![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It was positively Orwellian, and it wasn't until the early eighties that publishers began to break away from the code, first under the daring pen of Steve Gerber, who lost his career in comics over it, and then under Alan Moore, who was made a household name for helping break the grip of the code. ![]() *Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden *In every instance good shall triumph over evil *Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority *Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal Here are some examples of rules that had to be followed under the code: Imagine a G-rated Star Wars, a G-rated Godfather, a G-rated Blazing Saddles, and you may begin to understand the impossibility of trying to write quality comics under the code, which held sway over comics for thirty years. One can realize the effects the code had by imagining what movies would be like if the government stated that all films released must attain a 'G' rating. For a long time, the industry had its hands tied by the 'Comics Code', a punitive ratings system. To some degree, they are still considered dirty and cheap, still artistically bankrupt, and there are good reasons for this. The role of comic books in America is in transition, and so comics hold a tenuous and unusual position in the American psyche. ![]()
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