The end of World War Two also meant the end of the need for superheroes. This amazing creation in the face of world wide dread, something we are again feeling today, was no longer needed and like the Golem it was modeled on, faded. But they didn’t entirely turn back into mud, they were just waiting for the Silver Age which we’ll discuss next time. For now, we switch our enemy surveillance systems from Nazis to Communists because the enemy in the 1950s was Communist Ideas.
Looking at this period through the lens of a Jewish Comics librarian, we can see the Cold War illustrated by contrasting the work of Fredric Wertham and Harvey Kurtzman, two Jews with an enormous impact on the comics industry that had long lasting affects.
During the Cold War era, American society grappled with fears of communism, social conformity, and moral decay. This turbulent period had a profound impact on the comic industry, with two figures emerging as central players in shaping its trajectory: Fredric Wertham and Harvey Kurtzman.
As a psychiatrist and author of "Seduction of the Innocent," Wertham became a prominent voice in the campaign against comic books. He argued that comics were corrupting the minds of America's youth, promoting violence, crime, and deviant behavior. Wertham's crusade culminated in the establishment of the Comics Code Authority, which imposed strict censorship on comic content.
This pattern of challenging censorship movements and defending artistic freedom has manifested across various forms of media, including rock music. Frank Zappa, known for his provocative and boundary-pushing music, was a vocal critic of censorship efforts led by figures like Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) in the 1980s. We are currently seeing it in book challenges today. Many of the books on banned book lists are graphic novels.
Gore and the PMRC sought to label and censor music deemed to contain explicit content, leading to the infamous "Parental Advisory" stickers on albums. Zappa, along with other musicians and artists, opposed these censorship efforts, arguing that they infringed upon the First Amendment rights of artists and listeners.
Zappa's stance echoed the broader ethos of artists like Harvey Kurtzman, who championed freedom of expression in the face of moralistic censorship. By challenging censorship movements, Zappa and others defended the right of artists to explore controversial themes and push the boundaries of artistic expression, much like Kurtzman.
In contrast to Wertham's moralistic stance, Harvey Kurtzman embraced satire as a form of social commentary and critique. Recognizing the need for a platform that allowed for free expression in the face of censorship, Kurtzman launched Mad Magazine in 1952. Mad's irreverent humor and biting satire challenged societal norms and lampooned popular culture, earning it a dedicated following among teenagers and young adults.
Wertham's anti-comics campaign can be seen as part of a broader cultural battle against perceived threats to American values during the Cold War. Does this sound remotely familiar? His views reflected concerns about conformity, moral decline, and the influence of mass media on youth. In contrast, Kurtzman's embrace of satire represented a pushback against censorship and a commitment to freedom of expression.
While Wertham's efforts led to increased censorship and regulation in the comic industry, Kurtzman's legacy endures as a champion of artistic freedom and social critique. Mad Magazine's influence extended far beyond comics, shaping the development of countercultural movements and inspiring generations of writers, artists, and comedians.
The efforts of figures like Fredric Wertham, Tipper Gore, and contemporary parent groups advocating for book bans all share a common thread: the desire to impose restrictions on creative works under the guise of protecting children from perceived harmful content. This pattern reflects a recurring tension between freedom of expression and concerns about the influence of media on young minds.
Just as Wertham and Gore sought to enforce parental warnings and censorship measures in their respective eras, modern parent groups continue to push for bans and restrictions on books they deem inappropriate or objectionable. These efforts often spark debates about censorship, intellectual freedom, and the role of parents and institutions in shaping children's reading experiences.
In each case, there's a complex interplay between cultural values, societal norms, and individual rights. Artists, authors, librarians, and activists have consistently defended the importance of diverse perspectives and unfettered creativity, arguing that exposure to challenging or controversial content can foster critical thinking and empathy in young readers.
By recognizing this pattern of censorship and resistance across different mediums and time periods, we gain insight into the ongoing struggle to balance the protection of children with the preservation of artistic freedom and intellectual inquiry. And then there are cell phones, but that is drifting a little too far afield.