# Whatever happened to the Comics Code Authority? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136 "2006-07-04T04:59:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/1 "2006-07-04T04:59:06Z")
Are they still in business? (I haven’t bought a comic in a good few years, the prices are unbelievable now). Do any of the big comic book companies still use them? Or did they just wither away (and if so, does that mean there’s no specific censorship of comics now, other than general federal/state laws on obscenity, etc)? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/2 "2006-07-04T05:36:02Z")
It still exists, though the contents of the code have been significantly changed over the years and it no longer has anywhere near the power it once had. Marvel dropped them in 2001 and now uses [its own rating system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Rating_System). DC continues to submit comics for CCA approval, but not in any systematic way. For example, the latest issue of Batman has the CCA seal, but the latest issue of Robin does not. As far as I know, there is specific censorship of comics now apart from that self-imposed by the publisher. Diamond, who are currently the only comics distributor of any real significance, ships pornographic comics, so I have to imagine they don’t have any content restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/3 "2006-07-04T07:04:07Z")
[QUOTE=cckerberos] As far as I know, there is specific censorship of comics now apart from that self-imposed by the publisher. [/QUOTE] I think you’re missing a “no” here. Anyway, of course even under the CCA comics censorship was self-imposed – the Authority was a creation of the comic publishers, and funded by them, and no publisher was ever required by anything other than their own horse sense to submit an issue for review. Although in the early days shipping without the CCA stamp was the kiss of death, because distributors would refuse to ship it, and stores would refuse to stock it. That hasn’t been the case in most of the country for decades now, though. I don’t think Image or Dark Horse (the #3 and 4 publishers thru comic shops) ever belonged to the CCA, nor did CrossGen (briefly the #5 publisher), even though CrossGen’s stuff would have been approved without any agita. Archie Comics, I think, still gets regular CCA approval. I expect it’s only a matter of time before DC stops submitting issues to the CCA altogether, except maybe their kids’ titles. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/4 "2006-07-04T11:22:56Z")
And remember that Disney never submitted its comics, on the grounds that they were so obviously wholesome given the brand name that no outside validation was necessary. The Spiderman sequence in which Harry does drugs (late 60s/early 70s?) was the first published with the code seal by someone who had been submitting. When the sky didn’t fall, the Code gradually withered away. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/5 "2006-07-04T14:05:11Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] The Spiderman sequence in which Harry does drugs (late 60s/early 70s?) was the first published **with** the code seal by someone who had been submitting. [/QUOTE] Those issues were published _without_ the CCA seal. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/6 "2006-07-04T14:15:43Z")
Wow! I just found a copy of the [code](http://www.dereksantos.com/comicpage/code.html) online (from 1971). It’s a miracle that _any_ good comix were written under those conditions! Rule 3 is particularly sinister. “Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.” And how about this for a catch-all? “All elements or techniques not specifically mentioned herein, but which are contrary to the spirit and intent of the Code, and are considered violations of good taste or decency, shall be prohibited.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/7 "2006-07-04T15:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Those issues were published _without_ the CCA seal. [/QUOTE] True. A few months later, Green Lantern/Green Arrow published a sequence where Speedy did drugs under the CCA seal. The CCA was probably revising thing around this time, and Marvel may have been able to get a seal, but it was better PR not to bother. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-comics-code-authority/363136/8 "2006-07-04T16:11:19Z")
[QUOTE=aldiboronti] Wow! I just found a copy of the [code](http://www.dereksantos.com/comicpage/code.html) online (from 1971). [/QUOTE] The code’s from 1954, not 1971. And the purpose of rule 3, in addition to the rest of the rules in that part, was so that crime wouldn’t be glorified…you know, so that it’s not the criminals who are the good guys and the law the bad guys. The 1971 amendment of that section of the code changed it to: > [@](#): > > Policemen, judges, government officials and respected institutions shall not be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority. If any of these is depicted committing an illegal act, it must be declared as an exceptional case and that the culprit pay the legal price. Here’s the 1954 code: > **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)** > > Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo! 1971 amendment: > **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)** > > Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo! 1989 amendment: > **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)** > > Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo!