THE WORK OF ROBERT A. EMMONS JR.

DIAGRAM FOR DELINQUENTS UPDATE #31: END GAME

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:58:00 -0800

It's been a long, at times difficult, but always enlightening journey, and I am happy to say that we are in the homestretch. We are in the final stages of editing, assembling b-roll, music, sound-mixing, and perhaps most exciting... finalizing the animated sequences.

Here are all the starring characters (never seen before except for Wertham!):

My previous documentary took 18 months to make. The one before that, three years. With De Luxe, my last film, I wrote the narrative structure through voice-over. As you may or may not know, that makes creating and controlling the production of a documentary far easier, than say, a cinema verité documentary or one completely constructed through interviews. The latter is how Diagram for Delinquents is built. This is not often done for historical films, so it's been challenging.

It's a film that spans decades and involved traveling the country gathering the key players and experts on the story. It was a story that was developing as we made it. And, as you amass interviews and build a narrative, one inevitably finds holes that must be filled. If I were writing narration, problem solved... Give me ten minutes and I can write and record the missing piece. With the way this film is made it means you have to go back out and find the expert who can fill that hole. And that takes time and money. I appreciate your patience in allowing me to make as complete a picture (that the length of a film can allow) I can for this unique period of American history.

For this update I present to you the first completed part of the film I have released publicly. All clips in the past were simply put together as promotional pieces in an effort to share some of the interviews and materials I had gathered. This segment comes right from the completed film.

This clip is our first formal introduction of Dr. Fredric Wertham.

Prior to the introduction of Dr. Wertham in this sequence, audiences will have seen these previous topics covered: The First Comics, Early Comics Criticism, Comics of the 40's and 50's, Comics Readership, Youth Culture, Crime, EC, and Horror Comics, Juvenile Delinquency in America, Rise in Comics Criticism, Media and Society, Comics Proponents, Comics Censorship, Association of Comics Magazine Publishers, Comic Book Burnings, and the New York Joint Legislative Committee.

I hope you enjoy this excerpt. As for me I am jumping headlong back into editing to finish this up. Fortunately the semester is ending and I can dedicate all my time to completing the film.

Here is our man, Dr. Fredric Wertham:

Diagram for Delinquents Update #30: It Was a Mean Time

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 09:48:00 -0700

Hello Comics History Fans:

I am writing to you from Bangkok, Thailand where I am currently a Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University. While here I've been studying violence, conflict resolution, and peace for my research interests in the intersection of these topics and documentary film. As you know, our documentary, Diagram for Delinquents, is a study of violence in the media and its impact on society, specifically the youth in 1940's and 1950's America. I am learning much here and I am also editing Diagram's interviews in my free time.

Here is a little something I slung together to bring you to my side of the world:

As I am on this side of the world, Jason Clarke is on the other side working on the film's animated courtroom sequences.

A few days before I left for Thailand I met Jason at the New York Public Library to discuss the animated sequences in more depth. Visions of Ghostbusters danced in our heads as we discussed the film in hushed tones at a large oak table on the second floor. I am quite pleased with Jason's vision of making the scenes less static and more visual. I am positive you will be impressed and excited by what he is creating!

Below is a clip I pulled of Warren Bernard discussing Wertham, juvenile delinquency, and the zeitgeist of the late 40's/early50's America. As I've written previously, Warren is the Executive Director of the Small Press Expo. He is also a comics expert and historian and has written the article "Bloody Massacre: How Fredric Wertham Public Backlash and the 1954 Senate Delinquency Hearings Threw Comics on the Bonfire" for The Comics Journal.

Indeed, as Warren explains, Wertham wasn't the only and certainly not the first critic of comic books. The popular children's book author Sterling North was an early critic. On May 8, 1940 in the Chicago Daily News, North penned the scathing essay on comics he titled: “A National Disgrace." I think that sums up his sentiments quite succinctly.

In the article, North writes, "[Comic books are] badly drawn, badly written and badly printed—a strain on young eyes and young nervous systems… Their crude blacks and reds spoil the child’s natural sense of color; their hypodermic injection of sex and murder make the child impatient with better, though quieter, stories."

Warren also mentions the great American journalist David Halberstam. Mr. Halberstam has had a noted career as a journalist and historian and has received the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 1964. As you may have guessed Halberstam's interestingly structured book The Fifties has been a source for our film.

Now... let's here form Warren:

Yours,

BBY
Bangkok, 2013

De Luxe: The Tale of the Blue Comet - Excerpts Now Available Online

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:19:00 -0700

Just in time for summer and the ubiquitous travel to the Jersey shore, now, for the first time, you can watch excerpts from my documentary feature De Luxe: The Tale of the Blue Comet on my YouTube channel. I hope you enjoy these selected segments.

The Blue Comet was a named passenger train operated by the Central Railroad of New Jersey from 1929 to 1941 between Jersey City and Atlantic City. Designed by Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) president R.B. White and his team in 1928, the train took passengers from Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City (via a ferry from New York City) to Atlantic City, making the total trip from Manhattan to Atlantic City in three hours. The locomotive and its consist, including a dining and observation car, were painted in dinstict blues and cream which gave the train its unique and memorable appearance. The documentary De Luxe: The Tale of the Blue Comet traces the train's rapid creation to the fateful crash that ultimately led to its sad demise. The story of the Blue Comet is set against the backdrop of Depression Era America and the development of the highway system and transportation in New Jersey. It is a dinstinct tale of American and New Jersey culture and history.

YOUNG MUSICIANS REHEARSING, BANGKOK, JUNE 14, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:18:00 -0700

On my walk home from the market I saw four young musicians rehearsing in the Chula Cultural Center. The Center is undergoing remodeling so there is building equipment and materials everywhere. I quietly made my way up and hid within the debris and behind the columns of the temple to secretly film the intimate session.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Cinema

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:51:00 -0700

I had an incredible experience at the movies last night. As I was sitting through the 25 minutes of pre-film commercials... yes... 25 minutes... I started to doze off. As my head was dipping into sleep a pleasant song starting to play over the speakers and the entire audience of about 250 people stood up quickly. I didn't know what was happening but I jumped up as well and focused on the screen. It was showing a tribute to Rama IX, the King of Thailand. I peered around as the audience watched with respect. I enjoyed the moment. It seemed, at least to me, like a sincere moment of pride and honor by the audience for their King. The moment felt free of cynicism. It's often hard to show national pride these days (for many reasons of course), but I think it can still be quite a sincere and positive expression. Again, this is how it felt. I couldn't tell you what was going on in the minds of the audience or what the larger feelings of Bangkok's youth today is like, but the vibe of the experience was very positive for me.

Diagram for Delinquents Update #29: I want you to suffer more and more and more and more.

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:11:00 -0800

Hello supporters and interested parties. It's been two months since I've posted an update, but let me assure you, there isn't a week that goes by that I'm not working on the film in some way.

While being a documentary filmmaker, I am also a professor and assistant dean at a university, and a father. I wish I could dedicate all my time to the film, but that's not possible. My last film took two years to complete, the one before that took three. Diagram for Delinquents has been an incredible experience. It has taken me to California, New York, Montana, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina... I've been able to interview an oustanding set of subjects including:

Stephen O'Day (http://seductionoftheinnocent.org)

Al Feldstein (EC Comics, Editor, Artist, Writer)

Bart Beaty (Author of Fredric Wertham and the Critique of Mass Culture)

Steven J. Kirsh (Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research)

Jim Trombetta (Author of The Horror The Horror)

Mark Evanier (Comics writer and Author of Wertham was Right!)

James Gilbert (Author of Cycle of Outrage)

Roy Thomas (Former Editor in Chief Marvel Comics)

Paul Levitz (Former Editor in Chief DC Comics)

Bradford Wright (Author of Comic Book Nation)

Matt Fraction (Comic book author)

Brian Azzarello (Comic book author)

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

I apologize if you feel things are moving slowly, but I must say, I will not release a film that I feel is not complete. This story has taken many turns and new revelations are happening almost daily. Just in the last two months new findings have caused more controversy, solidified theories, and have given rise to new questions. This story is still evolving! This is exciting!

