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New Trend
EC was able to entice some of the best talent in the diligence with eminent earnings rate and an encouraging oeuvre environment . They start out to loose level , many spell by Gaines and editor Al Feldstein , challenging present-day social mores . EC tale such as 1953 ’s " In Gratitude , " which appear in Shock SuspenStories 11 , tackle complicated emergence that other forms of media did n’t bear upon . The story involved a Korean War veteran returning home to discover that his request for the torso of his life - preserve African American comrade to be buried in his family line plot of land was denied due to racial discrimination . The soldier then condemned his hometown for their prejudice , reminding them that the man had died maintain democracy . This account and others like it actuate public debate that attest itself in letter indite by reader and published in subsequent issues .
Oh the Horror
Among other socially witting titles at EC were state of war titles byMadco - founder Harvey Kurtzman . These works includedTwo Fisted TalesandFrontline Combat , which bring an anti - war posture that stood out amongst the rest of the manufacture ’s glorification of combat .
But it was EC ’s revulsion deed of conveyance that made up the largest percentage of their sales agreement . The first titles of their " New Trend " line of credit , such asVault of Horror , spawn many imitator that often relied on grisly covers and equally grisly content . These shortly enamor attention of group advocating against the comic industry .
The most well know of these exponent , Dr. Frederic Wertham , had become a salient anti - comic book crusader in the late 1940s ; he claimed there was a link between juvenile delinquency and comic books . Wertham ’s workplace culminated in his bookSeduction of the Innocent , which heavily criticized horror comic strip as well as their more traditional competition . The Word of God remind Thursday formation of a Senate hero sandwich - citizens committee to turn over into juvenile delinquency , with a great focus on the effect of comics on youth . Gaines voluntarily fight back the works he published in front of a Senate dialog box . Asked to explain his conception of taste as well as the subtlety often evident in EC ’s works , Gaines was unable to convert the unreceptive hoagie - committee of their virtues . At one point he was forced to oppose the use of racial slur made by villainous characters in a story that was clearly anti - racist .
Comics Code
Mad’sRise
Madwas originally founded by Harvey Kurtzman at EC to add on his income when he could n’t play off the yard of EC ’s more prolific editors . The magazine struggled at first until the dismission of the 4th outlet containing the popular Superman travesty , Superduperman . Kurtzman constitute the influential trend and satiric data formatting of the magazine , ab initio take objective solely at the comic manufacture before taking on America at large . In 1956 , after Kurtzman require a 50 % ownership share , he was exchange by former EC editor Al Feldstein , editor of EC ’s ownMadimitatorPanic . Mad , under Gaines ' possession , uphold champion anti - establishment ideal , until he was coerce to sell in 1961 . He retain originative ascendency until his death in 1992 .
Royce Wilmot is a freshman at Seattle University . He ’s part of ourCollege Weekend extravaganza .
