Graphic storytelling for teens: comics and censorship in the UK

Dhanowa, Meriel (2026) Graphic storytelling for teens: comics and censorship in the UK. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis will explore the topic of the Franco-Belgian bande dessinée (BD), Japanese manga and British girls’ comics through the lens of Western censorship during the mid to late 20th century, as well the belief that comics are primarily a genre for children as opposed to a medium. Pre-conceived ideas of what material should be considered suitable for children has also lead to difficulties in making manga and BD accessible for English-speaking readerships, since many narratives have contained depictions of subject matter considered taboo during the time of their publications. Chapter 1 will begin with a general overview of previous research undertaken in the field of comics scholarship, highlighting how each of these three forms of comics have been discussed individually, though I aim to combine and compare the treatment of these mediums through analysis of my case studies. Chapter 2 will then examine the topic of censorship when applied to comics through important legislation such as the the Comics Code in the US, the 1949 law in France and the Children and Young Persons Harmful Publications Act in the UK, in order to uncover the restrictions placed on comics in the anglocentric West, and how Japan has not faced restrictions of the same extreme caliber. Chapters 3-5 will each focus on a case study from my chosen mediums: these will be The Adventures of Tintin, Princess Knight, and Misty. In these chapters, I will examine how the three texts each approached their respective subject matter, and why this may have resulted in cultural creative differences when anticipating reception from a mainstream English speaking public. Ultimately, this thesis aims to explore the reasoning behind the initial inclusion of this content, in order to understand how the historical and cultural differences in approaching children’s narratives, while also demonstrating the value of visual storytelling for a young readership.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Due to copyright issues this thesis is not available for viewing.
• Subjects: N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR; N Fine Arts > NE Print media; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures
• Supervisor's Name: Grove, Professor Laurence and Yazaki, Dr. Saeko
• Date of Award: 2026
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2026-86140
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 17 Jul 2026 10:31
• Last Modified: 19 Jul 2026 06:36
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.86140
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/86140