti, e che a un certo punto scomparvero dalle edicole, ma che nessuno di loro ha mai risentito della loro presunta "nefasta" influenza nella vita adulta. E quindi? Magari se avesse approfondito un po' sul modo in cui queste precoci letture hanno influenzato la sua opera di scrittore sarebbe stato più interessante.
4/5
http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2014/0...
Scherzi a parte, questo The Horror! The Horror! (sottotitolo: Comic Books the Government Didn't Want You to Read!), di Jim Trombetta, visto nella libreria di una "vicina" di Goodreads, è in realtà un saggio molto serio che analizza un genere popolarissimo, i suoi temi predominanti e la sua arte, e soprattutto i motivi per cui a un certo punto venne energicamente combattutto dal governo americano fino all'imposizione di una rigidissima censura, il "Comics Code", datato 1954. L'autore ha inoltre pescato dalla sua collezione e riprodotto nel volume tantissime copertine di giornaletti oggi rarissimi, di cui potete immaginare il kitsch assolutamente irresistibile (alcuni esempi si possono vedere in questa recensione di un utente di Goodreads, anche se è possibile che il link sia accessibile solo a chi è iscritto al social network: un'alternativa qui), nonché alcune storie nella loro interezza.
Fumetti e riviste quali Weird Tales of Terror, Horrific, Uncanny Tales, Haunted Thrills e via dicendo erano fra gli svaghi più popolari e diffusi tra i ragazzini americani dell'immediato dopoguerra: ben presto però risvegliarono l'attenzione preoccupata di psicologi e politici, finché, appunto, non si decise di regolamentare il settore. Tra le prescrizioni, che a noi ora suonano quasi ridicole ma che piombarono tra capo e collo su tutta una schiera di operatori del settore, che oltre tutto si ritrovarono anche a essere additati e accusati dalla Commissione governativa apposita quali "corruttori della gioventù", il divieto di usare le parole Horror e Terror nei titoli, il divieto di rendere in modo minimamente attraente o simpatico i cattivi o di presentare situazioni che potessero suscitare "sfiducia" nella legge o nelle forze dell'ordine, l'obbligo del lieto fine nelle storie (!). In teoria, i dettami del Comics Code non erano tassativamente vincolanti, ma gli edicolanti e i rivenditori si rifiutavano di esporre i giornaletti che non vi si attenevano, per cui, di fatto, per delle pubblicazioni che, non dimentichiamolo, erano sì forme d'arte ma anche, anzi soprattutto, operazioni commerciali (lo scopo era vendere!), vi era ben poca scelta.
Come in tutti i casi di censura, emerge "in negativo" che le copertine, le illustrazioni, le storie di queste pubblicazioni andavano a toccare, in modo consapevole o meno (forse uno degli aspetti che mi ha meno convinta del saggio è stato caricare fin troppo e in modo generalizzato di intenzionalità i messaggi reputati "pericolosi" trasmessi da queste riviste), nervi scoperti della società del tempo, come naturalmente la paura dell'olocausto nucleare, la divisione in blocchi e la paranoia anticomunista ("Dungeon of Doom", pp. 37-41), traumi non ancora elaborati, come gli orrori, da poco emersi, della Shoah, ma anche altri tragicamente attuali, come la guerra di Corea, in cui forse per la prima volta vennero impiegati (o si iniziarono a conoscere) tattiche e armi da "film dell'orrore" (come l'uso del napalm, o le torture fisiche e psicologiche sui prigionieri), e così pure incubi più quotidiani e casalinghi come la realtà delle discriminazioni razziali (emblematico l'esempio citato alle pp. 273-274; inoltre, alle pp. 266-271, una rarità: una storia, riprodotta integralmente, di uno dei pochi artisti afroamericani dell'epoca, "Some Die Twice" di A.C. Hollingsworth, che si svolge su una nave negriera), la violenza domestica (specie sui bambini), fame e povertà (che stridevano troppo con l'immagine esaltante e vittoriosa della nazione più potente del mondo). Questo non vuol dire che tutti i fumetti contenessero messaggi progressisti troppo scomodi per l'autorità, anzi: alcuni erano sicuramente capolavori di satira (la società degli zombie della storia "Corpses ... Coast to Coast!", alle pp. 193-198!), ma più spesso i racconti solleticavano infantilmente gli istinti e i pregiudizi più beceri. Il problema era, però, che osavano trattare, scopertamente o dietro la metafora del fantastico o l'immagine del vampiro e del lupo mannaro, con una violenza inedita, e a un pubblico considerato "innocente", argomenti che si preferiva piuttosto sottacere che affrontare.
