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Post by Reptisaurus! on Apr 9, 2019 23:20:23 GMT -5
Inspired by @draketungsten thread on the modern board... So what is the first mainstream comic to use the word "hell" or "damn?" I assume that (A) undergrounds, (B) european, and (C) Japanese comics broke the profanity barrier first. (Zap # 0 (1968) has "Ah, your fullaf &*$^ you bitch" onthe first page.) I'd further assume that the culprit was a non-code-approved magazine rather than a four color comic. But I'm interested in the four-color comics, too! Non editorially approved, the cover to Ka-Zar # 1 (1970) supposedly has the f-word hidden on Zabu's back, but... yeah. I dunno if that's 100% intentional. Some thoughts: As intestine-draped as they were, I don't remember any profanity in EC comics. I'm poorly read in the Warren Magazines but from what little I've seen there wasn't a helluvalotta profanity there. My spotty/quick internet research backs me up on this. "Damn" and "hell" were used fairly regularly in code approved newstand delivered Marvel comics by the mid-1970s. These light curses mostly vanished in the '80s under Shooter. ( They were removed from newstand books altogether.) Although, conversely, DC didn't seem to allow swearing in the '70s but became much more liberal than Marvel in the '80s. If I remember right, Sandman (The Gaiman version) was the first American corporate produced regular sized factory system book to use the f with permission. Although it had to have shown up in magazines before that. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2019 3:58:41 GMT -5
 Excellent Example: Is Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, the 10th issue of that Comic Book of which Batgirl said that word in the magazine ****ing and that cause this issue to be so offensive that everyone in my LCS was talking about. I did not buy that issue because I just can't believe Frank Miller do such a thing. Just read the link Swear Word and that will explain everything about it. |
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Post by tingramretro on Apr 10, 2019 5:28:20 GMT -5
Inspired by @draketungsten thread on the modern board... So what is the first mainstream comic to use the word "hell" or "damn?" I assume that (A) undergrounds, (B) european, and (C) Japanese comics broke the profanity barrier first. (Zap # 0 (1968) has "Ah, your fullaf &*$^ you bitch" onthe first page.) I'd further assume that the culprit was a non-code-approved magazine rather than a four color comic. But I'm interested in the four-color comics, too! Non editorially approved, the cover to Ka-Zar # 1 (1970) supposedly has the f-word hidden on Zabu's back, but... yeah. I dunno if that's 100% intentional. Some thoughts: As intestine-draped as they were, I don't remember any profanity in EC comics. I'm poorly read in the Warren Magazines but from what little I've seen there wasn't a helluvalotta profanity there. My spotty/quick internet research backs me up on this. "Damn" and "hell" were used fairly regularly in code approved newstand delivered Marvel comics by the mid-1970s. These light curses mostly vanished in the '80s under Shooter. ( They were removed from newstand books altogether.) Although, conversely, DC didn't seem to allow swearing in the '70s but became much more liberal than Marvel in the '80s. If I remember right, Sandman (The Gaiman version) was the first American corporate produced regular sized factory system book to use the f with permission. Although it had to have shown up in magazines before that. I'm not sure most people these days consider "hell" or "damn" to be swearing. Certainly, British comics had characters using those terms in the 1970's, if not before. |
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Post by rberman on Apr 10, 2019 6:42:22 GMT -5
I'm not sure most people these days consider "hell" or "damn" to be swearing. Certainly, British comics had characters using those terms in the 1970's, if not before. Some of us do. They are religious terms being used in a casual, non-religious manner. I was reading Ian McGinty's recent series Welcome to Showside, which he has described as an all-ages book. The art is very cartoony/anime. But the first issue contains a prominent profanity and a scatalogical term in the same word balloon.  Come on, dude. Are you making an all-ages book or not? (Nothing else like this occurs in the first three issues, which is all I have.) |
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Post by Phil Maurice on Apr 10, 2019 7:08:20 GMT -5
The cover of Eh! #4 (1954) has a bit of implied profanity:  Also, Marvel published the title War Is Hell beginning in 1973. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 10, 2019 7:51:42 GMT -5
Excellent Example: Is Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, the 10th issue of that Comic Book of which Batgirl said that word in the magazine ****ing and that cause this issue to be so offensive that everyone in my LCS was talking about. I did not buy that issue because I just can't believe Frank Miller do such a thing. Just read the link Swear Word and that will explain everything about it. I always suspected this was an intentional stunt to attract publicity, especially as the crossed out word is clearly still visible. Much as I actually think there was a real and worthwhile vision guiding that series that may have come to something if it had been given more time, moments like these degraded not just the Batman franchise, but comics in general. Is saying "F***" what it takes to make a comic sell in the hundred thousands? |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 10, 2019 7:57:39 GMT -5
I know Marvel enjoyed rubbing it in fans' faces when they ditched the Comics Code Authority, beginning with X-Force #116.  I don't recall if they cursed in that issue, but I wouldn't be surprised. Marvel was also running the MAX imprint around this time, intended for more mature audiences. So I'm sure a lot of "firsts" appropriate to this thread occurred there. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 10, 2019 8:21:15 GMT -5
I'm not sure most people these days consider "hell" or "damn" to be swearing. Certainly, British comics had characters using those terms in the 1970's, if not before. Some of us do. They are religious terms being used in a casual, non-religious manner. I was reading Ian McGinty's recent series Welcome to Showside, which he has described as an all-ages book. The art is very cartoony/anime. But the first issue contains a prominent profanity and a scatalogical term in the same word balloon. Come on, dude. Are you making an all-ages book or not? (Nothing else like this occurs in the first three issues, which is all I have.) For about 90% of those in the English speaking world there's nothing there that would be thought of as even mild profanity, so yeah there's nothing wrong with labeling that book all-ages. Now, some parents attempt to discourage "bathroom" humor and may not go for this book but that's an entirely different line in the sand than all ages making the onus of filtering out said content from the wider all ages label on the individual parents who aren't fond of "bathroom" humor. And the same would go for those with hard-line religious views, that's above and beyond the scope of all ages so if you don't like your kids reading a character saying, "OHMYGOD!" then again the onus is on you to further filter their material because the wider public doesn't share your standard. |
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Post by tarkintino on Apr 10, 2019 8:41:13 GMT -5
I'm not sure if you consider MAD mainstream, but if I am not mistaken , I recall a 1976 Dave Berg/Lighter Side feature with a man threatening to "kick the hell" out of a vending machine.
