“This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989
This article delves into the construction of an adult audience in the cultural industry of comic books, through a comparison between the evolution, in film industry, towards a more adult market throughout the 1960s, and the evolutions which transformed the comic book industry twenty years later. It...
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2025
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| Acceso en liña: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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eng |
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Article ou chapitre numérique |
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comic book Comics Code Authority roman graphique Maus Frank Miller Alan Moore comic book Comics Code Authority graphic novel Maus Frank Miller Alan Moore |
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comic book Comics Code Authority roman graphique Maus Frank Miller Alan Moore comic book Comics Code Authority graphic novel Maus Frank Miller Alan Moore Deverell, Richard D. “This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 |
| description |
This article delves into the construction of an adult audience in the cultural industry of comic books, through a comparison between the evolution, in film industry, towards a more adult market throughout the 1960s, and the evolutions which transformed the comic book industry twenty years later. It also questions the adaptation processes, asking in which ways the evolution towards more adult contents inside comic books had, been contradicted by opposite forces attempting to provide family entertainment at the turn of the 20th century and in the beginning of the 21st. It argues that the combination of a weakening Comics Code, a new distribution model that offered an alternative to the Code’s focus on newsstands, and greater experimentation in long-form graphic novel storytelling made it possible for comic book advocates to gain mainstream critical approval for their work. While Marvel and DC continued to publish superhero stories under the Code, advocates had succeeded in cracking open pathways that bypassed it for select titles opened the possibility for highly experimental work. Other independent publishers arose that approached censorship in a much more lax manner, adopting the Code only as it suited them Several of these publishers enticed talent from Marvel or DC by offering creative control or retention of copyright, thereby tapping into the burgeoning creator’s rights movement and supporting further exploration of how writers and artists could use the medium. By the end of the 1980s, advocates had made such headway undermining the Code that the Comics Code Authority, trying to stave off complete irrelevance, revised it a second time. The new rules allowed characters to reflect prevailing social attitudes and show sensitivity to issues of race and sexuality, allowing more positive portrayals of gay characters. Even amid these radical changes, the Code seal continued appearing on most comic book covers, ironically offering comic book advocates protection to experiment against those who might wish to restrict the more adult fare. |
| author |
Deverell, Richard D. |
| author_facet |
Deverell, Richard D. |
| author_sort |
Deverell, Richard D. |
| title |
“This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 |
| title_short |
“This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 |
| title_full |
“This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 |
| title_fullStr |
“This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 |
| title_full_unstemmed |
“This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 |
| title_sort |
“this isn’t a mudhole… it’s an operating table.”: the second comics code and the direct market, 1980-1989 |
| publisher |
Mise au point |
| publishDate |
2025 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/map |
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https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/154x6 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/map/8205 |
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1877291880142602240 |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:map_8205 https://doi.org/10.4000/154x6 urn:doi:10.4000/154x6 eng https://journals.openedition.org/map/8205 2025-11-12T01:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/154x6 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ “This isn’t a mudhole… It’s an operating table.”: The Second Comics Code and the Direct Market, 1980-1989 Mise au point Association française des enseignants et chercheurs en cinéma et audiovisuel info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2261-9623 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/map Deverell, Richard D. comic book Comics Code Authority roman graphique Maus Frank Miller Alan Moore comic book Comics Code Authority graphic novel Maus Frank Miller Alan Moore This article delves into the construction of an adult audience in the cultural industry of comic books, through a comparison between the evolution, in film industry, towards a more adult market throughout the 1960s, and the evolutions which transformed the comic book industry twenty years later. It also questions the adaptation processes, asking in which ways the evolution towards more adult contents inside comic books had, been contradicted by opposite forces attempting to provide family entertainment at the turn of the 20th century and in the beginning of the 21st. It argues that the combination of a weakening Comics Code, a new distribution model that offered an alternative to the Code’s focus on newsstands, and greater experimentation in long-form graphic novel storytelling made it possible for comic book advocates to gain mainstream critical approval for their work. While Marvel and DC continued to publish superhero stories under the Code, advocates had succeeded in cracking open pathways that bypassed it for select titles opened the possibility for highly experimental work. Other independent publishers arose that approached censorship in a much more lax manner, adopting the Code only as it suited them Several of these publishers enticed talent from Marvel or DC by offering creative control or retention of copyright, thereby tapping into the burgeoning creator’s rights movement and supporting further exploration of how writers and artists could use the medium. By the end of the 1980s, advocates had made such headway undermining the Code that the Comics Code Authority, trying to stave off complete irrelevance, revised it a second time. The new rules allowed characters to reflect prevailing social attitudes and show sensitivity to issues of race and sexuality, allowing more positive portrayals of gay characters. Even amid these radical changes, the Code seal continued appearing on most comic book covers, ironically offering comic book advocates protection to experiment against those who might wish to restrict the more adult fare. Cet article explore la construction au cours des années 1980 d’un public adulte dans l’industrie culturelle des comic books aux États-Unis, à travers notamment une comparaison avec l’évolution de l’industrie cinématographique vingt ans plus tôt. Il s’interroge également sur les processus d’adaptation, en questionnant la manière dont l’évolution vers des contenus plus adultes dans les bandes dessinées a été contrariée par des forces opposées qui tentaient de proposer des divertissements familiaux au tournant du xxie siècle. Il soutient que la combinaison d’un Comics Code affaibli, d’un nouveau modèle de distribution offrant une alternative à l’accent mis par le Code sur les kiosques à journaux et d’une plus grande expérimentation dans la narration de longs romans graphiques a permis aux défenseurs de la bande dessinée d’obtenir l’approbation critique du grand public. Alors que Marvel et DC continuaient à publier des histoires de super-héros dans le cadre du Code, ces défenseurs ont réussi à ouvrir des voies qui le contournaient pour certains titres, offrant ainsi la possibilité d’exister à des œuvres hautement expérimentales. D’autres éditeurs indépendants ont vu le jour, adoptant une approche beaucoup plus laxiste de la censure et n’appliquant le Code que dans la mesure où cela leur convenait. Plusieurs de ces éditeurs ont attiré des talents de Marvel ou DC en leur offrant un contrôle créatif ou la conservation des droits d’auteur, profitant ainsi du mouvement naissant en faveur des droits des créateurs et encourageant une exploration plus poussée de la manière dont les écrivains et les artistes pouvaient utiliser ce média. À la fin des années 1980, le combat contre le Code avait tellement progressé que la Comics Code Authority, cherchant à éviter de devenir complètement obsolète, le révisa une seconde fois. Les nouvelles règles ont alors permis aux personnages de refléter les attitudes sociales dominantes et de faire preuve de sensibilité à l’égard des questions de race et de sexualité, autorisant ainsi des représentations plus positives des personnages homosexuels. Même au milieu de ces changements radicaux, le sceau du Code a continué d’apparaître sur la plupart des couvertures, offrant ironiquement aux défenseurs des comic books une protection leur permettant d’expérimenter contre ceux qui auraient pu souhaiter restreindre les contenus plus adultes. |