It's believed that the customer, deciding not to purchase the title, simply put it back on the shelf. It remained in the adult section until September 1999, when it was purchased by an undercover police officer who, needless to say, was an adult. An arrest warrant was issued for the store manager shortly thereafter, but it was not served until four months later, when the manager was taken away on new comics day. If the arrest warrant was the result of a disgruntled mother's complaint, this is another case in which the censorship of comics has little or nothing to do with comics. It's not the result of genuine moral, ethical, or religious objection to the material in the comics.
Obscenity becomes a tool with which to bring public action to bear on a private grievance.
But for the comic collector or retailer who's on the receiving end of such a charge, the causes are of invariably less concern than the results. Obscenity charges, well-founded or not, still carry an enormous public stigma, hefty fines, and considerable jail time. At press time, the arraignment is months away. Still, it be may be a long and expensive trial - considerably more expensive than the rarest Pok mon card. Donations can always be sent directly to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061.