Hooray for Bureaucracy

By: Kurt Amacker
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006

The Board of Trustees for the Marshall Public Library called a bureaucratic time-out on Wednesday of last week regarding the removal of Craig Thompson's BLANKETS and Alison Bechdel's FUN HOME. The board had intended to vote on the removal of the books after resident Louise Mills complained about sexual images therein. Instead, they opted to form a committee that will adopt a formal policy for reviewing incoming titles. Six of the board members will serve on the committee, along with library director Amy Crump and a couple of other staff members. Prior to the October 11th meeting, Crump had more individual authority to order or remove books. As the board only meets once a month, it will likely use the November meeting to evaluate the forthcoming policy. Then, the Board of Trustees can implement said policy to review incoming books.

BLANKETS and FUN HOME will remain off the shelves of the Marshall Public Library until the board adopts the new process. Bureaucracy and censorship win this round. While I see the utility of adopting a formal review policy, the library accepted BLANKETS and FUN HOME before this decision. As such, they should simply vote on whether or not to retain those books. Otherwise, as Chuck Mason, the editor of THE MARSHALL DEMOCRAT-NEWS, wrote in his October 13th editorial, "It sets the precedent that I can...go into the library and file the necessary paperwork to have the paintings on the walls of the library removed while the material selection policy is developed...It allows me, or anyone else, to get that dry, boring history magazine that no one reads anyway yanked from the racks while the policy is developed."

Mason listed more hypothetical examples, including closing the entire library until the board adopts said policy. But, he stands correct in that the Board of Trustees has allowed one citizen to deny the entire city access to BLANKETS and FUN HOME. Granted, the books may only languish in bureaucratic purgatory for two or three months, but it still spits upon the idea of free access to non-obscene, non-indecent materials from a public institution. While certainly legal, it embraces a timid, censorious spirit in defiance of open public discourse and tolerance of controversial expression. At the very least, the board should adopt a grandfather clause for BLANKETS and FUN HOME and simply vote to keep them or not.

A few of you wrote me last week in response to this story, and I've reprinted your letters below with my comments.


Joel Handloff writes, "Hey Kurt, 'I know people will say this is minor, and that there's worse stuff than this on TV. I know you can choose not to watch something. But, a child in a library can't choose not to take something in once they've seen the image. It attracts kids because it's a comic.' Well, that's about as silly a thing as I've heard in weeks (yeah, I actually hear a lot of silly things)."

It's a silly world we live in.

"Violent TV shows attract kids. Lots of those shows have sexual content. The difference is non-existent well, not quite. Mom and Dad might well notice the comic laying around the house, but not notice that Billy watched an episode on TV while they were out. Seems to me that the former is preferable."

Given what most kids get up to these days, I'd say that reading a comic with a bit of the old in-out-in-out is probably the least of any parent's worries.

"Anyhow, Mills's argument seems to break down to this: it's okay to talk about sex, but its not okay to show sex. I'm not sure I can understand why. Push comes to shove, words can be as titillating as images. Seems to me that what she really doesn't like is that she can't ignore it. And, given the topic of the book, that means she can't ignore that kids are sexual long before we like to think of them that way. And, if kids are sexual younger than we'd like, then the only way to keep them is to keep them as far from sex as possible."

In this era of increased paranoia over pedophiles and chat room stalkers, everyone likes to pretend that children have no sexuality. That's simply not the case. Pedophilia is a nasty, wretched thing, to be sure. However, as any psychologist will tell you, the sexual identities of children and adolescents don't ebb and flow with public hysteria.

"It continues to bother me that people seem more concerned with keeping their kids from knowing anything about sex, than they are concerned with how much violence their kids see. Assuming that we are puppets of the media (which is the subtext here...), then: 1) violence in the media might cause kids to hurt or kill each other, and 2) sex in the media might cause kids to have sex. Granted, a 13-year-old having sex is disturbing, but much less disturbing than, say, a 13-year-old shooting another kid."

Yes, God forbid that children learn about this intimate, enjoyable, and most human experience. That's much worse than allowing them to play a video game where they kill people for the mob and murder prostitutes to take back their money.

"This is, of course, the lie that we've been told for ages. We are controlled by the media. Our children are helpless before its powerful grasp. That is, of course, complete trash. If parents don't bring their kids up with values if parents let the TV raise their kids then, sure. But isn't that the whole point of being a parent passing on the things you value? All I can say is that I grew up with violent cartoons. I grew up with violent video games. I've punched people maybe three times in my life (well, outside of the beatings an older brother MUST give a younger brother). Why? Because my parents took a part in my life simple as that."

In this case, I wouldn't call Mills's parenting into question. None of us know her particularly well, and I seem to have been the only person to actually speak to her. The real issue is that one parent's fear for their children shouldn't dictate what the rest of us can read or watch. Some parents stand ready to dispose of the Constitution and all concerns for free expression in the name of protecting their offspring. But, my life doesn't revolve around the needs of someone else's children.

Andrew Getting writes, "For one, it's easy to dismiss Louise Mills as reactionary, but the simple truth is that she is correct on some level. When I was in junior high, students did check out books from the school library if they depicted nudity of any kind - myself included. Once children hit puberty and become aware of sexuality, it is more or less inevitable that they would seek out even the faintest hints of it. It would be foolish to assume that BLANKETS or FUN HOME would be somehow overlooked due to their comic book format."

I don't deny that. Before the Internet made porn free for the whole world, a kid had to take what he could get. But, I hardly think that a few seconds of exhilaration gleaned from a comic book or art collection will really warp a child. Again, we're not talking about GANGBANG ANGELS VOL. 9 or anything.

"That having been said, the school board was rather crafty in their selection of sex-themed books. Aside from the obvious art books and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazines, these books also included sexual education books and novels about teen pregnancy. I challenge anyone to call pornographic a graphic picture of a penis covered with genital warts. Far from encouraging my libido, I realized that maybe I should wait until I was older."

Most kids don't have that kind of insight, unfortunately.

"Furthermore, I do agree with Alan Moore that 'pornography' is a term too readily thrown around. Nearly fifteen years ago, letters to my local newspaper leveled that term as an accusation against NYPD BLUE (as though Dennis Franz's naked backside could arouse anyone). More frightening, more letters flowed in making similar accusations against SCHINDLER'S LIST for its frank, repeated, and absolutely non-sexualized nude scenes. Though I do not believe Ms. Mills would make such a wild claim, I feel that the very existence of people who think SCHINDLER'S LIST is somehow erotic proves that mere 'indecency' is as inadequate a legal term as 'pornography' is a rhetorical one."

Calling Dennis Franz's bare ass pornography implies that someone would enjoy looking at it. But, it often depends on the creator or publisher of a given work to declare it indecent or pornographic. In some cases, it takes a challenge such as this one to identify material as such. Top Shelf could've easily labeled BLANKETS with "Suggested for Mature Readers." Similarly, the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system has no legal standing. It's a volunteer code adopted by Hollywood and enforced by theaters. The Parental Advisory stickers on music are a similar voluntary measure adopted by the Recording Industry Association of America. But legally, no one can forbid anyone of any age from accessing non-indecent material. For any kids reading that doesn't mean a business must consent to sell to sell you R-rated movies, M-rated games, or Parental Advisory music. It just means they aren't legally bound to withhold it. I didn't mean to get your hopes up, there.

