Censorship of Comic Books & Graphic Novels
Comic Books On Trial
Comic books and graphic novels have a surprisingly controversial history, and are one of the most frequently challenged types of books. According to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, "...comics were put on trial by the United States government in 1954 by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency. For two days in April 1954 senators heard testimony from child psychologists, comic book publishers, and cartoonists seeking insight into whether comics required government regulation... The Senate Subcommittee hearings, the Comics Code, and the subsequent flurry of laws regulating the sale of comics combined to form the most brutal era of censorship arising from moral panic that American pop culture has ever known."
The Comics Code Authority was created in 1954 after some members of the public expressed concerns about "inappropriate" material in comic books. The Comic Book Code of 1954 only approved content they deemed "moral". Content they deemed "immoral" included profanity, horror, nudity, promotion of distrust of law and justice, love stories that did not reflect the "value of the home and sanctity of marriage", and more. Comic books that were voluntarily submitted and approved by the Comics Code Authority received a literal stamp of approval on their covers. This seal was used from 1955 - 2011, with DC Comics, Archie and Bongo Comics being the last major publishers to stop submitting their comics for approval.
It didn't help that comic books, which can be written for and enjoyed by people of different ages and levels of maturity, were all labeled as "juvenile" reading materials. Thus, censorship efforts reflected public desire to keep all comic books "clean" (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund). Even today, we see graphic novels (like Maus) challenged and banned for containing "age-inappropriate content". According to the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, Art Spiegelman said he did not originally publish Maus for children to read in the first place, though he does see the educational value of his graphic novel being taught in schools now.
These regulations and attacks completely disrupted the comic book industry, and still affect the industry today. Read more about the history of comic book censorship.
Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval which appeared on comic book covers from 1955-2011, image obtained from DC Comics Fandom
Comic book burning in the 1940's, image first appeared in Chicago Daily News (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund)
Read Challenged & Banned Graphic Novels at STCC
Graphic novels are stories told in comic book format, and are longer than a classic comic book issue. Many of the books on our Periodic Table of Banned Books are graphic novels. Click on any of the titles listed below to read book summaries, author information, and reasons why these graphic novels have been targets for censorship.
Past Comics-related events at STCC
September 29th 2022 | Diversity Series Speaker: Keith "Keef" Knight
When: This event has already happened.
Where: Scibelli Hall Theater (B2)
Diversity Series Presents Keith "Keef' Knight for an in-person event.
He is a cartoonist, social activist, educator and inspiration for the Hulu streaming series "Woke." For more information, check the STCC Calendar or contact Vonetta Lightfoot at diversityseries@stcc.edu
October 4th - November 10th 2022 | "Murcan Tales" Exhibition by Kumasi J. Barnett
Gallery hours: This event has already happened.
Where: Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery, Building 28
Exhibition on view starting October 4th, 2022. Influenced by the aesthetics and narratives of comic books, Baltimore artist Kumasi J. Barnett’s artwork subverts and imbues the often-timeless genre with historical context and a present-day social consciousness. Beloved superheroes like “The Hulk” and “The Amazing Spider-Man” are transformed into “The Media’s Thug” and “The Amazing Black-Man.” Barnett meticulously paints directly over old copies of comic books, changing their narratives into reflections on contemporary events and the media’s portrayal of those events, and searing, sometimes painful, critiques of real social and political issues, including racism, fake news, and political corruption. Barnett will be on campus Oct 13-14 for in-person events, including meet and greet reception, student engagement activities, and Carberry Conversations interview. See more info on the Carberry Gallery website
October 13th 2022 | Art Reception with Kumasi J. Barnett
When: This event has already happened.
Where: Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery, Building 28
The Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery celebrates Baltimore artist Kumasi J. Barnett with a reception on Thursday, October 13. “Murcan Tales,” by Kumasi J. Barnett is on view in the Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery from October 4 through November 10, 2022. This event is free and open to the public and includes a meet and greet reception and student engagement activities.
October 14th 2022 | Carberry Conversations with Kumasi J. Barnett
When: This event has already happened.
Where: Virtual on Zoom
Join a virtual conversation held in the gallery between associate professor and gallery coordinator Sondra Peron and exhibiting artist Kumasi J. Barnett. All Carberry Conversations are free and open to the public via Zoom. Please register in advance.
November 9th, 2022 | Diversity Series Speaker: Dr. Lee Francis IV
When: This event has already happened.
Where: Building 2 Room 703-704
Diversity Series presents Dr. Lee Francis IV for an in-person event.
"Lee Francis IV, a member of Laguna Pueblo who earned a PhD from Texas State University, opened Red Planet after the first year of hosting Indigenous Comicon, in Albuquerque. “I wanted to create a space where we could continue the party all year round, and beyond an annual event.” The shop’s first titles were used books by Native authors that came from Francis’ own collection. Now he sells children’s books (quickly bought out whenever the Librarians of Color are in town for a conference) and, of course, comics. There’s even a $1 comic bookshelf for middle schoolers who stop in weekly. But for those who are visiting from other states, countries, or even continents, Red Planet is a rarity. “We are the only Native comic-book shop in the world, and only one of three Native bookstores in the U.S.,” Francis says. He uses the space as a kind of “tasting room,” for people looking to find good reads, and “as the home of Native Realities Press,” which he began in 2015." (Bio copied from Red Planet Books & Comics Website)