Vero è che, forse, l'egemonia dei fumetti, e dei fumetti del terrore in particolare, avrebbe comunque dovuto cedere, prima o poi, di fronte all'avanzata di nuovi media, come la televisione, ma sicuramente il Codice ne accelerò la fine. D'altra parte, quella dei censori fu una vittoria molto effimera, proprio perché gli stessi temi, la stessa "sfacciataggine" nella raffigurazione della violenza e nel trattamento di temi politicamente scorretti sarebbero riemersi, di lì a poco, proprio in cinema e televisione.
Interessante il parallelo dell'autore fra l'atteggiamento del governo USA negli anni Cinquanta e quello post 11 settembre 2001, caratterizzato, mutatis mutandis, da una svolta a 180°: allora, si scelse di pacificare l'opinione pubblica tentando di eliminare, anestetizzare, infiocchettare qualsiasi riferimento o accenno alle paure più comuni dei cittadini, alle emergenze sociali. In anni più recenti, invece, l'orientamento è stato quello di tenere costantemente alto il livello di allarme nella "guerra al terrore", di attizzare, più che smorzare, la paura.
Al saggio in sé va un voto di 3,5: ma nel giudicare questo libro grande peso devono avere, ovviamente, la parte grafica, la confezione, l'apparato iconografico, che ne fanno un oggetto prezioso e bellissimo. E poi, le storie che sono riprodotte nella loro interezza! Alcune davvero inquietanti e spaventose e geniali e consapevolmente provocatorie, altre godibili proprio perché ridicolmente, sfacciatamente trash. E in più, in allegato c'è anche un DVD con un documentario televisivo andato in onda il 9 ottobre 1955 (una puntata del programma Confidential Files, condotto da Paul Coates) che mette in guardia contro l'influenza perniciosa dei fumetti sui ragazzini (paradossalmente sembra di guardare una delle esilaranti parodie del genere che si vedono negli episodi dei Simpson... ma questo è vero, oltre che più spaventoso dei fumetti stessi. Tra l'altro, come nota l'autore, è anche fuori tempo massimo perché i fumetti dell'orrore sono già stati banditi l'anno prima)! Solo un appunto: ma è obbligatorio che la "firma prestigiosa" di turno scriva i propri pensierini nell'introduzione? L'editore è così convinto che questo renda ancora più appetibile il suo libro? Qui si tratta di R.L. Stine, famosissimo anche in Italia per la serie dei Piccoli brividi: è un nome che sicuramente ha attinenza col tema trattato, ma nella paginetta di introduzione si limita a dire, in tono spiritoso, che da ragazzino a lui e ai suoi amici piacevano molto questi fumetti, e che a un certo punto scomparvero dalle edicole, ma che nessuno di loro ha mai risentito della loro presunta "nefasta" influenza nella vita adulta. E quindi? Magari se avesse approfondito un po' sul modo in cui queste precoci letture hanno influenzato la sua opera di scrittore sarebbe stato più interessante.
4/5
http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2014/0...
May 9, 2019
Man, I loved this book! More art book than textbook, the author reprinted dozens of covers from 1940s-1950s horror comic books in all their gory glory. There are ten or so fully reprinted stories, too, which I adored. I can't call this a trip down memory lane, really, since I wasn't born when these comic books were published, but I certainly remember reading a lot of reprints when I was a kid. Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around me snuggled up in a warm bed with a stack of horror comic books to keep me company. I still read the damn things whenever I can.
