Fredric Wertham

(March 20, 1895 – November 18, 1981)

Fredric Wertham was a German–American psychiatrist and author. He gained general fame, or infamy, with Seduction of the Innocent (1954), claiming that comic books caused youth to become delinquents.

For our purposes, he is more significant due to his last book The World of Fanzines: A Special Form of Communication (1973), likely the first (semi-)academic book-length study of fanzines. While still focusing primarily on comics fandom and researched in his slapdash manner, he concluded they are a worthy activity. He was later a correspondent of Donn Brazier's Title (1972–7) and a few others, see ISFDB.

• Fredric Wertham in Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• Entry in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction with detailed analysis and quotes
• wikipedia:Fredric Wertham

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Person

1895—1981

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