History WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids / ComicBooks

** The comic DID receive a Parents Choice Award (mainly for it's historically accurate depiction of life in Ancient Japan)

** The comic DID receive a Parents Choice Award

* Stan Sakai, creator of ''UsagiYojimbo'', was asked at the Anthrocon 2005 panel ''Anthropomorphics in Mainstream Comics'' if he ever was told his comic was not funny and replied with the quote below:

* ''LenoreTheCuteLittleDeadGirl''. {{Creepy|Child}}, 10 years old, UndeadChild who [[ObliviouslyEvil kills and slaughters without knowing it]].
* In 1985, United Feature Syndicate tabbed political cartoonist Jim Meddick to create a comic strip based on the ''RobotmanAndFriends'' [[MerchandiseDriven line of toys]] (and [[TastesLikeDiabetes short-lived cartoon]]). Meddick took the original characters and settings for the original strips... and quickly abandoned them, turning the strip into an absurdist humor strip with decidedly not-kid-friendly storylines and dialog. Angry letters to editors followed. After about two decades, Meddick--at the request of UFS--[[LongBusTrip wrote Robotman out of the strip permanently]] (he left Earth to be with his robot alien girlfriend) and rechristened the strip ''{{Monty}}''.

* The original ''Comicbook/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Mirage}}'' comics were definitely ''not'' child-friendly, being loaded with incredibly over-the-top violence and gore to parody [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the increasingly dark comics of the time]]. The problem, of course, is that [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the cartoon]] based on them ''was'' for children, and thus clueless parents could easily find themselves picking up an issue of the comic for a kid who was really into the Turtles...
** #15 has a letter from a woman who complains that her son had bought a couple of issues which included "foul language and violence," without specifying any further, and that the company which "prints material for children" should know better. This was shortly after the cartoon started airing, but it's not mentioned at all in the letter. In his response, Peter Laird wonders what language and on-panel violence she's talking about (the foulest thing in the earlier issues being on the level of "let's go kick some ass!"), and points out that just because it's a comic doesn't mean that it's for children.
** Complaints like this lead to the creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures series for Archie, which was based on the TV show and more kid-friendly.

* Creator/JhonenVasquez got a bit popular with a TV show called ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' (and kept [[ExecutiveMeddling getting in trouble with the suits]] who wanted less psychotic rampaging), and since kids easily know how to type a name on Google, they not only found out he did a cute comic about [[JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac a schizophrenic, crazed killer]], but bought it as well, 'cuz... you know, the guy created '''[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter GIR]]''' for crying out loud!

* Woe betide anyone who thinks that Franchise/{{Batman}}'s rogues gallery consists of only the colorful, largely {{Harmless Villain}}s they saw on TV, along with the odd mobster or two. Many of the dozens of minor Bat-Villains from the comics (like Cornelius Stirk, Mr. Zsasz, and Jane Doe) haven't made it into the cartoons for a reason. Hell, even the ones that ''have'' been shown on television generally have at least one or two "absolutely under no conditions show to little kids" scenes in the comics. Exhibit A: [[http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9506/293637-158642-joker-venom_super.jpg victims of the Joker's Laughing Toxin when they've gotten a BIT too ripe.]]\\

** In an interview in Amazing Heroes #119, writer Max Allan Collins said that, in reference to a FrankMiller written story which had ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} as a former prostitute, he found that inappropriate--the equivalent of doing Literature/PeterPan and having them face [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything historically accurate pirates]]. Collins felt that Catwoman was derived from children’s entertainment, appearing in a series that had turned into a much more overtly juvenile version of Radio/TheShadow (Catwoman debuted soon after the début of the KidSidekick with shaved legs, short shorts and elf shoes) and therefore people should keep that in mind when handling her.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' is a dark and gritty series, but still considered family friendly. ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures'' tie-in comic is considerably darker, has more blood and violence, and has references to sexuality. It's taken even further in the ''Harley and Ivy'' subseries, where hinting at the sex lives of the title characters is arguably a large part of the point.
** What ''Harley and Ivy'' graphic novel were you reading that only hinted? In one, the two characters in question are sleeping in the same bed at one point, and Harley says that she loves Ivy "more than Mista J" and Ivy makes several direct references to the Joker's physical and psychological abuse of Harley, which she (Ivy) is disgusted with.

