Show i Not Funny Has Tragedy Taken Over Comic Book Bock n By Kenneth I L. L DIxon WASHINGTON INS INS INS- Comic books book it seems no longer need to bo be comic at all aU But the question is is have have they become tragic 4 The reason for raising the que question tion seems to be a revival of or the eternal feud between moral guiding and moneymaking money mak ing although irig although the aforesaid distinction dis dis- dis Unction Is not aimed at c casting aspersions at either cither camp Obviously Obviously Ob Ob- Ob- Ob it Is possible to belong belong- to both The problem is that while everybody agrees that crime does dots not pay still certain so- so called comic books about wh why crime does docs not pay do pay if It youre you're still follow following ng all this And the argument Is over o whether the moral lesson or the criminal t tee technique e c h n I 1 q que u e both stressed in many comic books book i is more Intriguing to the small sinai fry to 11 A couple of experts on opposing opposing opposing ing sides of the fence had their say about it the thc other day here herein herein in Washington before a se session ion of the General Federation tion of Women's Clubs The ladies who were delving into the intricacies of how youth can be best educated educated edu edu- du- du and most wisely entertained entertained enter enter- tamed reserved judgment on the subject Ladies Ladles Rule Roost It was quite al an i interesting session session particularly particularly for an outsider outsider out out- sider not accustomed to watchIng watchIng watchIng watch- watch Ing the big shots in various arious in industries in- in being needled poked and prodded verbally by the stern ladies And it should be added taking it quite docilely Quite apart from the comic book controversy the en vigorously had at top rank ing representatives of the radio television and movie mo industries They spoke e sharply about bad 1 English filthy programs and bawdy pictures in the various fields And they gave names and dates although now and then their references were somewhat somewhat some some- somewhat what vague ue until the industry representatives stepped into the breach b by supplying supplying- the name or date of the offending picture or program Probably it is not divulging a trade secret to report that the standard answer of such Industry industry industry indus indus- try unfortunates was vas either Yes maam ma'am or No maam ma'am After all aU the nations nation's en may speak peak softly but but but-ah ah well you know the rest Then They Listened The comic book debate however however however how how- ever departed somewhat t from the general routine in that two m men n fought it out v verb to while Je the ladies listened The issue was whether current current current cur cur- rent crime comic books tend to increase or decrease juvenile de- de Taking Taking- one side wa was Henry E. E Schultz of the Association Association Asso Asso- Association of Comic Magazine ne Pub Pub- lishers ushers Taking Taking- the other side was Tames James Bennett director of ot the federal bureau of pr prisons ons And aside from the fact that the they seemed occa occasionally to turn In sympathy toward one another as two lone males in a wilderness wilderness wilderness wilder wilder- ness of women they made quite a fight fig out of it Mr Bennett said quite flatly that many of the comic books appeal to the primitive instincts in fri people He charged ed that no one familiar with these magazines would contend they are re character building building- in tru- tru ments Warming Warming- to his theme he in insisted insisted insisted in- in that such books have blueprinted crIme in such a way that it can be and Is Imitated Then he set out to document his theory with incidents of juvenile juvenile juvenile juve juve- nile delinquents who had used comic magazines as as- crime copy books I f Quick on Uptake Mr Schultz was equally vehement vehement ve ye- and just as quick to document his case He told the ladies that his industry at present present pres pre ent was the victim of a nationwide nationwide nationwide nation nation- wide hysteria He said that crime comic books were vere read by far Car more adults than children He mentioned that some such magazines were sold every month adding that one of the best sellers was wal a little booklet entitled Crime Doesn't Pay Its sale however did pay he conceded thus conceded thus providing one ot of the only two points definitely established by the debat To prove the virtue of the aforementioned magazine Mr Schultz said that its publisher had received more than letters letter And he added triumphantly triumphantly triumphantly triumph triumph- antly many of them came from inmates of prisons who wrote l If we only had had access to o your magazine before we were sent here Unfortunately for the drama of the announcement Mr Bennett Bennett Bennett Ben Ben- nett smirked slightly at this point seeming pOInt seeming to Imply that there might be a double meaning meaning meaning mean mean- ing ing- behind such pious After that about all there was left for Mr Schultz to dovas do was vas to establish h the other Uncontested uncontested uncontested un- un contested point of the debates So called comic books he said no longer necessarily had to be funny Who said they were wre Distributed b by International N News eWI Service |