Printing Terror: American Horror Comics as Cold War Commentary and Critique

Printing terror takes a fascinating look at American horror comics in the Cold War era, from the 1940s to the 1970s. It reveals how these comics both reflected and fed into the anxieties of the age, particularly in matters of race and gender.

The book traces the history of prominent titles such as Tales from the Crypt, Tomb of Terror and Chamber of Chills, while exploring the careers of cult figures within and around horror comics. Considering the context of Vietnam, the rise of feminism and the growth of the civil rights movement, it argues against the received wisdom that horror comics offered a subversive commentary on society. In reality they often repeated the sexist, racist and nationalistic tropes they purported to undermine.

Featuring a wealth of vivid illustrations, Printing terror offers an exciting new perspective on horror comics, deepening our understanding of this popular but complex genre.

Michael Goodrum is Reader in Cultural History at Canterbury Christ Church University

Philip Smith is Associate Chair of Liberal Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design