Harold Schechter and Eric Powell follow up on their investigation of Ed Gein in Did You Hear Wat Eddie Gein Done? with a new despicable subject and graphic novel on Dr. Frederic Wertham in Dark Horse Books Dr. Werthless: The Man Who Studied Murder (And Nearly Killed the Comics Industry) this summer.
Dr. Werthless: The Man Who Studied Murder (And Nearly Killed the Comics Industry) examines the man who almost put the comic industry out of business in the 1950s with the publication of his reactionary “expose” on the insidious nature of comic books titled Seduction of the Innocent.
For all the damage that Wertham did to the comic book industry, the complicated psychiatrist also opened a clinic in Harlem for disadvantaged African-American patients and played an important role in the desegregation of the nation’s schools. He also believed that murderous impulses could be “cured” through “a proper understanding of the mental and social roots of criminal violence”.
The graphic novel also examines Wertham’s relationship with serial killer Albert Fish, who he treated and exploited for his own fame and fortune in the publishing world.
Powell was surprised at Schechter’s suggestion for a new subject for the pair to delve into, and said “When Harold and I were discussing possible topics for another collaboration to follow Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?, the minute Harold said, ‘What about Fredric Wertham?’, I knew we had something. The history of comics, civil rights and some of the most shocking murder cases in America. And a polarizing, complex individual at the center of it all. I think this book will be fascinating to anyone who is a fan of true crime, American history, psychology or comics.”
The hardcover edition of Dr. Werthless: The Man Who Studied Murder (And Nearly Killed the Comics Industry) consists of 200 page for a suggested retail price of $29.99.
Check out Powell’s cover below and look for the graphic novel at your local comic shops on July 1, 2025.
Before you go and pre-order Dr. Werthless: The Man Who Studied Murder, read more about Schechter and Powell’s original collaboration in our exclusive interview with Schechter right here.
