Commentary on Christopher Handley's Sentencing

Jason Thompson is the author of the Eisner-nominated Manga: The Complete Guide and the King of RPGs graphic novel. He is also an editor for Otaku USA magazine and several manga titles.

I'm disappointed, saddened, and angry that Christopher Handley is serving a six month prison sentence for his tastes in manga. As Simon Jones of Icarus Comics pointed out, the implications of the court judgment are not necessarily as bad as they might have been; Handley made the personal decision to plead guilty, so his case did not set a new legal precedent, negative or otherwise, about "obscene" materials in manga. Nonetheless, for Handley itself, it's a tragedy — not being registered as a sex offender is a small compensation for losing his job, years of his life, and who knows what personal and emotional cost.