Comic-Con: Comic book creators feel chill of book ban attempts

A fearsome fellow on Day at Comic-Con Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego Attendees on Day were ready for cosplay Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego A gatekeeper on Comic Con mugs it up on Day Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego A street race Comic-Con style Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego One of the multiple activations outside Comic-Con on Day Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego One of the plenty of activations outside Comic-Con on Day Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego One of the numerous activations outside Comic-Con on Day Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego One of the multiple activations outside Comic-Con on Day Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego Book banning movements have proliferated in the last several years and comic books and graphic novel creators have discovered themselves in the crosshairs too A panel of experts including San Diego educators lamented the impact of book bans on the comics industry on the first full day of San Diego Comic-Con Thursday Pamela Jackson co-director of the Center for Comics Studies at San Diego State University commented majority people disagree with book bans but a loud minority has made their voices heard It s an organized attack what s happening in the country she explained In the American Library Association tracked attempts to censor library materials and services which far exceed the numbers prior to The comics that show up on ban lists usually deal with gender and LGBTQ issues Comic books and graphic novels by their nature are easier for critics to find things to complain about noted William Nericcio an English professor at SDSU In order to ban books you have to read them he reported But comics all you have to do is flip the pages Although book ban efforts have been defeated they still create a chilling atmosphere for writers and artists leading to self-censorship mentioned panelists This is nothing new for the comics industry they reported citing debates about the comics industry early on that led to creation of a comics authority code Nericcio who teaches a comics history module disclosed several young minds should be challenged with more adult works Comics are a gateway drug to high literature he joked Citing his own experiences he added I looked at all kinds of works I wasn t supposed to But that s what books do They fracture our imagination and we grow from that In the meantime organizations like the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund will continue to advocate for artists writers and comic book retailers You have to keep fighting the fight Jackson explained