Word: comically
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1940-1949
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Young America now gobbles up about 10,000,000 comic books a month-an overseasoned, indigestible, nerve-shattering, eye-ruining diet of non-comic murder, torture, kidnappings, sex-baiting. Traceable to these hyperthyroid thrillers are many a midnight scream in the nursery, many a juvenile nervous tantrum. Some parents ban the lurid comic books; the more thoughtful try to substitute "good" books. Meanwhile the comic books go marching on-with a slight drop due to the loss of the export market...
Last week Young America was offered a new eye-compelling antidote to the comic books-a 64-page, bi-monthly called True Comics (10?60? a year). The publisher was Parents' Magazine, headed by able George J. Hecht. Advisory board included Historian David S. Muzzey, George Gallup (Gallup Poll), Shirley Temple, Mickey Rooney. The idea: to fight fire with fire...
Hard-boiled comic-book publishers, eager to continue their profitable trade in murder, torture and sex, discounted True Comics' chances on two main counts: They doubted 1) whether it could arouse sufficient newsstand appeal to make money (since subscription sales of comic books account for only about1% of the total), and 2) whether thrill-sophisticated comicbook readers could be convinced that "Truth is stranger and a thousand times more interesting than fiction!" But at least, True Comics had given parents a weapon with which to fight the racketeers of childhood...
...current 70 comic books a bare 20% are reprints of newspaper "funnies"-a minority which by comparison are decent. However, few newspapers carry innocence in funnies so far as did the Baltimore Sun last week: It dropped Winnie Winkle because she is going to have a baby...
Married (for 50 years). Al Shean, 72, Bowery-voiced comic favorite in the old-time vaudeville team of (Positively) Mr. Gallagher and (Absolutely) Mr. Shean, uncle of the Marx Brothers; and Mrs. Johanna Shean, 70; celebrated in Manhattan a week after Comedian Shean observed his 60th year on the stage...