The Not-So-Secret Society of Anti-Inclusivity: Censorship of Graphic Novels
Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation
Conference Strand
Ethics in Information
Target Audience
Higher Education
Second Target Audience
K-12
Location
Session 4 Workshops/Panels & Papers
Relevance
Information literacy cannot truly exist if the voices of entire groups of individuals are silenced by censorship in our culture. Further, many of the banned graphic novels, such as Maus and They Called Us Enemy, deal with factual historical events and are autobiographical in nature.
Proposal
In our current culture where word and image are paired in almost all media, understanding the relationship between word and image is a significant component of information literacy. Graphic novels are a form of media that have been embraced by libraries and have been celebrated for being more accessible to students than pure print materials. Unfortunately, graphic novels and comics books have historically faced censorship challenges/book bans because of a stigma attached to the medium. This, combined with the fact that the medium requires interpretation of both text and image, has often led to a graphic novel being challenged over a single panel taken out of context. In the last few years, a wave of book challenges have targeted texts embracing the elements of diversity that make each of us unique. This presentation will begin by discussing the history of comic book censorship, highlighting the lasting effects of Fredric Wertham’s 1954 publication of Seduction of the Innocent and the U.S. Congress hearings brought about by the book. Taking the April 2022 Pen America report as a point of departure, we will then turn our attention to the recent bans of graphic novels such as Persepolis, They Called Us Enemy, Gender Queer, and Blankets. How can our libraries advocate against the censorship of graphic novels and for the role that graphic novels can play in developing information literacy? How can we hold our ground against the Not-So-Secret Society of Anti-Inclusivity?
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to identify the unique characteristics that make graphic novels vulnerable to book bans.
- Participants will be able to discuss the role that graphic novels play in increased media literacy and information literacy.
- Participants will be able to discuss the impact of Seduction of the Innocent and the Kefauver hearings.
- Participants will gain an understanding of how the graphic novel challenges and bans within the last five years are motivated by anti-inclusivity.
Short Description
Understanding the relationship between word & image is a significant component of information literacy. Graphic novels have been embraced as more accessible than pure print materials. Unfortunately, graphic novels/comics books have faced censorship because of a stigma attached to the medium. Following a history of such censorship, this presentation will discuss recent bans of They Called Us Enemy, Gender Queer, etc. How can libraries repudiate graphic novel censorship and advocate for the role of graphic novels in developing information literacy?
Keywords
censorship, graphic novel, comics, book bans, diversity, inclusivity
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Weber, Daniel L. and Norton, Alison, "The Not-So-Secret Society of Anti-Inclusivity: Censorship of Graphic Novels" (2023). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 18.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2023/2023/18
The Not-So-Secret Society of Anti-Inclusivity: Censorship of Graphic Novels
Session 4 Workshops/Panels & Papers
In our current culture where word and image are paired in almost all media, understanding the relationship between word and image is a significant component of information literacy. Graphic novels are a form of media that have been embraced by libraries and have been celebrated for being more accessible to students than pure print materials. Unfortunately, graphic novels and comics books have historically faced censorship challenges/book bans because of a stigma attached to the medium. This, combined with the fact that the medium requires interpretation of both text and image, has often led to a graphic novel being challenged over a single panel taken out of context. In the last few years, a wave of book challenges have targeted texts embracing the elements of diversity that make each of us unique. This presentation will begin by discussing the history of comic book censorship, highlighting the lasting effects of Fredric Wertham’s 1954 publication of Seduction of the Innocent and the U.S. Congress hearings brought about by the book. Taking the April 2022 Pen America report as a point of departure, we will then turn our attention to the recent bans of graphic novels such as Persepolis, They Called Us Enemy, Gender Queer, and Blankets. How can our libraries advocate against the censorship of graphic novels and for the role that graphic novels can play in developing information literacy? How can we hold our ground against the Not-So-Secret Society of Anti-Inclusivity?
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to identify the unique characteristics that make graphic novels vulnerable to book bans.
- Participants will be able to discuss the role that graphic novels play in increased media literacy and information literacy.
- Participants will be able to discuss the impact of Seduction of the Innocent and the Kefauver hearings.
- Participants will gain an understanding of how the graphic novel challenges and bans within the last five years are motivated by anti-inclusivity.
