Canada banned "crime comics" from 1949 to 2018

The Short Answer

REPEALED! It was illegal to make, print, publish, distribute, sell, or possess "a crime comic"—defined as a magazine that "exclusively or substantially comprises matter depicting pictorially the commission of crimes, real or fictitious."

The Full Story

In the 1940s-50s, a moral panic swept North America about the corrupting influence of comic books on youth. Psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's 1954 book "Seduction of the Innocent" blamed comics for juvenile delinquency.

Canada responded by banning "crime comics" in 1949—five years before the US comic book industry created the Comics Code Authority as a self-censorship mechanism.

The law was broad enough to potentially cover many mainstream comics depicting any criminal activity. While enforcement was rare in later decades, the law remained on the books for 69 years until repealed as an obsolete "zombie law" in 2018.

The repeal was part of Bill C-51, which removed several outdated provisions from the Criminal Code including witchcraft, dueling, and "alarming the Queen."

Common Misconceptions

Many believe the crime comics ban was never enforced, but prosecutions did occur in the 1950s. Another misconception is that it banned all comics; it only targeted publications that "exclusively or substantially" depicted crime. The ban was also not repealed in 1954 (when enforcement dropped off) but remained law until December 2018.

Actual Legal Text

Section 163(1)(b) of the Criminal Code made it an offence to make, print, publish, distribute, sell, or have in possession for the purpose of publication, distribution or circulation a crime comic. Section 163(7) defined "crime comic" as "a magazine, periodical or book that exclusively or substantially comprises matter depicting pictorially (a) the commission of crimes, real or fictitious; or (b) events connected with the commission of crimes, real or fictitious, whether occurring before or after the commission of the crime." This provision was repealed by Bill C-51, which received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018.

Current Status

Repealed

Penalty

If prosecuted by indictment, the maximum penalty was 2 years imprisonment. No minimum penalty was stipulated. Summary conviction penalties also applied.