This week, CBLDF joined more than thirty cultural institutions and human rights organizations around the world in issuing a joint statement opposing United States President Donald J. Trump’s immigration ban on nationals of seven predominantly Muslim countries. The ban is…
Category: International
Iranian Refugee Cartoonist on Hunger Strike in Australian Detention Center
The Iranian cartoonist known as Eaten Fish, who is among the thousands of refugees sent to offshore detention facilities by the Australian government, is now in dire condition due to mental health issues compounded by an eight-day hunger strike. His…
Charlie Hebdo Two Years Later
This past Saturday, January 7, marked the second anniversary of the attack that killed 12 people, including five well-known cartoonists, at the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Below, we’ve brought together a few of the memorials, reflections, and…
Facebook Blocks Anti-Racist Cartoon
An anti-racist cartoon by Austrian artist Manfred Deix has fallen prey to Facebook’s arbitrary enforcement of their content standards reports Variety. Over the weekend, the cartoon was blocked from the Manfred DEIX Forever Facebook page, and several users who took it…
Freed from Prison, Egyptian Novelist Naji Thanks Supporters Worldwide
A few days after being freed from prison last week, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji posted a long message to Facebook thanking the supporters who stood by him during his trial and 10-month incarceration for “violating public modesty” with an excerpt…
Overwatch Digital Comic Banned in Russia for “Gay Propaganda”
The internet may be celebrating the announcement that a main character in the Overwatch digital comic based on the popular video game is LGBTQ, but unfortunately fans in Russia will miss out. As Mashable recently reported, due to laws in…
Exiled Syrian Cartoonist: “Drawing is the Strongest Weapon Against the Regime”
Five years ago as the Arab Spring swept through the Middle East, Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat sensed a tipping point when it became his responsibility to help “break people’s fear,” in his words. Whereas his cartoons previously relied on…
Ahmed Naji to be Freed From Prison Pending Appeal
After serving 10 months of a two-year prison sentence for literary obscenity, Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji is expected to be released today after an appeals court suspended his sentence over the weekend. His case is still proceeding, however, and the…
Zunar Arrested Again at Fundraising Event
For the second time in less than a month, Malaysian police arrested political cartoonist Zunar. Last month it was at an exhibition of his cartoons in Penang; this time it was a “Tea with Zunar” fundraiser, book signing, and live…
Despite Challenges, Russian Indie Comics Scene Continues to Grow
Around the world, comics have been embraced as literature and a medium for free speech. Russia is no exception. In a recent editorial piece on Vice News, Thomas Carey Frazier shares his experiences visiting the country’s Astro Con and the…