If most comic fans were asked that question, I think they'd
take all of two seconds to answer. In fact, the answer seems
almost so obvious that the question is inane. However, when
most people talk about censorship, they keep coming back to the
same issue. Rights. The right to express yourself, the right to
produce a comic containing whatever you want it to contain. It's
definitely a good point, but I feel as though there are some other
points that need to be made.
Before I get to those other points, let me go back to the issue
of rights of expression. When I see a comic book creator go to court
because the authorities have pressed charges against him or her, or a
comic shop owner is arrested, prosecuted, and for all intents and
purposes, ruined, I'm outraged. In a society that prides itself on
personal freedom, this seems like the ultimate form of hypocrisy. How
can a select few force their values and morality down our throats while
simultaneously posing as proponents of freedom? I'd be hard pressed to
find any American who'd tell me, "I'm against personal freedom", yet
someone has to be responsible for arresting, prosecuting, and convicting
these supposedly morally depraved people who create and sell comics. I
honestly believe that some individuals in this society who hold power
have become so drunk with self righteousness that they not only can't
see how hypocritical they're being, but they can't grasp the true
atrocity of their actions. They actually believe that what they're
doing is not only right, but just. Most of us take the basic rights we
have for granted, including those responsible for the crusade against
supposed "indecency" in comics, yet those who crack down on comic creators
and shop owners have no hesitation in stealing away the rights of the
individuals that they assault. It's tyranny, plain and simple.
Now I come to those other points I alluded to earlier, the first being
what I see as an accompanying issue to the issue of rights of expression.
When those in power chastise a comic creator or shop owner, and in doing so
enforce their morality, we, the comic fans, end up getting potentially
deprived. This may sound a bit confusing, but it's really not. What I
mean by this is that when a creator in effect gets shut down, and his or
her comic doesn't see print, we don't get the chance to read what could be
a real masterpiece. Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is, in my opinion, one
of the finest comic series ever written. For me, reading Sandman was a
wonderful experience, and yet if someone in power had decided that Sandman
wasn't appropriate reading material for the public, I might not have had
the pleasure of reading it. I'm sure there are many comic masterpieces
like Sandman that never saw the light of day thanks to those who would
decide what we should and shouldn't be reading. It's not just an outrage;
it's a crying shame.
Next up is the Comics Code Authority, or the CCA, and what I see as
its antithesis. I'm fairly certain this is unnecessary, but just in case
some of you aren't familiar with the CCA, I'll provide a brief explanation.
The CCA is a code that was established in the 50's by the various comic
publishers of that time due to intensive scrutiny by the government, which
was brought about by a few deluded individuals who believed that comic books
contributed to juvenile delinquency. That explanation is grossly simplified,
but I think you get the idea. In any event, the CCA is still around today,
despite the fact that the moral climate in the U.S. has drastically changed.
It's silly, it's antiquated, and it's unnecessary. However, some high-ranking
executives at Marvel and DC still believe that this code allows their books
to be an island of decency in a sea of indecent comics. That's utter nonsense
of course, but you'd be hard pressed to tell them that. In fact, Warren Ellis,
of Transmetropolitan and Stormwatch fame, was set to do a comic called Satanna
for Marvel's horror line, neither of which ever came to be. A big wig at
Marvel said Satanna just wasn't a "Marvel book", and axed it. This mental
rigidity has prevented Marvel from growing with the times, and has resulted in
a line of comics that as a whole really aren't all that impressive. I don't
want the aforementioned to be construed as me saying that any book with a CCA
stamp on it is garbage. That's definitely not the case. I do read and enjoy
several Marvel and DC titles, and I definitely believe that there are some
great comics on the stands that just happen to carry the CCA stamp. That being
said, I still firmly believe that if you set strict parameters for the type of
material you publish, all you're doing is limiting your company and your
audience.
I did say there was an antithesis to the CCA, and that would be the "Mature
Readers/Graphic Violence" label. Most books with this label can be assured
pretty good sales simply because of the violence or sexual explicitness portrayed
within. For many people, what is supposedly "forbidden" is very alluring. Tell
someone they can't have something or aren't supposed to view something and they
want to have it and want to see it. Don't get me wrong, when violence and or
sexuality are a necessary part of a story, I've got no problem with it. I read
and enjoy such books as Transmetropolitan and Hitman, both of which are very
violent and very explicit. I also read plenty of comics that aren't violent or
explicit, but the point is, the "Mature Readers/Graphic Violence" label has
simply become a shallow commercial ploy, and as such it leaves a bad taste in
my mouth. I have to think that the plethora of gratuitously violent books on
the market has contributed to the heat many people associated with the industry
are getting. Violence and explicitness for violence and explicitness' sake is
an unfortunate reality in comics today, but violence sells, so I don't expect
that to change anytime soon.
That brings me to the bottom line, and it's pretty simple in my view. An
individual's right to produce a comic book is no less valuable than the other
rights most of us hold dear. Comics are a form of personal expression just
like music and film, and as such are an outlet for the many people who create
them. A means to express themselves in as creative a fashion as they please.
To try and control that expression is not only an unacceptable act, but a crime
on humanity. When censorship is allowed to exist, unchallenged and unquestioned,
it is allowed to grow more pervasive. That's not to say that there aren't
people who devote great time and effort into fighting censorship. The fine
folks at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, or the CBLDF, have been a blessing
to those who have come under fire for simply wanting to create and or sell
comics. I'm simply saying that I feel too many comics readers passively accept
censorship, and in doing so they essentially support it. Let's rally behind
those who come under fire for simply wanting to express themselves. After all,
that person under fire could be you or me.
Editor's Note:
You can find the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund on-line at:
