Recently, at New York’s Comic Con - arguably the largest and most important fan convention in the U.S. - MTV caught up with author and “comic book legend” Neil Gaiman, most recently famous for having written the novel upon which the fantasy hit Stardust was based. He was happy to announce that a three-year-long legal battle he’s been championing since day one has finally ended; you may not have heard this controversy before, but it’s the kind of censorship story that deserves some time in the limelight.

Three years ago, comic book store owner Gordon Lee was charged for “distributing harmful material to a minor.” According to Gaiman, what actually happened was this:

“One of his employees mistakenly gave a kid on Free Comics Day a comic with an accurately depicted sequence in which Picasso was painting,” Gaiman told MTV News, “and Picasso painted in the nude. So you have these little panels with this little naked man. He was nude, but it manifestly was not pornographic any more than an encyclopedia entry featuring the Venus de Milo. It’s really dodgy.

“So if you’re the kid’s mother,” Gaiman continued, “you go back in the shop the next morning and say, ‘This is ridiculous,’ and they say, ‘Oh my God, we’re so sorry. Here, have a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” graphic novel to make up for it, kid. And here, have some bubblegum cards too.’ That would have been a sane and sensible reaction.”

Of course, a sane and sensible reaction wouldn’t have caught the eye of a comics celebrity like Gaiman. What happened was that the state of Georgia got involved.

When they saw the novel, Nick Bertozzi’s The Salon, they slammed Lee with two felonies and five misdemeanors. Luckily, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund stepped in and helped out - to date, they have supported Lee with over $100,000 to keep him afloat. They were able to reduce Lee’s charges and potential sentence, though he would still be driven out of businesss if the judge ruled in favor of the state.

Recently, the case was dismissed. Gaiman is pleased, but he still laments that comic books are not treated with the same free speech standards as other media. He says that, because many believe them to be intended for children, people are more sensitive to adult themes in comics that could be available to children in shops and libraries.

While we’re still a long way from dealing with that double standard, this ruling is good news for those who sell, distribute, or even just enjoy comic books.

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