Comics History

Erotic Comics

An overview of eroticism and adult pornography in comics


by Guy Peellaert


Comics with a sexual content are always bound - or at least influenced - by the current cultural taboos. According to ruling opinions of what is tolerated, sexual comics will either be sold above or below the counter. While depicting bare breasts is not such a big deal in Western Europe, where female nudity is used for selling anything from shampoo to cars, but in America, naked breasts are associated solely with sex, and therefore banned from public display. In Japan, many sex comics (manga) deal with sex between or with underaged teenagers - the depiction of which is considered pedophilia in most Western comics. This goes to show that what is considered titillating in one culture, may be viewed as criminal in another.

Erotic comics
For most artists, "erotic" means the depiction of what arouses their desire - which is usually a beautiful young woman or man, with little or no clothes on. Comic artists add to the sexually charged atmosphere by drawing their objects of desire in exciting stories. The artistic qualities of many erotic comics are very high, and many artists have earned themselves a respectable reputation in this genre. In Europe, the erotic scene is headed by names like Alex Varenne, Max Cabanes, Lorenzo Mattotti and probably the master: Milo Manara.

Jane at war, by Norman Pett In England, the erotic comic 'Jane at War' by Norman Pett helped bolster the morale of British soldiers during World War II.

Sex and humoristic comics
Sex and humor don't mix too well in real life, but in comics they provide a complete genre, which allows readers to secretly snigger at sexually explixit scenes without risk of being associated with the perversity that accompanies hard core pornography. All through the ages, more or less talented artists have amused themselves by drawing well-known characters in compromising sexual scenes. Especially in the 1920s and 30s, there was a production of so-called 'Tijuana Bibles' or 'eight-pagers' - little comic books consisting of 8 pages, with a sex parody featuring film-stars or even comic characters. Most of the artists remained anonymous, but it is known that Wesley Morse created a few.

eightpagerShe Saw the World's Fair - and how!
An eight-pager about a lady who visits the New York Fair in 1939. An excellent site about Tijuana Bibles is


Many "men's magazines" like Playboy or Penthouse feature humoristic erotic comics as well. A hit was 'Little Annie Fanny' by Harvey Kurtzmann, which ran in Playboy from 1962 until 1988. In Holland, we have the antics of 'Willem' by Aloys Oosterwijk in the magazine, Panorama.

Willem by Aloys OosterwijkWillem's Wereld by Aloys Oosterwijk

In the 1960s and 70s underground comics reacted to the implementation of the Comics Code by drawing comics about any controversial subject they could think of - mostly sex. Robert Crumb and Spain Rodriguez are big names in this area.

Detail of Angouleme poster by Robert CrumbDetail of Angouleme poster by Robert Crumb

In the 1980s, sex parodies on well-known comic characters, like the Smurfs or Lucky Luke, crept up again. In essence, these topics were much the same as the eight-pagers half a century earlier.

Sex parody on the SmurfsSex parody of the Smurfs

S&M and Bondage
There's a special 'knotty' niche in the comics world, as in the real world, for S&M and bondage comics that feature long-legged, high-heeled mistresses who feel compelled to discipline anything from naughty schoolgirls to high-powered businessmen. These stories can be anything from the soft bondage of Saudelli to the violently sadistic scenes of Pichard... Stanton, Eneg and Willie (in his book 'The Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline') have brought this genre to artistic heights.

Marie-Gabrielle, by Georges PichardMarie-Gabrielle, by Georges Pichard

Some comic artists cater to several specific fetishes, such as feet, high heels, leather boots, nylon and rubber. Italian artist Franco Saudelli (together with his artistic wife Francesca Casotto, who often modelled for him) was a master at depicting feet in such a way, that even the ones that have no sexual interest in them, start to understand the fascination some others have.

Feet by Franco SaudelliFeet by Franco Saudelli



Gay Comix
Some would say that there is no better way to get out of the closet (or amuse yourself whilst still in the closet) than by creating or reading gay comics. There is a wide variety in this genre as well: from the mainly sex-oriented comics by Tom of Finland to the elaborate stories by Ralf König, which portray life of German gay men in the broadest sense. Where lesbians are concerned, they can be found in abundance in mainstream, heterosexual pornography - but a few of them cater especially to lesbian and bi-sexual women.

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