''Sex Criminals'' is a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

series published by American company Image Comics. It is written by

Matt Fraction Matt Fritchman (born December 1, 1975), better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of '' The Invincible Iron Man'', '' The Immortal Iron Fist'', ''Uncanny ...

and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky. The first issue was published on September 25, 2013. Since publication, the series has continuously received critical acclaim. ''Sex Criminals'' was nominated for two

Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

in 2014 including Best Continuing Series and won Best New Series. On February 25, 2015, it was announced that Matt Fraction made a deal with Universal TV to turn ''Sex Criminals'' into a television show. According to the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

, the hardcover release ''Big Hard Sex Criminals'' was the seventh most banned and challenged book in the United States due to being considered sexually explicit.

Synopsis

Suzie, a

librarian A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users. The role of the librarian has changed much over time ...

, and Jon, an

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, meet at a party and end up sleeping together. Later, they are shocked to discover that they share the ability to freeze time when they

orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region chara ...

. As their relationship develops and their sexual histories are explored, they decide to rob the bank where Jon works in order to save Suzie's endangered library.

Publication history

In March 2013, Image Comics announced a sex comedy during the Emerald City Comicon. Later reports confirmed that it was intended for mature readers and would have Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky in the forefront. Films like ''

The 40-Year-Old Virgin ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Judd Apatow, who produced the film with Clayton Townsend and Shauna Robertson. It features Steve Carell as the titular 40-year-old virgin Andy, an employee at an e ...

'', '' Bridesmaids'', and '' Jackass: The Movie'' were mentioned as touchstones for the comics, and Fraction himself confirmed in an interview that the works of

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...

also inspired him deeply in writing. Fraction and Zdarsky had known each other for a short time before the book's creation. They communicated almost exclusively online and Zdarsky was the first to suggest a collaboration. Initially, Zdarsky wanted to write a book that was their take on fantasy, as neither was a big fan of the genre. Fraction responded with another idea, suggesting, " at if we do a sex comedy about a guy, who every time he ejaculates, stops time?" Zdarsky was tired from a business trip he was on and agreed to the idea without much thought. After continued communication, their idea began to grow until the book was published in September 2013. The book has gained a cult following and its fans refer to themselves as 'brimpers' after a sex position described in the first issue. A special issue, referred to as the "Sexual Gary Special," was released in September 2020.

Reception

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' honored ''Sex Criminals'' as the #1 comic series/graphic novel of 2013. IGN tagged the work as "amazing", and said that the story is "so addictive, you'll find yourself staring at the last page in horror when you realize you'll have to wait another month to find out what happens next". '' Paste'' called the first issue "splendid", with "an immediately likable character", specifying that although one "wouldn’t trust most comic creators to turn a sexual awakening into compelling pulp fiction (...) Fraction and Zdarsky pull it off masterfully." The first compilation, ''Sex Criminals: One Weird Trick'', was nominated for the 2015

Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story is given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories told in graphic form and published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. It has been awarded annually since 2009. The Hugo ...

. According to the

, the hardcover release ''Big Hard Sex Criminals'' was the seventh most banned and challenged book in the United States due to being considered sexually explicit.

Collected editions

Trade paperback releases

Hardcover releases

References

External links

Sex Criminals
at Image Comics * * {{cite web, url=http://comicsalliance.com/matt-fraction-chip-zdarsky-sex-criminals-image-comics-interview/ , title=A Proper Sex Comedy: Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky Talk 'Sex Criminals' , author=Matt D. Wilson , date=August 28, 2013 , work=Comics Alliance , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901054623/http://comicsalliance.com/matt-fraction-chip-zdarsky-sex-criminals-image-comics-interview/ , archivedate=September 1, 2013 2013 comics debuts Comics about women Comics by Matt Fraction Image Comics titles Eisner Award winners for Best New Series Fictional bank robbers Sex comedy