"What I hope for in this case is something that should be true anyway: that a child in the public library should be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. Libraries are institutions of knowledge, whether we like the individual books within them or not. By its very nature, the public library must provide literature of all kinds, and while I respect Ms. Mills's belief that BLANKETS and FUN HOME may hold objectionable content, I think she'd agree that MEIN KAMPF is far worse, and should indisputably remain on library shelves not in spite of its content, but precisely because of it. Just as the library does not advocate Hitler's philosophies by carrying it, neither is the institution promoting pornography by having books depicting sex. It is simply performing its function in society."
It's simply naïve to assume that all depictions of sex qualify as pornography. Someone somewhere will find any given thing arousing. Does anyone else find dendrofilia as riotously funny as I do? Regardless, I think it's a mistake to shield children from all the evils of the world, including sex. While that doesn't mean they should watch LORD OF THE REAMS when the parents aren't home, I hardly think that the tame sex in BLANKETS or Warp Graphics' ELFQUEST will scar them. In the case of the latter, I admit I was a bit bewildered. But, it was for its rather mature, non-pornographic depiction of sex between consenting elves. Up until that point, I'd only glimpsed the odd PLAYBOY behind the counter at Time Saver. Regardless, it didn't warp me no pun intended. And, ultimately, the mission of the library is not to cater exclusively to children and parents.

Tim Demeter writes, "Excellent column, Kurt really, really, excellent. I think the knee-jerk reaction may have been to lambaste this woman for picking on comics, put presenting the argument as evenly as you did makes the case against her all the stronger. I think you helped comics."

Thanks, mate. I'm always willing to put the gloves on for comics.

When I called Louise Mills, I told her pointedly that I didn't agree with her and that I'd be politely critical of her point of view. But, I noticed that no one had spoken to her, and I didn't think it was fair to try to embarrass her over something that requires mature discourse. That said, I stand firmly against her efforts to remove BLANKETS and FUN HOME. I made that clear to her and everyone else last week. And, while I lament the Board of Trustees's decision to withhold the books until their committee has formulated a new policy, it's not for me to decide. I've said my peace.

The Spinner Rack
By Al Brown and Kurt Amacker

DARK HORSE COMICS

Amy And Jordan Bendable Figure Set $29.99


Dark Horse Suit: How can we make this product sound as dirty as possible?
Intern: I have an idea!

Conan #33 (MR) $2.99
Al: Respected writer Timothy Truman (Grimjack, Scout) takes over from the able hands of Kurt Busiek.

Hellgate London #0 (of 4) $2.99
Kurt: All right, the #0 thing has crossed over from being old to just plain ridiculous. Is there something inherently wrong with a five-issue miniseries?

Little Lulu Vol 12 Leave It To Lulu TP $9.95

Magnus Robot Fighter Vol 3 4000 Ad HC (RES) $49.95

Ohikkoshi TP $12.95
Kurt: My wife would like the dragon roll with that. I'll have the tempura and teriyaki, along with another Kiren.

Rex Mundi Dh ED #2 $2.99

DC COMICS

100 Bullets #77 (MR) $2.99

52 Week #24 $2.50

Authority #1 (MR) $2.99
Al: Grant Morrison and Gene Ha resurrect the mighty Authority! One of my favorite books, The Authority has seen such luminaries as Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Mark Millar, Frank Quitely and Ed Brubaker leave their mark. Morrison and Ha are, of course, shining stars themselves; the franchise is in good hands. I am absolutely wetting my knickers over this one.
Kurt: You wet your knickers again? Dude, there's no shame in Depends.

Authority Var Edition A #1 (MR) $2.99

Authority Var Edition B #1 (MR) $2.99

Batman And The Mad Monk #3 (of 6) $3.50
Al: With Batman and the Monster Men and now this Mad Monk series, Matt Wagner is creating some absolutely fantastic early Batman stories. Between this, Paul Dini's awesome throwback work on Detective Comics, and Grant Morrison's flawed but still fun Batman, it's a good time to like the Dark Knight. (Notice how I didn't talk about All-Star Batman there? Yeah, I noticed that too.)
Kurt: I can't help but wonder if Frank Miller decided to see how bad he could make a book before DC cancels it.

Batman Gotham County Line TP $17.99
Kurt: This is a groovy, ghoulish miniseries by my main monster man, Steve Niles. It's really dark stuff, but it has a charming Golden Age flavor mixed in with the scary stuff.

Birds Of Prey #99 $2.99
Al: Heating up for #100, which will feature some sort of team shakeup.