* Somehow, the first six issues of Jeff Smith's ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' were excerpted in issues of ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures''. Needless to say, it suffered some {{Bowdlerization}} (including two whole scenes getting cut out and all mentions of "God" and "beer" being changed to "Gosh" and "soda").
** Most bookstores carry it, especially the colorized version, in the children's section instead of the Graphic Novels/Comics area. The fact that it was published by scholastic doesn't help either.
* Frankly, danged near ''any'' mainstream SuperHero comic produced during the DarkerAndEdgier [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age that ran from about 1988-1996.]]
** Between the ever-increasing levels of {{Gorn}} and the constant [[CrisisCrossover big damn universe-changing events]], the two biggest comic companies are ''still'' throwing as thick and fast as they can, the only Marvel and DC comics even ''remotely'' meant for kids these days are the Adventures and Johnny DC lines. It's gotten to the point that pasting "HEY, KIDS! COMICS!" over hyped up and massively nasty pages has become a wide-ranging Internet meme.

* Played with in an issue of ''[[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]]'': a woman receives a book of fairy tales from a recently deceased relative's estate, and decides to read one to her young daughter. She soon realizes that these are ''old school'' fairy tales involving cannibalism, mutilation, vampirism, and murder. Oh, also: the fairy tales are alive.
** Then when the Justice League get trapped in those same stories, TheFlash asks, since [[DisneyFication they're in a fairytale]], [[YouJustHadToSayIt how bad could it be?]] Franchise/GreenLantern then reminds him that he is an artist who had to study these stories and knew very well that they weren't so nice. Moments later, they are almost eaten by the witch from ''Literature/HanselAndGretel''.

* ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' is a comic series about a whole community of fairy tale heroes who live in New York and their lives and adventures. The kids are gonna love it, right? Some of those adventures include: A murder mystery with an apartment drenched in blood, [[spoiler: [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]] being raped by 7 dwarfs in the past]], the nice, friendly and charming Boy Blue [[spoiler: going on a trip to murder the Adversary and slaughtering anyone who gets in his way]], a war and so on.
* The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a fund that takes on the cases of comic store owners who they believe are wrongfully sued and/or arrested for which comics they distribute. Its two most famous cases are the Gordon Lee case (where he distributed a copy of a comic with nude drawings of Picasso on Free Comic Book Day) and Jesus Castillo (who sold an adult comic book, clearly labeled adult, and featured in the adult section of the store, to an adult, who turned out to be an undercover cop and arrested him for two counts of obscenity.)
** An excerpt from a prosecutor's speech in the Castillo case that perfectly summarises this trope:
--> I don’t care what type of evidence or what type of testimony is out there; use your rationality; use your common sense. Comic books, traditionally what we think of, are for kids. This is in a store directly across from an elementary school and it is put in a medium, in a forum, to directly appeal to kids. That is why we are here, ladies and gentlemen. We’re here to get this off the shelf.

* ''ComicBook/{{Gear}}'' featured artwork (by DougTenNapel of ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' fame) that honestly looked like a throwback to [[ClassicDisneyShorts Disney cartoons form the 1920s and 30s]]. In said comic, the characters fight in giant mecha and many die very gruesome, tear-inducing deaths. [[spoiler:Only one of the 4 main characters makes it out alive.]] The fact that it was adapted into a show that [[WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}} clearly]] '''[[WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}} was]]''' [[WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}} for kids only added to the confusion (and made said confusion that much more justifiable).]]
* Steve Purcell gleefully subverted this with his original ''ComicBook/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' comic books. With the expectation that cheerily illustrated funny animals would be purchased by and sold to minors, he often addressed kids across the Fourth Wall with encouragements to engage in dangerous or vandalistic acts. Fizzball is one example, a sport where a full can of soda or beer is shaken up to extreme levels and beaten around with a big stick -- try it indoors, kids! He was not content to simply ''give'' bad role models, but to get in on the fun. These were then adapted into a show ''ostensibly'' for children that aired on FoxKids.

