Comics Code Authority (nonfiction)
The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America as an alternative to government regulation, to allow the comic publishers to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States.
Its code, commonly called "the Comics Code," lasted until the early 21st century.
Many have linked the CCA's formation to a series of Senate hearings and the publication of psychologist Fredric Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent.
Members submitted comics to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to its Code, then authorized the use of their seal on the cover if the book was found to be in compliance.
At the height of its influence, it was a de facto censor for the U.S. comic book industry.
By the early 2000s, newer publishers bypassed the CCA and Marvel Comics abandoned it in 2001.
By 2010, only three major publishers still adhered to it: DC Comics, Archie Comics, and Bongo Comics.
Bongo broke with the CCA in 2010. DC and Archie followed in January 2011, rendering the Code defunct.
In the News
Comics Code Authority not actually defeated, Green Lantern celebration premature.
Anthropologists from future find no sign that a "Comics Code Authority" ever existed.
Fiction cross-reference
Nonfiction cross-reference
Attribution:
External links:
- Comics Code Authority @ Wikipedia