Johanna Draper Carlson reports the Free Comic Book Day committee is requiring all participating books to be appropriate for all ages, and “contain no nudity.”
The move would appear to be in response to the Gordon Lee case, which involves Alternative Comics’ 2004 FCBD sampler.
In previous years, only Gold-level titles had to be suitable for all ages, as all participating retailers were required to purchase them. Silver sponsors were permitted to feature “mature” content, as long as it was labeled appropriately.
It will be interesting to see what titles and content will qualify as “all ages” in the eyes of the committee. What level of, say, “superhero violence” will pass muster? Also, which publishers will bow out, or be rejected, because of the new requirement?
It’s surprising that the publishers wouldn’t automatically create all-ages books as giveaways in the first place.
Though having a committee form to tell publishers what kind of material they are allowed to give-away free is kind of ridiculous.
It’s Free Comic Day not Free Speech Day.
Comment by Brian Denham — December 7, 2007 @ 11:46 am
It’s too bad that it has to come to this (thanks puritanical jacka–es!), but, the point of FCBD has always been to get kids specifically into the shops, so I don’t see this as such a huge problem.
Comment by Jason — December 7, 2007 @ 11:51 am
This doesn’t bother me, since the focus of Free Comic Book Day should be three things:
1) Kids
2) Kids
and
3) Kids
We all have plenty of opportunities to get mature comics, give the kids a chance to go into a comic shop and walk out with a big stack of free colorful comics goodness.
This year my three-year-old daughter went to a local shop, got a bag full of free comics and a hug from Spider-Man. She was smiling all day and still loves to take out her stack of comics and pore through them.
Comment by sluggo — December 7, 2007 @ 12:39 pm
Remember, comics are just for kids!
Comment by Thacher E Cleveland — December 7, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
This strikes me as a horrible thing for the industry.
Stores wishing to serve only kids have always had the option of buying the kid-friendly comics only. As responsible retailers we make it a point to read every FCBD comic and know their contents and make certain they go into age-appropriate hands.
As much as I don’t want to see Gordon Lee to go to jail, it was a retailer-level problem, not a systemic problem.
FCBD does NOT need to be kids-only. FCBD CAN (and in fact needs to)target adults who have written off comics as kids-lit. If the industry ever wants to grow out of its adolescence and shed the kids-only stigma adult audiences are a necessity.
This decision is very much a step backwards for freedom of literature.
Comment by Anthony Barry — December 7, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
This is possibly the second worst thing to happen to comics since the CCA.
I was never under the impression that the point of FCBD was to bring children into comic shops. I thought the point was to bring customers into comic shops.
I’m not opposed to publishers putting out all-ages titles, and putting “All-Ages” on the cover.
I am opposed to putting out the message to the general public that comics are a children’s medium.
Someone please clarify for me what happens the day after FCBD, when the books are $3, and they’re not all ages.
I suppose congratulations are in order for chasing away any adults that aren’t interested in all-ages titles.
For example - A parent brings their child into a comic shop on FCBD, and while their kids are picking through the titles with “All-Ages” on the cover, the parent asks about the ones that don’t.
Unless there aren’t any…
Way to shoot the industry in the foot.
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 7, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
Nope, don’t like it.
It’s does reinforce the notion that comics are for kids. What a shop in my area did was have two tables.
One had the Johnny DC and Marvel kids comics. On the other was the mainstream and other mature indy titles. The owner doesn’t sell nor order XXX comics, so it wasn’t an issue.
It’s family friendly and I’ve seen parents load up on Black Diamond Detective, Umberella Academy, and other titles.
Comment by Skyhawk — December 7, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
This makes it easier on retailers. When a kid grabs a stack of FCBD labeled books, the retailer should be able to give a cursory glance at the covers and know they’re all age-appropriate. Anything marked “mature” will mostly sell itself, as proven by the similar warning labels in other media.
