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

Printing Terror explores how horror comics of the Cold War manifested white male fears over America's changing sociological landscape, examining two eras through the lenses of war, gender, and race.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 28 January 2021
Publisher: Manchester University Press

Printing Terror delves into the chilling realm of horror comics during the Cold War, engaging in a profound dialogue with the fears of its era. Rather than perceiving horror comics as inherently subversive, this book explores the ways in which these texts manifest the anxieties of white male individuals grappling with the rapidly changing sociological landscape of America. Spanning two eras, the pre-CCA period from the 1940s to 1954 and the post-CCA era from 1975 to 1975, Printing Terror meticulously examines each of these periods through the lenses of war, gender, and race. It reveals that horror comics during this time were deeply rooted in the experiences of white male victimhood and the grotesque monstrosity associated with gendered and/or racialized others. This book holds immense interest for scholars of horror, comics studies, and American history, shedding light on the complex interplay between fear, power, and societal transformations during a pivotal period in history.

Weight: 648g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526135926