The New York State Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Publication of Comics convened in 1949, and began
issuing annual reports in 1950. There was no report in 1953.
The committee's name was later changed to the New York Joint Legislative Committee to Study the
Publication and Dissemination of Objectionable and Obscene Materials, and the
committee continued to issue reports in 1956 and beyond. However, in the post-Code years, the focus on comic
books diminished as other products such as "girlie" magazines and paperback books became a target of the
committee's work.
The committee issued reports on its progress as follows:
- In 1950, Legislative Document #35, dated February 15, 1950 (14 pp.)
- In 1951, Legislative Document #15, dated March 15, 1951 (84 pp.)
- In 1952, Legislative Document #64, dated March 20, 1952 (24 pp.)
- In 1954, Legislative Document #37, dated March 1, 1954 (87 pp.)
- In 1955, Legislative Document #37, dated March 14, 1955 (18 pp.)
- In 1956, Legislative Document #32
- In 1957, Legislative Document #83
The 1951 report contains an illustrated section depicting comics that the committee found objectionable.
When you see in the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide that a comic book was used in the New York Legislative Document, that refers to the
illustrations in Legislative Document #15 from 1951.
At SeductionOfTheInnocent.org, we're working on getting a copy
of this report that we can post in full.
In the meantime, you can find portions of this report here.
The 1954 report was issued the month before SOTI was published and the U.S. Senate hearings began. Read it here.
The comics below were referenced by 1951 document, and most are noted as such by the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
| Title | Issue | |
| AUTHENTIC POLICE CASES | 6 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 66.
Also in SOTI. |
| BLAZE CARSON | 3 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 26.
Also contains Marvel's anti-Wertham editorial. |
| CHALLENGE OF THE UNKNOWN | 6 | "Villa of the Vampire" Used in NY Legis Comm, page 48. |
| CRIME MUST LOSE! | 4 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 44. |
| CRIME PATROL | 15 | According to Overstreet, this was used in NY Legis Comm. report.
However, there are no illustrations from this comic in the NY Legislative document #1951-15. The NY Legislative Document does have a picture of the final page of a
a Crypt of Terror story, but that page comes from Crypt of Terror #17, not from Crime Patrol #15. |
| CRYPT OF TERROR | 17 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 43. You won't find this information in Overstreet. |
| EXPOSED | 7 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 59. Also in SOTI. |
| GANG BUSTERS | 3 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 60. Also in SOTI. You won't find this information in Overstreet. |
| HAUNT OF FEAR | 17 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 42. Also in SOTI. |
| JUNGLE COMICS | 98 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, pp. 70-71. Also in SOTI. |
| KILLERS | 1 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, pp. 68-69. Also in SOTI. |
| MARVEL TALES | 97 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report. |
| SPIRIT | 22 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 41. |
| TOP SECRETS | 7 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, page 55. Also in SOTI. |
| TRUE CRIME COMICS vol 1 | 2 | Used in NY Legis Comm. report, pp. 33-40. Also in SOTI. |
| WEB OF MYSTERY | 19 | Reprints Challenge of the Unknown #6 |
| WANTED COMICS | | Unknown issue number. Story "Mania for Murder" used in NY Legis. Comm. report, page 45 |
| (Unknown comic) | | Unknown comic. Story titled "The Baby-Faced Butcher" used in NY Legis. Comm. report, page 47 |
