Veteran comics creator Stephen Bissette is currently documenting a remarkable series of posts about the great debate over ratings in comics, and it is absolute essential reading. When you talk about censorship and the outrage of moral watchdogs in relation to comics, most people instantly think of the 50s – Seduction of the Innocent, the comics burnings, the congressional hearings, William Gaines and EC Comics, etc. The 80s, however, saw a new outbreak of culture wars as the rise of adult-themed comics – personified by but by no means exclusive to, The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen – as well as comics retailers being arrested for selling “indecent” comics, led to a great debate within the industry as to whether or not to provide parental advisory labels on comics. Was it a restriction on creative freedom, or was it a preventative measure to avoid federal legislation? Bissette was part of the battle, and he provides a plethora of information based on first-hand evidence. I urge you to check it out. This is a vitally important piece of comics history.

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