9781422272664

RATING COMICS AND GAMES Film wasn’t the only entertainment medium that

implemented codes and standards of permissible depictions. Comic books also faced controversy during the 1950s, and that industry developed its own code. Like the Hays Code of the 1920s, the Comics Code was formed due to fear that comic books would become a target of government regulation. The Comics Code Authority (CCA), which oversaw the code, could not prevent comic books that violated its principles from being produced. However, many stores would only sell comic books that included the CCA’s seal of approval.

During the 1950s, psychologist Frederic Wertham wrote books and articles asserting that the violence in comic books caused young people to get into trouble with the law. His testimony before Congress in 1954 resulted in the creation of the Comics Code Authority.

12

Contemporary Issues: Entertainment and Video Games