Comment by elvee — December 7, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
I’d think that having “All-Ages” on the cover would make it easy enough on retailers. How easy does it have to be?
Isn’t this a medium where people are supposed to be able to read?
In bookstores (not comic stores), the books for adults aren’t labeled “For Mature Readers”. The children’s books are in the children’s section, the young adult books are in the Y/A section, usually with Y/A on the spine.
Borders and Barnes & Noble seem to be “getting by” without warning labels on everything that isn’t all-ages.
Again, it’s about the message the industry is giving the general public. If that message is “Comics are for kids”, then it’s time I stop buying comics.
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 7, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Oh come on…
All of you decrying this as an affront to free speech and saying “This is possibly the second worst thing to happen to comics since the CCA.” need to shut the hell up.
First off this is mainly to AVOID problems like the Gordon Lee case, and to protect retailers. Second, FCD is a day that is AIMED at kids and picking up new readership. All Ages books do not mean it’s all ponies and butterfly’s people. So until we find out that super hero violence and amazing reads like last years Umbrella Academy are getting blocked because of some ridiculous guideline calm the f*** down.
Comment by Annoyed — December 7, 2007 @ 2:41 pm
“First off this is mainly to AVOID problems like the Gordon Lee case, and to protect retailers. Second, FCD is a day that is AIMED at kids and picking up new readership. All Ages books do not mean it’s all ponies and butterfly’s people. So until we find out that super hero violence and amazing reads like last years Umbrella Academy are getting blocked because of some ridiculous guideline calm the f*** down.”
Avoid problems like the Lee case?
Hey, then why not use this FCBD “logic” to ALL books in a comic shop.
Would it had been any different had he SOLD the book to the kid by accident?
And where is it sated that FCBD is AIMED at kids???
Where?
I thought it was a day to AIM at ALL POTENTIAL NEW CUSTOMERS. That goes for someone who wants a copy of Superman or Scooby Doo or Love & Rockets or Spider Girl or Acme Novelty Co.
If there was all this concern to acquire a new generation of kid readers than the large comic companies, Diamond Distributers and comic shops in general have missed that boat A LONG TIME AGO.
Comment by Richard J. Marcej — December 7, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
“So until we find out that super hero violence and amazing reads like last years Umbrella Academy are getting blocked because of some ridiculous guideline calm the f*** down.”
So the new standard for free speech is that limits on it is fine, as long as the content enjoyed by you–an anonymous Internet poster–is protected?
Comment by Russell Burlingame — December 7, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
If the CBLDF was smart, they would stage protests at some of the bigger FCBD events next year. The media coverage of the protests would be as much or more (probably more) than what FCBD usually gets anyway.
Comment by Russell Burlingame — December 7, 2007 @ 3:13 pm
how on earth is this a free speech issue? do the complaining posters believe they have a right to free comics for mature readers? sorry, I don’t get it.
Comment by Steve J. — December 7, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
“how on earth is this a free speech issue? do the complaining posters believe they have a right to free comics for mature readers? sorry, I don’t get it.”
Telling publishers what they can and can’t publish in order to benefit from FCBD seems like a free speech issue to me.
Perhaps you would prefer calling it a common sense issue.
Why should a publisher be forced to put out misleading FCBD comics? If their comics aren’t all ages, how is putting out an all ages FCBD book helpful to them or the industry? Should they be prohibited from participating, so that people who take their kids to a comic shop once a year for FCBD don’t have to pay attention to what their kids are reading?
Why do immature readers believe they have a right to ban FCBD books for mature readers? Sorry, I don’t get it.
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 7, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
It’s not a free speech issue, the organisation behind FCBD can set up whatever rules it wants (e.g. to keep its reputation clean), nobody is required to participate, nobody has a right to be allowed to participate (provided the guidelines are applied fairly across the board).
Second, there is no ban. Not all events are for everyone, nor need they be, get over it.
