[单项选择]Comics in America have broadened their appeal by marketing to adults. Prior to World War II , usually only adolescents bought comics. During World War I1, the comic book industry in the United States began to undergo a major change. When the war started, the government subsidized the comics industry in order to take advantage of the powerful propaganda effects, regulating them for purposes of military defense. By the time the war was over, the taste for comic books had reached the adult population. Publishers from this point on expanded this portion of the market that was to become the largest sales increase in the history of the comic industry.
The editor of Exciting Comics, Ed O’ Donnell, was important in extending the success of this marketing drive. Here organized comic drawing to encourage artists’ innovation. The market had declined slightly since the late forties. O’ Donnell, against conventions, hired adroit illustrators. He abandoned the low-cost budget publication, a
A. Before the start of World War Ⅱ.
B. After the end of World War Ⅱ.
C. During World War Ⅱ.
D. Several years after World War Ⅱ.