The Comic Code Authority is DEAD.

[Draco]

The comics code served it's purpose when they began, it allowed comics to be published that otherwise may have been overlooked due to the torrid time Seduction of the innocent created.
As time passed they became less relevant and im surprised that this didnt happen a long time ago to be fair.

When marvel started their own rating system it made little sense more so that it was hard to follow and the symbols were not that logical.

Having had such a small amount of customers under teen age in the last few years i havent paid a great deal of attention, but im pretty sure Marvels system works much better now.
Of course it's not an exact science so there will be the odd book that doesnt fit where they say it does.

Archie dont need it as most of what they publish is simpering romantic old tosh ( though i love 'em) and DC seem to have a rough idea how they should proceed that allows them to stretch past what would have been acceptable within the code, but not probably surpassing what is acceptable within society today.

I 'm not too sure how it works in games and other censored areas, but films have always confused the *SQUEE* out of me, but i guess that's money changing hands when needed etc.

[steverino]

The comics code served it's purpose when they began, it allowed comics to be published that otherwise may have been overlooked due to the torrid time Seduction of the innocent created.
As time passed they became less relevant and im surprised that this didnt happen a long time ago to be fair.

When marvel started their own rating system it made little sense more so that it was hard to follow and the symbols were not that logical.

Having had such a small amount of customers under teen age in the last few years i havent paid a great deal of attention, but im pretty sure Marvels system works much better now.
Of course it's not an exact science so there will be the odd book that doesnt fit where they say it does.

Archie dont need it as most of what they publish is simpering romantic old tosh ( though i love 'em) and DC seem to have a rough idea how they should proceed that allows them to stretch past what would have been acceptable within the code, but not probably surpassing what is acceptable within society today.

I 'm not too sure how it works in games and other censored areas, but films have always confused the *SQUEE* out of me, but i guess that's money changing hands when needed etc.

Yeah, there are comics that don't need the code and there are comics that do. The Boys is a book I believe simply wouldn't exist if the comics code was in effect and is a book I read with slight amusement for a few issues. Garth Ennis seemed to find and include every single bit of vulgarity and shock value he could find and put it into this book.

The comic is really lacking in story though. I simply couldn't stand all the damn dialogue Ennis put in and the slow way the stories progressed. Ennis also likes to slang the dialogue to fit the accent the character has and I need to slow down my reading to try and make sense of what the character is saying. And the dialogue!!!! There's tons of it! I have to wade through about 8 pages of slow dialogue before I get any action at all! How is that exciting?

I find this strange because I mostly enjoyed Ennis' run on the Punisher. Yes, it also did not have the Comics Code Authority, but he still had rules he needed to abide by and the result was very entertaining.

I think Ennis is a writer that needs an editor to make sure that he doesn't cross a certain line and to make sure the story progresses. Having one for him again would be a great benefit! I'm no exception to this rule either. John Helmer read a script I am writing for Red Leaf Comics and had to discipline me too. At first I was mad, of course. It's only a human reaction and I tried my best to nicely show him my point of view. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my story could easily be suited to fit him as well and still progress nicely. I had no need to fight, I simply had to open my mind.

Yeah, I can see how the Code can be a nuisance to writers and artists. I also see how it was a great benefit and my worry is that the discipline will go out the window and so will quality of story, replaced by cheap vulgarity and shock value. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Cyberstrike]

The comics code served it's purpose when they began, it allowed comics to be published that otherwise may have been overlooked due to the torrid time Seduction of the innocent created.
As time passed they became less relevant and im surprised that this didnt happen a long time ago to be fair.

When marvel started their own rating system it made little sense more so that it was hard to follow and the symbols were not that logical.

Having had such a small amount of customers under teen age in the last few years i havent paid a great deal of attention, but im pretty sure Marvels system works much better now.
Of course it's not an exact science so there will be the odd book that doesnt fit where they say it does.

Archie dont need it as most of what they publish is simpering romantic old tosh ( though i love 'em) and DC seem to have a rough idea how they should proceed that allows them to stretch past what would have been acceptable within the code, but not probably surpassing what is acceptable within society today.

I 'm not too sure how it works in games and other censored areas, but films have always confused the *SQUEE* out of me, but i guess that's money changing hands when needed etc.

Yeah, there are comics that don't need the code and there are comics that do. The Boys is a book I believe simply wouldn't exist if the comics code was in effect and is a book I read with slight amusement for a few issues. Garth Ennis seemed to find and include every single bit of vulgarity and shock value he could find and put it into this book.

The comic is really lacking in story though. I simply couldn't stand all the damn dialogue Ennis put in and the slow way the stories progressed. Ennis also likes to slang the dialogue to fit the accent the character has and I need to slow down my reading to try and make sense of what the character is saying. And the dialogue!!!! There's tons of it! I have to wade through about 8 pages of slow dialogue before I get any action at all! How is that exciting?

I find this strange because I mostly enjoyed Ennis' run on the Punisher. Yes, it also did not have the Comics Code Authority, but he still had rules he needed to abide by and the result was very entertaining.

I think Ennis is a writer that needs an editor to make sure that he doesn't cross a certain line and to make sure the story progresses. Having one for him again would be a great benefit! I'm no exception to this rule either. John Helmer read a script I am writing for Red Leaf Comics and had to discipline me too. At first I was mad, of course. It's only a human reaction and I tried my best to nicely show him my point of view. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my story could easily be suited to fit him as well and still progress nicely. I had no need to fight, I simply had to open my mind.

Yeah, I can see how the Code can be a nuisance to writers and artists. I also see how it was a great benefit and my worry is that the discipline will go out the window and so will quality of story, replaced by cheap vulgarity and shock value. We'll just have to wait and see.

