Earlier this week, TechStuff’s Jonathan Strickland e-mailed Chanel and me with a link about Archie Comics’ decision to stop using the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval beginning in February. The announcement followed one from DC, which is moving to its own ratings system. (Marvel stopped using the seal about a decade ago.) Jonathan thought it looked like something for FanStuff — he’s helpful that way.

The problem was, I couldn’t think of much to say on the CCA seal’s demise, other than “How many things do we really need ratings on?” and “Know what I bet never had the CCA seal? ‘Preacher.’ Oh and ‘Transmetropolitan.’ Actually, possibly every comic I have ever read; I’ll have to check the shelves.”

NPR to the rescue. If you read comics and aren’t already steeped in the history that led to the formation and eventual end of the CCA seal, I encourage you to read Glen Weldon’s overview.  Newsarama explores whether the CCA was really even in use in recent months, but other than that, all the coverage I’ve seen so far begins and ends with “It’s about time.” The piece in NPR’s Monkey See blog more or less ends that way, but only after explaining why it actually matters.

So, thank you, Glen Weldon. I forgive your eerie Twitter similarity to a friend of mine, which confuses me at least twice a day.