Comics code

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Comics Code is the name for a list of guidelines for comics that was created in 1954 as part of self-regulation by the Comics Magazine Association of America , an association of US comic publishers . It actually represented self-censorship by the US comic industry.

Initially adapted to new developments over time, the Comics Code became superfluous with the gradual exit of all major US comic publishers in early 2011.

Public protest against comics

When, after the Second World War, comics began to appear in America that were designed for adult readers and in some cases also dealt with topics such as sex, violence and criminal offenses, public resistance to the "perishable" comics was sparked. Parents' associations, teachers and politicians protested against comics at rallies. They saw in them the trigger for the dullness of youth, moral decay and immorality.

The opponents of comics turned against horror comics, so-called crime comics and the depiction of sex, and saw adolescents as the only target group for comics. They were reinforced by radio and television broadcasts in which the arguments were taken up and were supposed to be scientifically proven. The first such program was an ABC broadcast in March 1948 called What's wrong with the comics? . A symposium chaired by Fredric Wertham , head of a psychiatric clinic, postulated a direct link between comics and juvenile delinquency based on a group of juvenile offenders interviewed. However, this did not take into account the fact that almost every young person was also a comic reader and the actual number of criminal offenses committed by young people had decreased during the observation period. Wertham later took up the subject in his book Seduction of the Innocent (seduction of the innocent), in which he referred to comic publishers as "allies of the devil". The book developed into a bestseller, was widely discussed in public and was considered "required reading" by conservative politicians.

In order to verify Wertham's conclusions, the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency in the United States , headed by Senator Estes Kefauver, was set up, and two of its 1954 hearings were televised. Kefauver interviewed comic publishers, including editor Bill Gaines , who was very successful with comics and tales from the crypt . In the program, Kefauver confronted the publisher with the cover of Crime SuspenStories 22 , on which you can see the detail of a man holding a bloody ax in one hand and a severed woman's head in the other. Although Gaines was able to answer Kefauver's questions, he discredited himself and thus the entire industry with his smug, slightly arrogant way of dealing with horror stories. The broadcast generated another wave of protest, which led to comic book dealers taking various comics out of their programs. Comics were publicly burned in several cities and calls for state censorship were raised.

Comics Code Authority

Under this pressure, the comic book publishers founded the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) in September 1954 with the aim of establishing their own self-regulation. On October 26, 1954, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was set up to test comics . She developed a catalog of specifications, the Comics Code, which every published comic had to comply with.

restrictions

The Comics Code almost completely implemented the demands of the public. Nudity was no longer allowed to be depicted, words such as horror and terror were no longer allowed to be part of the name, sympathy for criminals or the methods and execution of a crime were not allowed to be shown. Drug use, homosexuality, divorces or curses were also not allowed in a comic.

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All comics had to be submitted to the CCA for review prior to publication. After a positive result, the comic received a seal of approval that was similar to a postage stamp and carried the text Approved by the Comics Code Authority . Comics without this seal had almost no chance of getting on sale, in some cities the sale of unchecked comics was a criminal offense.

Ideal consequences for the development of the comic

The Comics Code severely restricted the creative possibilities of comic artists and authors. All previous attempts to make the medium attractive for adult readers have been frozen by the restrictions. The publishers increasingly turned to young readers and mainly published funny comics or adventure stories.

Economic consequences for the development of comics

Observers blamed the Comics Code for the bankruptcy of comic book publishers. The comic book market shrank from 650 issues per month to 300 publications per month. Bill Gaines also had to discontinue Tales from the Crypt in March 1955, and many other previously successful series of his publisher could no longer be published due to their titles such as The Vault of Horror .

Relaxation of the comics code

At the suggestion of the US Department of Health, Stan Lee wrote three Spider-Man books ( Amazing Spider-Man No. 96-98) for Marvel in 1971 , which presented the consequences and problems of substance abuse, in order to educate young readers about the dangers. Since drug abuse in accordance with the Comics Code was not allowed to be an issue in comics, the CCA did not issue a seal of approval. However, the publisher decided, with the approval of the Ministry of Health, to publish the booklet anyway, thereby undermining the self-regulation of the Comics Code. The CCA had to adapt the guidelines and loosen them up to date in order to remain able to act.

In the mid-1980s, small publishers began releasing real comics for adults again. In order to circumvent the restrictions of the comic code, the booklets were self-published and passed on directly to end customers. Large publishers also picked up the topic again, for example the epic Batman - The Return of the Dark Knight , which was aimed at adult readers from the beginning , was published by DC Comics . Further publications followed, and the distribution channels were changed so that comics were sold less at kiosks and more in bookstores or direct sales.

In 1989, the Comics Code was further adapted (e.g. homosexuality was allowed to become a topic again) and the restrictions on the sale of comics without a seal of approval were lifted.

The end of the comics code

The adjustments and loosening of the comic code caused its importance to decrease. Many publishers such as Vertigo Comics and Epic Comics did not even submit their comics for examination, but chose direct sales. In the 1990s, Milestone Media submitted all comics to the CCA for review, but then published them regardless of their rating.

In 2001, the Marvel publishing house announced that it would no longer have its comics checked by the CCA, but would rather label it according to age groups. During 2010, Bongo Comics left the Comics Code without much ado, and DC Comics and Archie Comics - the last two major US comic book publishers to still stick to the Comics Code - announced their departure from the CCA in early 2011.

The Copyright of the Comic Code Seal

In September 2011, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund announced that it had obtained the copyright for the Comic Code seal. The seal is used by the CBLDF for merchandise and is intended to remind of a time of tighter controls.

See also

literature

  • Amy Kiste Nyberg: Seal of the Approval. The History of Comics Code. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson MS 1998, ISBN 0-87805-975-X ( Studies in Popular Culture ).

Web links

Individual evidence