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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened,
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955 Hardback - 2025

by David J. Hogan; Foreword by Maggie Thompson

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From the publisher

From 1940 to 1955, American society and culture underwent dramatic changes, including the introduction of the Comics Code in October 1954, which heavily impacted comic books. The Code aimed to moderate comic content in response to public opinion, including such topics as juvenile delinquency, wartime sentiment, teenage sex, drugs, violent crime, and more. While compliance was technically voluntary, most publishers followed its strict rules. Those who didn't faced ruin when wholesalers and distributors refused to handle noncompliant comics, returning them unopened to publishers, who soon self-destructed. Comic Book Apocalypse! explores this downfall through 500 examples of pre-Code cover art, highlighting why some deemed the Code necessary. The book also examines who decided what content was acceptable, demonstrating how pre-Code comics reflect the larger story of 1950s America.

Details

  • Title Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955
  • Author David J. Hogan; Foreword by Maggie Thompson
  • Binding Hardback
  • Pages 256
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Schiffer Publishing
  • Publication date 2025-09-28
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Illustrated, Index
  • ISBN 9780764369599 / 0764369598
  • Weight 3.58 lbs (1.62 kg)
  • Dimensions 11.14 x 9.97 x 1 in (28.30 x 25.32 x 2.54 cm)
  • Category Literature - Classics / Criticism
  • Library of Congress subjects Comic books, strips, etc - History and
  • Dewey Decimal Code 741.597

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Citations

  • Publishers Weekly, 07/14/2025, Page 0
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940?1955 [Hardcover]...
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940?1955 [Hardcover] Hogan, David J. and Thompson, Maggie

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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955

by Hogan, David J

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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940?1955 [Hardcover]...
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940?1955 [Hardcover] Hogan, David J. and Thompson, Maggie

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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955

by Hogan, David J

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Comic Book Apocalypse!

Comic Book Apocalypse!

by David J. Hogan

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Hardback. New. New Book; Fast Shipping from UK; Not signed; Not First Edition; Explore the rise and fall of pre-Code comics with 500 covers revealing America''s cultural shifts, censorship, and controversy. From 1940 to 1955, American society and culture underwent dramatic changes, including the introduction of t
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened,...
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940–1955

by Hogan, David J

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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955

Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955

by Hogan, David J.

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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940?1955
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940?1955

by Hogan, David J.

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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955
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Comic Book Apocalypse!: The Death of Pre-Code Comics and Why It Happened, 1940-1955

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Comic Book Apocalypse!

Comic Book Apocalypse!

by David J. Hogan

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Atglen PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2025. 1st. Hardcover. Very Good/None. Hardcover, pictorial boards, 255 pages. illustrated in color. Explore the rise and fall of pre-Code comics with 500 covers revealing America's cultural shifts, censorship, and controversy. From 1940 to 1955, American society and culture underwent dramatic changes, including the introduction of the Comics Code in October 1954, which heavily impacted comic books. The Code aimed to moderate comic content in response to public opinion, including such topics as juvenile delinquency, wartime sentiment, teenage sex, drugs, violent crime, and more. While compliance was technically voluntary, most publishers followed its strict rules. Those who didn't faced ruin when wholesalers and distributors refused to handle noncompliant comics, returning them unopened to publishers, who soon self-destructed. Comic Book Apocalypse! explores this downfall through 500 examples of pre-Code cover art, highlighting why some deemed the Code necessary. The… Read more
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