In my younger, prime comic buying years I remember that most comics had this seal in the upper right hand corner
I noticed that modern comics don’t have this seal, and a little bit of research led me to the following
- The Comics Code Authority was an industry trade association created as a self monitoring organization to prevent government regulation of comics.
- The industry, and the government were both concerned about a 1950’s study that showed links between comics and depraved behavior. Many cities and other jurisdictions passed laws to regulate comics content. This article from Time magazine in 1954, called Horror on the Newstands, gives a quick summary.
- The Comics Code Authority was finally dissolved in 2011.
With this backdrop, I wondered about the subject matter of pre-code comics. Original issues can be found on eBay for substantial sums of money, but fortunately some of these comics are being reissued. Dark Horse Comics of Milwaukie, OR is reprinting many EC titles in their EC archives. EC was one of the more prevalent 1950’s publishers. I picked up a collection of Crime SuspenStories, Issues 1-6 from the early 1950’s, from a local bookseller.
I’ve read this entire Volume 1. 6 issues of the comic, 216 pages in total.
If you compare these comics to modern comics, you might wonder what all of the hub bub was about. Sure, there are criminals, sex, violence, and gore, just like today. But back in the day, some thought that these stories were inappropriate for 1950’s children. Remember, this is the era of Leave It to Beaver and the Little Rascals.
The Comic Code Authority was designed to be a self regulating body created by the comics industry. It was really self imposed censorship. Read the 1954 comics code yourself.
- Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
- Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, the gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.
- Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation.
- Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.
- All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.
- No comic magazine shall use the words “horror” or “terror” in its title.
- All lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated.
- Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly, nor so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.
- In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
- If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
- Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.
- Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden.
- Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.
- Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.
- Nudity with meretricious purpose and salacious postures shall not be permitted in the advertising of any product; clothed figures shall never be presented in such a way as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals.
- Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.
- Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Rape scenes, as well as sexual abnormalities, are unacceptable.
- Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.
- Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.
If you are interested in reading some of these comics, I’ve found collections at my local library as well as on the Internet Archive. Any place that sells comics might also have them.
Here’s a fun fact. Bill Gaines was one of the early publishers of the EC Comics universe. He objected strongly to the guiding principles of the Comics Code Authority and as one of his responses he created a humor-based comic, called Mad.
Number 1 was published by EC Comics. Even the design of the cover looks like the other EC titles. This was first released in September, 1952
The magazine changed from a comic, to a magazine in 1955, perhaps to stay outside of the watchful eye of the Comics Code Authority.