* Those who have seen Wendy Pini's {{ElfQuest}} comics (themselves not totally kid-friendly in spite of careful scenery censoring in certain scenes) need to take warning that one of her later works, a sci-fi retelling of Poe's Masque of the Red Death, is definitely '''not''' for kids, containing as it does fairly explicit homosexuality and very graphic death via a disease which causes uncontrollable bleeding and breakdown of all body cells.

* Art Spiegelman's comment about his comic book ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'' provides the current page quote. ''Maus'' features [[FunnyAnimal anthropomorphic animals]] as stand-ins for people (mice for Jews, cats for Germans, dogs for Americans, etc.). This does not mean it is kid-friendly. '''It's about the Holocaust.''' It features drawings of ditches filled with emaciated, dead anthropomorphic mice being burned by cats with flamethrowers and gas masks. The parts that take place in modern day aren't too clean either. Those parts deal with many serious themes like continuing racism, death in your family, abuse, and greed.

* ''Webcomic/{{Dreamkeepers}}'' is this in every way.

* Barbara Slate's ''Angel Love'' comic book series of the 1980s, having rather cute cartoonish artwork, yet dealing with serious topics such as drug abuse, abortion, critical illnesses, and incest. The lead character's roommate also goes on a blind date with a child. It doesn't help that the style of writing also clashes with the topics it is dealing with. The ''Angel Love Special'' which closes out the series was the only book to have a "For Mature Readers Only" warning on the cover.

* Steve Purcell gleefully subverted this with his original ''ComicBook/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' comic books. With the expectation that cheerily illustrated funny animals would be purchased by and sold to minors, he often addressed kids across the Fourth Wall with encouragements to engage in dangerous or vandalistic acts. Fizzball is one example, a sport where a full can of soda or beer is shaken up to extreme levels and beaten around with a big stick -- try it indoors, kids! He was not content to simply ''give'' bad role models, but to get in on the fun.

** Most bookstores carry it, especially the colorized version, in the children's section instead of the Graphic Novels/Comics area.

* Barbara Slate's ''Angel Love'' comic book series of the 1980s, having rather cute cartoonish artwork, yet dealing with serious topics such as drug abuse, abortion, critical illnesses, and incest. The lead character's roommate also goes on a blind date with a child. The ''Angel Love Special'' which closes out the series was the only book to have a "For Mature Readers Only" warning on the cover.

** That's ''tame'' compared to the following court ruling by one of the judges.

* Art Spiegelman's comment about his comic book ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'' provides the current page quote. ''Maus'' is a comic book that features [[FunnyAnimal anthropomorphic animals]] as stand-ins for people (mice for Jews, cats for Germans, dogs for Americans, etc.). This does not mean it is kid-friendly. '''It's about the Holocaust.''' It features drawings of ditches filled with emaciated, dead anthropomorphic mice being burned by cats with flamethrowers and gas masks. The parts that take place in modern day aren't too clean either. Those parts deal with many serious themes like continuing racism, death in your family, abuse, and greed.

* JhonenVasquez got a bit popular with a TV show called ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' (and kept [[ExecutiveMeddling getting in trouble with the suits]] who wanted less psychotic rampaging), and since kids easily know how to type a name on Google, they not only found out he did a cute comic about [[JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac a schizophrenic, crazed killer]], but bought it as well, 'cuz... you know, the guy created '''[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter GIR]]''' for crying out loud!

* ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'' is a comic book that features anthropomorphic animals as stand-ins for people (mice for Jews, cats for Germans, dogs for Americans, etc.). This does not mean it is kid-friendly. '''It's about the Holocaust.''' It features drawings of ditches filled with emaciated, dead anthropomorphic mice being burned by cats with flamethrowers and gas masks. The parts that take place in modern day aren't too clean either. Those parts deal with many serious themes like continuing racism, death in your family, abuse, and greed. Art Spiegelman, its author, had this to say.
-->'''Spiegelman''': When parents give ''Maus'', my book about Auschwitz, to their little kids, I think it’s child abuse.