The truth is most creators and editors at DC (and maybe Archie as well) didn't even bother with the CCA for years, hell outside of the Johnny DC line, Action Comics, Superman, Dectective Comics, Batman, Superman/Batman, JLA and Wonder Woman (and I'm not 100% sure about that) were the only books that still had the seal when I stopped reading DC and that was almost 5 years ago.


And that still doesn't change the fact that rating systems don't work, never have and never will.

[Heath]

And that still doesn't change the fact that rating systems don't work, never have and never will.

And what exactly do you expect from a rating system? What would have to be accomplished for them to "work" in your definition?

[steverino]

The comics code served it's purpose when they began, it allowed comics to be published that otherwise may have been overlooked due to the torrid time Seduction of the innocent created.
As time passed they became less relevant and im surprised that this didnt happen a long time ago to be fair.

When marvel started their own rating system it made little sense more so that it was hard to follow and the symbols were not that logical.

Having had such a small amount of customers under teen age in the last few years i havent paid a great deal of attention, but im pretty sure Marvels system works much better now.
Of course it's not an exact science so there will be the odd book that doesnt fit where they say it does.

Archie dont need it as most of what they publish is simpering romantic old tosh ( though i love 'em) and DC seem to have a rough idea how they should proceed that allows them to stretch past what would have been acceptable within the code, but not probably surpassing what is acceptable within society today.

I 'm not too sure how it works in games and other censored areas, but films have always confused the *SQUEE* out of me, but i guess that's money changing hands when needed etc.

Yeah, there are comics that don't need the code and there are comics that do. The Boys is a book I believe simply wouldn't exist if the comics code was in effect and is a book I read with slight amusement for a few issues. Garth Ennis seemed to find and include every single bit of vulgarity and shock value he could find and put it into this book.

The comic is really lacking in story though. I simply couldn't stand all the damn dialogue Ennis put in and the slow way the stories progressed. Ennis also likes to slang the dialogue to fit the accent the character has and I need to slow down my reading to try and make sense of what the character is saying. And the dialogue!!!! There's tons of it! I have to wade through about 8 pages of slow dialogue before I get any action at all! How is that exciting?

I find this strange because I mostly enjoyed Ennis' run on the Punisher. Yes, it also did not have the Comics Code Authority, but he still had rules he needed to abide by and the result was very entertaining.

I think Ennis is a writer that needs an editor to make sure that he doesn't cross a certain line and to make sure the story progresses. Having one for him again would be a great benefit! I'm no exception to this rule either. John Helmer read a script I am writing for Red Leaf Comics and had to discipline me too. At first I was mad, of course. It's only a human reaction and I tried my best to nicely show him my point of view. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my story could easily be suited to fit him as well and still progress nicely. I had no need to fight, I simply had to open my mind.

Yeah, I can see how the Code can be a nuisance to writers and artists. I also see how it was a great benefit and my worry is that the discipline will go out the window and so will quality of story, replaced by cheap vulgarity and shock value. We'll just have to wait and see.

The truth is most creators and editors at DC (and maybe Archie as well) didn't even bother with the CCA for years, hell outside of the Johnny DC line, Action Comics, Superman, Dectective Comics, Batman, Superman/Batman, JLA and Wonder Woman (and I'm not 100% sure about that) were the only books that still had the seal when I stopped reading DC and that was almost 5 years ago.


And that still doesn't change the fact that rating systems don't work, never have and never will.

True, ratings systems don't work. I believe that good judgement and discipline do. Ratings systems make only a minor difference when a creator has neither.

[Heath]

I'd really like Cyberstrike's answer to my question. Because that's what it really comes down to. What are you expecting from a ratings system?

*I* expect no more than they are designed to do. Give people a vague idea of the age appropriateness of content. Yes, it is oversimplified. That's how it is designed. No, it is not perfect. Nothing is going to be. But yes, it works.

I know that a film that is rated NC-17, or "R" is most likely not appropriate for my kids.

I know that a game rated M is almost certainly not appropriate for my son. A game rated T probably isn't either.

I know that I'm not letting my kid watch a show rated TV-MA unless I've watched it first and decide it's OK for him. But I can also feel fairly confident that a show rated TV-Y is ok for my 3- and 4-year-old girls to watch without pre-screening.

I expect an imperfect system. I expect to occasionally find a TV-Y rated show I don't want my young kids watching. I expect there to be a "T" rated video game that I have no problem with my son playing. I expect there to sometimes be an "R" rated movie I'm fine with him watching, but a PG-13 (or even PG) that I wouldn't want him to watch. My values are not universal. Neither are ratings systems.

Based on MY expectations of the ratings systems, they work.

So, those of you who are so adamant that they don't work, never have, and never will... why? What are YOUR expectations? What would they have to achieve to "work?"


I always think about Kid Rock when thinking about ratings and content warning labels. Imagine some grandma, completely out of touch with today's music. She wants to buy her grandkid some music for that portable music player she doesn't even understand. She's in a music store and she sees a "Kid Rock" CD. Her grandkid likes that rock and roll music. And this is for kids. It says so right there in the title. Kid Rock. That sounds cute. And didn't she see a commercial on TV advertising a CD full of rock music sung by kids? This is probably it.

Now, don't you think she'd like to know that the CD she's about to give her little 7-year-old grand-kid is full of cursing, graphic sexual descriptions, and racial slurs? Maybe a little label on the cover to say, "Hey, this isn't for kids." Maybe some kind of warning or rating to let her know she might not want to give this to a 7-year-old?

[steverino]

I stand corrected. Nice post, Heath!

[sanman]

Thanks Heath, that’s my argument as well.