American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s

As part of the publisher's ambitious, multi-volume history of American comic books, historian Bill Schelly has written an incisive account of industry activity, 1950-59. Roughly, the story goes like this: 1950-54, comic book sales fly high, with multitudinous publishers and a boggling array of titles. Crime, western, horror, and funny animal titles sell well. Superheros are in remission, carrying on most noticeably at DC-National.1955-59: Excesses of the first five years of the decade, particularly sexual innuendo and depictions of violence, encourage opportunistic politicians and a shrewdly self-promoting NYC psychiatrist to attack comic books as unwholesome, squalid, and dangerous. An ostensibly self-imposed Comics Code allows the industry to survive, but helps destroy the legendary EC Comics, as well as many other publishers. During the last half of the decade, comics writers and artists scramble for work at reduced rates, or leave the industry altogether. Atlas/Marvel loses its distributor and becomes essentially irrelevant, as least insofar as industry leaders DC and Dell are concerned. Comic books grow blandly inoffensive, ignoring the older readers that had sustained them during the war and into the '50s, and concentrating instead on the grade-school crowd. But then, unexpectedly, the superhero genre is reborn.Summed up like this, the tale of comics in the 1950s seems tidy enough, but it's actually complex, tangled, and fascinating. Written by Schelly with lively directness and clarity, and scrupulously researched, the book reveals how culture, technology, media, politics, and business--as well as newsstand product that was variously awful and sublime--drove the industry to great heights, and then nearly destroyed it.Each year is covered in a discrete chapter, with clearly organized sections devoted to each publisher's activities for the year. DC, Atlas, Dell, Fawcett, and other major players are well covered, and so are more modestly sized outfits (EC, St. John), as well as numerous fringe players that made impacts. Schelly has acute critical insights--praising, for example, the striking EC output, the exciting late-decade evolution of DC artist Carmine Infantino, and the vital, often ingenious contributions of such writers as John Stanley, Otto Binder, Jerry Siegel, Harvey Kurtzman, and Richard E. Hughes. Editors, too, from Stan Lee to Mort Weisinger, are smartly discussed. Because Schelly understands that comics are a business, his unsentimental portraits of Harry Donenfeld, Martin Goodman, Bill Gaines, and other publishers give the book the dimension it needs to transcend mere aesthetic history, and become a broader and hugely intriguing account of business strategies and alliances, moves and countermoves, profit and loss, ambition and hubris.Printed on glossy stock and abundantly illustrated with vintage covers, interior pages and panels, original art, and photos of key players, the book is a visual feast. Toth, Gil Kane, Maneely, Barks, Sprang, Kirby, Ingels, Heath, Kubert, Boring, Baker, Cole (L. B. and Jack), Wood, Dillin & Cuidera--all the heavy hitters are here, plus lesser lights that deserve your attention. Nicely designed timelines put each year's comics activity into a somewhat larger context, referencing, for example, Sputnik and teen movies. Extended, illustrated sidebars cover a nifty range of topics that includes blacks in comics, women in the business, atomic anxiety reflected in comics, the birth of Sgt. Rock, and more.What may be most pleasing is that Schelly, who has already written splendid histories of comics fandom, as well as fine books about Joe Kubert, "gets" something that eludes many non-academic cultural historians: the decade of the '50s was no Happy Days idyll, but a period of enormous cultural and political tension, with developing battles over the responsibilities of media, evolving sexual mores, clashing philosophies of child-rearing, the nascent teen culture, and postwar consumerism. This fine book encompasses all of that, to explain and illustrate how and why comic books were unique parts of this American quilt.

But buyer beware. Although complaints regarding the poor binding abounded for this and the 1980 volume, my copy has the same issue. Glue and paper are separating along the spine almost exactly the same as my 1980s volume. I returned that one but the next copy was the same. I'm uncertain about the value of sending this book back for a replacement.The writing and scans of classic comics of the era are of the same high standard as the other volumes. And from an initial read through, is as informative and entertaining. Although I wasn't a reader during this era, I felt it a valuable addition to the other books and am not disappointed. Once again, a great book marred by very poor binding quality.

I first bought the vol 1 of the 1960s book and it was amazing.Then the 80s one, and content wise it was every bit as good. Unfortunately the book was falling apart as soon as I opened it. It took two returns to get one that was intact.Now the 50s volume is here and has the same issues. The last signature (each group of bound pages is called a signature) is falling out of the book. I'm have just gotten the second one and it is only a marginal improvement.If the outstanding content is more important to you than havering a book that will last, buy this. But if, like me you are likely to read it more than once and would like it to last, this is not worth the money.I am seriously debating if I want the next volumes or if I am just going to give the rest of these a miss. And that is a bummer. Books like this deserve a better quality of printing.

Great series...but poor binding. Appears to be nylon stitches with a glue base to spine. Would never survive in a public library environment (yeah I still miss seeing Claudia down in the bindery dept.at SDSU. Many a book needed work, usually from age).Private users might get some use before sections come out, but it's not good binding. Great visual series.

Buyer beware! Great content - one of the best comic book books I own (and I own a boatload of comic book books). The content deserved 5 stars, but the package is the worst I have ever encountered. I returned two copies to Amazon because the binding fell apart after I opened the cover of the book. The binding of third copy that Amazon sent me as a replacement also fell apart, but I was so disgusted by then that I kept the book and used white glue to repair the binding as best as I could. What I find odd is that I own the 1960-1964 edition of the American Comic Book Chronicles and the binding is perfect.

I was expecting a dry history of 50's comics, but found I could NOT put this book down for many hours after first opening. The graphics are fantastic and Bill Schelly's writing style is easy going yet authoritative, and it is clear he's done his research. The sections on EC and censorship are especially well done. My only criticism is the book is too large to fit in my bookcase!

They were good.

Other reviewers have stated the case for this book very well, in that it is an amazingly readable, incredibly researched book, where it is rare to find that combination. The writing is so good that you actually feel suspense knowing what will happen in a given year, but waiting in anticipation for Schelly to turn the corner on a certain event.

The American Comic Book Chronicles stretch from the 40’s to the 90’s and are all superbly put together. This volume is the 1950’s breaking down the decade year by year looking at significant events in comics history. The 50’s was the best and worst times for comics with the censorship being the death knell for many publishers including EC, the best comics ever published now and then. Even if you know your comics history you’ll find many surprises in here from the mighty Dell dominating the industry to the underhand tactics of many companies (looking at you DC/National and Archie) to drive the competition out of business. Highly Recommended-get the set (still waiting for 40’s Part Two).

Beware!! i have returned TWO copies of this HB as in both the spine has snapped also the pages start to come away from each other due to poor binding and i am not the only person who has had defective copies of this book.

Covers a most absorbing period of comic book production. First-rate illustrations. A must-have for anyone with a serious interest in comics.

I was very pleased to see that someone had the foresight to take a comic book time period and give a thorough recap of the comic books from that period. It does so with beautiful art and comic book covers. The text is both informative and interesting. I got a great feel of what it must have been to be a fan during the fifties. I know there are other books from the same publisher examining other periods and I highly recommend those books as well. Get this book as you will not be disappointed.

This series is the BEST historical overview of the comics industry. Profusely illustrated, and cleverly formatted. What I liked most is how the authors cover all of the comic book companies and the events of the day.