With that being said, I think the finish line of principal photography is in sight. What should be the final interviews will be taking place this March.

I am very pleased to announce that we will be interviewing Warren Bernard this Sunday. Many of you will know Mr. Bernard as the Executive Director of the Small Press Expo. Warren is also a comics scholars and historian and has very recently written an expertly researched article that explores how the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency came to fruition ("Bloody Massacre: How Fredric Wertham Public Backlash and the 1954 Senate Delinquency Hearings Threw Comics on the Bonfire"). It was published in the latest Comics Journal. The journal's website has posted all of the article's citations : Warren Bernard’s Citations and Fredric Wertham Documents.

Mr. Bernard's interview will be followed a week later by Amy K. Nyberg, author of The Seal of Approval: A History of the Comics Code. This interview has been a long time in coming. We always knew the film was incomplete without Dr. Nyberg's input and we have finally been able to schedule it. Her book was one of the first to look at this period of comics history.

And finally, we will be interviewing Carol Tilley two weeks later. Dr. Tilley's newest research was published in Information & Culture: A Journal of History. Her article, "Seducing the Innocent: Fredric Wertham and the Falsifications that Helped Condemn Comics" has received much attention in the last two weeks as she has found evidence that Wertham manipulated, changed, and fabricated data for the publication of Seduction of the Innocent. As I mentioned early, with the opening of Wertham's archives, new information is presenting itself.

Lastly, as I have mentioned in the past, Diagram for Delinquents will incorporate animated sequences that use the actual court audio from the Senate Subcommitee Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency and Comic Books. Animation is a difficult, tedious, and time-consuming process. Luckily we are working with an animator whose talents are worth the wait! Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Jason Clarke brings an aesthetic that really moves the animated sequences into the realm of comics. Jason is a designer, animator, illustrator, everythingator and this really brings a cohesiveness to his work. Please see more of Jason's work at his website: THIS IS JASON.

Just this week we received a rough version (there are missing elements and movements that will be in the final version of this clip, as well as the remainder of the sequence) of one of the film's sequences.

In this clip we can hear and see Wertham testifying about the gruesome horrors in the comic book Mysterious Adventures #20. [I once again have the endless resource of all things Seduction of the Innocent Stephen O'Day of http://seductionoftheinnocent.org to thank for citing this. If you haven't visited his site, you MUST! Thank you again, Steve. You're a genius.] The story in this issue that Wertham is referring to is "Chef's Delight." Wertham isn't overstating here... It's quite grisly! Have a look. Here is the issue's cover and the final page which is what Wertham is drawing from (Click on image to enlarge):

It's followed by an interesting exchange with Kefauver.

Here is a court room photo of Wertham at the witness table giving testimony to the presiding Senators and other court officials.

Wertham describes the scene:

WERTHAM
Now, this is a heroine. This is a woman who kills a man. You see, he has blood coming all over the man's face and she says, "I want you to suffer more and more and more and more."
Then the final triumph, she takes this man's organs and serves them up as dishes like a housewife and you see her "famous fried brains, famous baked kidneys, famous stuffed heart."

Next to that is the remainder of this man.
All I say is that quite apart from the disgust that it arouses in us - and I am a doctor, I can't permit myself the luxury of being disgusted ─ I think this kind of thing that children see over and over again causes this ethical confusion.

KEFAUVER
That seems to be the end of that comic book story.

WERTHAM
Yes. I should add that it says here, "The End." "The End" is this glorious meal, cannibalism.

KEFAUVER
So it did not have a very happy ending.

WERTHAM
Well, the comic book publishers seem to think it did. They made a lot of money.

And here is our interpretation:

Diagram for Delinquents Update #28: The Not So Garden (of Eden) State

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:56:00 -0800

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I am a New Jersey guy.

Ever since I began making documentaries I have investigated the obscure, forgotten, unexplored, but intriguing histories of the Garden State.

With my last two feature length films I profiled a Mexican aviator who crashed and died in the Jersey Pines in 1928 and a locomotive that fought its way through the Depression until its sad demise in 1941 when roads expanded and the automobile became the dominant mode of transportation. Before that I produced documentary shorts about two recurring phenomena in New Jersey: yard sales and eminent domain. In my web series MINICONCEPTDOCS I produced over a dozen doc shorts that profiled some aspect of New Jersey.

I had become the "New Jersey documentary guy" and I was proud of the designation. Still am.

With Diagram for Delinquents it might appear that I've left behind the New Jersey motif for now. But fear not my fellow lovers of all things Jersey. There are some very important and unique New Jersey aspects to our documentary.

Foremost, again, is connected to the 1954 Senate Subcommittee Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency and Comic Books. The chairman of the committee was Republican Senator Robert C. Hendrickson of New Jersey. Senator Hendrickson was born close to me, in Woodbury, on August 12, 1898. The Senator was an accomplished veteran of both World Wars as well as the Korean War. He rose through the ranks of state politics, eventually earning his U.S. Senate seat in 1948, always keeping a residence in Gloucester County's Woodbury.

Senator Hendrickson became well known for his interest and work on the matter of comics and juvenile delinquency. One reaction to his work resulted in an interesting letter from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Low on far right

As a way to reach out to and educate current and potential Girl Scouts, the organization created a comic book about its founder, Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low. The Girl Scouts believed in the positive qualities of what they had created and an issue was sent to Senator Hendrickson for review.

Two years after the hearings, Hendrickson, along with coauthor and journalist Fred J. Cook, wrote the Harcourt and Brace publication, Youth in Danger, reporting on the conditions of juvenile delinquency during the 1940's and 1950's as well as his experiences as a member of the Senate Subcommittee investigating comics.

During the early 1950's a number of organizations in New Jersey protested the sale of comics books in the state.

In 1953, The New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs, a group founded in 1894, called for legislators to enact laws to control the sale of comic books (or as they describe them: "filthy literature") to youths. It's interesting to note that while the NJSFWC wanted action, they did not condone censorship as a course of action. The New York Times reported on the resolution. Read more about it by clicking on the article to the right.

Another group, The New Jersey Congress of Parents and Teachers, took a more extreme approach when they petitioned the State Legislature to ban the publication and distribution of comic books as well as other objectionable media that presented indecent and obscene material. On October 22, 1954, the New York Times reported on the resolution. Read more by clicking the article to the left.

Also, before the hearings even opened there was the small issue of the aborted comic book burning event that happened in Rumson, New Jersey in 1949.

The idea came about during the brief trend of comic book burnings which fortunately flamed out as quickly as cheap pulped incinerates.

However, before the trend died out, leaders in town had decided to exercise their right to burn. The Cub Scouts planned to conduct a drive to collect comic books which depicted murderers and criminals and were set to be burned in Rumson's Victory Park. Fortunately reason prevailed and the burning was canceled. As the brief article in the New York Times wrote, there was a disturbing twist to the event:

"A procession of Scouts to Rumson Borough Hall will follow and awards will be made to Scout dens which collected the most books."

The change of plans to not burn the comic books was written-up in the nearby local newspaper, the Red Bank Register. Read more about it by clicking the article to the left.

The calls for bans, burnings, restrictions, and laws on comics can seem quite alarmist now. But imagine what it must have been like for parents, educators, and concerned parties who were becoming increasingly terrified by a youth which appeared in jeopardy and out of control and a medium which seemed to be contributing to the issue.... Finding it hard to imagine?

Perhaps this will help:

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Diagram for Delinquents Update #27: I'm Interested in Some Comics

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:11:00 -0800

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I apologize that I didn't make the Sunday update. I was away at a conference in Boston and didn't arrive home until about 6PM on Sunday and just couldn't bring it all together in time. Also, Ken Burns' new documentary The Dust Bowl premiered this Sunday and I figured everyone would be spending their requisite documentary viewing hours with the maestro of American historical documentaries. I know I was. [Until I fell asleep from pure exhaustion. I'll finish it though!]

