"Our survey of the book trade disclosed that there were three types
of publication to which particular attention should be
given--comics, certain crime stories, and nudist and other
suggestive magazines.
(_a_) _Comics_: "These are the publications which have attracted
most public attention, both here and overseas, and in particular
the type of comic known as the 'crime' or 'horror' comic has come
in for a great deal of severe criticism. It is true that reading of
a mildly bloodthirsty nature directed at the juvenile market is no
new thing. The comic books of today, however, are not those of a
generation ago, nor are they at all similar to the comic strips now
appearing in the newspapers. Many of them are full of matter which
is brutal, horrifying, and sadistic, and although to a certain
extent they are published for and read by adults of feeble
mentality they are also available to children.
"The origin of this type of comic is the United States, but other
countries have not been slow to follow suit. Large numbers of
comics are reprinted in England and Australia from American plates.
The interim report of the Kefauver Committee strongly indicts crime
and horror comics and gives some revolting illustrations of their
contents. Reports indicate that comics almost as bad were
circulating in England before the introduction of legislation
there. The nature of crime comics circulating in Canada was
responsible for an Act passed there in 1949 prohibiting such
comics.
"Even before the passing of last year's Act none of the comics on
sale in New Zealand was as bad as the worst American or English
examples. At the same time some of them were most objectionable.
Since action has been taken here and in Australia the standard of
comics distributed in New Zealand appears to have improved
considerably. That is not to say that they are all free from
objection, and there are a number of crime comics which we do not
think should be allowed to go on circulating. Indeed, we think that
this country can well do without the crime comic altogether.
Recently objection was taken to some forty comics, and we are
waiting advice from the distributors as to their attitude. Later in
this report we shall refer to further proposals for dealing with
comics.
(_b_) _Crime Stories_: "The second class of publications referred
to comprises publications usually known as 'thrillers'. These books
are quite different from the ordinary detective novel and from the
more traditional type of thriller. Many examples of this new type
of gangster thriller have been flooding the New Zealand market in
the form of paper-backs selling at 2s. 6d. or less. They are
entirely devoid of literary or other merit and are devoted to the
wanton depiction in gross detail of brutality, violence, and sex.
"These publications and a number of so-called detective magazines
which imitate them may perhaps be regarded as the adolescent
equivalent of the crime comic, and we believe them to be equally
harmful. Action against them will, we think, no more infringe the
principle of freedom of speech than action against narcotics
infringes the principle of free enterprise in the economic sphere.
"Action against these publications was taken some time ago, and
some of the results of this action have appeared from recent
reports in the press. As an illustration of what has been done we
advised the Associated Booksellers that you considered all the
novels of Mickey Spillane to be indecent and that you were prepared
to prosecute in respect of them. The booksellers agreed with this
opinion and recommended their members not to stock these books. We
think it significant that these books, which were agreed to be
objectionable, were being sold by many reputable booksellers in New
Zealand. This shows how easy it is to offend unwittingly against
the Act.
"There was a group of even more objectionable publications
published in paper-back form by an English firm, Milestone Ltd. We
advised the police some time ago that we intended to take
proceedings against any one found selling these books. The
Booksellers' Association agreed with this view.
"There is an enormous output of books and paper-backs of the
detection-thriller type, and it is by no means easy to know where
to draw the line. It should be possible, however, to eliminate the
really harmful and leave the rest.
(_c_) _The Suggestive Magazine_: "The third class of publications
is the suggestive magazine. Some public concern has been expressed
that a number of suggestive magazines are continuing to circulate
in this country. The truth is, however, that, although the names
are the same, the contents are very different. We have carefully
examined all these magazines, and, although they are not perhaps
very edifying, we are satisfied that at present none of them
clearly infringes the law.
"Nudist magazines are another matter. Those we have seen appear
unobjectionable if their circulation is restricted to nudists and
persons interested in the nudist cult. They have, however, been
appearing in some newsagents' and tobacconists' shops and openly
displayed in windows, and we consider circulation in this form to
be undesirable. Serious consideration is being given to the
prosecution of any one who displays these magazines or sells them
to the general public."