By Joe Izenman The 1954 Senate Subcommittee hearings examining the possible relationship between comics and juvenile delinquency remain the most significant moment in the history of comic book censorship. Centered on the testimony of Dr. Fredric Wertham, author of Seduction…
Russian Child-Protection Law Leads to Censorship of Animated Shows
“Won’t somebody please think of the children?” It’s the catchphrase of Helen Lovejoy, a character from The Simpsons. It also seems to be the rallying cry of the Russian Federation. Recent legislation intended to protect children from harmful information is…
Graphic Novel Removed from Connecticut School District’s Summer Reading List
The video game-themed graphic novel Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux will be removed as an option on a Connecticut school district’s ninth grade summer reading list after a parent complained of profanity and sexual references in the book. The Enfield, Connecticut,…
Junior High School Teacher Fired for Students’ Political Cartoons
by Mark Bousquet An assignment asking junior high school students to create a political cartoon has resulted in the teacher being fired. Robert Duncan, a teacher at Boyet Junior High School in Slidell, Louisiana was fired earlier this month after…
Wagner In Israel: The Unofficial Ban
How much should artistic expression be curbed in the name of cultural sensitivity? How long should a dead creator’s works be judged, not on their merits, but on the political inclinations of their maker?
The works of legendary opera composer Richard Wagner have not been performed in the state of Israel, or indeed even pre-Israel, by the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, since the outbreak of World War II.
Unshelved Celebrates Virtual Read-Out
Unshelved, a webcomic created by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes, ran a series of comic strips this week to celebrate Banned Books Week’s Virtual Read-Out. According to the website’s About page, Ambaum and Barnes began publishing Unshelved, which focuses on…