* [[FrancoBelgianComics French series]] [[ComicBook/LesLegendaires Les Légendaires]] could almost be considered as a trap on this side: the story involves a fantasy world where everyone has been turned into a kid following a magical accident, and follows the heroes trying to get a cure. The first book actually has a very kid-friendly tone with a large amount of humor, and the second, while slightly more violent, is still arguably suitable for kids, as death scenes are not shown and are [[DeathIsCheap proven to be temporary]]. As a result, you can believe so far that you're dealing with a kids series... [[MoodWhiplash then come books 3 and 4]], which involve HeroicSacrifice, ThePlague, and even [[{{Squick}} one of the protagonists mistakenly being infatuated with his teammate's mother due to him not seeing the age difference since they both look like kids anyway]]. Books 5 and 6 have [[{{Yandere}} a villain who killed his own wife after she cheated on him]]. Books 7 and 8 involved FantasticRacism and slavery, as well as scene of EvilSorcerer Skroa slaughtering a group of slavers and [[NightmareFuel impaling a Jaguarian kid on his claws]]. The Anathos Cycle delivers us a slaughter scene that could have figured in ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'', where the ''protagonists'' are mercilessly crushed by BiggerBad GodOfEvil Anathos (he takes [[DemonicPossession possession]] of TheHero, {{impale|dWithExtremePrejudice}}s the MagicalGirl on his sword, burns the ActionGirl's {{eye|Scream}}s, ''cuts TheBigGuy's [[AnArmAndALeg arm off]]'', and scarred TheLancer [[ScarsAreForever everywhere on his body]]), attempted genocide of humanity and a mildly implied after-sex scene. And if that wasn't enough, books 13 and 14 shows us the decayed body of one of the protagonists before displaying IncestSubtext between the villain and one of the heroine. The fact the author keeps a {{chibi}} look for his character all along only makes it more disturbing.

* Swedish comic strips ''ComicBook/ArneAnka'' and ''Comicbook/{{Rocky}}'' are filled to the brim with funny animals. They're also filled with alcohol consumption, sex and deep, deep cynicism. Luckily, Swedes are generally smart enough to check the contents of such material before handing it to their kids.

* ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'' is a comic book that features anthropomorphic animals as stand-ins for people (mice for Jews, cats for Germans, dogs for Americans, etc.). This does not mean it is kid-friendly. It's mostly about the Holocaust.
*** It features drawings of ditches filled with emaciated, dead anthropomorphic mice being burned by cats with flamethrowers and gas masks.
*** The parts that take place in modern day aren't too clean either. Those parts deal with many serious themes like continuing racism, death in your family, abuse, and greed.

* ''{{Dreamkeepers}}'' is this in every way.

-->''For {{Usagi|Yojimbo}}, yeah, at the beginning, you know, I'd get "Oh, cute and cuddly rabbit", and then they open the book and "... He kills people!"''
* ''LenoreTheCuteLittleDeadGirl''. [[CreepyChild Creepy]], 10 years old, UndeadChild who [[ObliviouslyEvil kills and slaughters without knowing it]].

* ''MouseGuard'' by David Peterson. Similar to ''UsagiYojimbo'', but with mice (and not in Edo Japan). Includes complex themes about survival and UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans, as well as mice (and other creatures) dying very violently.

* ''ComicBook/TheMask''. While the comic book was not for children, and neither was the movie based on it, the cartoon series based on ''that'' clearly was. This caused Dark Horse to [[http://web.archive.org/web/20071013194758/http://sequart.com/articles/?article=602 turn the comics more family-friendly]].
* JhonenVasquez got a bit popular with a TV show called ''InvaderZim'' (and kept [[ExecutiveMeddling getting in trouble with the suits]] who wanted less psychotic rampaging), and since kids easily know how to type a name on Google, they not only found out he did a cute comic about [[JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac a schizophrenic, crazed killer]], but bought it as well, 'cuz... you know, the guy created '''[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter GIR]]''' for crying out loud!
* Many people consider ''Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}}'' to be kids' stuff, but consider that some of the storylines in the comics would have to be heavily toned down for television--Spidey's got {{Serial Killer}}s for villains, many characters dying or being murdered with often graphic results, brutal beatdowns, characters using or selling illegal drugs, and references to sex and rape.
* Woe betide anyone who thinks that {{Batman}}'s rogues gallery consists of only the colorful, largely {{Harmless Villain}}s they saw on TV, along with the odd mobster or two. Many of the dozens of minor Bat-Villains from the comics (like Cornelius Stirk, Mr. Zsasz, and Jane Doe) haven't made it into the cartoons for a reason. Hell, even the ones that ''have'' been shown on television generally have at least one or two "absolutely under no conditions show to little kids" scenes in the comics. Exhibit A: [[http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9506/293637-158642-joker-venom_super.jpg victims of the Joker's Laughing Toxin when they've gotten a BIT too ripe.]]\\