Let us now return to Diagram for Delinquents. Once again, I am focusing on the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency. This time we turn our attention to the testimony of lawyer and comic book publisher William K. Friedman of New York City.

Mr. Friedman had the fortune of hearing earlier testimony. He heard the position of the Senators, the grilling of Mr. Dybwad, the stumbling of Mr. Gaines, and the passion and fury of Dr. Wertham. He wasn't going to use his time catching up to questions by the Senators. He was going to get out in front early. He was a sharp attorney and astute businessman. He jumped into his testimony on agenda and wasn't intimated by any line of questioning.

Mr. Friedman is only mentioned twice briefly in Amy Kiste Nyberg's expertly crafted history: Seal of Approval: The History of the Comics Code. But her second mention of Friedman is right on with the one of the main arguments of his testimony. She writes:

Violent Headlines, 1954

"Fear about media effects, however, had long centered on the vulnerability of the young audience, and Gaines' argument failed to persuade the committee. Gaines also argued that violence in comic books was no different from the violence described in newspapers, which also were available to children, and he pointed out, 'Once you start to censor, you must censor everything.' Publisher William Friedman followed up Gaines' argument, suggesting that by targeting comic books, the senators seemed to be making 'a whipping boy' out of comics and ignoring other forms of media violence."

Friedman was wily and as he dodged he also threw punches. A close reading of his testimony reveals him to be slippery, keen, and a man out to protect himself and what we can only assume is a decent profit earning gig: comics! One of my favorite elements of his testimony is how he describes his relationship to comics. He is a publisher and editor on various comics, but he describes himself as "interested in some comic magazines." The use of the word is intriguing as it implies both interest in the recreational sense as well as financial.

Let's take a look at some of his testimony:

"Mr. BEASER. Mr. Friedman, will you state for the record your full name, address, and your profession?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. My name is William Friedman. I reside at 250 East 90th Street, in New York City. I am a lawyer by profession and, incidentally, interested in some comic magazines.

Mr. BEASER. Which comic magazines are you interested in? Are those the three, or do you publish others?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. Referring to the magazines which are on the board, I am interested in the company which controls Mysterious Adventures and Fight Against Crime.

Mr. BEASER. Have you anything to do with Beware?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. No, I have nothing to do with the magazine Beware.

Mr. BEASER. Have you anything to do with the magazine Dark Mysteries?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. Yes, but the magazine Dark Mysteries, I assist in the editing of the magazine.

Mr. BEASER. That is put out by─

Mr. FRIEDMAN. It is put out by a corporation known as Master Comics ─ that particular magazine is issued by a company known as Master Comics. I don't remember if I ever had any interest in Master Comics. At least I have no interest now.

Mr. BEASER. You have no interest now?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. That is right, sir, except as assisting in the editing of that magazine.

Mr. BEASER. That is right.

Mr. FRIEDMAN. I am not the editor of this magazine. It is edited by people which we retain, but that is not the important point.

Mr. BEASER. You are the publisher of this magazine?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. I am associated with the publisher and one of the people interested in the company as an officer of the company.

Mr. BEASER. Are you responsible for getting the magazine out?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. I accept responsibility in the sense that our corporation owns that. I don't think that there is anything wrong with the type of material which is presented on this board. Now, this material is undoubtedly taken from a story with which at this moment I am not familiar. It is undoubtedly taken out of context in the story.

Mr. BEASER. This is the one, Mr. Friedman ─

Mr. FRIEDMAN. May I finish?

Mr. BEASER. Go ahead.

Mr. FRIEDMAN. This magazine is a magazine devoted to detective stories, crime stories, and as such these pictures and the pictures in those hooks show stories of crime and of detection. Crime itself is not pretty. Detective work, police work, of itself is not delicate. I heard testimony here yesterday concerning the fact that crime should not be shown in a revolting manner. Well, I disagree with that answer because I believe the more undesirable crime is shown, the more ugly crime is shown, the less attractive it is. You can't show stories of detective work, you can't show stories of crime in a pretty state, or in a delicate state, because then I believe that it would be attractive. It would perhaps invite a susceptible mind."

"May I finish"?!?!?! Oh! The stones on this guy. Mr. Friedman will not be interrupted. And even more he cannot comment on a story that is taken out of context.

Later, Friedman tries to get to the heart of the purpose of the hearings:

"Mr. FRIEDMAN. Counselor, I think you will agree with me that every conceivable action taken ─ the time of day, the weather ─ has some sort of reaction, some sort of an impression on an emotionally disturbed child, and also on a normal child. I also read the testimony, I believe, of your Mr. Clendenen. I am sorry I was not here to hear his testimony. He also asserted he could not find any particular juvenile that was led to delinquency by the comic books that he came in contact with. I also heard the testimony, if I may, of the gentleman who was here this morning, and that gentleman in a period of his associations, years in contact with the comic books, and his study of thousands and thousands of children, in his association with Warwick, has never come in contact with one individual ─
Mr. BEASER. Are you not engaging in semantics, Mr. Friedman?

Mr. FRIEDMAN. I am not. I am trying to be honest in your answers.

Mr. BEASER. Are you not trying to say you can't point to a comic book which is a direct cause of a crime rather than talking about whether crime and horror comic books may be a contributing factor in the total scene, in the total action of a child?

Juvenile Delinquency on the Rise

Mr. FRIEDMAN. I did try to say before, and I am not a psychiatrist, that from what I have heard it appears to me that everything is a contributing factor to a child who is a delinquent, whether it is a rainy day, whether he has 5 cents in his pocket, or has not got 5 cents in his pocket, but I would like to come back to what I was mentioning before ─ this other witness who was here this morning also indicated there was no single incident. Now, it seems to me, gentlemen, and I am honestly trying to find a conclusion, if these comics are, as a matter of fact, harming, if they cause delinquency, I would be the first one to discontinue them. What are the facts that have been portrayed before me and before this committee that I can put my finger on to say that they do cause juvenile delinquency?"

Friedman's final statement in that volley demonstrates his deftness at arguing as he remains poised and ready for the next exchange.

A few minutes later he returns with his "whipping boy" argument:

"Mr. FRIEDMAN. The point I am making is that we attempt to make perhaps, rightfully or wrongfully, I don't know, but attempting to make a whipping boy out of one particular field of mass ─ not the Senators here, because they have asserted they were trying to find what the honest fact is ─

Mr. BEASER. Let me ask you a question ─

Mr. FRIEDMAN. Let me finish, counselor. That a whipping boy is being made out of one particular facet of the means of information devoted to crime and horror and detection work as such. But there are perhaps as many titles of so-called crime pulp magazines, as many titles also as so-called true crime detective magazines and they have been in existence for more than I can remember, for longer than I can remember. There are the movie depictions, there are the television depictions, and to make a particular whipping boy out of one facet of it and say that if these were removed from sight the others would have no impact or would not have the same impact, I am not honestly prepared to state, but I don't believe that we can make such a distinction."

And finally, Friedman closes with his opinion on this whole "hearings" business:

"Mr. FRIEDMAN. As a good lawyer you would have to come to the conclusion that you have no facts before you upon which you can make a reaction or a conclusion that the cause or the assisting cause to juvenile delinquency is the medium you might be attacking at the moment. Your very witnesses before you all came to the conclusion that came to me. First, that there was no appreciable reaction on juvenile delinquency as far as they knew, including the author. They came to the second conclusion that there be some reaction, there might be some impact, but they didn't know."

And with that Mr. Friedman extends his arm parallel to the floor, opens his hand, and lets the microphone drop to the floor, filling the room with the reverberating echo of phooom!

[That last part of made up for dramatic effect.]

So this leads me to the video below. It features the Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Charles Brownstein. Charles discusses the continued concept of the moral panic over media violence and its impact on children. He emphasizes how the medium has changed, but the arguments seem to remain the same. From comic books to video games the questions still are: What is the impact? & Who is responsible?

