Britain’s new pornography laws could hurt comics, of all things, say fans
Two new laws banning “extreme images” produced “solely or principally for the purpose of sexual arousal” have alarmed British comic aficionados. Among other things, the new legislation bans any “act which results, or is likely to result, in serious injury to a person’s anus, breasts or genitals.” One website worried that Batman or Judge Dredd’s standby criminal takedown—”a kick in the balls”—would now be illegal; fans think some of the more adult versions of manga, Japanese comics that display young-looking characters, sometimes in grown-up situations, are in danger, because the possession of any image involving sexual activity and children is banned.