Thinking about the Code

We discussed the Comics Code Authority today in class, and I found this website that has the full transcript of the 1954 Code. If you pay attention to "General Standards Part B," you can see how the code rather successfully killed the horror genre and the publishers that focused on that particular subject.
The section I found extremely interesting was "General Standards Part C," especially the section subtitled "Marriage and Sex." You can definitely tell the code was passed during the height of the "Leave it to Beaver" era.
Another major hit to the comics industry as a result of the Code was the income from advertisers. There was a ban on alcohol, tobacco, even fireworks advertisements.
One of the sources I read regarding the code alluded to it being more strict than the 1930's Production Code, also known as the Hays Code which is another link that is pretty interesting to look over.
The Code has been "liberalized" several times, sparked by Marvel Comics and Stan Lee's decision to run three issues of The Amazing Spider-Man without sanctioning by the Code, but was endorsed by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
In 2001 Marvel Comics dropped the seal entirely, favoring their own system that follows the system of rating movies and video games. Archie and DC Comics are the only two major companies that continue to run books with the "Code Approved" seal, though DC has been known to simply run books without the seal if they do not pass.

What is very intriguing about the Code is the lack of means for actual enforcement...
...That's right, people just let the Code run how they did business because of social pressures, many that continue today.