In 1942 Lev Gleason, a small publishing firm, released a new true crime comic called Crime Does Not Pay, co-edited, written and illustrated by Bob Wood and Charles Biro. The stories recounted actual crimes perpetrated by many of the day’s high profile mobsters including “Baby Face” Nelson and Charles “Lucky” Luciano. They were meant to be morality tales, though the criminals’ violent escapades and erotic encounters were thrillingly detailed, often to dramatic effect, and the moral of the story was usually relegated to a brief concluding paragraph. The mixture of sex and violence was an automatic hit with the American public and circulation of the comics quickly rose into the millions. The editors’ enthusiasm for lurid material, put Crime Does Not Pay on the censors’ radar, and was a contributing factor in the passing of the Comics Code in 1954. According to an article in the Star Tribune, these new, tighter restrictions on comic book content quickly put Crime Does Not Pay and all its imitators out of business. Read more…

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In the theme of Comic-Con and all things super hero related, the hugely popular convention isn’t the only event to make news in the comic book world this month. In early July, issue No. 600 of the Wonder Woman series hit the shelves with a brand new story line and a surprising new look, causing an uproar among fans. Under the helm of new writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Jim Lee, Wonder Woman’s iconic red and gold bustier, star-spangled blue hot pants and red stiletto knee-high boots have been banished and replaced with a blue jacket (sleeves rolled up!), a tight red top and black leggings. Huh?! Straczynski explained his reasoning behind this new look in an e-mail to The New York Times. “She’s been locked into pretty much the exact same outfit since her debut in 1941. If you’re going to make a statement about bringing Wonder Woman into the 21st century, you need to be bold and you need to make it visual,” he wrote. Lee and Straczynski have certainly made some odd fashion choices for a 21st century female super hero.
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