Graphic artists condemn plans to ban erotic comics

What it says in the title, as reported in the Independent newspaper.

A coalition of graphic artists, publishers and MPs have condemned Government plans to introduce a new set of laws policing cartoons of children, arguing that the current broad wording of the legislation could lead to the banning of hundreds of mainstream comic books.

This week Parliament will discuss a new Bill which will make it a criminal offence to possess cartoons depicting certain forms of child abuse. If the Coroners and Justice Bill remains unaltered it will make it illegal to own any picture of children participating in sexual activities, or present whilst sexual activity took place…

There are even fears that Watchmen, one of the industry’s most critically acclaimed graphic novels, could risk being banned because one of the main superheroes sees his mother having sex when he is a young child.

Comic book writers and publishers, including Moore’s daughter Leah who is herself an acclaimed graphic artist, have now set up the Comic Book Alliance to ensure that the legislation only targets overtly paedophilic and pornographic cartoons and not artistic erotica.

This is hugely dangerous ground. It’s always frightening when a government interferes deeply, especially in matters of art, and where does it stop from here? Let’s get rid of the words too? Ban Nabokov’s Lolita? But I’m glad that high-profile writers such as Neil Gaiman have voiced their opinions against the bill. It does bring to mind a certain Brass Eye episode, and I can’t help but wonder what an anarchist like Alan Moore would have to say about it all…