News

ComiXology Adds Saga #12 Comic to iTunes App After Ban Rumors

The digital comic and manga publisher Comixology revealed on Wednesday that it will add the 12th issue of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' Saga comic series on Comixology's iTunes app after various sources yesterday reported that Apple banned the issue due to depictions of oral sex between a gay couple. Comixology clarified that Apple did not ban the issue, but Comixology planned not to release the issue on its iTunes app in the first place due to its interpretation of Apple's policies. Apple then contacted Comixology to clarify its policies, and because of that the issue will be available on its iTunes app "soon."

Vaughn had wrote on Tuesday about the situation on Staples' blog, saying: "Unfortunately, because of two postage stamp-sized images of gay sex, Apple is banning tomorrow's SAGA #12 from being sold through any iOS apps. This is a drag, especially because our book has featured what I would consider much more graphic imagery in the past, but there you go. Fiona and I could always edit the images in question, but everything we put into the book is there to advance our story, not (just) to shock or titillate..."

Apple began enforcing stricter standards on sexual content in 2010, leading to censorship of the underground comics app Comix Classix: Underground Comics, as well as rejection of 30% of Kodansha's e-manga titles.

[Via Slashdot]