Dark Horse to re-publish controversial 1940s Crime Does Not Pay series

It was one of the comic series that helped bring use the Comics Code: Crime Does Not Pay, Lev Gleason Publications' ultra (for the time and, heck, even now) violent anthology title. Now Dark Horse has compiled some of the title's best stories in a new book.

Details from the press release:

Gangsters, kidnappers, maniacal killers, and thugs of all stripes had their lurid stories recounted in Crime Does Not Pay! Each issue featured thrilling, brutal tales and disturbing, despicable characters. Crime Does Not Pay enthralled a nation and was the most popular comic book of its time, with their Uncle Creepy-esque host, “Mr. Crime,” as well as the sensationalized deeds of real life gangsters. See why this series was both revered and reviled in this unique “best of” primer!

“With 'CRIME' ten times larger than companion words in the logo, no one should have been surprised that the gangsters, kidnapers and common thugs seemed to be glorified in the four-color panels,” said co-editor Denis Kitchen. “But when the villain typically fried in the electric chair in the final panel the climax simultaneously provided beady-eyed readers with both an extra thrill and a moral: Crime Does Not Pay! This was cheap pulpy thrills at its finest, and certainly contributed to my own youthful corruption. These tawdry tales are long overdue for renewed scrutiny.”

Dark Horse’s special edition of Crime Does Not Pay features a selection of stories from across the series’ entire run, as well as an all-new cover in true Crime style by Pete Poplaski and an essay by cartoonist, historian and co-editor Denis Kitchen. Look for this essential collection on shelves July 27 for $19.99.

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