Jim Trombetta
Abrams ComicArts, 2010
$21.95, Softcover
978-0810955950
Genre: Nonfiction, Graphic Novels
Age: 14+
Description: The Horror! The
Horror! is a nonfiction look at the pre-Comics Code Authority horror comics
of the 1950s (and earlier). This book is quite large (in format and pages—300)
and detailed. It has a number of chapters that focus on a variety of subjects
(censorship, zombies, vampires, werewolves, sex, and so on) that open with a
detailed essay by Trombetta and then includes tons of cover images from his own
personal comic book collection and reprinted stories.
Opinion: This look at the awesome pre-CCA horror comics isn’t as
good as other books, such as Four Color
Fear: Forgotten Horror Comics by Greg Sadowski and John Benson. The author’s
essays are written in very small font in double columns which is hard on the
eyes and there are more cover images than actual stories reprinted. I wouldn’t
suggest this really for teens unless they are diehard fans because it is definitely
more of a scholarly work (the writing is very elevated and might go over some
readers’ heads). However, I do recommend the first few essays for any comic
book fan or teen interested in literary censorship. The chapters on Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent which lead to
the Senate trials and the creation of the CCA are an important part of comic
book history and a great look at book censorship. The book also comes with a
25-minute DVD of a rare TV special called Confidential
File, which aired in 1955 about the evils of comic books and their effect
on juvenile delinquency. Teens would get a kick out of how “blown out of
proportion” these censorship cases seem to nowadays readers.
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