Almost everyone has read a comic. For years, many thought that comics caused good kids to become not-so-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 taken as fact. In 2010, however, his original notes were made available to the public and contain many interesting inaccuracies, as Dr. Carol Tilley discovered while examining Dr. Wertham's notes. In the many years since Dr. Wertham's testimony, other opinions have emerged about how comics affect people: one of the most prominent opinions is that comics can actually be helpful. (3 SV:SV)On April 21, 1954, Dr. Wertham testified before a subcommittee of the United States Senate. The topic of this hearing was that comic books were believed to be a major cause of juvenile delinquency (Senate Subcommittee). On this 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 from the local hospital. According to Dr. Wertham these kids were all suffering from the negative effects of comics. One of the most surprising incidents reported by Dr. Wertham was the case of a 7-year-old boy named Edward. Dr. Wertham tells of this boy who had nightmares about the cartoon character Blue Beetle. According to Dr. Wertham, Edward had nightmares about the character because he had turned into a cockroach in the comics and this had scared the boy. Dr. Wertham gave many more... halfway through the article... it is still debated whether Dr. Wertham's works will be valid even in ten years. The field is changing as rapidly as the technology with which we read it. Perhaps more so today than in the 1950s, comics can be seen as positive literature even though they may not be as mentally nourishing as novels, but they still have their benefits. Works Cited Gustines, George G. "The Superhero as Society's Mirror, From World War II to Iraq." Np, Web. October 31, 2013. Hogan, Jon. "COMICS AS A SYMBOLIC ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF IRON MAN." et Cetera 2(2009):199. eLibrary. Network. October 29, 2013. Itzkoff, Dave. “Scholar Finds Flaws in Archenemy of Comics Work.” Np, nd Web. October 25, 2013.1954 Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency Hearings. United States Senate Judiciary Committee. United States Senate. April 21, 1954. Print. Network. October 31st 2013