40 Years Later, Dragon Ball Is Being Forced Off Store Shelves by New U.S. Law

Texas’ latest wave of legislation is making waves in unexpected places, including comic book stores and the Dragon Ballmanga. A recently enacted law, Senate Bill 20 (SB20), is intended to combat obscene imagery, including material generated by artificial intelligence. However, its broad language has left retailers worried about how beloved works of popular culture might suddenly fall under scrutiny.

That concern became reality for one comic shop in Weslaco, Texas. Andrew Balderas, manager of Kaboom Comics, recently pulled volumes of Dragon Ball Z from shelves, according to Valley Central. Though the depictions in question are rare and framed for humor, he chose to act cautiously rather than risk violating the new law. The move shows how vague legal standards can impact creative works never meant to cross the line.