Birds Of Prey The Battle Within TP $17.99

Catwoman #60 $2.99

Checkmate #7 $2.99

Claw The Unconquered #5 $2.99

Creeper #3 (of 6) $2.99
Kurt: Also by Steve Niles, unfortunately not as scream-o-riffic as Gotham County Line.

Deadman #3 (MR) $2.99

Desolation Jones #7 (MR) $2.99
Kurt: I'd make some wiseass remark about forgetting that this book even existed, but I love it too much to stay mad.

Exterminators #10 (MR) $2.99

Fables 1001 Nights Of Snowfall HC (MR) $19.99
Al: The preview for this book, contained in last week's 25-cent reprint of Fables #1, was pretty awesome. (Although it did seem to bizarrely skip about ten pages right in the middle.) This is 144 pages of original stories about the early days of the Fables cast, which could well make it a great entry point for those few of you not yet on board with Fables.

Flash The Fastest Man Alive #5 $2.99

Hellblazer #225 (MR) $2.99

Krypto The Super Dog #2 (of 6) $2.25
Kurt: There's unnecessary, and then there's just asking to be made fun of.

New Teen Titans Archives Vol 3 HC $49.99

Omega Men #1 (of 6) $2.99
Al: The return of the team responsible for introducing us to Lobo. Can't say I'm all that excited.
Kurt: The Main Man called. He's heading over to your place. He didn't sound happy.

Recipe For Gertrude Vol 2 $9.99
Kurt: I haven't eaten Gertrude in a while. It sounds like it's about time.

Robin #155 $2.99

Sandman #1 Special Edition (MR) $0.50
Kurt: You know, I have the trade and everything, but for $0.50, I might have to buy this on principle.

Scooby Doo #113 $2.25
Kurt:For $2.25, I might have to ignore this on principle.

Shadowpact #6 $2.99

Showcase Challengers Of The Unknown Vol 1 TP $16.99
Al: A collection of some of Jack Kirby's insane old late-fifties stories. Crazy good times.

Skye Runner #5 $2.99

Superman Forever #1 Statue $195.00

Superman Returns The Prequel TP $12.99

Tenjho Tenge Vol 10 $9.99

Testament #11 (MR) $2.99

Two Face 13 Inch Deluxe Collector Figure $59.99

Wildcats #1 $2.99
Al: Another WildStorm series being given new life by Grant Morrison - this time teamed with Jim Lee - this relaunch doesn't get the same enthusiasm from me. I'll still buy it, don't get me wrong - I pretty much buy everything with Grant Morrison's name on it - but I've neved liked WildC.A.T.S. as much as the Authority. It was, let's face it, pure 90's when Jim Lee created it.
Kurt: Dude, I totally had the hots for Voodoo when I was 12. I think I'm going to get this. I realize WildC.A.T.S. has always been hit-or-miss, but I'm really into Grant Morrison these days.

Wildcats Var Edition A #1 $2.99

Wildcats Var Edition B #1 $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

Casanova #5 (MR) $1.99

Elephantmen #4 $2.99

Girls #18 (MR) $2.99

Last Christmas #4 (of 5) (MR) $2.99
Kurt: Shouldn't we focus on this Christmas instead of the last one? I mean, it's been nine months. I say we move on.

Marc Silvestri Darkness E3 Ltd ED Litho $19.99

Noble Causes #24 $3.50
Kurt: What, like fighting library censorship?

Savage Dragon #129 $2.99

Tabula Rasa #1 $4.99

Task Force One #4 (MR) $3.50

Wicked West Vol 2 Abomination & Other Tales GN $15.99

Zombee GN (MR) $12.99
Al: Well, it's a horror/comedy featuring a samurai, a ninja and a monk fighting zombies. We've talked about it before, but it's still happening and it still gets to me: I feels like someone had a focus group and came away from it saying, "Kids these days are into pirates, zombies, ninjas and monkeys!" Now any time someone wants to make a comic book but doesn't have any ideas, they just pick two of those things at random and have at it. It's played out.
Kurt: Now if they just included vampires and lesbians, I'd be all about it.

