Today, we all chuckle at Frederick Wertham's contention that comics lead to the Seduction of the Innocent. Surely, the Golden Age mags of his time weren't akin to razor blades in a Halloween apple? Just clean, wholesome fun with cartoon violence? Let's open a time capsule and see...
The label says 1948...
PHANTOM LADY #16, Fox Feature Syndicate, February 1948
Was Wertham right? Well, London newspapers aren't the only place you can find Page 3 Girls. Here's the top of page 3:
Maybe not unexpected in a mag whose star wears this skimpy an outfit:
Good ol' bondage'n'shovel between the legs action. And now...
A sexy burlesque show!
Ok, well, that's all sex. Young boys in the late 40s had to learn about it from SOMEwhere. But the violence! The violence is just harmless, cartoony fun!
Eep! Guess not.
And don't look to the back-up feature, Clara Peete - The Beautiful Beast, to cleanse your palate either. I'm afraid it's more of the same!
On both fronts!
It's the violent cleavage story to end all violent cleavage stories.
Now let's forward to April 1955 and the post-Code Phantom Lady #3 published by Ajax Comics.
Wait... what the hell happened to her costume?!?
Booo! Hisss!!!! Sneer!!!!
You can't deprive the Innocents of the Seduction they crave! It's just not right!
SO HAVE OUR FOREFATHERS SPOKEN!!!!
The label says 1948...PHANTOM LADY #16, Fox Feature Syndicate, February 1948
Was Wertham right? Well, London newspapers aren't the only place you can find Page 3 Girls. Here's the top of page 3:
Maybe not unexpected in a mag whose star wears this skimpy an outfit:
Good ol' bondage'n'shovel between the legs action. And now...A sexy burlesque show!
Ok, well, that's all sex. Young boys in the late 40s had to learn about it from SOMEwhere. But the violence! The violence is just harmless, cartoony fun!
Eep! Guess not.And don't look to the back-up feature, Clara Peete - The Beautiful Beast, to cleanse your palate either. I'm afraid it's more of the same!
On both fronts!
It's the violent cleavage story to end all violent cleavage stories.Now let's forward to April 1955 and the post-Code Phantom Lady #3 published by Ajax Comics.
Wait... what the hell happened to her costume?!?
Booo! Hisss!!!! Sneer!!!!You can't deprive the Innocents of the Seduction they crave! It's just not right!
SO HAVE OUR FOREFATHERS SPOKEN!!!!
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