Japan has long had a checkered relationship with its subculture of otaku, a word whose nuances cannot easily be translated to English but which more or less means “geeks whose hobbies border on the fanatic” (Ito). More often than not,…
Category: International
George R.R. Martin Supports CBLDF For Banned Books Week!
George R.R. Martin, the celebrated creator of GAME OF THRONES and WILD CARDS is celebrating Banned Books Week by supporting the important work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! This is his special message about what he’s doing to…
Zut Alors! Stockholm Library Briefly Bans Tintin
In the course of one day, a library in Sweden banned and then lifted the ban on Tintin comics. The comic series, by Belgian comic artist Georges Remi, is about the misadventures of a young reporter and his dog and is…
Frivolous Arrest of Cartoonist Fuels Effort to Repeal Indian Sedition Law
Political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi’s arrest last week on sedition charges stirred up a renewed debate on the freedom of expression in India. The general consensus, even among Trivedi’s detractors, is that Trivedi’s arrest is an abuse of the law. It…
Indian Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi Released on Bail After Arrest on Sedition Charges
Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested on sedition charges stemming from his cartoons, which criticize and expose corruption in India’s government. His arrest sparked protests from supporters, leading the government to promise a review of the charges against Trivedi. Though bail was granted,…
A Moroccan Political Cartoonist Discusses the “Red Lines” of Censorship
Despite describing his native Morocco as being “like a chained human being and there is a giant mosquito drinking its blood,” and believing that “political cartoons have no impact on Moroccan policies,” political cartoonist Tarek Benbaba is still motivated to…
Welcome to the New CBLDF.org!
Today the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is proud to unveil the new and radically improved CBLDF.org! With a daily news blog and a rich and growing Resources section, we strive to make CBLDF.org your best tool for information about…
Russian Child-Protection Law Leads to Censorship of Animated Shows
“Won’t somebody please think of the children?” It’s the catchphrase of Helen Lovejoy, a character from The Simpsons. It also seems to be the rallying cry of the Russian Federation. Recent legislation intended to protect children from harmful information is…
Wagner In Israel: The Unofficial Ban
How much should artistic expression be curbed in the name of cultural sensitivity? How long should a dead creator’s works be judged, not on their merits, but on the political inclinations of their maker?
The works of legendary opera composer Richard Wagner have not been performed in the state of Israel, or indeed even pre-Israel, by the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, since the outbreak of World War II.
Comics Struggle to Gain a Foothold in Iran
Increasingly, young artists in Iran are expressing their love for comic books. Rather than imitate the work found in American and European comics, these artists want to put a uniquely Iranian stamp on their work. However, they find their voices…