Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 9. 1st May 1974

Repression of comix

Repression of comix

Dear Sir,

I was fascinated to read the Salient treatise on the decline of that wonderful creation, the underground comic. Recently I spent some time in California and bought some 15—20 of them, a fairly representative selection with such titles as Anomaly, Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Zap, Slow Death and Mothers Oats etc. Unfortunately, since I was on the road and wished to travel light. I mailed them to New Zealand. Well I returned to California, bought a few more and departed for home. Auckland customs was so busy tearing my belongings to shreds looking for drugs, that after a cursory glance, my five underground mags were tossed over to me, and I kept them.

Some time after returning to Wellington I received a notice of seizure from customs, stating all my 14 magazines had been impounded. They stated that two were indecent (declared so by the Indecent Publications Tribunal), two more were under current consideration "by this department" to be obscene. Wishing to object to this arbitary and high-handed form of self-righteousness, I went to see what could be done. I was informed that I should have to lodge of notice of contestment of seizure and that this would be referred to the Magistrates Court, then to the Indecent Publications Tribunal, then back to court, then to the customs as a directive. If any single one of the 10 comics I was trying to recover was found indecent, I was informed that I would have to pay all solicitors costs etc etc.

Customs department obviously realises that it is a young person likely to be bringing in this type of literature, and hence unlikely to risk his heck (or wallet) to the legal wheels. This Is rank persecution. The trip to the US has left me in a fairly broke state and solicitors fees for the bureaucratic customs is something I certainly cannot afford. I wish to object on principle to this action but what can I do? My comics are lost, customs greases in again with another magnificent blow for the free state, and I have no redress without funds. The date when they are due to be destroyed la one month after April 17, I'm stuck.

Richard Barton