| Slot: |
Crime Does Not Pay 63 |
| Item: |
Crime Does Not Pay 63 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1199410012
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Owner Comments
Crime Does Not Pay #63 is referenced in Fredric Wertham’s “Seduction of the Innocent” (SOTI) on page 306.
In this section of the SOTI, Wertham describes the inadequate attempts of comic publishers to self regulate and makes reference to the comic book code that the publishers of Crime Does Not Pay printed on the inside cover of issue #63.
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| Slot: |
Crime Does Not Pay 64 |
| Item: |
Crime Does Not Pay 64 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0179801001
|
Owner Comments
Crime Does Not Pay #64 is referenced in Fredric Wertham’s “Seduction of the Innocent” (SOTI) on page 306. In this section of the SOTI, Wertham discusses how comic book publishers use various means and methods to avoid accountability and continue to publish comic books that are harmful to children (at least from his perspective). One such tool is the use of self-censorship codes that publishers developed in response to criticisms of comic book content. On page 306, Wertham references a comic book that published a code on the inside cover of the comic (he is referring to Crime Does Not Pay #63). He goes on to say that this code had a provision that stated that the publisher would not include illustrations that contained blood. Wertham notes that the publisher did not stand by this code as that very issue (Crime Does Not Pay #63) and the following issue (Crime Does not Pay #64) both contained panels with blood. The specific reference for Crime Does Not Pay #64 from the SOTI is as follows: “I looked for the following number of this comic book, after the one that had the code on the inside cover. Did they leave out the blood? No, that was shown again in four consecutive pictures. They left out the code”.In paging through Crime Does Not Pay #64, I was hard pressed to find “four consecutive pictures” with blood. I believe Wertham was referring to panels included in the first story entitled “Walter Legenza the Gangster” illustrated by George Tuska. In this story, Legenza and his crew rough up Lizzie Phillips and leave her for dead and there are four panels in close proximity that, if you stretch the definition, show blood on Lizzie’s face. I’ve include a scan of one of the pages that includes these panels (upper right corner) – now it’s up to you to decide if this broke the no blood code!
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| Slot: |
Crime Does Not Pay 76 |
| Item: |
Crime Does Not Pay 76 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0987690004
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Owner Comments
While not yet recognized by Overstreet, Crime Does Not Pay #76 is referenced in Fredric Wertham’s “Seduction of the Innocent” (SOTI) on pages 98-99.In this section of the SOTI, Wertham criticizes the attempts of publishers to moralize the crime deterrent effect of crime based comic books. In particular, he calls out a comic book with the “crime does not pay” slogan and references an attack on his position as offered up in a crime comic “When I pointed out the hypocrisy of the “Crime does not pay” slogan and its bad effect on children, the industry accused me of ‘unfairness’ in attacking their highest endeavors and introduced some more slogan morality. In one comic book are two pages by a police captain attacking me: ‘Don’t let reformers kid you!’ He is ‘shocked by what I read today about the people who condemn crime comics. These people are the menace.’ He goes on: ‘Children don’t like to be kicked around by reformers who want to decide what’s good for them to read.’ And he extols ‘the strong moral force’ the comics exert on children.’”Wertham’s reference to a two page essay by a police captain is contained in Crime Does Not Pay #76. The essay, entitled “Don’t Let Reformers Kid You…” was written by Captain Felix L. Lynch. In addition to Crime Does Not Pay #76, this piece also appeared in Crime and Punishment #16. I have included a scan of the first page Captain Lynch’s essay.
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