A final note: Charles mentions the term "Amicus Brief" in his interview. The full Latin term is amicus curiae and translates as "friend of the court". Applied, it translates as a written brief given to the court by a third party with a strong stake or interest in a particular case, but who are not a party to the action. If the court grants permission for the brief to be filed the document typically shares a viewpoint with the party filing the brief and one of the acting parties in the case. Consider it a helping hand from an party with similar goals or beliefs. Amicus briefs are often submitted in civil rights cases.

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Diagram for Delinquents Update #26: We Just Don't Know

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:57:00 -0800


Editorial Advisory Board

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As previously mentioned, one particular source will be a sort of “star” in our documentary. That source is the transcript and recording of the Hearings Before The Subcommittee To Investigate Juvenile Delinquency Of The Committee On The Judiciary United States Senate Eighty-Third Congress Second Session Pursuant To S. 190.

There are a few key and well known stars of these hearings that are most often cited: Senator Kefauver, Dr. Fredric Wertham, William Gaines, and even Milton Caniff and Walt Kelly.

There are also lesser known individuals whose presence and testimony greatly informed the final report produced by the Committee.

During the mostly sedate and professional proceedings a few moments rise to the surface as... "bristly exchanges".

Gunnar Dybwad

Two very interesting exchanges involve the testimony of Gunnar Dybwad, Executive Director of the Childhood Study Association of America and Dr. Lauretta Bender, Senior Psychiatrist at Bellvue Hospital and member of the Editorial Board of the National Comics Companies. During the testimony of Mr. Dybwad Senator Kefauver became highly agitated over the apparent conflict of interest of individuals that were advocating for comic books through their respective organizations or titles while also being members of comic book advisory boards established by publishers in an effort to assuage fear and anger about the issue of comics, crime, and juvenile delinquency. Later during the hearings Dr. Bender was subjected to similar questions regarding conflict of interest, though she fared better than Mr. Dybwad.

Hennings on right

There is also the presence of Committee member Senator Thomas C. Hennings of Missouri. At one moment during the hearings Senator Hennings demonstrates what I believe is the true nature of the Committee's work. From my readings I have concluded that the Committee was not on a witch hunt; they were not out to ruin the comics industry, or sniff out insidious individuals with secret agendas. Actually, quite the opposite, the Committee seems to hone in quite early on the notion that this whole ordeal is one with a financial motive whose impact has become a social concern.

The Senate Subcommitte on Juvenile Delinquency, represented by Senator Robert C. Hendrickson of New Jersey, Senator William Langer of North Dakota, Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, Senator Thomas C. Hennings, Jr. of Missouri, and counselors Herbert J. Hannoch and Herbert Wilton Beaser called to order hearings to investigate, discover, and act, in some way upon, a major concern in the United States: juvenile delinquency at its relationship to comic books. Senator Hennings, quite humbly, reiterates this goal as he thanks Mr. Henry Schultz, General Counsel for the Association of Comic Magazine Publishers, for his testimony (see video below).

This is quite an appropriate statement from Senator Hennings if you consider his other work. He took interest and action in matters regarding ethical behavior and transparency by the U.S. government and its officials. He was a proponent and protector of civil rights.

In line with that, Senator Hennings had been a prominent critic of Senator Joseph McCarthy. In Donald J. Kemper's book Decade of Fear: Senator Hennings and Civil Liberties, the author illustrates the longstanding disapproval that Hennings had of McCarthy:

“In the early 1950 's Hennings began, undramatically but persistently, to oppose Senator McCarthy. In sum, he contributed as much as any single public figure to McCarthy's decline in power. His opposition had personal as well as political basis, for to him McCarthy embodied much that was personally and politically distasteful. McCarthy's crude discourtesy, his practice of name calling, his pursuit of personal vendettas, and his accusations based on flimsy evidence offended the Missourian's sense of decency, while the fever McCarthy fomented against the expression of any but the most orthodox and "patriotic" sentiments violated Hennings' commitment to the broadest liberty of thought and expression. Despite the very immediate danger of becoming involved in a personal feud with McCarthy, Hennings vigorously opposed him and, eventually, succeeded in lessening his impact on public life.”

Senator Hennings eventually led hearings investigating ethical violations of Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1952.

McCarthy

Two years later America was watching McCarthy's communist witch-hunt play-out on television in the news and through his own broadcasted hearings which became popularly known as the Army-McCarthy Hearings. Coincidentally, the Army-McCarthy hearings began airing the day after the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency opened.

Fortunately, reason won out over panic and fear and McCarthy again found himself the subject of an investigation when in August of 1954 a Senate committee was formed to investigate his actions. In September the committee released a unanimous report calling McCarthy’s behavior as a committee chairman inexcusable, reprehensible, vulgar and insulting. By December the Senate passed a resolution condemning McCarthy for abusing his power as a senator.

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Diagram for Delinquents Update #25: The Wild Spree of the LaughingSadist

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 4 Nov 2012 10:26:00 -0800

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There is, has been, and will always be one driving debate within media studies:

How does media affect society?

The question of does media affect society is certainly answered: Yes.

How, is another story.

The center of the historical debate in our documentary is: Did comics have any correlation to the rise of juvenile delinquency in the mid-twentieth century United States? And if so... how?

Regardless of if they actually did or not, something was certainly done about it in a effort to make sure it wouldn't happen again... At least not through comic books.

When one browses the wide selection of Crime Does Not Pay covers, one can easily see why a lot of people were upset about what children were perusing on the drugstore racks, keeping securely folded and tucked in their back pockets, and pouring over as they were hidden away in the safety of their bedrooms.

Let's hear what Wertham and Azzarello have to say about the seductive powers of comic books:

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Diagram for Delinquents Update #24: To Fear, or Not to Fear, That is the Question.

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 08:50:00 -0700

In celebration of Halloween, this blog focuses on fear.

In the 40s and 50s fear was abound. We had just come out of a devastating economic and social crisis, we entered another world war, crime rates were rising, and finally, the residual effects of World War II and what was happening politically and idealistically around the world was seeping into the social psyche.

There was a palpable national fear that had people hyper-focused on protecting democracy and our children (the physical manifestation of our nation's future).

This fear took shape within the government and society: Hoover, McCarthy, McCarran, the House Committee on Un-American Activities, Wertham, Kefauver, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee To Investigate Juvenile Delinquency in the U.S., and of course.... us.

We were afraid. We saw what was going on in the world and how it was invading our shores. We needed, wanted protection. And we wanted to protect those we love: our children.

Organized crime and radical political thought and agendas were tearing apart the moral fabric of our nation. They were destroying the home, the family. Popular media such as movies, music, and even worse, comic books, were influencing our children. We were looking at a full implosion of what America was built on and stood for and certain authorities were not going to let that happen. There was a real problem that needed real fixing.

Or was there?

To use poor Hamlet again: "The play is the thing."

Who were we trying to flush out? And were they a real threat?

What was the origin of all this fear and paranoia? Were these threats real? Inflated? Manipulated?

Much of Diagram for Delinquents will be addressing the juvenile delinquency scare and debate in the 40s and 50s. During this period children were a developing culture, a recognizable set in society, a direct marketing target. The mass media became a force between child and parent; and parents competed with peer and mass culture. So any threat to the family became highly controversial as to avoid the loss of traditional family structure. Local and national groups, like The Children's Bureau, believed that mass culture, particularly films and crime comic books, were responsible for the rise of juvenile delinquency in the U.S. Part of the discussion inferred that social class was a contributing factor in the structural and cultural interpretations of delinquency and that lower-class values had infiltrated youth culture.

To shed light on that we have interviewed individuals that have studied the era and this phenomenon. Most importantly may be Dr. James Gilbert and his ground-breaking book: A Cycle of Outrage: America's Reaction to the Juvenile Delinquent in the 1950s. The book is a rich study of the impact of popular culture on society, an issue that will forever be a discussion in the world.