That said, the FCBD people clearly have put saftey and child-friendliness over diversity of product and diversity of potential new customers and I agree that this seems like a bad idea. The important thing they seem to be going for, namely that parents can enjoy FCBD with next to no worry could have been equally well achieved otherwise IMO. For instance, one could require all titles that are not all ages to advertise that fact with a highly visible banner, uniform across publishers, like the Marvel Civil War and Initiative banners. That should be in your face enough for everyone.
Still, it’s their show and they decide how to run it. The potential improved reception among parents is as much on them as the potential loss of importance of an ever more exclusive event.
Comment by markus — December 7, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
I don’t think all FCBD comics should be kid-friendly. I would like to see more kid-friendly FCBD comics, however. I have helped at my LCS on FCBD for several years, and a large number of people who show up are kids, brought by their parents. We didn’t have enough of the kid-friendly titles for the kids, because so many adults who also came snatched up the kid-friendly titles for themselves. And since the FCBD comics are NOT free to the retailers, my LCS owner was thinking he’d have to make some hard decisions about what to order for next time.
Comment by Kat Kan — December 7, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
“For instance, one could require all titles that are not all ages to advertise that fact with a highly visible banner, uniform across publishers, like the Marvel Civil War and Initiative banners. That should be in your face enough for everyone.”
That seems backwards. Why not put the labels on the comics for kids, rather than perpetuate the idea that comics are for kids, except for a few adult titles that need to be kept behind the counter?
I suppose it’s idealistic to wish that the comic industry would take a stand rather than castrate itself again.
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 7, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
“Why do immature readers believe they have a right to ban FCBD books for mature readers? Sorry, I don’t get it.”
Me, an immature reader? Ha! Jump to some other conclusion!
As others have stated, the FCBD committee can make any rules they want - it’s their game. And they aren’t telling anyone what they can or cannot publish. What they’ve said is that if a publisher is going to participate in FCBD, then their offering must be all-ages content. Participation in FCBD is neither a requirement nor a right for any publisher.
In any case, FCBD is intended as a promotion for the retailer, and a giveaway to the public, not a benefit for the publisher.
It might be worth mentioning here that the incorporated parties that sell material in the FCBD program do not possess the right to free speech, at least in the US. That’s reserved entirely for individual human beings…none of whom offered comics in FCBD 2006. So, it’s not a free speech issue. You’ll have to find something else to protest.
Comment by Steve J. — December 7, 2007 @ 11:58 pm
Freedom of the Press?
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 8, 2007 @ 12:15 am
With no government restrictions being involved in this, Freedom of the Press is not a factor. This is entirely a matter of different parts of the press trying to work out the way that they want to express themselves.
Comment by Jason "CodeGuy" Bryant — December 8, 2007 @ 12:23 am
I’m not suggesting that the FCBD committee is violating publisher’s rights, just that they’re not supporting them, which I think would help with the public’s perception of the medium.
Supporting publisher’s rights seems more helpful than enabling lazy adults so that they don’t have to pay attention to what they give to children.
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 8, 2007 @ 12:54 am
#19- honestly, I’d be much sadder if the comics industry adopted the position that comics are NOT suitable for children by default, and only specially marked titles are okay for kids to read.
Comment by Evan Waters — December 8, 2007 @ 2:23 am
#23 - Like books that don’t have word balloons in them?
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 8, 2007 @ 7:36 am
Not sure what that has to do with anything.
Anyway, labelling both seems like the obvious middle way here, but as for the current FCBD decision, I dunno. It depends on what standard they use.
Comment by Evan Waters — December 8, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
There wouldn’t be anything wrong with labelling *all* comics with age ratings. I thought that was how it was, with some having the all ages tag and others having a teen tag. But looking over recent covers, it doesn’t seem to be there reliably.
If every comic had a rating, just like every movie has a rating, I think that would be a big help without labeling comics as being primarily one way or the other.
