I picked up Crime Does Not Pay #112 a few weeks ago - Fanboy Comics in Wilmington, NC had a stash of golden age comics and I leafed through a few of them only to find this gem. I've always wanted to own a cheesy Frederic Wertham-era crime comic, and at five bucks, this one was worth it. I believe it was published in 1952, which makes this comic the oldest one I own - as much as I'd enjoy a copy of Action Comics from the second World War (maybe that one with Superman riding a huge bomb), that's probably never going to happen - and inside and out, it really shows its age.
The stories inside the creased and brittle cover are fairly mundane, with tales of crooks getting their comeuppance and learning a lesson along the way (perhaps they should have read the title of the book before engaging in criminal activity), but that's not what stood out to me. Yes, I've talked about my unusual affinity for old comic book advertisements before, but this one's a real doozy. I scanned it and will post it below:
I'm baffled by this. First by the fact that the publishers of this book would think to advertise to grown women, but more so by what's being advertised. It's a girdle, basically, one that showcases its ability to make boobs look smaller. Really? Something that makes women look more flat chested? Was there something particularly Communist about large breasts in the 1950s? Was Joseph McCarthy holding hearings about the dangers of boobs? Because I can't figure this out otherwise. I mean, I realize that this ad is almost 60 years old at this point, but I refuse to believe that men in the 1950s didn't find breasts attractive to the point where one would remark "say, honey, why not hiding those girls away so I can't see them tonight? I just can't bear to look at them right now." Preposterous!
I am curious about the "free 10-day trial", though.
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