"WE BELIEVE: Your editors sincerely believe that the claim of these crusaders . . . that comics are bad for children...is nonsense. If we, in the slightest way, thought that horror comics, crime comics, or any other kind of comics were harmful to our readers, we would cease publishing them and direct our efforts toward something else! And we're not alone in our belief. For example: Dr. David Abrahamsen, eminent criminologist, in his book, "Who Are The Guilty?" says, "Comic books do not lead to crime, although they have been widely blamed for it . . . In my experience as a psychiatrist, I cannot remember having seen one boy or girl who has committed a crime, or who became neurotic or psychotic . . . because he or she read comic books." A group led by Dr. Freda Kehm, Mental Health Chairman of the Ill. Congress of the P.T.A., decided that living room violence has "a decided beneficial effect on young minds." Dr. Robert H. Feli, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said that horror comic do not originate criminal behavior in children . . . in a way, the horror comics may do some good . . . children use fantasy, as simulated by the "comics" as a means of working out natural feelings of aggressiveness. We also believe that a large portion of our total readership of horror and crime comics is made up of adults. We believe that those who oppose comics are a small minority. Yet this minority is causing the hysteria. The voice of the majority . . . you who but comics, read them, enjoy them, and are not harmed by them . . . has not been heard!"
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
William Gaines, “A SPECIAL EDITORIAL THIS IS AN APPEAL FOR ACTION!”, Shock SuspenStories 18 (EC Comics, December-January 1954-55); as quoted in “Today In Comics History: Bill Gaines Fights The Good Fight” by John R. Parker, Comics Alliance, (April 21, 2016).
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Comics
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Comics
96 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Comics →
Related Quotes
"When someone asks me, 'Why do you write comics?' I tell them, for the same reason I write editorials, essays, and art…"
"If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity."
"I think it generally means killing female heroes is supposed to elicit more emotions from readers than killing male r…"
"It is as important a serious piece of work as Strindberg or Ibsen. You don’t shortchange the work because it is a com…"
"The Chinese Communist Party will not only prohibit comics that support democracy or “separatism” in Taiwan, Hong Kong…"
"Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forc…"
"Having always created lots of female characters, and doing some good work on them, I think, by making them all indivi…"
"It is a crucial mistake, a snob's error, to think that illustrated stories aimed at a juvenile audience automatically…"
"I came to comic books through Heavy Metal magazine. I was into fantasy art when I was a youngun, and my mom used to b…"
"Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to crea…"