Almost everyone has read a comic book. For years, many have believed that comics make good kids become less good kids. This way of thinking was confirmed by Dr. Fredric Wertham in 1954 when he testified before the United States Senate on the topic of comic books as a cause of juvenile delinquency. For the next sixty years, Dr. Wertham's view was accepted as fact. In 2010, his original notes were made available to the public and contain many interesting inaccuracies, as Dr. Carol Tilley discovered while going through Dr. Wertham's notes. In the many years since Dr. Wertham's testimony, other opinions about how comics affect people have emerged: One of the dominant opinions is that comics can actually be beneficial. (3 SV:SV) On April 21, 1954, Dr. Wertham testified before a United States Senate subcommittee. The theme of this hearing was that comic books were considered a leading cause of juvenile delinquency (Senate Subcommittee). That day, Dr. Wertham presented to the Subcommittee his studies showing that comic books are a major cause of juvenile delinquency. This study included information from thousands of children that Dr. Wertham had treated at the local hospital. According to Dr. Wertham, these children all suffered from the harmful effects of comic books. One of the most striking incidents reported by Dr. Wertham was that of a 7-year-old boy named Edward. Dr. Wertham says this boy has nightmares about the cartoon character Blue Beetle. According to Dr. Wertham, Edward had nightmares about the character because he had transformed into a beetle in the comics and this scared the young boy. Dr. Wertham gave much more...middle of the article......still debating whether Dr. Wertham's work will be valid even ten years from now. The field is evolving as quickly as the technology by which we interpret it. Perhaps more today than in the 1950s, comics can be considered positive literature, although they may not be as mentally nourishing as novels, but they still have their advantages. Works Cited Gustines, George G. "The Superhero as Society's Mirror, From World War II in Iraq." Np, Web. October 31, 2013. Hogan, Jon. “COMICS AS A SYMBOLIC ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF IRON MAN.” and Cetera 2(2009):199. Electronic library. Internet. October 29, 2013. Itzkoff, Dave. "Scholar Finds Flaws in Archenemy of Comics' Work." Np, and Web. October 25, 2013.1954 Senate Juvenile Delinquency Subcommittee Hearings. Committee on the Judiciary of the United States Senate. United States Senate. April 21, 1954. Printed. Internet. October 31 2013