For several years, I had a volunteer job as the webmaster for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF). I did it out of sheer appreciation for what the group is all about, and still pay some of their domain name fees as a regular donation.
So it galls me that almost 30 years after the CBLDF was formed, there are still people out there decrying comics as "just for kids" and worse, proclaiming they should have the right to ban such reading material on the "behalf" of others.
The latest news, brought to my attention by the CBLDF, comes from Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, California, a community college in operation since 1972. According to the Redland Daily, where the story first appeared, a 20-year-old student named Tara Shultz was shocked—SHOCKED I say—to find that her English 250: Fiction course included several graphic novels she deemed unworthy of her eyeballs.
The titles she (and her apparently very sheltering—and sheltered—parents) object to: Persepolis, Fun Home, Y: The Last Man Vol. 1, and The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House. She's described them as "pornography" and "garbage."
All of the above are "highly acclaimed, award-winning graphic novels," as pointed out by Associate Professor Ryan Bartlett. Persepolis was made into an animated film years ago by creator Marjane Satrapi. Fun Home, by the way, just got adapted into a Broadway show that won the Tony for Best Musical. Sandman was written 25 years ago by Neil Gaiman, arguably among the most famous fantasy authors in the world (and a CBLDF advisory board member). All titles are pretty easy to find as "research" before going into class—since they were on the syllabus. That is especially important if your delicate sensibilities are extra-delicate, like those of Ms. Shultz.
The real money quote is this: "I expected Batman and Robin, not pornography."
This course at Crafton Hills is nothing new. Bartlett has taught it three different terms without complaint. But apparently the teacher not warning the students on the first day of class that there would be adult content in the books is a sticking point with the Shultz family. They want to, in Ms. Shultz's words, "at least get a warning on the books. At most I would like the books eradicated from the system. I don't want them taught anymore. I don't want anyone else to have to read this garbage."
At first, I hoped Crafton Hills would expel the little brat. Refund her money to her like-minded parents. Send her packing, earned credits under her wing, so she can go find a school where she'll never be challenged and never see something she doesn't want to see, especially if it's in a panel with word balloons. That's an over-reaction, though it feels justified when I read further quotes. Like this gem from the father, Greg Shultz (who doesn't seem to realize he's not in the class with his daughter): "If they (had) put a disclaimer on this, we wouldn't have taken the course."
Thankfully, the president of Crafton Hills, Cheryl A. Marshall, said the school absolutely will not ban any books. And that is excellent news.
People discovering (gasp!) that comics can cover adult themes is nothing new. The CBLDF has literally been helping people face much worse than this for years. People's entire livelihoods, and lives, have been destroyed for the prosecution of what was deemed "obscene" by overly malicious district attorneys or politicians. They're typically looking for an easy target; who's easier to beat up on than the local comic shop or a poor cartoonist stuck at a drawing desk? The CBLDF has had major lawyers sending out letters to put a stop to it for years. Once a bully sees someone will defend the little guy, they typically back down.
In this case, however, it was a student pushing her puritanical agenda with her school. More power to her for protesting—that'spart of the First Amendment—and the CBLDF holds it to be sacrosanct.
But when protesters seek to change a school curriculum to suit narrow mindsets—to take away the discussion regarding books, or ban the books themselves, because they object to the content—that's going too far. And it's something I'm thrilled to see the school administrators at Crafton Hills stand against.
It's especially gratifying since big institutions are risk adverse, to possible litigation and bad PR. Plus, there's plenty of censorship going on all the time with books like this. Fun Home's a regular target. Persepolois was in the list of most banned books of 2014 for showing "gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint." Also on that list, comics-wise: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fionna Staples, one of our 10 Digital Comics You Need to Read. Vaughan also wrote Y: The Last Man.
If you think this isn't something to care about, it's not just comics: video games are also constantly under the gun. The latest attacks include legislators using tax reform to go after things they don't like.
It's up to educators to set a precedent for students at the start that censorship shouldn't be tolerated, no matter what the tactic. Kudos to Crafton Hills College for getting it right. I hope the Shultz family can accept that and not turn it into a lawsuit.
This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Action Comics
Action Comics takes off in a bold, new direction under the creative vision of Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder. Superman deals with a new set of trials and tribulations when the world learns his secret identity, but that's the least of Clark's worries; he's lost his ability to fly, some of his invulnerability, and a good portion of his strength. Can Superman be Superman without being Superman?
Archie
Superstar creators Fiona Staples and Mark Waid take up the challenge of breathing new life into one of the comic book industry's most-iconic characters. Archie sees the return of many beloved Riverdale faces, including Betty, Jughead, and Reggie, but it's the titular character that's (naturally) the focus of the book. The first story arc sees the redhead dealing with the ramifications of a mysterious event known simply as "The Lipstick Incident." Yup, he still has girl problems.
The Black Hood
The Black Hood, a new series that's part of Archie Comics's Dark Circle imprint, follows a Philadelphia cop named Greg Hettinger who takes a shotgun blast to the face after an encounter with gangbangers. Bitter and hooked on painkillers, Hettinger dons a black hood and takes to the streets for vengeance. Duane Swierczynski, Michael Gaydos, and Kelly Fitzpatrick handle the story and visuals.
Captain America: White
The Eisner award-winning team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, the duo behind the acclaimed Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray, and Spider-Man: Blue, tackle the early days of World War II's iconic costumed hero. Captain America: White features a recently thawed Steve Rogers reflecting on his first encounters with Nick Fury, The Howling Commandos, and his last mission with his once-dead partner, Bucky.
The Fade Out
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's intricate, 1940s crime story tells the tale of a Hollywood writer plagued by World War II nightmares, a starlet's brutal death, and a movie studio head who tries to keep the murder under wraps. The 40-page first issue of this excellently crafted drama features bonus story pages, as well as exclusive back page articles.
Lando
The smoothest brother in a galaxy far, far away finally charms and swindles in his own five-issue limited series. Lando, featuring stories by Charles Soule and pencils and inks by Alex Maleev, details one of Calrissian's adventures before he joined the Rebel Alliance—an adventure that lands him deep in The Empire's affairs.
Saga
Brian K. Vaughn and Fionna Staples' Saga was one of the first comics featured in this digital comics roundup when we launched it many months ago—now we're bringing it back. The Image Comics-published space opera remains one of the best books on the market thanks to a potent combination of action, heart-touching moments, and simple but excellent art. If you haven't picked up Saga, you should do so right now.
Secret Wars (2015)
Rest in peace, Marvel Universe. The world-famous comic book universe is destroyed after a series of reality-wrecking incursions, resulting in a Doctor Doom-controlled patchwork world known as Battleworld in which only the strongest survive. This is the payoff of Jonathan Hickman's multi-year story arc, and the building blocks for Marvel's new book-wide continuity.
Strange Fruit
J.G. Jones and Mark Waid's Strange Fruit tells the tale of racial tensions that are set to explode in Chatterlee, Mississippi. As the Mississippi River rises and threatens to flood the small town, the sudden appearance of an otherworldly being brings everything to a head.
Southern Bastards
Jason Aaron and Jason Latour spin a southern-fried tale of crime and depravity in Image Comics' Southern Bastards. Set in Craw County, Alabama, Southern Bastards began with Earl Tubb returning to his hometown after a 40-year absence, only to discover that shady individuals and ruthless criminals still rule the roost. The latest arc sees Tubb's nemesis, the vile Coach Boss, receive the origin treatment. Warning: It's really, really messed up.