Key Collector Comics

SOTI

Seduction of the Innocent, published in 1954 by psychiatrist Dr. Frederic Wertham was one of the most impactful events in comic book history, leading to censorship in comics and the establishment of the Comics Code Authority  This category lists issues that were referenced in the book with Wertham's reasons for why comic books were damaging to the youth of America

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Chamber of Chills #7

Harvey ⋅ 1952

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Chamber of Chills #7
 
Low
$100
Mid
$300
High
$1k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: morbid fantasies - a man's wife is killed by a giant crab, he then turns into a crab himself and devours her corpse

All-Famous Crime #9

Star ⋅ 1951

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All-Famous Crime #9
 
Low
$35
Mid
$110
High
$400
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent which led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a couple is shown with bullet holes in their heads and stab wounds in their chests, reprinted from Law Against Crime #3

Real Clue #9

Hillman ⋅ 1948

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Real Clue #9
 
Low
$12
Mid
$40
High
$110
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: inspires children to attack other children due to a story about a mother who orders and supervises the beating of slow-paying customers to her criminal enterprise

Classic Comics #10

Gilberton ⋅ 1943

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Classic Comics #10
 
Low
$100
Mid
$400
High
$1k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comic Code Authority

Reason: Wertham felt these comics were preventing children from reading the actual novels

HRN stands for Highest Re-order issue Number on back cover - the lower the number the earlier the printing. Generally a first printing will have an HRN that matches the issue number on the front

Mysterious Adventures #11

Story ⋅ 1952

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Mysterious Adventures #11
 
Low
$95
Mid
$335
High
$980
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a woman who is revealed to be a vampire, fondly recalls the death of prisoners in a concentration camp

Wanted Comics #12

Orbit-Wanted ⋅ 1948

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Wanted Comics #12
 
Low
$20
Mid
$70
High
$220
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: an honest politician is murdered by a man who says 'bullets are better than ballots,' to which the narrator replies, 'ah, the impulsive boy. He's absolutely fearless. Why can't everyone be like that?"

Guns of Fact and Fiction #13

Magazine Enterprises ⋅ 1948

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Guns of Fact and Fiction #13
 
Low
$25
Mid
$80
High
$250
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: the most predominant word 'GUNS' is irresponsibly marketed to children

Hunted #13

Fox ⋅ 1950

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Hunted #13
 
Low
$40
Mid
$115
High
$420
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: violence toward the police

Classic Comics #13

Gilberton ⋅ 1943

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Classic Comics #13
 
Low
$120
Mid
$400
High
$1.6k
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Key Facts

First comic book to feature a horror story throughout

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comic Code Authority

Reason: Mr. Hyde beats a little girl to death with his cane

HRN stands for Highest Re-order issue Number on back cover - the lower the number the earlier the printing. Generally a first printing will have an HRN that matches the issue number on the front

All Top Comics #14

Fox ⋅ 1948

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All Top Comics #14
 
Low
$175
Mid
$525
High
$1.9k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent which led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a panel depicts the corpses of two men 'strung up by their wrists'

Classics Illustrated #15 [HRN 53]

Gilberton ⋅ 1943

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Classics Illustrated #15 [HRN 53]
 
Low
$75
Mid
$225
High
$850
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a stereotypical character profile of African Americans that failed to capture the humanity of the source material

HRN stands for Highest Re-order issue Number on back cover - the lower the number the earlier the printing. Generally a first printing will have an HRN that matches the issue number on the front

Red Seal Comics #16

Chesler Dynamic ⋅ 1946

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Red Seal Comics #16
 
Low
$55
Mid
$175
High
$620
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent which led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: two criminals drain the blood of an unconscious woman into a jar

Rulah Jungle Goddess #21

Fox ⋅ 1948

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Rulah Jungle Goddess #21
 
Low
$130
Mid
$450
High
$1.3k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: implication that the United States tests biological weapons on African natives

Rulah Jungle Goddess #22

Fox ⋅ 1949

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Rulah Jungle Goddess #22
 
Low
$100
Mid
$300
High
$1k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: 'The First Americans' story, under the guise of history, shows a woman restrained who is soon to have her heart cut out by a Native American

Black Cat Comics #27

Harvey ⋅ 1951

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Black Cat Comics #27
 
Low
$20
Mid
$65
High
$190
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a boy beaten by an adult and violent instruction for self-defense such as striking the larynx

Beyond, The #27

Ace Magazines ⋅ 1954

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Beyond, The #27
 
Low
$265
Mid
$875
High
$2.6k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: immoral violence for the sake of entertainment - a doctor drinks an elixir, turns into a monster and proceeds to go on a murder spree

Wanted Comics #35

Orbit-Wanted ⋅ 1951

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Wanted Comics #35
 
Low
$18
Mid
$55
High
$185
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: instructs readers how to set fires and cover up crimes

Black Cat Comics #36

Harvey ⋅ 1952

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Black Cat Comics #36
 
Low
$75
Mid
$210
High
$750
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a boy dies after being tied to the mast of a ship while being lashed by the laughing captain

Black Cat Comics #39

Harvey ⋅ 1952

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Black Cat Comics #39
 
Low
$190
Mid
$775
High
$1.9k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority, a doctor goes on a murder spree in an effort to assemble his ideal woman comprised of dismembered body parts

Classics Illustrated #44

Gilberton ⋅ 1947

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Classics Illustrated #44
 
Low
$60
Mid
$175
High
$660
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: panels of a blindfolded man, tied to a chair with his eyes gouged out

Classics Illustrated #50

Gilberton ⋅ 1948

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Classics Illustrated #50
 
Low
$18
Mid
$55
High
$165
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a poor representation of what Mark Twain's novel is about due to gratuitous violence including an eye gouge

Planet Comics #53

Fiction House ⋅ 1948

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Planet Comics #53
 
Low
$120
Mid
$400
High
$1.2k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: an alien threatens to burn a woman's eyes out with an electric prong

Blue Beetle #54

Fox ⋅ 1948

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Blue Beetle #54
 
Low
$1.6k
Mid
$5.5k
High
$16k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: commonly known as a 'Headlights Cover' referring to a woman's breasts

Blue Beetle #56

Fox ⋅ 1948

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Blue Beetle #56
 
Low
$170
Mid
$575
High
$1.7k
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: a female character expresses that a gentleman does not hit a woman with a blackjack, he uses his fists

Crime and Punishment #59

Lev Gleason ⋅ 1953

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Crime and Punishment #59
 
Low
$30
Mid
$100
High
$315
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: an illustration of the Statue of Liberty with text that describes a criminal's journey in America

Classics Illustrated #68

Gilberton ⋅ 1950

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Classics Illustrated #68
 
Low
$12
Mid
$40
High
$125
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comics Code Authority

Reason: Werthem condemns the decision to follow a classic piece of literature with a story titled 'Tippy, the Terrier'

Crime Does Not Pay #76

Lev Gleason ⋅ 1949

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Crime Does Not Pay #76
 
Low
$17
Mid
$70
High
$175
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent, led to establishing the Comic Code Authority

Reason: Wertham refers to a page in this comic that responds to his criticism of violence in comics

Four Color #250

Dell ⋅ 1949

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Four Color #250
 
Low
$17
Mid
$70
High
$175
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Key Facts

Referenced in Seduction of the Innocent which led to establishing the Comic Code Authority

Reason: the pervasion of violence and racial stereotypes in comics that are seemingly innocent

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