Terrifying early-1950s comic book covers

Barron YoungSmith of The New Republic says:

I think you and your readers at Boing Boing will enjoy The New Republic’s fascinating slide-show: Terrifying Early-1950s Comic Book Covers.

These grim, pop-art images of severed heads and disintegrating human beings were selected by cultural critic David Hajdu, author of The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, to illustrate the comic book culture that created mass panic during the 1950s.The lurid content led to congressional hearings, widespread comic book burnings, and ultimately the censorship of the industry.

In addition, check out Part One of TNR’s debate between Hajdu and American culture guru Douglas Wolk: Are these grim images responsible for the marginalization of comic books throughout the late-20th century? Are we, just now, coming into the golden age of American graphic novels? Find out here.

Link

[#1 posted by Cyberhal , April 8, 2008 2:57 PM]

you can find amazing graphic novels dating back to 1990s. check out the work of Brits Neil Gaiman, John Wagner, Pat Mills, Alan Moore - they've all been producing amazing for years. Actually wasn't Frank Miller's Batman Dark Knight from the 1980s?

[#2 posted by sdswift , April 8, 2008 3:10 PM]

GOOD LORD!!!

[#3 posted by Nick D , April 8, 2008 3:13 PM]

These are beautiful. Is there somewhere we can see higher-rez versions?

[#4 posted by Takuan , April 8, 2008 3:19 PM]

how old were these artists? Were their direct memories of war the seeds for the images?

[#5 posted by Risibot , April 8, 2008 3:19 PM]

Wasn't Sandman from the eighties? And Violent Cases, and Signal To Noise, and Black Orchid? And Alan Moore has been at it even longer. He started in the late seventies.
I think Neil is super dreamy, by the way. Swoon!

[#6 posted by Cyberhal , April 8, 2008 3:33 PM]

the amazing 2000 AD comics been around since 1977, and still going very strong
http://www.2000adonline.com/

[#7 posted by KidDork , April 8, 2008 5:07 PM]

GASP! (CHOKE!)

[#8 posted by cha0tic , April 8, 2008 5:17 PM]

I think these are probably still banned in the UK, or at least their importation.

[#9 posted by Marble River , April 8, 2008 6:22 PM]

#3 (Nick D):

Here are two good places to start:

http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/

http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/

MR

[#10 posted by Ed Bear , April 8, 2008 6:40 PM]

#4 (Takuan) - That's always been my question too - to what degree are seeing the visual evidence of traumas from WW2?

I recall similar stuff in carnival midways as late as the early to mid 1970's - "Houses of Horror" painted with images which simply wouldn't be allowed today. Terrible, distressing pictures of torture and dismemberment; very often with women as central figures of the action. At the time it didn't rankle overly but in retrospect it is quite stunning.

[#11 posted by anthropomorphictoast , April 8, 2008 11:27 PM]

Awesome. Some of these would make kickass dorm room posters.

[#12 posted by ttcfcl , April 9, 2008 7:51 AM]

Awesome! Reminds me of the "Mars ATTACK!" or "Dinosaurs ATTACK!" trading cards I collected as a kid. Specifically this one http://bobheffner.com/dinosaursattack/front43.htm

[#13 posted by devophill , April 9, 2008 11:50 AM]

Here is a better gallery with some of the same covers and many more. Much bigger pictures, plus artist credits. These things didn't draw themselves, people!

[#14 posted by devophill , April 9, 2008 12:03 PM]

Well, most of the artists are credited.

[#15 posted by Nick D , April 9, 2008 1:28 PM]

Thanks, Marble River!