The nomination of John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court in 2005 caused considerable protest among politicians and law experts, many of whom voiced concerns over Roberts’ typically conservative stance in his decisions.
The First Amendment Center recently analyzed Roberts’ decisions regarding First Amendment cases, starting with the idea the “Conservatives are often portrayed as hostile or indifferent to First Amendment issues.” They found that Roberts “has not been a disaster — far from it.”
Each year, on or around Thomas Jefferson’s April 13 birthday, The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression “awards” the individuals and organizations who put in a concerted effort to abridge free speech in the previous year. The 2011 “winners” of these awards — called the Jefferson Muzzles — were recently announced.
Who can we thank for impeding free speech during 2010? The dubious honorees included no less than the Obama Administration and BP “for restricting media access to the Gulf oil spill,” the TSA “for having a young man arrested for stripping off much of his clothing to display the text of the Fourth Amendment,” and more. You can check out the full list of recipients here.
The Jefferson Muzzles serve as a reminder that free expression isn’t always as safe as we think it is.
As any past and present member knows, CBLDF membership has its benefits, including a number of incentives and premiums.
We have a membership level for everyone, and each membership level has its own incentives. Everyone gets a membership card — this year’s features Green Lantern — but if you sign up for the CBLDF Defender Membership at a $250 donation, you will also get a 
hand-drawn membership card! You can choose a card by celebrated comics artists Jeffrey Brown, Matt Wagner, Eric Powell, Cliff Chiang, or Dean Haspiel.
Brown just sent us a slew of eye-catching, full-color cards! We’re inspired both by these gorgeous cards and by the time Brown donated to make the cards for us, and we hope this inspires you to become a defender of Free Speech for the comics community. Become a member now!
Hey, hey, hey, everyone! It’s your intrepid Web Editor here with a quick report about WonderCon.
What’s to say about WonderCon 2011?! WOW! What a year! WonderCon keeps on growing, topping all previous years with a jam-packed exhibit hall and programming schedule. CBLDF was kept plenty busy slinging free speech, putting hot signed premiums in fans’ hands, and signing up new members!
CBLDF is delighted to partner with comics wunderkind Frank Quitely for a series of exclusive prints and postcards, debuting at WonderCon, April 1 – 3, 2011, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California!
Quitely is best known for his work on All-Star Superman, Batman and Robin, We3, and The Authority. The Scotland-residing artist rarely visits the United States, and CBLDF is honored to work with Quitely on exclusives to benefit CBLDF’s First Amendment work.
When fans of Quitely’s kinetic artwork visit CBLDF at booth 323 during WonderCon, they will be able to get a stunning print, designed by Quitely exclusively to benefit CBLDF! An unlimited, full-color edition is available for a $20 donation to CBLDF. A signed and numbered black and white facsimile edition of the original art is available for a $50 donation and is limited to just 50 pieces.
CBLDF supporters who visit the booth will find not one, but two, sets of CBLDF Signature Series postcards! Each set is a $10 donation, with one set featuring Quitely’s full-color character designs and the other set featuring some of his gorgeous figure sketches.
Quitely will be joining CBLDF for signings during WonderCon. Come by booth 323 for details.
If you don’t have lunch plans during WonderCon, you could win a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet Quitely one-on-one. Bid here!
Don’t miss your chance to pick up exclusive prints and postcards, designed by Frank Quitely to benefit CBLDF. Visit booth 323 during WonderCon, April 1-3, 2011 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco!
Frank Quitely is an illustrator who is universally acclaimed for his unique dynamic style — a style that perfectly complemented Grant Morrison’s visionary redefinition of Superman in All-Star Superman. He also lives in Scotland, so he’s a bit hard to find around these parts! However, CBLDF has talked him into a visit Stateside, and now you have a chance to join him for lunch during WonderCon in San Francisco or for drinks in New York!
CBLDF is auctioning off two chances to meet Quitely! Two lucky fans will get the rare chance to spend time with one of the superstars of modern comics!
For West Coast fans, you can bid on a chance to join Quitely for lunch one day during WonderCon, taking place in San Francisco, April 1 – 3, 2011. Bid on lunch in San Francisco here!
East Coast fans can join Quitely for drinks on April 5, 2011, in New York City. You can find the auction for drinks in New York here.
Don’t miss your chance to meet Frank Quitely during a rare US appearance! CBLDF is delighted to offer one fan the opportunity to join Quitely for lunch in San Francisco during WonderCon, April 1-3, 2011, and the chance for a second fan to meet Quitely for drinks in New York on April 5, 2011. Bid now to meet Frank Quitely in San Francisco or New York!
Terry Moore doesn’t mind the spotlight, but he seems much more comfortable being the one doing the watching. If you’ve seen him at a convention, he’s sincere and gracious to the people who come up for autographs or sketches or a hug to thank him for the way his work has affected them. But in the quiet moments behind the table, when it’s just Terry and a sketchbook, you’ll occasionally spot him looking at the crowd when a mischievous gleam enters his eye and his pencil starts gliding along the page. In those moments, he looks vaguely like a schoolboy in the middle of doing something naughty. Maybe that’s why he’s such a strident advocate for the CBLDF.
Terry is the the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning mastermind behind the hit independent series Strangers in Paradise, which concluded its 107-issue run in 2007, and Echo, his soon-to-conclude sci-fi superhero series about two women who share the same body. His work is informed by his keen observational nature, which manifests with work marked by an emphasis on realistic characters, both in appearance and in how they respond to obstacles.
Terry believes in giving back and likes to go that extra mile, frequently going out of his way for his fans. In doing so, he always makes time for free speech and CBLDF. He’s a perennial fixture on CBLDF panels, charming his way through sketch jams, auctions, and more. At conventions, you’ll often find Terry and his partner Robyn proudly reaching out to their fans to help the Fund.
Recently, Terry took a moment to reflect on why the CBLDF is important to him in the latest installment of The Good Fighters.
The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Golan v. Holder, a case that could redefine the relationship between copyright and the First Amendment. CBLDF takes a look at the First Amendment Center analysis of the case, and inquires about how it can affect comics.
Full story
Hello, everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Betsy Gomez, and I’m the new web editor for the CBLDF! I’ve been a volunteer for the CBDLF since 1998, working for the Fund at conventions and fundraising events around the country. If you’ve visited the CBLDF booth at a convention, odds are good that we’ve crossed paths!
What’s kept me volunteering for the Fund for nearly 13 years? First: a strong sense of volunteerism. Second: the absolute belief that we all have the right to read, make, and sell art, whether it be comic books, best-selling novels, or a verse for your local poetry slam. The First Amendment guarantees our right to Free Speech, and that right needs to be defended. The CBLDF is the vanguard for the comic book community, and I want to be on the front lines. I’m no lawyer, so I do what I can: I volunteer.
Comic Book Resources talked to celebrated illustrator Molly Crabapple, founder of the cabaret and live drawing phenomenon Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, at a recent themed Dr. Sketchy’s event in New York. The theme? Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s Transmetropolitan. The fundraiser celebrated the upcoming Transmetropolitan art book, whose release will benefit CBLDF and Hero Initiative. Crabapple talks about the impetus behind the event:
“The CBLDF and the Hero Initiative came to us and asked if we’d be interested in doing a co-promotion with them,” she told CBR News at the event. “Warren is a friend of mine and I’m a huge admirer of ‘Transmet.'”
You can read the full article here.