About this episode

The episode recounts the 1948 event in Spencer, West Virginia, where a schoolteacher and her students burned comic books, including Superman, amid a national fear of their influence.

In 1948, a small town in West Virginia became the center of a growing national fear over the perceived evil influence of comic books. There, in the town of Spencer, a schoolteacher and her students gathered thousands of comic books and set them ablaze in a bonfire, starting with one featuring the Man of Steel, Superman. What led to this dramatic moment? In this episode, Rod and Steve tell the story of the time a national panic reached into the heart of Appalachia, another one of the Stories of Appalachia. If you enjoy stories like this, be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast so you never miss an episode. You’ll find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening.

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