Tales from the Comic Book Crackdown

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TALES FROM THE COMIC BOOK CRACKDOWN

October 4-6, 2024

Book by
Ben Dickow

Music and Lyrics By
Ray Hedgpeth

A New Musical about the 1954 Comic Book Hearings

A forgotten American story is brought to life in a major new musical, complete with show-stopping tunes, projections of classic EC Comics’ art, and a real life twist ending.

Landmark Workshop Series

A Musical Staged Reading

Landmark Voices. Intimate Orchestration. Concert Style.

For the first time, Landmark is embarking on a Workshop Series, to include new works and formats. These productions are semi-produced and performed in a staged-reading or concert style.

About this show

Tales From the Comic Book Crackdown is a new musical that brings to life the dramatic Senate hearings on Juvenile Delinquency of April 21, 1954, which were designed to bring down the comic book industry as a whole. These hearings resulted in years of censorship and repression of the comic book industry.

One man stood up for comics and free expression. 32-year-old Bill Gaines, the most successful comic book publisher of his day, was the sole witness to come forward and testify on behalf of comic books. Despite his best efforts, the authorities carried the day, and Bill almost lost everything.

This forgotten American story is brought to life in a major new musical, complete with show-stopping tunes, projections of classic EC Comics’ art, and a real life twist ending. Presented as a part of Landmark’s Workshop Series in a concert-style staged reading format.