Throughout history, state and federal governments have utilized popular culture to spread their message. Given the effectiveness and popularity of sequential art, it should be no surprise that comics would be enlisted into the cause. And much like Marvel’s merry…
Author: Joe Sergi
A History of Censorship, Halloween Edition — My Ears Could Hear the War but the Censors Wouldn’t Let Me Read It
On October 30, 1938, Americans believed that Martians had invaded the planet Earth because of realistic broadcast produced by Orson Welles’s Mercury Theater of the Mind. And while that broadcast created havoc and disarray, it was still considered protected free…
Tales From the Code: Whatever Happened to the Amazing Amazon–Wonder Woman Bound by Censorship
The Comics Authority changed the face of comics forever. People are aware how horror comics were virtually abolished, romance comics were toned down, and jungle princesses forced to fade into the background, but they may be unaware how the CCA affected…
A History of Censorship, NYCC Edition — CBLDF Defends Manga
Manga is changing the world, with an expanding culture of fandom across the globe. While growing in popularity, the medium is also one of the most misunderstood, leading to criminal prosecutions in the United States, Canada, Japan, and elsewhere. On…
The Incredible True Story of Joe Shuster’s NIGHTS OF HORROR
In 1938, Superman took flight from the drawing board of a teenage boy named Joe Shuster into the pages of Action Comics. However, by 1954 Joe had fallen on hard times: He was no longer drawing Superman; he had lost…
The Amazing Adventure of The Man of Steel and the Psychiatric Censor — Superman vs. Doctor Wertham
There are a few things in life that everyone should know: Look both ways before crossing the street. Always eat your vegetables. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But, most important of this sage…
Tales from the Code: How Much Did Things Change After the Enactment of the Comics Code of 1954?
The year was 1954. An unknown group named Bill Haley and the Comets records “Rock Around the Clock.” President Eisenhower informs and warns concerned Americans about the falling domino principle of communism as tensions rise in a little-known country named…
The Sordid Tale of The Lone Avenger’s Rise to Infamy
In examining the history of comic book censorship, sometimes it is difficult for people to separate the creator from the creation. A clear example of this is the sad tale of Australian comic creator Len Lawson and his creation, The…
Tales from the Code: Spidey Fights Drugs and the Comics Code Authority
Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina, went down a few weeks ago. Unlike other larger conventions, which have expanded to become focused more on pop culture like television, movies and video games, Heroes Con is still a good old fashioned…
A History of Censorship: Richard Felton Outcalt and The Yellow Kid
Many people know about the great comic book scare in the late ’40s and early ’50s. You know the one that started with individuals like Dr. Fredric Wertham and Senator Robert C. Hendrickson and ended with the creation of the…