In 1954 the US Senate created a subcommittee to focus on the increasing problem of Juvenile Delinquency. Focusing largely on comic books as the source of juvenile violence, they came up with "Criteria For Evaluating Comic Books."
Below is a verbatim extract of the criteria.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING COMIC BOOKS
1. CULTURAL AREA
No objection.
1. Good art work, printing, and color arrangement.
2. Good diction.
3. The overall effect pleasing.
4. Any situation that does not offend good taste from the viewpoint of art or mechanics.
1. Good art work, printing, and color arrangement.
2. Good diction.
3. The overall effect pleasing.
4. Any situation that does not offend good taste from the viewpoint of art or mechanics.
Some objection
1. Poor art work, printing, and color arrangement.
2. Mechanical setup injurious to children's eyes; print too small; art work crowded.
3. Poor grammar and underworld slang.
4. Undermining in any way traditional American folkways.
Objectionable
1. Propaganda against or belittling traditional American institutions.
2. Obscenity, vulgarity, profanity, or the language of the underworld.
3. Prejudice against class, race, creed, or nationality.
4. Divorce treated humorously or as glamorous.
5. Sympathy with crime and the criminal as against law, and justice.
6. Criminals and criminal acts made attractive.
Very objectionable
1. An exaggerated degree of any of the above-mentioned acts or scenes.
II. MORAL AREA
No objection
1. An uplifting plot.
2. Wholesome characters.
3. Characters dressed properly for the situation.
4. If crime, when it enters the plot, is incidental.
5. Any situation that does not compromise good morals.
Some objection1. Criminal acts or moral violations even if given legal punishment.
2. The presence of criminals, even if they are not shown as enjoying their crimes.
Objectionable
1. Women as gun molls, criminals, and the wielders of weapons.
2. Any situation having a sexy implication.
3. Persons dressed indecently or unduly exposed (costumes not appropriate to the occasion).
4. Crime stories, even if they purport to show that crime does not pay.
5. Stories that glamorize unconventional behavior.
6. Situations that glamorize criminals.
7. The details or methods of crime, especially if enacted by children.
8. Thwarted justice.
9. Law-enforcement officials portrayed as stupid or ineffective.
Very objectionable
1. An exaggerated degree of any of the above-mentioned acts or scenes.
III. MORBID EMOTIONALITY
No objection.
1. Any situation that does not arouse morbid emotionality in children.
Some objection
1. Overrealistic portrayal of death of villains.
2. Grotesque, fantastic, unnatural creatures.
3. Imminent death of a hero or heroine.
Objectionable
1. The kidnaping of women or children, or the implication of it.
2. Characters shown bleeding, particularly from the face or mouth.
3. The use of chains, whips, or other cruel devices.
4. The morbid picturization of dead bodies.
5. Stories and pictures that tend to anything having a sadistic implication or suggesting use of black magic.
6. Portrayal of mayhem, acts of assault, or murder.
7. People being attacked or injured by wild animals or reptiles.
8. Stories or frames which tend to affect the war effort of our Nation adversely.
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