Comments on: DC leaves the Comics Code http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/01/20/dc-leaves-the-comics-code/ The Blog@ Team and prominent comics personalities share what’s on their minds. Sun, 19 May 2013 11:18:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: jfire http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/01/20/dc-leaves-the-comics-code/comment-page-1/#comment-569191 jfire Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:30:06 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=21111#comment-569191 I think this is smart if DC is smart about how it uses the ratings. Wrote a post about it here: http://popculturesafari.blogspot.com/2011/01/dc-dumps-comics-code.html I think publishers should offer clear guidance on comic book covers as to what age the title is appropriate for. There shouldn't be any wondering necessary by the parent. Better yet, I wish DC and Marvel would just ensure that all their mainstream superhero titles -- those featuring Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, the Hulk, Fantastic Four, Thor, Captain America and the like -- are rated for the same audience. Right now, there are "all ages" Spider-Man, etc., titles and "teen-plus" or even "mature" Spider-Man, etc. titles. This makes no sense to me and likely just turns parents off comics entirely. In movie terms, I think these titles should be in the "PG" category: edgy enough to interest teens and adults, but appropriate enough for kids around age 12. There's no sane, or for that matter, commercial,reason that comics featuring such characters should be essentially rated "R" -- at least not if you're going to continue marketing toys featuring that character to young children. I think this is smart if DC is smart about how it uses the ratings. Wrote a post about it here:

http://popculturesafari.blogspot.com/2011/01/dc-dumps-comics-code.html

I think publishers should offer clear guidance on comic book covers as to what age the title is appropriate for. There shouldn’t be any wondering necessary by the parent.

Better yet, I wish DC and Marvel would just ensure that all their mainstream superhero titles — those featuring Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, the Hulk, Fantastic Four, Thor, Captain America and the like — are rated for the same audience. Right now, there are “all ages” Spider-Man, etc., titles and “teen-plus” or even “mature” Spider-Man, etc. titles. This makes no sense to me and likely just turns parents off comics entirely.

In movie terms, I think these titles should be in the “PG” category: edgy enough to interest teens and adults, but appropriate enough for kids around age 12. There’s no sane, or for that matter, commercial,reason that comics featuring such characters should be essentially rated “R” — at least not if you’re going to continue marketing toys featuring that character to young children.

]]> By: Simon DelMonte http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/01/20/dc-leaves-the-comics-code/comment-page-1/#comment-569183 Simon DelMonte Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:24:27 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=21111#comment-569183 Hard to feel bad about the demise of the Comics Code, given that it stopped being really useful a long time ago. But at the same time, it pretty much saved the industry once upon a time. Self-censorship has never been pretty, but has always beaten censorship by others. In any case, this is the end. I expect even Archie to kiss it goodbye, but then to proudly proclaim that all its books are suitable for everyone. I just find myself recalling the brouhaha back in the late 80s when DC announced it was doing age labels like this, and how a small number of creators took offense and left DC. Today this is the norm, so I guess DC was ahead of the curve back then. Hard to feel bad about the demise of the Comics Code, given that it stopped being really useful a long time ago. But at the same time, it pretty much saved the industry once upon a time. Self-censorship has never been pretty, but has always beaten censorship by others.

In any case, this is the end. I expect even Archie to kiss it goodbye, but then to proudly proclaim that all its books are suitable for everyone.

I just find myself recalling the brouhaha back in the late 80s when DC announced it was doing age labels like this, and how a small number of creators took offense and left DC. Today this is the norm, so I guess DC was ahead of the curve back then.

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