Kirk O'Brien - 1/16/2019

Local artist, Kirk O’Brien, shared a slide lecture on the topic of “The Role of Government in Comics”. This fascinating lecture enlightened us on how censorship of the Comics Code Authority shaped the comics industry of today.

His talk also compared the issues of today with those of the 1950s and 60s... Consider how the morality of the messages and imagery presented in comics back then might be analogous to contemporary events and objections to violent video games... The phrase "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" might apply here... think about it. 

Comics, like all art, are a product of the times in which they are created. Watch the talk and use the additional resources below to fully understand the context of the comics that were being produced and, in some cases, censored. Then ask yourself:

• Can censorship ever be a good thing? When is it bad?
• Did the Comics Code Authority make any positive impacts? When do you think they went too far?
• What are the unintended consequences of censorship - or the lack thereof? 

MORE INFORMATION:

• Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr coined the epigram "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" In English, this translates to "the more that changes, the more it's the same thing." We often say instead, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." In French, the phrase is often shortened to "plus ça change."
• The rules of the Comics Code Authority ​
• The video below describes the origins of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow cross-country road trip storyline and confronting the Comics Code Authority.