Discover published sets by community

Establishment of the Comics Code Authority (CCA). In response to public concern over violent and sexual content in comics, the industry self-regulates with the Comics Code.

Hearings on juvenile delinquency that focused on comic books and led to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority to avoid government regulation.

Dr. Fredric Wertham's book criticizes comic book industry, claiming it causes juvenile delinquency, leading to the formation of the Comics Code Authority.

The CCA loosens its code once more, allowing publishers more freedom and acknowledging that not all comics were designed for children.

The CCA established strict content guidelines that prohibited gore, excessive violence, sexual innuendo and many other topics, leading to the decline of certain genres like horror and crime comics.

The CCA updated its code to allow for some previously banned content, such as the depiction of drugs, in the context of anti-drug messages, following criticism by creators and the public.

Following the decline of the CCA, the industry adopted age rating systems, and a greater diversity of comic book content emerged, fostering the current landscape where comics for all age groups are available.

The emergence of the direct market in the 1980s allowed publishers to sell comics directly to comic book stores, bypassing the traditional newsstand model and, consequently, the Comics Code.

Archie Comics, the last major publisher to use the Comics Code Authority seal, finally abandoned it in 2011, leading to the CCA's de facto end.