one in his crusade against comics. Yet, in the extensive research he tells us he has made on comtes, why does he i ignore the good comics? Dell isn't alone in publishing good cones. There are numerous out- standing titles published by other publishers, such as Blondie, Archie, Dennis the Menace, and so forth. Why does he feel that he must. con- denn the entire industry? Could it be that he feels he has a better ease against comics by recognizing the bad and ignoring the good ?
“Dr. Wertham, Lam suce, has wt fine repnet: ttion asa psy chiate ist, but shouldn't the commilice hear from other psychiatrists of equal stature? Of all the Mlustrations presented by Dh. Wertham yesterday, taken from crime and horror comics, needless 10 say, Del] was nonexistent, but I do take offense to his reading mto the ae ord an isolated atory that the claims appeared in Tarzan comics. T should like more specific information on this particular story. and when this issue was pub- Ished, Dr. Werthara has a great habit of using material from comic magazines that were published several years Auto, and no longer beiug published, to help his case against tlie comics.
Dr. Wertham ist have done some extensive examining of the 90 titles published by the Dell Publishing Co., as he went. out of his way to point up the one story he didn't like in an isolated issue of Tarzan comes, probably published several years ago. Wasn't it wrfair and destructive, rather than canst ruetive, to re: 1d his condemnation of Dell Publishing Co.'s comies into the record? Shouldn't the good be given proper recognition, if for no other reason than fo set the example?
With regard to Dell's refusal to belong to the Comic Book Associa- tion, Dell had no other alternative. When the association was first introduced, we, after thorough examination, saw that Dell would be used as an umbrella for the crime comic publishers. Del, along with these publishers, would display the same seal. Llow could the news- dealer afford the time to examine the contents of each comic be handled? The parents and children too would sulfer from misrepre- sentation, Dell didn't need a code set down by an associ tation, with regard to its practices of good tasic. We weren't ilerested iv trying to go up to the marginal line in aur comic-book operation, as we knew we were appealing, in the main, to children. We have no regrets. In addition to the good feelimg we have created among onr loy at follow- ing, we have profited financially, So you don't have to publish crime and horror comics for finaneial success. To the contrary, Dell's policy of publishing good comics has served as well.
Mr. Caniff and Mr, Kelly have told you how the syndicate editor as well as each newspaper editor are their censors, Dell has their censors too. World renowned citizens hke Walt Disney, Walter Lantz, Mr. Fred Quimby, of MGM, Edward Selzer, of Warner Bros., Marge's creator of Little Lulu, and many, many others, wouldn't for any pos- sible financial gains, allow us to publish their creations if we used their characters badly.
The Chairman. Thank you for that statement, Mrs. Meyer,
Does counsel have any questions?
Mrs. Meyer. May we show you some of our comics?
The Chairman. Do you have some to leave for the files?
Mrs. Meyer. For one thing, we try to do something, too, on the question of horror, We have taken two full-page colored ads in the Saturday Evening Post.
The Chairman. I am sure you are interested in eliminating horror comics, are you not?