In Cycle of Outrage, Gilbert writes:

“Even if there was an increase in delinquency, status crimes, and real crimes by adolescents during the 1950’s, the public impression of the severity of this problem was undoubtedly exaggerated.”

The book shows us that the the great fear of juvenile delinquency in the 1950’s rests on three important factors:

An unmeasurable but probable increase in juvenile crime and attention to those crimes
A shift in law enforcement agencies to crack down on juvenile crime
Changes in youth behavior were interpreted as criminal behavior

It is an emotional, important, and complicated discussion. One that may yield some answers, but continues to leave questions. One question is: What is happening within the American family in the forties that it seems like children are becoming increasingly out of control? Here's a part of that question and answer:

Next week look out for some words from award winning comic book author Brian Azzarello!

Diagram for Delinquents Update #23: We Are Now Broadcasting Live From...

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Mon, 9 Jul 2012 16:16:00 -0700

The San Diego Comic Con begins in two days. THE comic con of comic cons.

I so wish we could be there to bask in all the splendor of this most magnificent festival of comics, media, and popular culture.

The things we could see, the people we could meet... It would be glorious.

Oh, wait....

I forgot...

WE ARE GOING!

Thanks to fellow documentary filmmaker Patrick Meaney and Sequart, the Diagram for Delinquents crew will be on the grounds at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con.

You will be able to see and meet Patrick and the Sequart team at their fantastic panel on Thursday. Image fans will not want to miss this exclusive panel highlighting the forthcoming Image documentary. Here are the details:

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8:00-9:00 The Image Revolution Documentary— Twenty years ago, the seven biggest artists in comics created a company that revolutionized comics. Now, director Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods) and producer Jordan Rennert (Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts) are telling the company's story in a new documentary produced by Sequart and Respect Films. Get a first look at the film, and talk about the highs and lows of Image history with a couple of special guests. Moderated by F. J. De Santo (The Spirit). Room 32AB
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The Diagram for Delinquents crew have some important things lined up too, and perhaps the most important is our interview with Bradford W. Wright, author of Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Dr. Wright's book will be the historical backbone of our documentary. He will take viewers from the 30's to the present as he details the evolution of comics and comics readership in American society.

We are also very excited to be meeting back up with our friends from Broadcast Thought who we had the pleasure of interviewing last summer. If you recall, Broadcast Thought is a group of physicians, specializing in forensic, child and adolescent, and adult psychiatry, who provide expert consultation to the media and entertainment industries. They are both medical professionals and fans of film, television, comic books, and other mass media as well as experts on the Wertham and his work in Seduction of the Innocent.

The gentlemen of Broadcast thought will be heading two panels at the Comic Con this year and both seem equally exciting, thoughtful, and not least of all, fun!

From figures.com:

"After unprecedented audience response to previous presentations, the doctors of Broadcast Thought, H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., return to San Diego Comic-Con to lead two panels.

On Thursday, July 12, 2012, from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm in Room 7AB , they team up with the star of TV’s Killer Instinct, Mark E. Safarik, M.S., V.S.M., FBI Ret., Supervisory Special Agent, Behavioral Analysis Unit, to present Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves on Trial: The Forensic Psychiatry of the Dead, the Undead, and the Unlucky. The forensic psychiatrists determine whether these monsters are actually competent to stand trial for their killings or even not guilty by reason of insanity. The doctors offer fascinating real life medical and mental health takes on the lore of these flesh-eaters, blood suckers, and wild beasts, while Mr. Safarik compares the grisly behaviors of these fictional characters to those of real life predators.

Then, on Saturday, July 14, 2012, from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, join Broadcast Thought again in Room 7AB as they present Unlocking Arkham: The Forensic Psychiatry of Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery. Applying real-world psychiatric diagnostic criteria, they explore the mental disorders that affect popular characters such as Two-Face, Harley Quinn, the Riddler, the Joker, and many more. The doctors examine the difference between psychotic and psychopathic villains, and in the process, boldly determine who truly belongs at Arkham Asylum."

If you're at the Con this year, stop by their panels... You won't regret it.

Also, I wanted to share this clip with you featuring the doctors of Broadcast Thought talking about Wertham, psychiatric practices, media, and research methods:

Diagram for Delinquents Update #22: KAPPPPPPOOOOOOM!

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Wed, 4 Apr 2012 13:34:00 -0700

In the past few days there has been an EXPLOSION of updates for Diagram for Delinquents.

Most of which is the acquisition of new interview subjects for the film.

Our next interview trip will include meetings with James Gilbert and the legendary Roy Thomas.

It looks like the crew will be traveling south in two weeks to first interview James Gilbert, author of the very important book A Cycle of Outrage: America's Reaction to the Juvenile Delinquent in the 1950's. Dr. Gilbert's book is an exploration of popular culture and its impact on American society and behavior. It is an expertly crafted historical analysis on the decade that we will spend the most time on in our film: the 1950's. As a study in youth culture and juvenile delinquency, it is an original. The book was Oxford University Press' entry for the Pulitzer Prize.

Also, and most importantly, as far as I or Dr. Gilbert know he is the only living person to have interviewed Dr. Fredric Wertham... twice! This will most certainly provide a unique perspective of the man! It is one I am excited to capture on film.

From there, we will be off to meet with Roy Thomas. Certainly Mr. Thomas' reputation precedes him. I mean, this was Stan Lee's first successor as Editor-in-Chief at Marvel! He is one of the most prolific writers in comics, turning in scripts for both D.C. and Marvel Comics and he is a recent inductee into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Roy's roll in the film is essential and multi-tiered.

First, he was there for the transition of comics coming out of the crime and horror trend of the fifties into the silver age of the sixties. This was the rebirth of the superhero in American comics.

During this period Roy was a part of Jerry Bails' comics fanzine Alter Ego. As a comics fan, writer, and illustrator, Roy was a frequent contributor.

He later transitioned into the comics business in the mid-sixties. This makes Roy part of the elite class of comics fans that transitioned into comics creators.

In 1997, Roy resurrected Alter Ego and it is still being published.

As a writer at D.C. and writer/ editor at Marvel, Roy will be able to share his experiences with creating comics and more importantly creating comics under the Code.

Needles to say the crew and I are excited to be traveling to see these important players in our story!

Also, we have received interview confirmation from Richard Arndt, who has written an in-depth story in Alter Ego on the Comics Code. Richard's article is rich with detail and anecdotes. He has really distilled the period and the code into a comprehensible narrative and I am confident he, along with Amy Nyberg, will do the same for Diagram for Delinquents.

Finally, I am ecstatic to announce that Bradford W. Wright, author of Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America has agreed to be in the film! Dr. Wright's contribution to the film will be tremendous as his book is an essential outline and analysis of comics from the forties through today. I am looking forward to working with him as he will be the narrative backbone of the film.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the final act of the documentary will explore comics creation and readership today. I want to know who the cutting edge comics writers and writing for and how they see the evolution of comics over the past six decades.

As an example of what that part of the film will be like, please enjoy this brief clip of the great Matt Fraction (X-Men, The Invincible Iron Man, Thor, Fear Itself, Casanova, Defenders and my personal favorite run EVER The Immortal Iron Fist!) on the lobotomization of comics:

Diagram for Delinquents Update #21: Parents Just Don't Understand

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 08:16:00 -0800

Hello Diagram for Delinquent Supporters!

It's been sometime since we've had a blog update regarding the film. I've been busy working at the University, teaching, creating theater installations, and the like (A lot of which is helping save Rutgers-Camden!) but fear not, the film is constantly being worked on in the background. While there might now be much output right now, input is in full force. Such are the ebbs and flows of production. When the semester ends in early May, you will see a major increase in production output just as you did before the Fall semester began. Research and writing is still being conducted as is securing the final round of interview subjects.

I am currently off to London, leaving tonight, but I wanted to provide you with a couple of updates before I left.

The first, and perhaps most exciting, is we finally have the film's poster complete! For those that are receiving the poster as part of their donation gift, printing will commence when I return later this month.

