THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                   1231

there has been a serious and tremendous increase in Maryland in the
number and variety of comic books of the types and kinds prohibited
by this sub-title, dealing in sustantial part with crimes, and that many
of such crime comic books are designed and formed so as to resemble
closely other books devoted in substance to matters of humor pub-
lished primarily for sale to children, being often placed for sale side
by side with the humorous publications. The General Assembly also
finds and determines that children below the age of eighteen years,
being of susceptible and impressionable character, are or may be in-
cited to commit certain crimes, in good part through the influence of
these vicious and corrupt publications, and that great numbers of
these books are deliberately calculated to horrify and excite unreason-
able terror in the impressionable minds of children, and do or may
produce such results. The General Assembly further finds that the
persons publishing and distributing these books do so with the full
knowledge and intent that the same may be sold to children under the
age of eighteen and further finds that a major and substantial por-
tion of the market for such crime comic books is composed of children
under the age of eighteen years and that such books are intended for
such market.

516B. (a). Crime Books Prohibited. It shall be unlawful and an
offense for any person to wilfully sell or distribute to any child below
the age of eighteen years, or have in his possession with intent to sell,
distribute or otherwise offer for sale or distribution to any child below
the age of eighteen years, any book, pamphlet, magazine or other
printed paper principally composed of pictures and specifically in-
cluding but not limited to comic books, devoted to the publication and
exploitation of actual or fictional deeds of violent bloodshed, lust or
immorality, or which, for a child below the age of eighteen years, are
obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent or disgusting and. so pre-
sented as reasonably to tend to incite a child below the age of eighteen
years to violence or depraved or immoral acts against the person.

(b) Sales of Indecent Publications to Minors. It shall be unlawful
and an offense for any person to wilfully sell or distribute to any child
below the age of eighteen years, or have in his possession with intent
to sell, distribute or otherwise offer for sale to any child below the
age of eighteen years any book, pamphlet, magazine or other printed
paper, specifically including but not limited to comic books, devoted
to the publication and exploitation of sex or of matter of an indecent
character which, for a child below the age of eighteen years, is ob-
scene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent or disgusting or which are
devoted to the publication and exploitation of actual or fictional deeds
of violent bloodshed, lust, or immorality which are so presented as
reasonably to tend to incite such child below the age of eighteen years
to violence or depraved or immoral acts against the person.

516C. Distribution of Indecent Articles; Tie-in Sales. No person,
co-partnership or corporation shall, as a condition to a sale or delivery
for resale of any book, pamphlet, magazine or other printed paper
specifically including but not limited to comic books, require that the
purchaser or consignee receive for resale any other book, pamphlet
magazine or other printed paper the sale or distribution of which is
prohibited to a child below the age of eighteen years by this sub-title.