Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2012 12:56:19 -0400
Subject: [WSFA] =?windows-1252?Q?Re=3A_=5Bwsfa=2Dforum=5D_Re=3A_=5BWSFA=5D_=22Enjoy_a_=93Lurid=2C_Unsav? =?windows-1252?Q?ory=2C_Gruesome=94_Exhibit_at_the_University_of_Maryland=22?=
From: Michael Walsh <walshmichaelj at gmail.com>
To: wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
Cc: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

>On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 12:01 PM, mark <whitroth at 5-cent.us> wrote:
> Michael Walsh wrote:
>> "If you live near the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, you
>> might consider a trip to the special collections department of the
>> Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery for =93All Lurid, Unsavory, Gruesome
>> Illustrations Shall Be Eliminated: The Comics Code as seen through the
>> UMBC Comics Collection.=94 The exhibit is open to the public and
>> includes comics and original art from UMBC=92s special collections."
>> http://cbldf.org/homepage/enjoy-a-lurid-unsavory-gruesome-exhibit-at-the=
-un=
>> iversity-of-maryland/
>
> Many, many years ago, I worked in libraries. I actually ran across
> Wertham's "Seduction of the Innocent', which led to the formation of the
> =A0Comics Code Authority.
>
> Wertham was a wacko. Deeply. One example that stuck in my mind: he takes
> a closeup of Batman's shoulder muscles, more or less anatomically
> correct... and sees in that a woman's crotch. No, I couldn't make up
> something this stupid....

Wertham was a contradiction.

"It should also be noted that Wertham had a lot of experience
providing his professional opinions to the government. In 1951, he
testified in front of the New York State Legislature about the
psychiatric aspects of criminal behavior, mentioning also the "bad
influence" of comic books. Dr. Wertham gave some more significant
testimony--speaking against school segregation-- to the Delaware
Chancery Court. This testimony was used in the U.S. Supreme Court case
of Brown vs. The Board of Education, resulting in a Supreme Court
ruling declaring that racial discrimination in public schools was
unconstitutional."  <http://www.thecomicbooks.com/old/fredricw.html>

As for hidden sexuality in the comics, while the Batman thing was
rather a reach, there's Wonder Woman and her lasso, which some might
see as having certain sexual meanings.  Then there's the "it's
complicated" life of the creator of Wonder Woman:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moulton_Marston .

mjw