Social and Moral Problems

Abstract

Abstract An ancient objection to mass-media narrative arts found a prominent twentieth-century voice in Fredric Wertham, whose Seduction of the Innocent motivated the notorious Comics Code Authority. Whether such concerns are grounded in medium-specific or other considerations is investigated through, first, the idea that the authors and audiences of comics are prone to immorality; and, second, the ways in which the formatting of comics has driven the reading process. While it is acknowledged that individual comics can be morally problematic, it is argued that it is much harder to make a case against the category itself. The media of comics are largely content neutral, though the cartoon style of depiction, involving the use of caricature, prompts a worry. Christy Mag Uidhir’s argument that media using caricature are epistemically defective is considered, and it is concluded that while vigilance is warranted, there is no ultimate reason to condemn comics as a category.