Who Is Afraid of Comics?

From Fifties horror comic books to the Oz and Nasty Tales trials to today’s fears about manga and webcomics, comics have been the targets of censorship, moral panics, police raids, strict codes of content, controversial obscenity prosecutions, even an Act of Parliament that is still in force. What is it that makes this medium seem so dangerous to certain parties?

Paul Gravett, co-director of Comica.London and co-curator of the British Library’s landmark 2014 exhibition, Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK, explores this history, examines how comic creators and readers have fought back, and considers the current climate for freedom of expression.

This event is part of Banned Books Week.