In the period just after the end of World War II, American popular culture was changing. Television would come to dominate, but before parents worried about TV rotting young brains, there was another perceived threat to our youth: comic books.
Author and New Republic contributor David Hadju explores the pulpy world of the post-war American comic book in The Ten-Cent Plague, as well as examining the controversy launched by Frederic Wertham’s fearmongering 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent that left the industry scrambling to defend itself before Congress.
As Hadju addresses the push to censor comic books, he establishes the dubious distinction of this uniquely American art form at the forefront of future pop-culture worries about kids these days—from rock music to video games and the Internet. Join the author for a special lecture this weekend.
David Hadju: The Ten-Cent Plague @ Sundance Resort Tree Room, Provo Canyon, 866-734-4428, Saturday, July 11, 12 p.m. Tickets $95 per person includes admission, brunch and signed copy of book. SundanceResort.com