Bill Gaines, First Amendment Hero

In the 1950's, it wasn't easy to stand out from the crowd. McCarthyism in the United States was causing trouble for anyone who had a different point of view. One easy target was the comic book industry. While many adults read comic books, the prevailing opinion at the time was that comics were for children. This opened them up to scrutiny.

Some of the creepiest comics came from EC Publications. Published by William Gaines, the comic book series was often the most gruesomely entertaining. Since his operation was much smaller, he was a bigger target for blustering politicians eager to make a name for themselves. Unlike the big companies who rolled over, William Gaines was willing to fight.

 

Citing the first amendment, Gaines took on the challenge, testifying before a senate committee, pushing the idea that he had a right to print whatever he wanted- and his customers had a right to read them.

"What are we afraid of? Are we afraid of our own children? Do we forget that they are citizens, too, and entitled to select what to read or do? Do we think our children are so evil, so simple minded, that it takes a story of murder to set them to murder, a story of robbery to set them to robbery? Jimmy Walker once remarked that he never knew a girl to be ruined by a book. Nobody has ever been ruined by a comic."

-William Gaines

Sadly, his defense would fall on deaf ears. Eager to make the problem go away, the major publishers setup the Comic Book Authority, a self censoring group. Rules were setup to specifically target EC Publications. While he would be heralded in the future as a visionary man who stood up for freedom of speech, that wasn't enough to pay the bills in the 1950's. His last remaining profitable title was a rather strange comic named Mad.

 

With the assistance of Harvey Kurtzman, Gaines abandoned the comic book version of the title and turned it into a magazine that would not have to adhere to the rules of the Comic Book Code. History was made.

 

While the satirical magazine would still find its detractors, it became legendary in the world of humor, inspiring many comedy legends who grew up reading it. Mr. Gaines' stature would rise once people appreciated his defense of the USA's First Amendment.

 

Mr. Gaines would pass away in 1992, but his principles and humor would inspire generations of smartasses.