The poster was designed by the fabulous artist Joe D!. He created the poster for my last film De Luxe: The Tale of the Blue Comet. I was more than happy and impressed with the art deco homage he crafted for that. I was ecstatic! So when it came time for another poster I ran straight to Joe D!. You can see more of his work at his website Secret Underground Headquarters.

As you know, there will be multiple animated sequences in the picture. One set and style will be created for the courtroom re-enactments of the Senate Subcommittee Hearings on Juvenile Delinquency. We've seen a sample of that already. And you'll be seeing a moving example soon!

The other animations will be for the opening credits and inter-titles. The inter-titles will deal with story transitions as well as the historical backdrop of the film. For instance, the 50's were a tumultuous time in America. While the issue of juvenile delinquency was occupying the American home and streets so was the Korean War and the Civil Rights Movement. These and so many other things are important to the story. I will be working with Joe D! on those sequences. And all you have to do is take a look at his opening titles he created for the X-Men: First Class contest and your mouth will start watering. His piece lit the internet on fire. Take a look:

X-Men: First Class Title Sequence from Joe D! on Vimeo.

As Joe D! began work on the poster he asked what I was looking for. As usual I gave him carte blanche, only asking that he keep it PG for a wide audience.

I must admit, his response was a little puzzling and seemed to contain so many ideas that I was left wondering if the thing was going to look like a giant bowl of overcooked oatmeal. Though, knowing Joseph, it was going to be a delicious overcooked bowl of oatmeal. Here's what Joe D! had to say:

"I think I mentioned one idea a while ago, where the poster looks like a E.C. pulp-horror cover, with everything the Code banned, stuff like gay vampires, drug using zombies, violent murderers and maybe a boob or two, what do you think?"

This is where my PG suggestion came in!

Joe D! followed with:

"I've already sketched out the layout. Its very much a Frazetta "King of the Hill" composition http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/dragoneyes001/frazetta007.jpg with you and a damsel-in-distress being cornered by a horde of golden-age comic book monsters with references to the Code http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/detective-short-stories/12-1.jpg. Wertham's face is in the back ground in spooky/magic green not unlike the Great and Powerful Oz. I'll be working on it this weekend, with the finished version to you by Monday or Tuesday."

Whew!

And after finishing the poster, here is what Joe D! had to say:

"Yay! This is (hopefully) the finished poster for Robert A. Emmons Jr's new documentary, "Diagram for Delinquents: Fredric Wertham and the Evolution of Comic Books". It was quite the challenge fitting as many Comics Code breaking images on just one composition without being explicit (Dr. Emmons wanted to keep it "PG"). My favorite has to be the zombie dressed as the mom from The Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand" music video, so it's both undead (FORBIDDEN!) and disrespectful towards parents (ALSO FORBIDDEN!)."

So, without further delay, I present to you the poster for Diagram for Delinquents: Fredric Wertham and the Evolution of Comics Books: (click poster to enlarge)

Now, secondly, the final quarter of the film is going to deal with the current state of comics. Particularly comics readership. But to arrive at that I will be asking comics creators about what type of audience they are writing and drawing for today. To connect back to the comics that the first half of the film will be profiling I am interviewing creators that are making the most sophisticated comics, but more than that, I will be concentrating on writers and artists that have explored crime and horror in current comics. When I return from London I will release a clip from when we sat down with Matt Fraction at the New York City comic con to discuss Wertham and comics readership.

And finally, when I return from London we will commence on building the set for our family of the fifties reenactment scenes. You know... sitting around the old tube. Kids lying on the floor reading comics... Ma on Pa's lap, dressed in apron as everyone chuckles at the day's events. Stuff like that!

I hope this gives even more of a glimpse to the types of things we will see in the future.

Cheers!

Robert

HOLIDAY EDITION VIDEO: SOUTH MT PHX, AZ

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:36:00 -0800

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I realize it may not seem like the below video is in celebration of Thanksgiving 2011... But it is. I'll leave the rest open for interpretation.

Also, this is the second time I have used Joanna Newsom's On a Good Day. It has never been the original version curiously enough. In case you haven't caught on, the song means a lot to me.

The first time I used it was in a MINICONCEPTDOC called Zenith. For that short the great Theo Langason used parts of the song in a remix/sampled/mashup. I made a request to him to use the song if he could. It is gorgeous and was beyond my expectations when I received it. You can watch that here:

Here is Ms. Newsom performing the song on Letterman. It's quite lovely. I must have watched this at least four dozen times:

And finally, a version covered by Robin Pecknold is used in today's holiday short doc, SOUTH MT PHX, AZ:

Animal Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:19:00 -0800

[Left: Goat illustration by Carla Sonheim]

So... Last year I made something for One Day On Earth 10.10.10. Something I'm quite proud of. It was well received by the filmmakers and they expressed an interest in using my footage in their final documentary. I hope it makes the final cut! It would be a really nice honor. They are running the campaign again this year, and I suppose they have another opportunity for 12.12.12. Then it's going to be a long, long time before they can do it again. You can watch my 10.10.10 entry here:

I didn't think I was going to make something this year, but a strange convergence happened:

1. I was thinking I needed a haircut and a song popped into my head. It's called Turkey Vulture. It features Will Oldham singing before Palace, before Bonnie Prince Billy, before a lot of things. It was also a collaboration from Bill Callahan from Smog. The 7" is under the name The Sundowners and is called "Goat Songs". It possesses all the rawness, urgency, carelessness, irreverence, attitude, sincerity, and naivety that drew me to Will Oldham's music. I loved it so much then, I still do now. That was probably a dozen years ago. Things aren't the same. He doesn't shock me, strike me.... fill me like he used to. [Right: 7" sleeve for The Sundowners "Goat Songs" EP]

2. By incredible coincidence two turkey vultures were eating a dead opossum outside my door this morning. Wild, man. Those things are massive. I took footage. Forgive the wonkiness. I was running and used a telephoto lens so it's all warbly and messy. But it still gives you an opportunity to look that guy in the eyes. Do it. Look him in the eyes. What do you see?

3. I wanted to do a silly dance today. {I needed to get my nervous energies out before the start of the night's performance of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot}

4. I thought.... "Maybe I should quickly film something in the spirit of One Day On Earth 11.11.11.

5. I wanted to share these strange songs and images with YOU!

So here is probably the oddest thing I have ever put online:

Animal Songs

WATCH HD VERSION HERE.

Diagram for Delinquents Update #20: The Countenance is the Portrait of the Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 9 Oct 2011 08:20:00 -0700

1.) Yes, yes, yes. It has been a while since the last update. So here's an explanation:

For the last month I have been working on a play and I will be for the next two months as well.

Each year I collaborate on a production with my friend and playwright/director/actor Paul Bernstein. He is consistently pushing the boundaries of theater and as part of that he is always looking for ways to integrate video and projection into his live shows. That's were I come in. I design, create, and install the video installation in his shows... and it takes time. So for the next two months, updates will come every three weeks so I can concentrate on the show he is producing at Rutgers University-Camden: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis.

2.) Who is Dr. Fredric Wertham?

Certainly he is no simple man. Loved, hated. Hailed, slighted. Every time I look at his work something new takes form. And the take away never seems to be foggy. I either disagree or agree. Perhaps this polarizing effect is what makes him most complicated. Our "rational humanity" cannot resolve such fuzzy logic. Our instinct is to protect our children, but it is also to protect what we have named our "inalienable rights." Is this a distinctly American attribute?

Who is Dr. Fredric Wertham?

One gainful and unique way to "see" someone is to examine them through another's eyes.

When the film crew and I explored Wertham's archives we found a number of portraits of Wertham that range from minimalist to quite rich. They are fascinating.

Who is Dr. Fredric Wertham?

Discovering the little parts of Wertham's personal life was some of the best fun we had at the Library of Congress.

The portraits of himself were among many other images of original artwork that Wertham collected.

