On paper, a California city bans the sale of comic books to kids. Officials want to change that

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Lecho Lopez shoes comic books at his store JLA Comics on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sophie Austin)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On a recent day at Sacramento native Lecho Lopez's comic shop in the city, his 5-year-old nephew read his first word aloud: “bad.” It was from a graphic novel.

There was irony in that being his first word, because Lopez credits comic books with many positive things in his life. That is why he supports repealing a city ordinance dating back to 1949 that bars the distribution of many comic books to kids and teens. It is not enforced today.

“It’s a silly law,” said Lopez, who has a red-and-black tattoo of the Superman logo on his forearm, in an interview at his store, JLA Com