MARVEL COMICS

Amazing Spider-Girl #1 $2.99
Al: The return of the series that the fans won't allow to die. I read the last ten or so issues of Spider-Girl to see what the fuss was about, and...sorta didn't get it. I just don't love this book. But bully for those who do, I guess. It's certainly not bad. Good clean comic fun. I guess as a guy who digs stuff like The Authority, this isn't really aimed at me.
Kurt: I'm glad those guys kept this alive, but yeah, it's a little out of my range.

Amazing Spider-Girl #1 Poster $6.99

Amazing Spider-Girl Frenz Sketch Var #1 $2.99

Amazing Spider-Girl Mcguiness Var #1 $2.99

Anita Blake Vh Guilty Pleasures #1 (of 12) $2.99
Al: Fantasy adaptation specialists the Dabel Brothers take on Laurell Hamilton's first novel about the titular vampire hunter. Sometimes described as an R-rated Buffy, Anita Blake has a large cult following who will be all up in this. That's about all I know.
Kurt: Having never read a single thing by Laurell K. Hamilton, I have no comment.

Anita Blake Vh Guilty Pleasures Horn Var #1 (of 12) $2.99

Anita Blake Vh Guilty Pleasures Var #1 (of 12) $2.99

Blade #2 $2.99
Kurt: This had better rock a lot harder than the last issue did.

Cable Deadpool #33 $2.99

Civil War X-Men #4 (of 4) $2.99
Al: The final showdown! Bishop vs. the X-Men as...zzzzzz...zzzzz...

Claws #3 (of 3) $3.99
Al: Woops, fell asleep right in the middle of pretending I cared about that. Oh well.
Kurt: Wow, I hope you never review any of my stuff, Captain Negative.

Daily Bugle November Newspaper (order In 50s) (eaches) PI

Essential Marvel Horror Vol 1 TP $16.99
Kurt: I already preordered my copy. I'm lame, I know.

Exiles Vol 13 World Tour Book 2 TP $23.99
Al: Soundtrack by Tribe Called Quest.

Ghost Rider #4 $2.99
Kurt: I know some people like to wail on this book, but I don't think it's been that bad. Then again, I like Wolverine: Origins and that's written by the same guy.

Hellstorm Son Of Satan #1 (of 5) (MR) $3.99
Al: Uh, the Son of Satan visits post-Katrina New Orleans. I don't know how I feel about that.
Kurt: He's coming here?! Dude, I'm totally going to take him drinking!

Jack Kirbys Galactic Bounty Hunters #3 $2.99

Marvel 1602 Fantastick Four #2 (of 5) $3.50

Marvel Adventures Avengers #6 $2.99

Marvel Adventures Avengers Vol 1 Heroes Assembled Digest TP $6.99
Al: I've mentioned this before: like Spider-Girl, it's good clean comic fun, but this speaks to me more. I've been having a surprisingly good time with it. There's something missing from New Avengers these days, not to mention Ultimates, and you can find it right here.

Ms Marvel #8 Cw $2.99

Runaways #21 $2.99
Kurt: And the countdown to the Whedon takeover begins. I hate you, Marvel.

Sensational Spider-Man Feral Premiere HC $19.99

Ultimate Fantastic Four #35 $2.99

Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol 6 Frightful TP $14.99

Ultimate Marvel Flip Magazine #18 $4.99

Ultimate Tales Flip Magazine #18 $4.99

Union Jack #2 (of 4) $2.99
Al: Issue 1 got great word-of-mouth, but I still can't bring myself to care.
Kurt: Characters with pun names just don't do it for me.

Wolverine #47 Cw $2.99
Al: Wolvie vs. the Sentry.

Wolverine Origins Vol 1 Born In Blood Premiere HC $19.99

X-Factor #12 $2.99

X-Men First Class #2 (of 8) $2.99
Kurt: Next month, look for X-Men: Economy Class! I'm off like a prom dress in a porn comic. See everyone next week.

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@cinescape.com.