{"product_id":"dr-werthless-hardcover","title":"Dr. Werthless - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHarold Schechter\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eEric Powell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eEric Powell\u003c\/b\u003e (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHe Studied Murder And Nearly Killed the Comics Industry! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the team behind the award-winning \"Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?\" comes a nonfiction graphic novel examining Dr. Fredric Wertham, of one of the most polarizing figures in pop culture history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWertham wrote \u003ci\u003eSeduction of the Innocent\u003c\/i\u003e (1954), asserting that comic books were a cause of juvenile delinquency. His testimony before Congress about the supposed dangers of comics helped lead to the creation of the Comics Code Authority, and to Wertham being reviled by comic book fans as a witch-hunting zealot who stirred up a panic among parents for his own self-promoting purposes. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWertham was also a renowned psychiatrist who, among other accomplishments, opened a clinic in Harlem for disadvantaged African-American patients and played an important role in the desegregation of the nation's schools. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBelieving that murder could be abolished through a proper understanding of the mental and social roots of criminal violence, he took a genuinely humane approach to some of the most notorious homicidal maniacs of his time, while simultaneously exploiting their stories for his own commercial ends. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAcclaimed true crime author, Harold Schechter, and multiple Eisner award-winning cartoonist, Eric Powell, present a graphic novel that takes an unbiased look at this flawed and complex man, whose obsessive dream of freeing the world from violence nearly murdered the comics industry. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeatured in Booklist's Top 10 Graphic Biographies \u0026amp; Memoirs: 2025!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Brutal, beautiful, and brilliant.\"--Matt Fraction (\u003ci\u003eHawkeye\u003c\/i\u003e) \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A compelling biography that challenges readers to reconsider their assumptions and poses provocative questions about censorship and the influence of popular culture...a rich, layered portrait of a man commonly viewed as a villain. \"--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Dr. Werthless is an indispensable look at American history and the battle against censorship.\" --David Walker (\u003ci\u003eBitter Root, The Black Panther Party: a Graphic Novel History\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHarold Schechter\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor Emeritus at Queens College, where he taught classes in American literature and myth criticism for forty-two year. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eInternational Herald Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA true crime historian, he has written extensively about some of our country's most infamous serial and mass murderers. Using primary sources such as newspaper clippings and court records, he supplies thorough documentation of every case he profiles, while still managing to create compelling narratives and fully fleshed-out characters. He is the editor of the Library of America volume, \u003ci\u003eTrue Crime: An American Anthology.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHis 2014 book, \u003ci\u003eThe Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Crime that Shook the Nation\u003c\/i\u003e, was nominated for an Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category. In addition to his work in narrative nonfiction, Schechter is the author of an acclaimed series of detective novels based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Under the pseudonym H. C. Chester, he has also co-written the middle-grade trilogy, \u003ci\u003eCuriosity House\u003c\/i\u003e, with his daughter, bestselling YA novelist Lauren Oliver. The first book in the series, \u003ci\u003eCuriosity House: The Shrunken Head \u003c\/i\u003e(2016), was nominated for an Edgar Award in the \"Best Juvenile Mystery\" category. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSchechter has also written extensively on American popular culture. In \u003ci\u003eThe Bosom Serpent: Folklore and Popular Art\u003c\/i\u003e, he explores the relationship between contemporary commercial entertainment and the narrative archetypes of traditional folklore. \u003ci\u003eSavage Pastimes: A Cultural History of Violent Entertainment\u003c\/i\u003e places the current controversy over media violence in a broad historical context. Examining everything from Victorian murder ballads to the productions of the nineteenth-century Grand Guignol, the book makes the somewhat contrarian argument that today's popular entertainment is actually less violent than the gruesome diversions of the supposedly halcyon past. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn his 1973 article, \"Kali on Main Street: The Rise of the Terrible Mother in America\", Schechter uses the phrase \"horror-porn,\" which is cited by the Oxford English Dictionary as the first printed appearance of the word \"porn\" in its now-common figurative meaning: \"As the second element in compounds: denoting written or visual material that emphasizes the sensuous or sensational aspects of a non-sexual subject, appealing to its audience in a manner likened to the titillating effect of pornography. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith David Black, Schechter also co-wrote the teleplay for the Season 8 \u003ci\u003eLaw \u0026amp; Order\u003c\/i\u003e episode, \"Castoff.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eEric Powell\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer and artist from Nashville Tennessee who has contributed work for every major publisher in the comics industry. In 1999 Eric launched his critically acclaimed creator owned series THE GOON. In 2002 Eric Launched ALBATROSS EXPLODING FUNNYBOOKS in an effort to keep the Goon alive when no other publisher wanted it because it was too 'different'. But the readers spoke and the Goon quickly became an indy hit and picked up a diehard cult following. The Goon found a home and a wider audience with DARK HORSE COMICS, but Eric continued to publish creator owned comics through Albatross such as his all ages comic CHIMICHANGA and Rebecca Sugar's PUG DAVIS. Eric has spent his career creating and promoting the validity and importance of creator owned comics through Albatross and other publishers such as Dark Horse and Image Comics. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 2016 Eric rededicated himself in earnest to his publishing company, ALBATROSS FUNNYBOOKS, and launched his new fantasy series HILLBILLY, his kid's horror anthology SPOOK HOUSE, as well as other creator owned titles. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEric has been working in collaboration with acclaimed director David Fincher, Tim Miller, and Blur Studios to bring the Goon to life on the big screen as an animated feature film. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAwards: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- International Horror Guild: 2004 Best Illustrated Narrative \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2004 Best Single Issue (Goon #1) \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2005 Best Humor Publication \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2005 Best Continuing Series \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2008 Best Writer\/Artist-Humor \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Will Eisner Comic Industry Award: 2008 Best Painter or Multimedia Artist\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 200\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 9.3 x 6.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 01, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47211575247097,"sku":"9781506744360","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/6IOou0Px8T9781506744360.webp?v=1768083857","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/dr-werthless-hardcover","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}