CDP#22
Okay so it has been a while since the last “bubble”
popped, I hope you forgive me and enjoy this little piece J
Many of us are aware of the early heroes of
Comic-dom, the Batman’s, Superman’s and Captain America’s, but what about the
bad guys? So all that evil rooting around out there should have no voice? No
point of reference for the young and aspiring villain? How are we to have real,
honest to goodness megalomaniacal, world conquering evil uber-mensch’s without
some training manual to foster all that pent up aggression?
CDP #43
Never fear faithful reader, publisher Lev Gleason
insured that the infant (Pinky and the) Brain’s, Lex Luthor’s and Victor Von
Doom’s of the world had something to read under the covers, by flashlight, away
from the prying eyes of a world bent on destroying their hopes and dreams just like
the rest of us!
The year is 1942 and noting this dreadful void,
publisher Lev Gleason, creators/editors Charles Biro[1]
and Bob Wood[2]
set out to correct this horrible wrong. Their baby Crime Does Not Pay was different from other comic books of its
time. The Dick Tracy’s and Batman’s of the world went around fighting crime,
and the story was always told from their point of view. CDP was the first time
the villain truly took center stage.
CDP #89
Each issue, essentially a Condemnation des
banquets style
morality play, highlights a different “real life” villain (Machine Gun Kelly
for example or some lesser known criminal) and shows how their life away from
the mainstream led them to commit their injustices. The payoff for their
transgressions was of course death, and invariably a gruesome one at that.
Gruesome was the name of the game
for CDP, with lurid, uncensored and sensational tales the comic and the “True
Crime” genre of comic books took off with a vengeance. In response to the
growing popularity of comic books and their purported effect on the youth of
America, in classic comic style, a villain of epic proportions manifested
itself. Destined to truly ruin good comics for everyone, the nefarious Dr. Fredric
Wertham, and his death-ray/doomsday book Seduction of the Innocent, appeared on the scene.[3] In a move calculated to suck the joy out of comic reading Wertham’s
work propelled itself into the American consciousness, pretty much ripping out
the heart of good old fashioned American comic entertainment- if that isn’t
evil kids, I don’t know what is-.
Wertham’s work led to the
introduction of the CCA or Comic Code of America, essentially an industry led
censorship program that ensured parents their children were reading “wholesome”
entertainment. It was also the death knell of many great comic books, including
Crime Does Not
Pay. Unable to maintain a readership with a
kinder, gentler villain, as its centerpiece CDP inevitably folded. CDP begins
with issue #22 (taking over the numbering from Silver Streak Comics) in June of 1942, begins its decline with its first CCA issue #143 in
March of 1955 and dies an ignoble “villain light” death with issue #147 in
July, 1955 (Lex Luthor says “geez thanks Doc!”)
CDP #143 the first CCA Issue
Just so our villain doesn’t get
the last…maniacal laugh…I invite you to read this journal piece by Carol Tilley
that repudiates many of Wertham’s “evil” claims…who says the good guys never
win?[4] Until next time kids, keep ‘em bagged and boarded!!
[1] Lambiek
Comiclopedia, “Charles Biro,” Lambiek Comiclopedia, October 26, 2013, accessed
October 26, 2013, http://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/biro_c.htm.
[2] Lambiek
Comiclopedia, “Bob Wood,” Lambiek Comiclopedia, October 26, 2013, accessed
October 26, 2013, http://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/wood_bob.htm.
[3] Okay
it wasn’t really a death ray, but yea it was. Especially if you liked your
comics gruesome and horrifying.
[4] Carol
L. Tilley, “Seducing the Innocent: Fredric Wertham and the Falsifications That
Helped Condemn Comics”, Information and Culture: A Journal of History
47, no. 4 (November-December 2012): 383-413.
