The library board in Marshall, Mo., met Wednesday to discuss the removal of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and Craig Thompson’s Blankets from the city’s public library after a complaint that some of the illustrations are inappropriate and constitute, well, “pornography.”
Yeah, it gets a little crazy like that, so brace yourselves.
“My concern does not lie with the content of the novels, rather my concern is with the illustrations and their availability to children and the community,” resident Louise Mills, who brought the graphic novels to the board’s attention, is quoted as saying at the meeting.
“Does this community want our public library to continue to use tax dollars to purchase pornography? … We may as well purchase the porn shop down at the junction and move it to Eastwood. Some day this library will be drawing the same clientele. I sincerely hope the board will listen to the community. Let’s not contribute to the delinquency of minors.”
Yes, won’t somebody think of the children? Ahem.
Another resident is quoted by the Marshall Democrat-News as being concerned about what kind of people might flock to the public library to read, um, graphic novels: “I don’t want seedy people coming into the library and moving into our community.”
Others, thankfully, spoke in support of the library and of the books. Here’s Dave Riley: “I do not see this material as obscene or pornographic. The big city is here, the world is here, you’re not going to keep it out. I understand everybody wants to live here and live in their little fantasy world and think we’re somehow protected from that, we’re not. Everyone has said up to this point that it is pornographic and obscene, it may be offensive, I agree, some people will be offended by it, I’m not. I just want you to know there are some people who don’t share your opinion … I do not see it as pornographic material and I’m not offended by it.”
The board will make its decision next Wednesday.
(Via GalleyCat, where Ron Hogan comments)
October 6th, 2006 at 7:46 am
I’m moving to Marshall. On my way there I plan to stop at Costco and buy several cases of Kleenex. Public library, here I come!
October 6th, 2006 at 7:50 am
You’re … you’re just … seedy!
October 6th, 2006 at 7:56 am
Blankets isn’t obscene or pornographic, no. It’s too DULL to be either.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:09 am
get a life…i refuse to give these small minded people any attention…but will say that these are two excellent books. funny short story…I tried to donate a full set of the dc hardcovers to my local branch and I asked what section they will put them in. the reply I got was ” we wont …we will sell them to buy other books” I asked why and they said its not fitting for their branch. ah…you got to love the cultured.
JIMMY
October 6th, 2006 at 9:21 am
Yes, take it off the shelf, don’t just move it to the adult section or anything.
Yeah, lady, Blankets is the same thing as Anal Fascination Volume 3. Overreact much. I hate people that feel just because they’re delicate sensibilities are hurt then everyone else’s must be too.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Yeah, it’s real unfortunate that there are so many people that feel they need to save me from such books. It’s just a shame that we still have people so afraid of thoughts and ideas. These are both worthy books and should be proudly distributed in any library. It’s strange and sad when censorship rears it’s ugly head. Take care.
Peace,
Herc
October 6th, 2006 at 10:06 am
I just grabbed some Red Sonja off the shelf in my local library last night. Lots of manga there too (all available to anyone, but somehow they kids haven’t turned into degenerate delinquents (ok, they don’t seem any MORE degenerate than they were
)).
They even get Shonen Jump for the kids. Multnomah County library RULES!
October 6th, 2006 at 10:11 am
I wonder how this lady feels about the works of Michalangelo or Rapael…or Klimt, or Mucha, or DaVinci…
Might as well ditch the whole Classic Art section.
glad to see people are so reasonable these days.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:23 am
“I wonder how this lady feels about the works of Michalangelo or Rapael”
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I think they’re too violent for her. Plus there’s that thing with April.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:09 am
Porn? In Blankets? Don’t remember that.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:44 am
I with Nick… I don’t recall anything like that
October 6th, 2006 at 11:47 am
Ridiculous!
Newsarama,
Please follow up on this story and let us know the outcome.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:48 am
Imagine how boring porn would be if blankets were involved.
October 6th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
This just pisses me off so F*CKING much I want to go Marshall and kick everyone in the genitals. ARGH!
October 6th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! What a bunch of frakking ignorants. Sigh… I shouldn’t laugh but the only other possible response is crying with fury and sadness while I break a window with my fist. Cheaper to laugh…
October 6th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Good thing is not everyone is like that.
Bat thing is I sometimes get the feeling that the number of intelligent people is decreasing. 
October 6th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
I hate stupid people.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
I grew up near Marshall, and, quite honestly, I’m just kinda surprised they have library. Seriously. This town is the most redneck ridden cesspool on the planet. And I’ve been to many cesspools in my day.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Umm, as concerned as I am about this censorship issues, I am more perplexed by the “boredom” comments regarding content in Blankets.
Remember your Henry David Thoreau: “It is not all books that are as dull as their readers.”
I’d be seriously concerned about the intellect of someone who thought Blankets was boring. Did that excuse die in like 5th grade. It is about as lame as “I am not much of a reader,” or “I don’t care for books.”
The library is a concern, as is people’s continuing misconception of what a “graphic novel” is. But so are the dumb comments on here.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
Dear Allen N. Swords
are you aiming for the most ignorant comment?
There is no censorship involved, the books are freely available through comercial channels and presumably also through interlibrary loan. The people paying for the books get a say in what is bought. They are wrong in describing either work as pornographic as the intent to arouse is pretty clearly not present in either work, but still, it’s their library and their money. If e.g. someone said that they really didn’t need the complete works of random-white-supremacist-X in their public library, everyone would agree that limited funds need to be allocated wisely.
At any rate, censorship is not involved.