What struck me was how graphic all of this was. I mean serious gore and violence: vampires, cannibals, devils, ghouls, zombies, werewolves, beheadings, mutilations...it was awesome, and all during the staid and stolid Eisenhower years in post-WWII America! I have long thought I'd like to live in the Golden Age of America: 1945-1965. Good movies, good books, great science fiction. I'd have to wear a tie, though. Whatevs.
So if you like classic horror comics, this beautiful book is for you. It comes with a DVD, too, but I don't have a DVD player so that's a bit of a bummer.
What struck me was how graphic all of this was. I mean serious gore and violence: vampires, cannibals, devils, ghouls, zombies, werewolves, beheadings, mutilations...it was awesome, and all during the staid and stolid Eisenhower years in post-WWII America! I have long thought I'd like to live in the Golden Age of America: 1945-1965. Good movies, good books, great science fiction. I'd have to wear a tie, though. Whatevs.
So if you like classic horror comics, this beautiful book is for you. It comes with a DVD, too, but I don't have a DVD player so that's a bit of a bummer.
November 28, 2024
Full marks all over for this. Reprint various obscure strips in bright bold colours. None of your standard ec comics which get plenty of coverage elsewhere. Countless covers reproduced wonderfully and a dvd with a documentary on the subject. Essential
May 24, 2021
Combo of short writings on certain history, aspects and themes of horror comics alongside samplings of the topics. Sometimes its just a cover page other times its a reprint of an issue. The comic code was referred to signifcantly. Overall really interesting. I felt the relation between writings and examples could have been improved. But overall really glad I read it to expand my comics knowledge.
September 23, 2013
The old 1950s stories and covers dug up and displayed in this collection are incredible but Jim Trombetta's analysis of how horror comics were a direct response to the fear of nuclear war and communism was often grasping and ridiculous. His meandering loose thesis is tempting, but the examples he points to are terrible. I wish it had focused exclusively on the history of the publishers, artists, writers, and politicians involved with horror comics and the comics authority ban instead of terrible psychoanalysis.
December 2, 2016
I didn't know exactly what to expect when I bought this book. (Usually a bad sign.) I'm glad to say that it turned out to be an educational and entertaining light history of the "golden era" of horror and crime comics. The writing was informative, without getting bogged down in minutiae, and the included reproduction covers and comics were a joy to read. If you enjoy any of those things, give it a try.
June 24, 2017
History and analysis combined with an expertly curated collection of fun (if occasionally disturbing) examples from "bottom-feeders" of the post-war cultural psyche.
April 11, 2024
Collects stories from Chamber of Chills No. 6, Chamber of Chills Magazine No. 16, The Clutching Hand No. 1, Crime Mystery No. 9, Dark Mysteries Nos. 3, 7, 18, 20, Mister Mystery No. 7, Strange Fantasy No. 7, The Thing No. 14, Tomb of Terror No. 16, Uncanny Tales No. 14, Voodoo No. 14, and Weird Tales of the Future No. 3 (cover dates October, 1951- August, 1954)
Writers: Basil Wolverton, Al Eadeh, Howard Nostrand, Bob Powell, and others
Artists: Basil Wolverton, Vic Donahue, Al Eadeh, Howard Nostrand, Sid Check, Steve Ditko, John D'Agostino, Harry Lazarus, A.C. Hollingsworth, Bob Powell, and others
This is a really nice sampler book of 1950s pre-code Horror. While Fantagraphics' Four Color Fear: Forgotten Horror Comics of the 1950s is a better value overall, this is a great companion book to that wonderful compilation. If you have never read any pre-code Horror comic books, these two books are a great place to start. While EC Comics are the gold standard, there are many worthwhile talents in many of the off brands and knockoff titles as well.
This is a beefy book, but only 91 out of the 306 pages are complete stories. The rest of the pages are articles which provide invaluable historical context, excerpts from other stories (including Marvel/Atlas and EC), and hundreds of covers. The great thing about these covers is that they demonstrate the breadth and depth of the genre. The bad thing is that I now want all of these comic books collected in books! Fortunately for us, PS Artbooks has answered the call since this book's publication, with their Harvey Horrors and ACG hardcovers. They reprint the complete issues of several of the stories presented here and in the aforementioned Four Color Fear. Go to the Harvey Horrors website and see for yourself. I've been buying them all, and will buy as many as they release. Marvel has been re-releasing their Atlas '50s output slowly with their Marvel Masterworks line of high end hardcovers. The EC Archives are progressing slowly, with the announcement of two more coming soon. We are truly living in the golden age of collected editions.
