In the mid 1950s the U.S. Senate forced comic book publishers to adhere to the guidelines of a Comic Code Authority. The ‘Code’ was brought in to protect America’s youth from what was then deemed disturbingly graphic and blatantly sexual content in comic books.
Post ‘Code’ comic books were produced with quite severe content restrictions. No longer did artists and writers have license to create anything they wished. Artists being artists and writers being writers these talented people soon began looking for creative ways to express themselves beyond the constraints of the ‘Code’. Suggestive art and wordplay was now being covertly added into comics.
Our Sleepy Censors articles will expose many comics that deserve a closer look. Some will be so obvious you’ll think “how’d they let that through” while others will be tamer. We hope all the posts will be entertaining and we encourage your feedback and suggestions of comics you think caught the censors sleeping.
Charlton Premiere #2, Charlton Comics, November 1967
OK now I’m offended.
How the heck can you draw a huge penis complete with testicles right in the middle of your comic book cover in the 1960s and get away with it?
Well for starts you don’t draw a penis and testicles, you draw a rocket ship an some sort of round pods. See!
The penis and testicles are really the focus of this cover, the opening of light above just adds to the effect.
Maybe it’s me but this cover is all about the penis and the testicles.
Hey, this is a great time to double back and check out our past Sleepy Censors posts. Enjoy.
I’d like to say “Tomorrow is dicks” but Scott doesn’t seem to like me using the word dicks.
I pretty sure you can use the word Richards. Tomorrow is Richards. Or, that guy is such a Richard-head.
Or blatantly obvious “That rocket looks like a Richard”