Comment by Jason "CodeGuy" Bryant — December 8, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
Now that FCBD has been ret-conned to mean Family Comic Book Day, the logical response is…
FICW (Free Independent Comics Week) - Celebrating the creativity, diversity and talent independent comic publishers provide mature readers.
During the week ending with the last Saturday in April, participating comic shops would give away comics with the FICW logo on the cover, using the same discretion they use to run their business the rest of the year.
http://tinyurl.com/2huybo
Problem solved.
Comment by Brian (co-host of the Kryptographik podcast) — December 8, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
I think an industry-wide standard would be best as well.
Comment by Evan Waters — December 8, 2007 @ 3:11 pm
It is a bit of a free speech issue, just not a Freedom of Speech issue. Whenever the government isn’t involved, apologists like to prevent you from calling it a free speech issue for some reason.
Those running the FCBD (still Diamond, isn’t it?) are forcing publishers to fit their cultural standards or they can’t participate. They are censoring them (just like some radio and TV shows have their content censored for words that they think might alienate listeners/viewers, not just FCC banned ones).
So now…on the one day of the year that brick and mortar stores are best able to give out loss leaders to generate customers, they can’t get any help selling them on diversity of offerings. Publishers that don’t have any all ages material (I’m thinking Zenescope and Avatar, though I can’t swear on either) are effectively frozen out of the process.
It further hurts the standing of the comic book hobby in society, because it helps paint a picture of comics being for kids. If the Gordon Lee case is the motivation, then they’re retarded. There have been three years of the offerings since then with no incidents. If those running this wanted to insulate themselves, they could make participating retailers sign a form that guarantees that all mature titles will be under strict observation by an employee of the store at all times to ensure that no child gets one. Maybe even point a webcam or digital cam to record for back up in case there are any claims. That way, if the retailer doesn’t do anything that they agreed to, those running the program can distance themselves from the retailer.
Comment by Kevin Huxford — December 9, 2007 @ 2:33 am
If I’m an apologist for anything, it’s for truth. Calling this a free speech issue means that someone’s right to free speech is being infringed upon. That is clearly not the case. I restate: no publisher of comic books has a right (or is entitled) to participate in FCBD. If the opposite were true, then why doesn’t every single publisher listed in Previews offer something on FCBD? Because there are other rules that they must follow (most likely regarding production costs), and they obviously choose to opt out for their own reasons. It’s Diamond’s program, they make the rules, any publisher can participate if they wish to follow them. If they do not, there is absolutely nothing stopping any publisher from offering their own free comic books for giveaway on FCBD or any other day of the year. The only thing being denied is distribution through Diamond, and I propose that the belief that a free comic giveaway can only take place with Diamond running it is more of a threat to the industry than the prohibition of mature readers material on FCBD. It sounds like Kryptographik Brian is on to something with his FICW idea, which is a much more effective response than sitting at your keyboard complaining about free speech issues. (That’s what I’m against, not the mature readers books - Scalped and Walking Dead are two of my favorites!) I hope he’s able to get it going - that would be awesome. I’m even willing to help him work on it! Let’s add Hux to the mix, he could certainly help with his industry connections. What do you say, guys?
Comment by Steve J. — December 10, 2007 @ 10:05 am
@Kevin Huxford
You have a point about the weakness of the “not the government” argument, but I’m fairly certain it doesn’t apply here.
It is fairly trivial for an affected publisher to ring up a bunch of other, potentially affected publishers (see publishers participating with mature stuff in the part for a list), form a rival entity or not, and agree to offer a sample issue at cost on the same day as FCBD. A bunch of press releases and they’re done.
Sure, it might not be as effective as participation in FCBD would have been, but the difference will be in the range of adverse effects due to other market participants, not comparable to the effect of government intervention. Which in turn will demonstrate that the “not the government, hence no free speech issue” is NOT merely a semantic sophism in this case.
Comment by markus — December 10, 2007 @ 7:13 pm