** In an interview in Amazing Heroes #119, writer Max Allan Collins said that, in reference to a FrankMiller written story which had ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} as a former prostitute, he found that inappropriate--the equivalent of doing PeterPan and having them face [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything historically accurate pirates]]. Collins felt that Catwoman was derived from children’s entertainment, appearing in a series that had turned into a much more overtly juvenile version of Radio/TheShadow (Catwoman debuted soon after the début of the KidSidekick with shaved legs, short shorts and elf shoes) and therefore people should keep that in mind when handling her.

** What ''Harley and Ivy'' graphic novel were you reading that only hinted? In one, the two characters in question are sleeping in the same bed at one point, and Harley says that she loves Ivy "more than Mista J" and Ivy makes several direct reference to the Joker's physical and psychological abuse of Harley, which she (Ivy) is disgusted with.
* ''{{We 3}}'', by GrantMorrison, is about three talking animals trying to find their way home; the covers feature "missing pets" notices written in childlike style. Kids'll love it, right? Sure! Except for the scenes featuring the cybernetic animal soldiers literally ''tearing apart the soldiers meant to come kill them'', the part where [[spoiler: the rabbit ''explodes while hurling itself at a car'']], and all sorts of graphic violence in between. Oh, and it's being adapted into a movie directed by the guy who made ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''. Prepare for some traumatized children... As if the {{Vertigo|Comics}} label wasn't a warning already...
* Swedish comic strips ''ArneAnka'' and ''Comicbook/{{Rocky}}'' are filled to the brim with funny animals. They're also filled with alcohol consumption, sex and deep, deep cynicism. Luckily, Swedes are generally smart enough to check the contents of such material before handing it to their kids.
* Somehow, the first six issues of Jeff Smith's ''{{Bone}}'' were excerpted in issues of ''DisneyAdventures''. Needless to say, it suffered some {{Bowdlerization}} (including two whole scenes getting cut out and all mentions of "God" and "beer" being changed to "Gosh" and "soda").

** Between the ever-increasing levels of {{Gorn}} and the constant [[CrisisCrossover big damn universe-changing events]], the two biggest comic companies are ''still'' throwing as thick and fast as they can, the only Marvel and DC comics even ''remotely'' meant for kids these days are the Adventures and Johnny DC lines. It's gotten to the point that pasting "HEY, KIDS! COMICS!" over hyped up and massively nasty pages has become a wide-ranging internet meme.

* It has been speculated that reason {{Batwoman}} (who was supposed to have her own series as far back as 2005) was kept on ice for so long is because WB execs were worried about upsetting parents by introducing a lesbian Bat-character in the wake of Batman's resurgence in mainstream popularity after the release of ''Film/BatmanBegins''.

