US EditionComic books once stoked fears of crime, but a California city wants to confront that history
Sacramento City Council committee unanimously advanced repeal of a 1949 ban aimed at protecting minors from crime comics, citing cultural value and modern book ban concerns.
- On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council Law and Legislation Committee voted unanimously to advance repeal and designate the third week of September as Sacramento Comic Book Week, sending the measure to the full Sacramento City Council for a vote.
- Dating to 1949, Sacramento's ordinance bars many comic books to minors, reflecting mid-century fears that spurred local bans from Los Angeles County to Lafayette, while the California Supreme Court ruled in 1959 that a similar LA County ban was overly broad.
- Lecho Lopez, Sacramento comic shop owner , said comics helped his dyslexia and steered him away from gangs, while Eben Burgoon and Sam Helmick called for repeal of the ban.
- Proponents say repealing the ordinance would reflect comics' cultural and educational value and help guard against modern book bans, while the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund says repeal would bolster free-speech protections for readers and creators despite rare enforcement.
- Scholars point out that recent research shows little link between comics and youth violence, experts note moral panic often greets new media, and legal observers like Jeff Trexler question Sacramento's ban.
26 Articles
26 Articles
On paper, a California city bans the sale of comic books to kids. Officials want to change that
In the mid-20th century, comic books groups grew in popularity. But some people worried that they were contributing to illiteracy and inciting crime among young people. One California city passed a ban in 1949 banning anyone from distributing comic books…
Comic books once stoked fears of crime, but a California city wants to confront that history
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — On a recent day at Sacramento native Lecho Lopez’s comic shop in the city, his 5-year-old nephew read his first word aloud: “bad.” It was from a graphic novel. There was irony in that being his first word, because Lopez credits comic books with many positive things in his life. That’s why he supports repealing a city ordinance dating back to 1949 that bars the distribution of many comic books to kids and teens. It’s not…
Comic books once stoked fears of crime, but a California city wants to confront that history
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — On a recent day at Sacramento native Lecho Lopez's comic shop in the city, his 5-year-old nephew read his first word aloud: “bad.” It was from a graphic novel.
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