That said, I imagine MAD crossed the swearing line long before that.
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Post by badwolf on Apr 10, 2019 9:01:44 GMT -5
I think the issue of Crazy I had as a kid had "Goddamn" in it.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2019 9:10:00 GMT -5
shaxper"I always suspected this was an intentional stunt to attract publicity, especially as the crossed out word is clearly still visible."I totally forgot about this ... many members including the owner of the store felt it was an intentional stunt to garner publicity ... therefore I agree to this.
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Post by chadwilliam on Apr 10, 2019 9:33:48 GMT -5
I thought there was another swear word in All Star Batman -- this one applied to Batgirl beginning with a 'c' - which was also ''accidentally'' not properly blacked out. I know Frank Miller has been involved with The Comic Book Legal Defence fund, but is this the sort of cause they champion?
Anyhow, its pretty pathetic when this is what Miller has to stoop for to get interest in a follow up to Dark Knight/Year One.
I remember being surprised as a kid to read a story in Batman From the 30's to the 70's in which The Joker attempts to make ''jackasses'' out of Batman and Robin. It was a tale from the 50's and I was sure that was a swear word. My parents assured me it wasn't but it still feels weird. Weird seeing it in a story from then, I mean. |
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Post by tingramretro on Apr 10, 2019 9:46:48 GMT -5
I'm not sure most people these days consider "hell" or "damn" to be swearing. Certainly, British comics had characters using those terms in the 1970's, if not before. Some of us do. They are religious terms being used in a casual, non-religious manner. I was reading Ian McGinty's recent series Welcome to Showside, which he has described as an all-ages book. The art is very cartoony/anime. But the first issue contains a prominent profanity and a scatalogical term in the same word balloon. Come on, dude. Are you making an all-ages book or not? (Nothing else like this occurs in the first three issues, which is all I have.) To be honest, there's nothing there that I wouldn't consider suitable for an all-ages book. As for "profanity", I'm not sure I can even relate to the concept, never having had any religious beliefs and living, as I do, in a society where an awful lot of people don't. "Oh my god" is just an expression, everyone uses it. I can't help thinking you're being a little oversensitive. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Apr 10, 2019 9:47:31 GMT -5
Some of us do. They are religious terms being used in a casual, non-religious manner. I was reading Ian McGinty's recent series Welcome to Showside, which he has described as an all-ages book. The art is very cartoony/anime. But the first issue contains a prominent profanity and a scatalogical term in the same word balloon. Come on, dude. Are you making an all-ages book or not? (Nothing else like this occurs in the first three issues, which is all I have.) For about 90% of those in the English speaking world there's nothing there that would be thought of as even mild profanity, so yeah there's nothing wrong with labeling that book all-ages. Now, some parents attempt to discourage "bathroom" humor and may not go for this book but that's an entirely different line in the sand than all ages making the onus of filtering out said content from the wider all ages label on the individual parents who aren't fond of "bathroom" humor. And the same would go for those with hard-line religious views, that's above and beyond the scope of all ages so if you don't like your kids reading a character saying, "OHMYGOD!" then again the onus is on you to further filter their material because the wider public doesn't share your standard. Yep. This is nothing that you won't see in pretty much any kids movie nowadays. And I don't know any but the most religious kids that don't say OHMYGOD on a very regular basis. It's not even a new trend. And the poop jokes go back at least to the late 90s when my middle son was young. |
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on Apr 10, 2019 14:52:32 GMT -5
Eh. Poop is nothing, I don't see any issue there.
But I grew up religious, and saying "oh my god" was just flat out not done, period. No swearing at all allowed, of course, but especially you never took the lord's name in vain. So I get where he's coming from. That's still a big, big no no in some circles.
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