Comical comics
Comical comics |
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Page 11 of 34  'Alley Oop' (NEA Service Inc. 1946). Art/script: VT Hamlin. It is important to note here that the British industry was fortunate in the 1940s and 1950s not to have any serious competition from abroad. This was especially true concerning American comics, which were not officially distributed until 1959, despite the fact that the United States had been the biggest comics producing nation in the world since the 1930s (see below). Partly this was because Britain had better things to import: during this postwar period, ships were mainly concerned with the delivery of munitions and essential supplies. It was also because of the British prejudice that existed against American culture, which was thought to be vulgar, over-commercial and and a threat to 'superior' European culture. (No doubt an underlying factor in this extraordinary hostility was the fact that the United States had just superseded Britain as the world's leading power.) |