Back in the ’40s and ’50s, comic books were the most widely consumed form of popular entertainment. That is, until a coalition of politicians, priests, teachers, and parents triggered a public hysteria that resulted in comic book burnings, Senate hearings, and a backlash that crippled the medium for decades to come. David Hajdu delved into this mostly forgotten chapter of American cultural history in his new book, The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How It Changed America.
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