Open Comic Rating System
Ever have someone say "I wish I knew this had swearing." or "I didn't know there'd be sensitive content in here!" when reading your indie comic? Or maybe you would like to know what you're getting yourself into as the reader before you buy?Welcome to the Open Comic Rating System (or OCRS). This is a free-for-anyone rating system that supports comic books, graphic novels, web comics, and more to clearly label subject matter that may be present. It's kinda like "Trigger Warnings", or a comic version of the ESRB! This project isn't about censorship, it's about giving creators the option to be more transparent with their audience.Artists; to participate in this project all you need to do is download the graphics, follow placement and verbiage guides, and you're on your way to making your work more accessible for your audience!
Rating Guide
To make ratings easy to understand at a glance, there are three components: the letter representing the target audience range, the shape, and the color. Also notice that above each of the letters is the abbreviation "RD" - this stands for Reader Discretion. If you're a comic creator, please see the "How to Use" section for placement details.
Youth - White Circle
Content is suitable and/or geared towards children around 7 years of age or younger! May contain the following:● Comic Mischief
● Death (Implied), (Suggested), (discussed)
● Moral Dilemma
Everyone - Purple Square
Content is usually suitable for all ages. May include previous discretions as well as:● Canon Events (Implied)
● Cartoon Violence
● Fantasy Violence
● Profanity Substitutes
Pre-Teen - Blue Diamond
Content is generally suitable for ages 11 and up. May include previous discretions as well as:● Canon Events (Depicted)
● Language (Mild)
● Suggestive themes (Mild)
Teen - Green Pentagon
Content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May include previous discretions as well as:● Blood (Minor)
● Crude/Toilet Humor (Minor), (Moderate)
● Language (Moderate)
● Smoking
● Suggestive Themes (Moderate)
Young Adult - Yellow Hexagon
Content is advised for readers 16 and up only. May include previous discretions as well as:● Blood & Gore (Moderate), (Extreme)
● Canon Events (Depicted, Explicit)
● Crude/Toilet Humor (Extreme)
● Language (Extreme)
● Sexual Content (Moderate)
● Violence (Moderate), (Extreme)
Only Adult - Red Octagon
Content ONLY for readers 18 years or older. May include previous discretions as well as:● Language (Extreme+)
● Sexual Content, In-Depth (Extreme+)
● Violence, Prolonged (Extreme+)
Trauma Trigger - Black X
Trauma Triggers are a special label type, marked with a black "X" behind the main warning label. The list of Trauma Triggers is extensive, and may include but not limited to:● Animal Maiming/Death (Depicted), (Implied)
● Body Horror
● Discrimination (Class), (Identity), (Racial), (Gender)
● Dramatic Death (Depicted)
● Mental Health (Depicted), (Implied)
● Neurodivergent
● Puberty & Menstruation (Depicted), (Implied)
● Pregnancy/Childbirth
● Rape/Abuse (Depicted), (Implied)
● Self-Harm (Depicted), (Implied)
● Social Injustice
● Suicide (Depicted), (Implied)
● War
This isn't an exhaustive list of triggers, so it's important to do research on what else can be linked to trauma and how it can be labeled to inform your audience what they can expect. We highly suggest clicking the link below and checking out more details on the Whole Picture Tool Kit website.
How to Use
Physical Print Comics & Graphic Novels
Front Cover
We strongly suggest placing the discretion label on the bottom right corner where it is visible and legible. The placement is only a suggestion, but advised for consistency.When scaling, the main label shouldn’t be smaller than 1/2” to avoid issues with legibility. The graphic can be as large as you’d like, but we suggest having the discretion icon at 1” in height with the “X” at roughly 1 3/8” in height.
Back Cover
On the back cover, please use a “Rating Info Box” and the “Rating Assets Provided” graphic (or the “Certified” graphic if provided) in the bottom left or right corner (depending on barcode placement).Please use Arial or a clean San Serif type, no smaller than 8pt font. The box should be no wider than 2.5” across. Height of “Rating Info Box” should be the same as “Rating Assets Provided” box.
The “Rating Assets Provided” graphic can be customized if more space is needed, or if a different design would fit your cover better. As long as it has all of the necessary information, your comic (or other reading material) is in compliance with OCRS standards.If your comic or work is reviewed by a volunteer member of OCRS, you may receive a “Certified By” badge to use in place of the “Rating Assets Provided By” badge.
Web Comics & Webtoons
Placement guides are coming soon for Web Comics - stay tuned! If you have a suggestion, feel free to contact us!
Novels and Books
Placement guides are coming soon for novels and books - stay tuned! If you have a suggestion, feel free to contact us!
Resources
OCRS is free for anyone to use. Just download the provided graphics and you're on your way. Graphics can be downloaded from the "OCRS Files" button below!Are you a comic shop, library, or maybe have a private collection? Or maybe you want to label some old stock of yours as a creator without reprinting the whole comic. We offer OCRS rating stickers with permanent or removable adhesive for a very affordable cost! Get a variety pack or a specific rating stickers with matching back stickers. Contact us for pricing.
Yep! Free and open to use!
Whether you have your work peer reviewed by a volunteer, or you're rating it yourself, you shouldn't have to pay to get a rating. This isn't a block buster film or a video game. The only thing we ask is for you to be 100% honest with your audience.Have a rating or discretion suggestion? Consider contacting us and we'd love to see if it fits in with the list!
Need rating help?
No problem! We understand that rating your own work is hard, and tagging everything isn't always as straightforward as you'd like. One of our volunteers would be more than happy to review your work and provide you with the appropriate graphic as well as a list of your "Reader Digressions". Please allow up to 10-15 business days for a rating.
About OCRS
Founded and developed by Chris Boutin (aka Lefty of Lefty's Comics), and supported by a hand full of volunteers, OCRS sets out to be a truly universal and open rating system for comics and literature. Sometimes you don't want to get jump scared by a random boinking scene. The book piece of work didn't imply it was going to happen, and yet there it is. We hope that we can offer a transparency tool for anyone willing to use it, and appreciate the support.© Open Comic Rating System 2025