Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Comics Code Authority" in English language version.
The Seal of Approval, once prominently displayed on comic book covers, quietly disappeared in 2011. For nearly 60 years, however, censors funded by the comic book industry enforced rules about acceptable content. Only comics that passed a pre-publication review carried the seal.
One of the key new elements for Vertigo was DC's willingness to ditch the Comics Code Authority (CCA) for the new imprint, freeing its writers and artists from the voluntary 1950s-era moral restrictions on content. In the 2000s the CCA was effectively abandoned by all comic book publishers, but in the early 90s this put Vertigo ahead of the pack.
So much for The Comics Magazine Association of America, which for over 50 years served as the comics industry's self-regulating (read: self-censoring) arm.
