Uproar over ‘pornographic’ sex in teen manga graphic comic novels

Sex scenes too graphic to publish are readily available to teens in local libraries — prompting complaints and calls for an overhaul of the Classification Board.

Scenes from The Boys Vol 1 by Garth Ennis comic book., Source: Supplied.

Comic books with graphic sex scenes and violent pornographic imagery have been pulled from the shelves of the “Teenage Fiction” section of a major Sydney library, as questions are raised about the classification of explicit material in Australia.

Conservative blogger Bernard Gaynor discovered the extreme material, contained in manga and graphic novels, while researching the book “Gender Queer” and has filed official complaints with police, libraries and councils in both Queensland and NSW.

After Mr Gaynor raised the alarm about Gender Queer earlier this month, which includes sexually explicit illustrations, the Australian Classification Board censor called in the book to be classified, and libraries in Queensland have now begun taking it off the shelves.

Since then Mr Gaynor has uncovered more pornographic illustrations in manga, graphic novels and comics available to children, which have gone under the radar.

And the City of Sydney library late Tuesday began removing some of the books from the shelves of their Surry Hills branch after the Daily Telegraph uncovered explicit material in the teenage fiction section, including a copy of The Boys Vol 1 by Garth Ennis, which includes bestiality and rape scenes.

Scenes from The Boys Vol 1 by Garth Ennis comic book., Source: Supplied.

The film version is rated R while a different book by the same author was declared Category 2 pornography on March 15 by the classification board after the NSW Police brought it to their attention.

A council spokeswoman said the novels were catalogued as adult graphic novels but “unfortunately they were located very close to the young adult graphic novels at the Surry Hills library”.

“Although the books do not breach classification standards or library regulations we are currently removing the books from our shelves pending review of the content and determination of whether the images contained therein are appropriate.”

The same Sydney library shelves also contain Japanese manga books depicting sex, including a series about two Japanese porn stars “engaging in a 10 day sexual romp” called Embracing Love by Youka Nitta.

From the Japanese manga book, found in the Teenager Reader section of the Surry Hills library of the City of Sydney, in a book called Embracing Love.

“Parents across this nation will be shocked to know that local councils have probably spent millions of dollars on pornographic books which they loan to our children,” Mr Gaynor said.

“These books are not checked by the Classification Board before they are imported into Australia and put on library shelves.

“This appears to breach numerous laws from import regulations through to classification laws and even laws that make it crime to produce, own and distribute child exploitation material.

“These books need to be removed and the police, Border Force and Classification Board need to step in and sort this serious problem out.”

The Collective Shout grassroots organisation has also weighed in, calling for the Classification Board to be overhauled, saying comic and manga books with sex scenes should not be in libraries.

“This is not just ‘adult content’, this is extreme, graphic, degrading, violent pornographic imagery,” spokeswoman Caitlin Roper said.

“We are talking about violent rapes of women - some of whom appear to be unconscious or dead - as well as bestiality.

“It’s not a matter of content that should be merely restricted to adults. This material is an endorsement of male violence and abuse of women and it should not be tolerated anywhere, let alone in public libraries for an audience that includes children.”

Conservative blogger Bernard Gaynor has raised the alarm about unsuitable and sexually explicit imagery being available in public libraries. Photo Ric Frearson

Collective Shout campaigns manager Caitlin Roper, is part of a small Australian group looking to stop the sexploitation of women and girls.

Books borrowed by The Daily Telegraph from the Teenage Readers section include drawings of sex, naked women, bestiality, orgies and rape that are too graphic to publish.

Under NSW law, if a book is “submittable” material for classification, it is not allowed to be sold or delivered. But unlike DVDs, not all books are automatically submitted for classification.

A City of Sydney spokeswoman said libraries “have a role as a free, unbiased source of information”.

She said both Gender Queer and The Boys were in the “adult graphic novel collection”, although the newspaper clearly borrowed The Boys from the teenage section.

“The guidelines dictate materials from public libraries should not be excluded on moral, political, racial, religious, sexist, language or other grounds, unless titles have a federal or state restriction or prohibition,” she said.

“Parents or guardians may wish to regulate their children’s access to publications based on family values or beliefs.

“The Commonwealth Government classifies items, not local councils.

“The Classification Board has asked the publisher to submit Gender Queer for review. There is no requirement for libraries to take further action for now.”