I love these old Horror comic books, and often chuckle at the black humor contained therein. It also pleases me to know that these comic books helped to open the minds of the youths that went on to become the counter culture of the '60s and help bring about social change in this country. No wonder the powers that be wanted to shut these types of comic book down.
This book also contains a 25 minute long DVD with an episode of Confidential File. First aired on October 9, 1955, it was an alarmist show about the dangers of these comic books. I love seeing the kids of the era reading these now obscure and valuable comics with reckless abandon.
This book is a high quality affair from top to bottom. The cover is a "flexicover", being made of a super thick cardstock cover that flexes a bit but is highly durable. The paper is an incredibly thick, uncoated stock. It prevents the book from laying flat, even though this boasts sewn binding which is glued to the ribbon and flexes very well.
They use high resolution scans, although they aren't cleaned up like Fantagraphics or PS Artbooks use. These are some pretty rough copies, though, with dog eared covers, splotches on some of the pages, and other anomalies. While the nostalgia fetishists like this approach, I like the appearance of mint condition copies used by the aforementioned companies. I want the look and feel of the book being fresh off of the presses, not a crumbling old comic book.
Writers: Basil Wolverton, Al Eadeh, Howard Nostrand, Bob Powell, and others
Artists: Basil Wolverton, Vic Donahue, Al Eadeh, Howard Nostrand, Sid Check, Steve Ditko, John D'Agostino, Harry Lazarus, A.C. Hollingsworth, Bob Powell, and others
This is a really nice sampler book of 1950s pre-code Horror. While Fantagraphics' Four Color Fear: Forgotten Horror Comics of the 1950s is a better value overall, this is a great companion book to that wonderful compilation. If you have never read any pre-code Horror comic books, these two books are a great place to start. While EC Comics are the gold standard, there are many worthwhile talents in many of the off brands and knockoff titles as well.
This is a beefy book, but only 91 out of the 306 pages are complete stories. The rest of the pages are articles which provide invaluable historical context, excerpts from other stories (including Marvel/Atlas and EC), and hundreds of covers. The great thing about these covers is that they demonstrate the breadth and depth of the genre. The bad thing is that I now want all of these comic books collected in books! Fortunately for us, PS Artbooks has answered the call since this book's publication, with their Harvey Horrors and ACG hardcovers. They reprint the complete issues of several of the stories presented here and in the aforementioned Four Color Fear. Go to the Harvey Horrors website and see for yourself. I've been buying them all, and will buy as many as they release. Marvel has been re-releasing their Atlas '50s output slowly with their Marvel Masterworks line of high end hardcovers. The EC Archives are progressing slowly, with the announcement of two more coming soon. We are truly living in the golden age of collected editions.
I love these old Horror comic books, and often chuckle at the black humor contained therein. It also pleases me to know that these comic books helped to open the minds of the youths that went on to become the counter culture of the '60s and help bring about social change in this country. No wonder the powers that be wanted to shut these types of comic book down.
This book also contains a 25 minute long DVD with an episode of Confidential File. First aired on October 9, 1955, it was an alarmist show about the dangers of these comic books. I love seeing the kids of the era reading these now obscure and valuable comics with reckless abandon.
This book is a high quality affair from top to bottom. The cover is a "flexicover", being made of a super thick cardstock cover that flexes a bit but is highly durable. The paper is an incredibly thick, uncoated stock. It prevents the book from laying flat, even though this boasts sewn binding which is glued to the ribbon and flexes very well.
They use high resolution scans, although they aren't cleaned up like Fantagraphics or PS Artbooks use. These are some pretty rough copies, though, with dog eared covers, splotches on some of the pages, and other anomalies. While the nostalgia fetishists like this approach, I like the appearance of mint condition copies used by the aforementioned companies. I want the look and feel of the book being fresh off of the presses, not a crumbling old comic book.
Read
December 1, 2023How? Just found it on the shelves at the library.
