What's the meaning of 'get as steamed up '? Is that spoken English?

[Hiya Raymond]

Juvenile delinquency is the product of pent-up frustrations,stored-up resentments and bottled-up fears.It is not the product of cartoons and captions.But the comics are a handy,obvious,uncomplicated scapegoat.If the adults who crusade agaisnt them would only （get as steamed up )over such basic causes of delinquency as parental ignorance,indifference (and cruelly),they might discover that comic books are no more a menace than Treasure Island or Jack the Giant Killer.

Credits from Creepshow 2

Thanks！

 

[probus]

To get steamed up is to become angry. It is equally common in written and spoken English.

 

[Hiya Raymond]

But why there is an 'as' ? Is it an adverb?

Thanks!

 

[Barb_D]

The entire thing means that people seem to get angry about comics, and the author wishes people would become as angry at things like parental ignorance/indifference as they are [angry] about the comics.

As something as something else -- very common and not linked to the idea of "being steamed."

 

[probus]

I am sure you are familiar with this "as (adjective) as (noun)" construct: e.g. as smooth as silk, as cold as ice. The only differences are that the adjective here is an adjectival phrase and there is a small list of nouns rather than a single noun.