WI: No Comics Code Authority and No Hays Code

Don't know enough about the Hays Code to say but the effect of no comics code would be huge assuming they do something more sensible like just introduce a ratings system and don't put super graphic stuff on the covers like they did OTL.

The first and biggest would be that EC comics would not shut down meaning there's always going to be another huge company to compete with DC from day one. The biggest point is that, of course, EC didn't focus on super heroes (though the would probably create there own to compete with Superman, Batman et all). Horror was it's stock and trade but it had every genre. Without the code preventing these comics from being made superheroes wouldn't dominate the medium nearly as much, leading to a much greater diversity in content in comics that might lessen the perception there "for kids". Another knock on is that DC wouldn't become as complacent in their stuff. There early monopoly caused the company to stagnate creatively that lead to the creation and rise of Marvel, but competing with another company that's as large would mitigate that.

The silver age is considerably different. Without the code the comics wouldn't be as wacky and aimed at kids, and would probably come to resemble the later stuff down in the late 60's early 70's much faster.

Hard to say if Marvel still comes around. The company that preceded it still exists of course but it's impossible to say if people like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would all be working there with another company in the game. Granted someone is bound to pick up Stan and Jack eventually, there to talented to ignore.

Huge butterflies all around basically.
 
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I wonder how this would affect the superhero movie genre. There were of course superhero movies (more accurately, serials) in the 40s (including numerous ones based off of comics), but would we end up getting the big budget superhero films of today if superheroes werent the dominant genre? Also, no comics code means Mad stays a comic book, but may not last as long as it has
 
I wonder how this would affect the superhero movie genre. There were of course superhero movies (more accurately, serials) in the 40s (including numerous ones based off of comics), but would we end up getting the big budget superhero films of today if superheroes werent the dominant genre? Also, no comics code means Mad stays a comic book, but may not last as long as it has

I imagine that comics would simply represent several genres and styles just like say TV where the really popular stuff gets adapted. Like Superman at this point is already an American icon so eventually someone will take a crack at a big budget modern movie with him. Whether or not we'd have the superhero craze is impossible to say, to far in the future.
 
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