** Then when the Justice League get trapped in those same stories, TheFlash asks, since [[DisneyFication they're in a fairytale]], [[YouJustHadToSayIt how bad could it be?]] Comicbook/GreenLantern then reminds him that he is an artist who had to study these stories and knew very well that they weren't so nice. Moments later, they are almost eaten by the witch from ''Literature/HanselAndGretel''.
* ''Whistles'', a graphic novel by Andrew Hussie of ''MSPaintAdventures'' fame, was once listed in the Children's category on Amazon. Well, it's a comic drawn in a cartoony style about a funny clown, so it must be for kids, right? To quote the summary: "Whistles, a clown in the Starlight Calliope circus, was beloved by all. One day an accident nearly cost him his life, and he became exposed to the corrupt underworld of the circus, rife with murder and cannibalism. Forced to flee, he experiences the hardships of the world such as homesickness and prostitution."
* ''{{Fables}}'' is a comic series about a whole community of fairy tale heroes who live in New York and their lives and adventures. The kids are gonna love it, right? Some of those adventures include: A murder mystery with an apartment drenched in blood, [[spoiler: [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]] being raped by 7 dwarfs in the past]], The nice, friendly and charming Boy Blue [[spoiler: going on a trip to murder the Adversary and slaughtering anyone who gets in his way]], a war and so on.

* ''TheSavageDragon'' comic was not at all appropriate for children, but there was once a kid-friendly cartoon series based off of it (just like the aforementioned ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'').
* ''ComicBook/{{Gear}}'' featured artwork (by DougTenNapel of ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' fame) that honestly looked like a throwback to [[ClassicDisneyShorts Disney cartoons form the 1920s and 30s]]. In said comic, the characters fight in giant mecha and many die very gruesome, tear-inducing deaths. [[spoiler:Only one of the 4 main characters makes it out alive.]] The fact that it was adapted into a show that [[CatScratch clearly]] '''[[CatScratch was]]''' [[CatScratch for kids only added to the confusion (and made said confusion that much more justifiable).]]
* Steve Purcell gleefully subverted this with his original ''SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' comic books. With the expectation that cheerily illustrated funny animals would be purchased by and sold to minors, he often addressed kids across the Fourth Wall with encouragements to engage in dangerous or vandalistic acts. Fizzball is one example, a sport where a full can of soda or beer is shaken up to extreme levels and beaten around with a big stick -- try it indoors, kids! He was not content to simply ''give'' bad role models, but to get in on the fun.

* [[FrancoBelgianComics French series]] [[ComicBook/LesLegendaires Les Légendaires]] could almost be considered as a trap on this side: the story involves a fantasy world where everyone has been turned into a kid following a magical accident, and follows the heroes trying to get a cure. The first book actually has a very kid-friendly tone with a large amount of humor, and the second, while slightly more violent, is still arguably suitable for kids, as death scenes are not shown and are [[DeathIsCheap proven to be temporary]]. As a result, you can believe so far that you're dealing with a kids series... [[MoodWhiplash then come books 3 and 4]], which involve HeroicSacrifice, ThePlague, and even [[{{Squick}} one of the protagonists mistakingly being infatuated with his teammate's mother due to him not seeing the age difference since they both look like kids anyway]]. Books 5 and 6 have [[{{Yandere}} a villain who killed his own wife after she cheated on him]]. Books 7 and 8 involved FantasticRacism and slavery, as well as scene of EvilSorcerer Skroa slaughtering a group of slavers and [[NightmareFuel impaling a Jaguarian kid on his claws]]. The Anathos Cycle delivers us a slaughter scene that could have figured in HappyTreeFriends, where the ''protagonists'' are mercilessly crushed by BiggerBad GodOfEvil Anathos (he takes [[DemonicPossession possession]] of TheHero, [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impales]] the MagicalGirl on his sword, burns the ActionGirl's [[EyeScream eyes]], ''cuts TheBigGuy's [[AnArmAndALeg arm off]]'', and scarred TheLancer [[ScarsAreForever everywhere on his body]]), attempted genocide of humanity and a mildly implied after-sex scene. And if that wasn't enough, books 13 and 14 shows us the decayed body of one of the protagonists before displaying IncestSubtext between the villain and one of the heroine. The fact the author keeps a {{chibi}} look for his character all along only makes it more disturbing.

* In the late 90s, DougTenNapel (of ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' fame) released a miniseries called ''{{Gear}}''. It featured artwork that honestly looked like a throwback to [[ClassicDisneyShorts Disney cartoons form the 1920s and 30s]]. [[spoiler: In said comic, the characters fight in giant mecha and many die very gruesome, tear-inducing deaths. Only one of the 4 main characters makes it out alive.]] The fact that it was adapted into a show that [[CatScratch clearly]] '''[[CatScratch was]]''' [[CatScratch for kids only added to the confusion (and made said confusion that much more justifiable).]]

