PUBLISHING IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25021, 1 November 1946, Page 9

PUBLISHING IN AUSTRALIA

JOURNALISTS SEEK INQUIRY

USE OF IMPORTED COMIC STRIPS

(Rec. 12.45 a.m.) CANBERRA. Oct. 31. The Australian Journalists’ Association has asked the Government to set up a Parliamentary committee to inquire ink the publishing industry in Australia. It is seeking particularly an investigation into the publication in Australia of imported syndicated comic and adventure strips, and the printing in Sydney and Melbourne of American magazines under licence. The secretary of the New South Wales district of the Australian Journalists’ Association (Mr J: C. James) said Australian authors and artists v.ere alarmed at the increase in the amount of cheap American comics being sold in Australia. These were full of foreign idiom. A new menace was the printing in Australia under licence of American magazines. Mr James said that 99 per cent of the literary and art content was supplied from overseas. Young Australian art students were being employed to ink out dollar signs and other marks on the comic strips which would reveal to the reader the country of origin. A metal Pure Foods Act was badly neAled. Many of the strips contained debased English and dealt with the dubious adventures of morons. Mr James added that the Australian Journalists’ Association did not seek to shut out overseas material, but urged the Government to endeavour to provide a fair basis of competition for Australian authors and artists.