Comic books have been part of popular culture since the 1930s however social activists in the 1940's and 1950's quickly became concerned about the risk that comic books posed for youth (e.g., caused juvenile delinquency). Dr. Fredric Wertham, a forensic psychiatrist, led efforts to protect society's children from comic books, culminating in multiple publications, symposia, and testimony before a Senate subcommittee on juvenile delinquency in 1954. During the course of his activities, and quite possibly as a backlash to it, comics started to represent mental health practitioners and particularly forensic mental health practitioners as evil, clueless, and narcissistic characters (e.g., DC's Dr. Hugo Strange went from being a mad scientist to a mad psychiatrist). Practitioners who were not necessarily evil were often portrayed as inept regarding rehabilitation. There are very few positive portrayals of forensic mental health in the comic book universe, and when they do occur, they often have severe character flaws or a checkered history (e.g., Marvel Doc Samson). These negative characterizations are woven into the fabric of contemporary comic book characters, whether represented in comic books or other media offshoots such as films and television.
