Comic stripped.
Kristen Radtke
Soon after comics found mainstream American success during World War II, when the country took solace in starred and striped superheroes and thinly veiled political manifestos, the Comics Code Authority was formed. The organization allowed comic book publishers to regulate their content in an alternative to government control, and what is commonly called "the Comics Code" took a clear line: "Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable." The mere mention of homosexuality in mainstream American comics was forbidden by the code until 1989.
Such restrictions lead to the birth of the underground and alternative comix movement — comics published by independent presses or, quite often, by artists xeroxing, stapling, and distributing their work themselves. Thus began an underground revolution, wherein artists could create and share work that represented lifestyles truer to their own. What started as a small-scale movement gained such momentum that larger publishers began taking notice, and many underground artists later gained critical success in mainstream comics publishing.
From awkward adolescent encounters to positive portrayals of LGBTQ relationships, these 17 contemporary sex scenes in graphic novels continue in the bold underground tradition that started more than 60 years ago.
1. Julie Maroh
Blue is the Warmest Color (Arsenal Pulp Press) / Julie Maroh / Via arsenalpulp.com
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17 Sex Scenes In Graphic Novels