The availability in local bookstores of a Marvel comic depicting a gay wedding but not an Archie comic with a similar storyline raises questions on the Media Development Authority’s book review process.
A search by The Independent found the Marvel Comic “Astonishing X-Men #51” to be sold in Singapore, although labelled “unsuitable for the young” in Ngee Ann City’s Kinokuniya branch.
“I think the danger lies firstly in government bodies reacting to pressure groups, in this case conservative groups, that may be coordinating campaigns to remove media they feel uncomfortable about,” said Sonny Liew, a comic artist.
According to MDA, it had allegedly received a complaint about the Archie comic’s contents, and deemed said comic to be breaching “content guidelines” after a review process.
Liew urges the MDA to have a more transparent and accountable process, lambasting the covert manner of the way in which it currently operates in.
"Whatever Mitch," a Marvel fan on Tumblr, wrote that he was unsettled by the censorship.
“As a pro-LGBT Singaporean, I am starting to fear if Singapore censors will start to target the comic shops here and force them to pull out Astonishing X-Men #51… just because it has homosexual characters, and any comic books with LGBT characters,” he said.
The availability in local bookstores of a Marvel comic depicting a gay wedding but not an Archie comic with a similar storyline raises questions on the Media Development Authority’s book review process.
A search by The Independent found the Marvel Comic “Astonishing X-Men #51” to be sold in Singapore, although labelled “unsuitable for the young” in Ngee Ann City’s Kinokuniya branch.
“I think the danger lies firstly in government bodies reacting to pressure groups, in this case conservative groups, that may be coordinating campaigns to remove media they feel uncomfortable about,” said Sonny Liew, a comic artist.
According to MDA, it had allegedly received a complaint about the Archie comic’s contents, and deemed said comic to be breaching “content guidelines” after a review process.
Liew urges the MDA to have a more transparent and accountable process, lambasting the covert manner of the way in which it currently operates in.
"Whatever Mitch," a Marvel fan on Tumblr, wrote that he was unsettled by the censorship.
“As a pro-LGBT Singaporean, I am starting to fear if Singapore censors will start to target the comic shops here and force them to pull out Astonishing X-Men #51… just because it has homosexual characters, and any comic books with LGBT characters,” he said.