Reefer Madness

Reefer Madness (April 17, 2018) (see below for preview images)

​Credits:
 
Jerry Siegel (Author), Joe Shuster (Author), Craig Yoe (Editor), Jack Kirby (Illustrator), Frank Frazetta (Illustrator)
 
I bought this anthology because I LOVE this movie.  I think it is absolutely hysterical.  Although released in 1936 with the intention of smearing the public opinion of hemp and marijuana, it has formed itself a place in film history as a comedic warning of the “dangers” of partaking in such activities.  Warnings of death, addiction, destruction, promiscuity and criminal behavior are blasted onto the screen, trying to scare the youth of the early 20thcentury into a straight and narrow lifestyle.
 
Also, at this time, a number of comic books jumped on the anti-drug bandwagon.  Their thought process was to “get them young” and target the younger kids of the era.  Comic books such as “Adventure Comics”, “Comics Hits” plus crime magazines such as “Detective World” featured stories of crazed drug addicts, young girls who lost their purity to the evils of dope and families and lives broken and ruined forever. Good men gone bad, good girls gone wrong and good families torn apart.
 
This anthology is a great collection of some of the best comics of that era.  In the very beginning of the book we get a small history lesson but, it’s not boring.  We learn about the rise of the smear campaign against marijuana, the apparent blame assigned to regular comics for the destruction of the nation’s youth and the outrageous lengths that people went to in order to instill fear, even perhaps terror, into the hearts and minds of the population.
 
While we may find these comics funny now, they were nothing short of a serious public service project at the time.  The things portrayed in these stories are outrageously unbelievable and highly unlikely to be caused by smoking pot.
 
Not only is this a fun blast into the past, it’s actually educational as well.  The collection features classic Golden Age artwork with the basic colors (mostly primary and secondary) and the wicked old school printing style (you know, the kind where not everything lines up and it has a whole pixelated look to it) bringing the nostalgic effect to a maximum.
 
Whether you are a pot enthusiast or a lover of comic books, this is DEFINITELY worth the pick-up.  It’s truly classic.
 
RATINGS
Overall 4.5/5
Story 4/5
Artwork 4/5