Second, how dare you call the opinion that Blankets is boring an excuse? It’s a valid take on the book and your snobbish assertion to the contrary is just that, another opinion. That you dare suggest anyone finding the book dull is somehow stupid (or at least someone about whose intellect concern is warranted) makes me laugh. Have you considered the possibility, that your vaunted opinion of Blankets is due to your … how to put this nicely … cognitive limitations? I hate to break it to you, but Blankets isn’t particularly deep or insightful. It’s a skillfull coming-of-age tale with some neat bits here and there. Little substance. Words and pictures are made to work together skillfully and I personally love it to pieces. Still, to suggest anyone might not get it supposes that getting it is in any way difficult and that’s just not the case.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
Markus, if your argument is to be believed, then we don’t need Libraries at all, since everything is available commercially. “random-white-supremacist-X” wouldn’t be allowed in a public library because it is hateful, not because it is offensive. It is a degree cencorship because I (as a member of the community) am being denied access to a work at my public library, which is theoretically my only outlet to reading material.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Well, not purchasing a book isn’t censorship. The book would be a potentiality not realized.
Pulling an existing copy from the shelves because of pressure? The money is spent, the material has been made available. Removing the material on “moral” grounds is supressing the material. And supressing after making a moral judgment is a definition of a certain C word.
October 7th, 2006 at 4:37 am
Since libraries are for public use, I believe EVERYTHING should be available to EVERYONE who pays taxes to fund said library. From the most hateful bigotry to the most intellectual and enlightening. Including porn, in fact, but why have porn at the library when it’s so readily available online for download.
These types always protest exactly the wrong books. Why not protest books like Mein Kampf or books by christians telling us why homosexuality is a horrible thing!? Now I’m not advocating the removal of Mein Kampf, anti-gay books, or that anything at all be removed from any library. I should be able to read Blankets AND Mein Kampf if I want to. It’s my right as a tax paying citizen.
However, silly people getting press for stupid stuff like trying to ban books hurts us all. Unless it encourages a publick mocking of them.
October 7th, 2006 at 11:15 am
I just went to my library recently and I couldn’t believe what they did have and what they didn’t have. It didn’t make much sense to me.
There were lots of Catwoman/Nightwing and Batman books but no Marvel. There were even some Ignatz and Joe Sacco books but yet no Scott McCloud books, Maus, Watchmen, Blankets. And I love the fact that they continue to think these books are for little kids. Placing the Graphic Novel section right in the children’s section is not really a good idea imo. You know, seein as Miller’s Dark Knight Returns was right there on the shelf.
Ugh.
October 7th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
Oh thank heavens someone brought this to the attention of the public library! I agree, only seedy people read such filth as Blankets. I’d much rather our youth read about young women being treated like meat like they do in those manga trades, the way the Good Lord intended!
October 8th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Blankets is a beautiful story. These people should be ashamed of themselves.
October 8th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
What a dumb thing to do! Get a life lady. Read the book first.
October 8th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Some people just need to die already.
October 9th, 2006 at 2:26 am
Hell, whats next? Are they going to start removing bibles from their library since it includes whores, zombies, sexism, racism, and violence. Somehow I doubt it. These people are nothing more than hippocritic moral police who want things that they like to stay the way they are and to destroy anything that doesn’t fit into their view of normalcy. Besides pornography in reality does not even exist. It cannot be defined, thus we free-people should be able to determine for ourselves what we can tolerate.
October 10th, 2006 at 1:09 pm
I believe there are alot of interesting comments, and alot of valid points.
I live in Marshall, there is alot going on, that isn’t published in the local paper. Perhaps by oversight, or by the simple fact that the librarians husband is a lead reporter for the newspaper.
Go figure, small town America.
The other book in question is Fun Home. It does show some pretty strong pictures, especially since little kids can reach the books.
Isn’t a library supposed to reflect the communities values, or lack of values?
Censorship brings many emotions, such as the word cancer. There are many forms of cancer, as there is censorship.
Intellectual freedom and the ability to criticize our governnment and its actions definitely need protection from censorship.
Pornography isn’t a matter of intellectual freedom, just a mastabatory process of the immagination. I don’t believe pornography needs to be bought with my tax dollars.
There is a guestion of doing right, right needs to be done, there is a final day of judgement when all will give an accounting for their life. I hope to not have this as a blot on mine.
Please notice I have made my remarks without name calling or character assassination on others, hopefully the rest can continue in such a mature fashion.
Besides, if your’e not from our community, what input should you have on forcing your value system on us?
October 10th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Sad. “Blankets” is the most beautiful graphic novel that i´ve read. That´s poetry in comics.
October 11th, 2006 at 11:41 pm
My fiancee and I just moved from a small college town in Northwest Illinois that had a pretty fantastic graphic novel section that included a couple of “capes and tights” books, but primarily focused on Preacher, Sandman, Transmetropolitan, Joe Sacco’s books, and many others…As a comic book reader of 20+ years, and my fiancee being a reader of 6+ years, we are curious as to the “seedy” people to whom the residents are referring to. Do these include college graduates? Individuals with Masters degrees? PhD’s? College professors? Lawyers? Doctors? Telio Navega said in their post that “there’s poetry in comics”. I guess we should lump ‘Maus’, Marjane Satrapi, Will Eisner and the Pulitzer Prize commitee into the seedy category. But what do I know…I’m just a college professor with an MFA…oh yeah and a democrat…so i guess i’m seedy too…i’d rather be that than uneducated and close-minded…
October 12th, 2006 at 8:36 am
Gee, I guess we stand in awe of those who have a MFA. College degrees and professions with several initials after their titles automatically grants them superiority over all others.
How do you know that some of the people, like the people in comments 30,20, or 17 don’t hold degree, they certainly don’t take to the name calling or character assassinations that other post have.
Guess they might really be the ones with true freedom of expression.
October 19th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
You go Louise!