The Horror Comic Never Dies

Horror comics were among the first comic books published—ghastly tales that soon developed an avid young readership, along with a bad reputation. Parent groups, psychologists, even the United States government joined in a crusade to wipe out the horror comics industry—and they almost succeeded. Yet the genre survived and flourished, from the 1950s to today.
This history covers the tribulations endured by horror comics creators and the broader impact on the comics industry. The genre’s ultimate success helped launch the careers of many of the biggest names in comics. Their stories and the stories of other key players are included, along with a few surprises.

Michael Walton has been either a comic book collector or a comic shop owner for over thirty years. When not reading or writing about them, he works as an IT professional for a nonprofit organization. He lives in Twinsburg, Ohio.

Michael Walton
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 178
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7536-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3512-5
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Introduction 5
1. The History of the Comic Book 7
2. The Birth of the Horror Comic Genre 23
3. Seduction of the Innocent 36
4. The Comics Code Authority 60
5. Horror Comics in the Silver Age of Comic Books 67
6. Horror Comics in the Bronze Age of Comic Books 80
7. The Modern Resurgence of the Horror Comic 87
8. Crossover Hits 132
Afterword: Whatever Happened to…? 137
Chapter Notes 161
Bibliography 167
Index 169