For over 50 years, the Comics Code Authority enforced its Seal of Approval, a set of self-imposed guidelines used to judge comics as appropriate for all ages. Publishers and distributors adhered to the code for fear of losing sales and going out of business. Archie Comics was the last remaining subscriber to the code and ceased using it in 2011, concluding this period of censorship and regulation.

In 2022, the Washington University Libraries acquired the Archie Comics Collection, featuring materials related to the creation of the franchise and its inventor, John Goldwater, who was also instrumental in the creation and enforcement of the Comics Code Authority. This exhibition highlights materials from the Archie collection, alongside examples of pre-code comics in our collections that inspired the backlash, including Superman and books published by EC Comics.