He was a lover and avid collector of art. Some of it was quite abstract. I find this intriguing as Wertham had a particular dislike for the notion of comics as art. He thought they were worthless, that they had no artistic merit at all. For a man that could find the beauty in the abstract is it such a stretch to find that same beauty in the cartooning of comic books?

Who is Dr. Fredric Wertham?

Hopefully these images can provide you with some, perhaps even new, portrait of the man's soul:

And as a special treat for you, dear reader, I offer a still pulled from one of the animated sequences that will be in our documentary, Diagram for Delinquents: Fredric Wertham and the Evolution of Comic Books.

Who is Dr. Fredric Wertham?

Who is Dr. Fredric Wertham?

Let me leave you with a selection from his 1962 book A Sign for Cain: An Exploration of Human Violence.

"The great question before mankind is: Can we abolish violence without violence? The problem is not philosophically abstract man against abstract violence; it is man against man. Violence is a matter of the relations between people. It will be a long and hard struggle to banish it. Eventually, I believe, this can and will be accomplished. The story writer Vladimir Korolenko, a courageous opponent of violence, described the ultimate goal like this: 'Violence and oppression will disappear, the nations will come together in festivals of brotherhood, and never again will human blood be shed by human hands.'"

Diagram for Delinquents Update #19: For Good

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 11:50:00 -0700

One question looming over our documentary, and it's certainly a controversial one, especially for longtime comics readers like myself, is: Was Wertham right?

A simple question indeed, but one that has many more questions packed up in it:

Were his efforts in earnest?
Were they realized in the best way?
Did he understand comics?
Did he perform ethical, honest research?
Were his scientific methods valid?
What was really going on in America that played a role in the increase in juvenile delinquency?
What was happening in the business of comics behind closed doors?
Was the decline in comic book sales the industry's or Wertham's fault? Or neither?

These are only the tip of the comics heap. Our documentary must answer these and many more questions if we are to gain a richer understanding of this time in comics history.

But... there is no denying that Wertham was right about some very important issues in American history. The impact of which has made us a better, fuller nation. [At Left: Louis Redding, local attorney in the Delaware cases, with Thurgood Marshal]

For instance, Fredric Wertham gave testimony that was used in Delaware's Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart cases to end segregation. Wertham's testimony and the court's decision to end segregation in Delaware was also used in the Brown et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. [At right: Delaware's decision]

[At left: The students represented in Brown v. BOE] Let's hear Dr. Bart Beaty, author of Fredric Wertham and the Critique of Mass Culture, discuss Dr. Wertham's role in the dismantlement of segregation in U.S. schools and how his efforts in that social injustice compares to his efforts and testimony to end the selling of violent and crime comics to the children of the United states:

Diagram for Delinquents Update #18: Grimmness

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Mon, 5 Sep 2011 17:07:00 -0700

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In April of 1963 two men sat down to discuss the controversial topic of "violence in the media."

One man had dedicated his life to the study and eradication of it. The other manipulated it to get at the core of the human experience of fear.

These two men, both intriguing minds of the first half of the twentieth century, civilly sparred on the appropriateness of violence in the media and where responsibility for its filtering lies.

Both expatriates, they made lasting impressions on their new home: the United States.

Alfred Hitchcock and Dr. Fredric Wertham.

The back and forth between the experts is gentlemanly, but forceful. Passionate and intellectual. Neither yielding to the other's strong opinion, but reasonable enough to hear and respect it.

Here is a glimpse of what happened on that day:

Many "thank you's" to Stephen O'Day, the great completest and archivist, for the audio recording.

Diagram for Delinquents Update #17: Testimony

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:13:00 -0700

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1.) This week's Diagram for Delinquents promo card is greatly inspired. I like its eeriness, and I plan to use the handwritten font in at least one more promo.

2.) I'm no different than anyone that is trying to make something of value. I struggle along in the process, striving for authenticity, sincerity, originality, trying to create something that will make some kind of contribution... to history, society, humanity.

As I make Diagram for Delinquents I am constantly trying to set it apart. Apart from the books written about comics of the era and Dr. Fredric Wertham; apart from the documentaries that have mentioned Wertham, the Comics Code Authority, and their impact on the medium.

What I hope to do is present a varied set of perspectives on Wertham and the era. Perspectives that haven't been presented in the past in one place. In Diagram for Delinquents you will hear/see arguments that both criticize and praise Fredric Wertham. You will be presented with stories that come from inside the history as well as frame the history from the outside with that advantageous tool known as hindsight.

I want to present what happened in those early days of comics and I want to show how those events shaped the comics we read today.

Finally, I want to use comics as an example to present the complicated relationship between media and its audience.

And then, the history is yours, and you will make sense of it in your own way. You will have to make decisions. You will be responsible to interpret the material, as we all are in this way with history and art.

One of my oldest friends, James Clark, who writes an excellent Dungeons and Dragons blog called A Dungeon Master's Tale, sums up what I hope to achieve in the film. He writes:

"The sneak peaks via the blog have me very interested in the film and what looks to be shaping up to be a rather complex and nuanced take on Wertham's work specifically and more broadly the idea that our media shapes us in ways we don't anticipate and may not want to admit."

3.) Al Feldstein, Bill Gaines, and all those at EC Comics, they also labored to create new and innovative art. And they did... for a time.

But as Mr. Feldstein recounts, the moment arrived when the wind stopped moving their creative sails, and it came time to find a new direction, a new source.

I'll let Mr. Feldstein tell us about that:

VIEW HD VERSION ON RAEMMONSJR'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

MINICONCEPTDOC #54: SPECIAL EDITION: TRAVELOGUE

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:43:00 -0700

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This is the second MCD SPECIAL EDITION. The last one came back in February and was a holiday edition. If you haven't seen it, please check it out: MINICONCEPTDOC #53: SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION: (HEART EMOTICON)

I have just a few notes on today's MINICONCEPTDOC.

I get so sentimental with these MCD's... They're like little chicks hopping around at my feet. Or goslings, staying close in tow.

This new MCD is special in a few ways:

1. It marks my first time to the true west. I look forward to returning. It had a profound impact on me.

2. It showcases some very special music.

3. It commemorates the storm that is currently baring down on my home state of New Jersey.

1.) My travels to the West included stops in Billings, Gardiner, and Livingston, Montana. The latter half of this MCD places us in Yellowstone from Gardiner to Old Faithful in the Wyoming portion of the country's first National Park.

In Livingston I quickly became enamored with the "Americaness" of the town. I mean, portions of the classic cinematic homage to Montana, A River Runs Through It, were filmed there.

But even more so, I was captured by the beauty of its "places". "Places" that are marked in the tradition of hand-painted, bulbed and neon signs. These signs, for me, mark another time. To see layers of former paintings fighting through years of updated advertisements and businesses is like witnessing history overcome itself.

2.) The music in this MCD is special in a couple of ways. The first selection was created by British musician William Yates under the name memotone. I discovered his work on http://freemusicarchive.org/. It's an excellent site that musicians use to allow their work to be downloaded at no expense. The site allows the artist to set the usage rights for each song and many songs allow Creative Commons usage, which is a great thing for filmmakers, DJ's and other artists interested in remixing and mashing.

The second track, Irene, comes from the American icon in folk/blues music Huddie William Ledbetter, also known as Leadbelly or Lead Belly. I've always had a special connection to Lead Belly as we share a birthday: January 20th. Though, there is some confusion as to his actual birthday (it could be the 23rd), I like to think we share the day.

I think the choice for the song is obvious. I suppose I am caught up in hurricane fever just like everyone else!

There are several recordings of the song, with various listings as well: Irene; Goodnight Irene; Irene, Goodnight, Irene. This particular version, Irene, has a quicker tempo than most and comes with accompaniment. It was recorded in 1944.

Before we move on to the show, let me leave you with the words that Norman Maclean sends us off with at the end of his novella which lends its name to the film mentioned above. They are at once inspiring, thoughtful, philosophic, and spiritual; and the images and songs I put together in this piece try to aspire to those words, full well knowing I could never match them:

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

I am haunted by waters."

LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE.

Diagram for Delinquents Update #16: All Factors

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:00:00 -0700

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I apologize for my anemic entries of late. Filming on the picture has been in full swing and the Fall semester is starting very soon and I have been preparing for that (Teaching an exciting new course on the Creative Economy!). Also, please extend this apology to this week's update, for it will be lean as well.

It does, however, come with another video teaser. So at least there is a multimedia aspect.

This week's video teaser contains some excellent footage from our interview with James Reibman as well as a selection from a curious episode of Confidential File. CF was a documentary/news tabloid style television program that ran from 1953 to 1958. If you haven't seen this and aren't already a "fan", I'm sure you will like its depiction of what reading horror and crime comics may lead to. Doesn't it harken back to your own childhood days with the fellas?

I am hoping to, in forthcoming updates, start teasing out other types of media that are going to be used in the film much like this episode of Confidential File.

But back to this week's video teaser.

My purpose for posting this clip is to motivate you to do one thing: Read Seduction of the Innocent.

If you are a comics fan, if you are interested in history, media or cultural studies it is a must read.

The argument against Wertham and the book have become so simplified over the years. The book's thesis, to those that haven't read it, has become a hand-me-down diluted hate message. Even if you just examine the complexity of the relationship between message and era, the contextual value of that alone is rich enough to sustain a reading.

But more than that, to argue against the book, you should read the book. If you do, you will, I can almost guarantee, come away with conflicted thoughts about what is being written between the cover. What those thoughts are... I will leave for you to discover.

There are a few ways you can read Seduction of the Innocent these days. For a long time, it wasn't so easy to get your hands on this controversial book. In the past your were lucky if a library near you had a copy. Now you have four readily available options.

1. You can buy yourself an original copy with the dust jacket at a not so modest price on EBAY here. It's BUYNOW for $1,062.50!

2. You can buy a handsome hardbound copy with a forward by today's guest star Dr. James Reibman here. The forward is loaded with excellent and insightful biographical information on Wertham.

3. If you are web savvy... And I know you are... You can download a PDF of the entire book online.

4. You can read Seduction of the Innocent online. This online version is peppered with illustrations not used in the print version but inserted by the online editor/host. The online version can be found at http://www.dreadfuldays.net/soti.html. It's great for doing fast searches to locate topics to cross reference in the printed version!

The crew leaves to interview Al Feldstein on Monday. Needless to say we are excited beyond words!

Now... on to the show. Please watch All Factors:

Diagram for Delinquents Update #15: Collective Nightmare to Collector's Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 22:52:00 -0700

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1.) Here is a strange, but intriguing Diagram for Delinquent promo inspired by and ripped from a classic ad YOU may have seen in those old comic books. Dangerous stuff, kiddies! Dangerous! Twelve years dungeon!

2.) We have another clip this week. This comes from Jim Trombetta, author of The Horror! The Horror! It was a lot of fun interviewing Jim. He has a great, and unique, perspective on things and when you give him the ball, he runs with it! I know it was fun for me and the crew to listen to Jim and to really just follow wherever he wanted to take us in the conversation.

3.) Also, don't forgot... We have a big week coming up. On Tuesday we will be interviewing James Reibman and on Wednesday we will be with David Hajdu. Big ideas, and big days for the picture.

Diagram for Delinquents Update #14: Amounting to No(Some)thing

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 11:34:00 -0700

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1.) I have another entry to present this week for the Diagram for Delinquents promo card contest. This entry harkens back to an earlier blog update wherein I discussed the use of psychiatric tests by Wertham on children. In that post I embedded an actual Rorschach blot test that we found in Wertham's papers at the Library of Congress. Check out that post here: Diagram for Delinquents Update #5: Drag Me to Hell, Baby.

It's a long post, and one of my favorites for its winding but connected (at least I think so) narrative.

2.) Alas... we have returned. The crew has returned from our L.A. adventure where we interviewed five great subjects that will certainly make compelling contributions to the documentary.

We began with Broadcast Thought at Meltdown Comics, followed them with Jim Trombetta, and cleaned up with Mark Evanier, then headed to the UCLA Film and Television Archive to view footage that we will acquire for the picture. I must say, my socks have been knocked off by what I saw there!

This week's update teaser is a little excerpt from comics writer, journalist, and historian Mark Evanier.

The inspiration for this clip is Wertham's thoughts on the life and legacy of comics. In Seduction of the Innocent Wertham makes this particularly erroneous prediction:

"I have known many adults who have treasured throughout their lives some of the books they read as children. I have never come across any adult or adolescent who had outgrown comic-book reading who would ever dream of keeping any of these 'books' for any sentimental or other reason."

Again, I have responded to this particular statement in an earlier blog post. It's another of my favorites. The title comes from what is perhaps my favorite "Werthism". Check out: Diagram for Delinquents Update #6: Kafka for the Kiddies.

Mark has a simple, but elegant response to Wertham's above remarks:

3.) Next on the crew's agenda:

In ten days we will be sitting down for two important interviews.

First up is James E. Reibman in Philadelphia. That will be followed on the next day with the David Hajdu interview. These two men both play an important role in chronicling Wertham and the period of comics that our film begins in. I am excited for these interviews as I am looking forward to exploring and capturing the thoughts and perspectives of each!

Diagram for Delinquents Update #13: What?

noreply@blogger.com (Robert A. Emmons Jr.) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:26:00 -0700

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This week's update is coming from our hotel room in sunny Los Angeles! Because of the slow internet connection and our busy shooting schedule, it's going to be a short entry.

As a little wrap-up -- our interview with Dr. Bart Beaty went smashingly. We talked with Bart for three hours about all things Wertham.

Tomorrow we are excited to be shooting at Meltdown Comics on Sunset Blvd!

Next, we have our first submission for the Diagram for Delinquents fan art propmotional card contest. This week's submission comes from Francesco Gambino. Take a look at his promo card:

I'm excited that we have our first entry and I look forward to more in the future. Remember, there will be prizes awarded to the top entries!

Now.... On to the big announcement film supporters, backers, and readers...

We have scheduled an interview on August 23rd with none other than the legendary Al Feldstein!

Need I say more? With Mr. Feldstein we are going to get the insider, front-line perspective that is so essential.

From Mr. Feldstein's website:

"Al Feldstein is a Montana Artist, residing on a 270 acre ranch south of Livingston and north of Yellowstone National Park, where he practices his Fine Art. His brilliant and detailed acrylic canvasses, which include Western Art, Landscape Art, Wildlife Art, Sci-Fi Art and Fantasy Art, give no clue to his nefarious past.

Born in New York City, Al Feldstein studied painting at the High School of Music and Art, and the Art Students League under a scholarship. After school and summers, he worked in a studio servicing the comic book industry. During World War ll, he was a Special Services artist. Upon his discharge, he returned to the comic book industry, packaging magazines for publishers.

At E.C. Comics, he created, wrote, illustrated and edited a popular line of titles which are now collectors' items. These included horror, such as Tales from the Crypt, science-fiction and suspense, among others. In 1955, he became editor of MAD Magazine, one of E.C.'s titles. He took the magazine's circulation from 375,000 to a high of almost 3 million by gathering a staff of talented artist and writers; supervising every phase of its operation, editing and re-writing every word; designing layouts and creating the format that led to MAD's success, including adopting and christening its trademark, the freckle-faced, grinning Alfred E. Neuman.

In 1984, Al retired from MAD, and returned to his first love, painting. He later moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and spent three years painting the Tetons and their wildlife, placing two paintings in the Top 100 Arts for the Parks.

In 1999, Al was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts degree by Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, and again won a place in the Top 100 Arts for the Parks competition.

In 2003, at the San Diego ComiCon, Al was inducted into "The Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame."
Al is represented by numerous galleries in the Northwest. He has participated in juried shows where he has received many awards"

So, in the immortal words of my childhood hero..." What, me worry?"