* In 1985, United Feature Syndicate tabbed political cartoonist Jim Meddick to create a comic strip based on the ''RobotmanAndFriends'' [[MerchandiseDriven line of toys]] (and [[TastesLikeDiabetes short-lived cartoon]]). Meddick took the original characters and settings for the original strips... and quickly abandoned them, turning the strip into an absurdist humor strip with decidedly not-kid-friendly storylines and dialog. Angry letters to editors followed. After about two decades, Meddick--at the request of UFS--[[LongBusTrip wrote Robotman out of the strip permanently]] (he left Earth to be with his robot alien girlfriend) and rechristened the strip ''Monty''.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMask''. While the comic book was not for children, and neither was the movie based on it, the cartoon series based on ''that'' clearly was. This caused Dark Horse to [[http://web.archive.org/web/20071013194758/http://sequart.com/articles/?article=602 turn the comics more family-friendly]].

** What ''Harley and Ivy'' graphic novel were you reading that only hinted? In one, the two titular characters are sleeping in the same bed at one point, and Harley says that she loves Ivy "more than Mista J" and Ivy makes several direct reference to the Joker's physical and psychological abuse of Harley, which she (Ivy) is disgusted with.

* [[FrancoBelgianComics French series]] [[ComicBook/LesLegendaires Les Légendaires]] could almost be considered as a trap on this side: the story involves a fantasy world where everyone has been turned into a kid following a magical accident, and follows the heroes trying to get a cure. The first book actually has a very kid-friendly tone with a large amount of humor, and the second, while slightly more violent, is still arguably suitable for kids, as death scenes are not shown and are [[DeathIsCheap proven to be temporary]]. As a result, you can believe so far that you're dealing with a kids series... [[MoodWhiplash then come books 3 and 4]], which involve HeroicSacrifice, ThePlague, and even [[{{Squick}} one of the protagonists mistakingly being infatuated with his teammate's mother due to him not seeing the age difference since they both look like kids anyway]]. Books 5 and 6 have [[{{Yandere}} a villain who killed his own wife after she cheated on him]]. Books 7 and 8 involved FantasticRacism and slavery, as well as scene of EvilSorcerer Skroa slaughtering a group of slavers and [[NightmareFuel impaling a Jaguarian kid on his claws]]. The Anathos Cycle delivers us a slaughter scene that could have figured in HappyTreeFriends, where the ''protagonists'' are mercilessly crushed by BiggerBad GodOfEvil Anathos (he takes [[DemonicPossession possession]] of TheHero, [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impales]] the MagicalGirl on his sword, burns the ActionGirl's [[EyeScream eyes]], ''cuts TheBigGuy's [[AnArmAndALeg arm off]]'', and scarred TheLancer [[ScarsAreForever everywhere on his body]]), attempted genocide of humanity and a mildly implied after-sex scene. And if that wasn't enough, books 13 and 14 shows us the decayed body of one of the protagonists before displaying IncestSubtext between the villain and one of the heroine. The fact the author keeps a {{chibi}} look for his character all along only makes it more disturbing.

* ''{{Dreamkeepers}}'', is this in every way.

* Stephen Desberg created a cutesy comic together with Stéphane Colman called ''ComicBook/BillyTheCat'', which is about a teenage kid that gets transformed in a cute little yellow kitty. It features cute covers and equally cute friendly characters, but some of the comics (particularly issues 3, 5, 6 and 12) feature cats bleeding to death into alleys, a man getting impaled on one of his own statues, and a giant gorilla with a hook for a hand that kidnaps and harasses a little girl. The fact that a kid-friendly animated show was created based off the comic certainly wouldn't help matters much.

* It has been speculated that reason {{Batwoman}} (who was supposed to have her own series as far back as 2005) was kept on ice for so long is because WB execs were worried about upsetting parents by introducing a lesbian Bat-character in the wake of Batman's resurgence in mainstream popularity after the release of ''[[TheDarkKnightSaga Batman Begins]]''.