Please visit the website for the proper format: http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol2is6/comics.html Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture *Copyright 1994 � Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture All rights reserved. ISSN 1070-8286* /Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture/, 2(6) (1994) 129-146 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMICS: A TOOL OF SUBVERSION? by Jeff Williams <mailto:jwilliams@arnet.com.ar> Texas Tech University English Department A. Introduction Social attacks on comics, both books and strips, have a long history in America, beginning with the first day of the appearance of the "Yellow Kid" (in color) on February 16, 1896. The "Yellow Kid" was disliked because of his rudeness, slap-stick style cruelty, and overall sensationalism (Waugh, 1991:6-7 <#waugh>). Some early opponents of comics included: Ambrose Bierce, Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy, William Rockhill Nelson, and Max Nordau; there were also crusades organized by individuals and groups (Davidson, 1958:255 <#davidson>;Waugh, 1991:7 <#waugh>). The most spectacular assault on comics came from Dr. Fredric Wertham <#wertham> and the resulting Congressional Hearings, 1954-55. The debate was quelled, possibly, by two important events, the establishment of the Comics Code Authority (a self-censoring institution of the comics industry) and the diversion of public attention away from comics to television and film. The following years of relative calm witnessed a heightened interest in comics demonstrable by the increasing number of scholarly studies on comics (e.g., Duncan, 1990 <#duncan>; Inge, 1990 <#inge>; Sabin, 1993 <#sabin>; Whitlark, 1988 <#whitlark>; Witek, 1989 <#witek>), University Libraries containing special collections (e.g., Bowling Green State, Michigan State, and Ohio State), and the serious study of popular culture in general (evidenced by the existence of the American Culture Association, Popular Culture Association [PCA], and university departments set up for the study of popular culture). This seems sufficient proof to assume that Wertham's ghost was put to rest; however, the outrage over comics is re-emerging. A direct proof of the re-emergence of Wertham's ghost can be found in John Fulce's attack on comics, /Seduction of the Innocent Revisited/ <#fulce>, published in 1990. And cases of actual censorship are on the rise. Due to complaints from evangelical groups, Fleetway (an independent comic book company) withdrew plans to publish "True Faith", the story of a pious Christian plumber, distraught over the death of his *[End page 129]* wife and newborn, who desires to inflict vengeance on God through acts of terrorism on churches in south London in order to lure God out of hiding and then kill him with a Colt .44 magnum (Economist, 1991:82 <#economist>). In another instance a printer for college newspapers, the /Ellsworth