What? A rough survey of some of the mid-century horror (and crime) comics, organized around some themes (images of a grinning skeleton, the werewolf, brainwashing) or stories. Kinda like Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction.
Yeah, so? I dipped into some of the attached essays a few times, but found more of interest in the actual art and occasional short comic story. (And really only then because I'm looking for art inspiration for a project.)
What? A rough survey of some of the mid-century horror (and crime) comics, organized around some themes (images of a grinning skeleton, the werewolf, brainwashing) or stories. Kinda like Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction.
Yeah, so? I dipped into some of the attached essays a few times, but found more of interest in the actual art and occasional short comic story. (And really only then because I'm looking for art inspiration for a project.)
December 18, 2024
The Horror! The Horror!: Comic Books the Government Didn't Want You to Read! is a fascinating dive into the pre-Code horror comics of the 1950s. Jim Trombetta provides not only a vivid showcase of over 100 covers and complete stories but also insightful commentary on the societal impact and censorship of these comics. The included DVD, featuring a 1955 TV show on the dangers of comic books, adds an extra layer of historical context. This collection is a treasure trove for horror comic enthusiasts, capturing the bizarre, gruesome, and imaginative tales that captivated readers and horrified parents. The book's thoughtful layout and commentary make it both an educational and entertaining read. It's a must-have for anyone interested in the intersection of pop culture and censorship.
May 26, 2024
Brilliant stroll through the golden years of pulp comics. The age of nuclear terror, the reason why those comics were so successfull, dark mystery, crime, seduction of the innocent, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) of 1954, the werewolf, the tale of the head, brainwashing, the comforts of war, the dead don't die, skeletons, death and the maiden, the hunger, art for art's sake, judgement day... well, comics often openly discussed topics leading parties didn't want to pick up. Highly interesting read, excellent and colourful examples chosen by the author for his theories. Highly recommended!
December 8, 2018
Wow what a fantastic coffee table book about the horror comics of the 1950s and their eventual censorship by the comics code of America. The art for some of these covers is absolutely breathtaking Some of these covers would be considered pop art some a decade and a 1/2 before that was a thing in the sixties. If you are a fan of comics in comics history This book will open your eyes to some fantastic art.
September 26, 2019
Insightful view on all those comic books from the 50s (before and after Wertham, and also Wertham himself, of course) and their tropes. The last episodes look a bit unconnected to the rest but still make good points on the role of certain fiction and reading habits within the psyche of a neurotic America, which of course we can appreciate from overseas. Also, really cool samples of Wally Wood, Steve Ditko, Russ Heath and like. A real treat for horror comic book lovers!
August 17, 2018
Neil, Central patron, July 2018, 5 stars:
A selection of comic stories from the fifties that helped to create the backlash sanitizing what could be shown in comic books. Something of a guilty pleasure; however, most of the stories are well crafted and have the fifties Twilight Zone twist endings.
A selection of comic stories from the fifties that helped to create the backlash sanitizing what could be shown in comic books. Something of a guilty pleasure; however, most of the stories are well crafted and have the fifties Twilight Zone twist endings.
June 27, 2022
"Just as the fifties senators relieved their anxiety with censorship, we are now confronted by daily reports and images of war crimes and atrocities and are asked to resolve our unease by deciding that we have no problem with a heinous act perpetrated for a 'good cause.' Unfortunately, that is not the end of a horror story, but the beginning of one. "
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2018
Enjoyable if thick title featuring comics and a information about them.
While not collecting necessarily the most popular titles, it certainly covers the different sub-genres within horror very well. Many of the featured comics were new to me and I liked that.
While not collecting necessarily the most popular titles, it certainly covers the different sub-genres within horror very well. Many of the featured comics were new to me and I liked that.
October 22, 2023
This book is a feel-good read that will leave you feeling inspired. The characters are relatable and likable, and their stories are sure to touch your heart. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a little pick-me-up.
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December 26, 2019Not bad !
May 7, 2021
GREAT BOOK TO SCARE YOUR SIBLINGS WITH!
August 23, 2022
A thrilling collection of comics. I just wish more people would read this.
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