CBLDF Announces Changes To Board of Directors


Posted Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund announces changes to its Board of Directors made at the board’s meeting at Comic-Con International. Chris Powell stepped down as President, citing successfully meeting the goals he set upon taking the presidency in April of 2009 as the reason for the change. Powell will remain on the Board as a director. Larry Marder, the creator of Beanworld, and editor of CBLDF’s Liberty Annual 2010 was elected to succeed Powell as President. Dale Cendali, a nationally recognized leader in the field of intellectual property, joins the Board as a director.

On leaving the presidency, Chris Powell says, “I always had specific goals for the Fund that I wanted to accomplish during my term as President, and thanks to the solid efforts of my fellow board members, and the CBLDF office, we’ve been able to meet those goals in just over a year. Specifically, we relocated into a larger space that will allow us to perform our program work better, got a new website up and running, streamlined our donation processing to make our donors’ experience better, and implemented new policies that will guide the Fund as a growing organization. I’m comfortable stepping aside now to focus more on my other pursuits, and to see Larry Marder help guide the Fund into new heights of fundraising and outreach.”

Larry Marder was elected unanimously as Powell’s successor. Entering the position, Marder says, “I’m a life long believer in the words of the First Amendment. Freedom of speech is not a privilege –it is a constitutionally guaranteed right to every American regardless of his or her political beliefs. Attempts to censor artistic expression must always be challenged.” Marder adds, “2011 will be the 25th anniversary of the founding of the CBLDF. Now, as then, it is our responsibility to remain vigilant and aggressively protect the First Amendment rights of the entire comic book community of creators, retailers, publishers, and readers. I’ll continue to work hard to maintain and expand our relationships with that community, and to oversee the Fund as a transparent, responsive force for good in this industry.”

Dale Cendali joined the board at the meeting. Cendali is a partner in the prestigious law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, where she heads the firm’s Copyright, Trademark and Internet Practice Group. She has successfully litigated and tried numerous high profile cases and has argued before the United States Supreme Court. Her clients include myriad prominent individuals and companies who rely on her for her expertise in copyright, trademark, patent, Internet, trade secrets, defamation, false advertising, privacy and contractual matters. She has extensive experience representing clients in the entertainment, consumer products and technology sectors. Managing Intellectual Property Magazine named her trial victory for J.K. Rowling in the well-known “lexicon” fair use case the “Copyright Trial of the Year.” When she is not trying cases, Dale is an avid comic book collector and fan and has been since she was five years old. She is a big believer in comics as an artform and is deeply committed to the arts since her days as President of the Yale Dramatic Association.

Cendali says, “I am honored to be joining this distinguished group and in helping the CBLDF fulfill its mission supporting comic books and their creators.”

Under the leadership of Larry Marder, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s board is: Joe Ferrara – Vice President, Milton Griepp – Treasurer, Louise Nemschoff – Secretary, Dale Cendali, Peter David, Neil Gaiman, Steve Geppi, Paul Levitz, and Chris Powell.

Introducing CBLDF's Education & Outreach Initiative


Posted Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

By Betsy Rosenblatt

As an advocacy group, the CBLDF spends most of its time handling emergencies when they come in: a creator, retailer, library, or reader gets threatened, arrested, or sued, and the CBLDF goes to work, helping with legal arguments and litigation costs. But what if someone is prosecuted and doesn’t know about the CBLDF before it’s too late—they’ve lost a case, settled for a lot of money, or—even more frightening—gone to jail. We can’t help unless people know about us, know their rights, and know how to protect themselves. So what we want to do now, as Executive Director Charles Brownstein said, is to “harness the energy that we use for fighting a case to make tools that help prevent future battles from occurring.”

How do we do that? Every time the CBLDF goes on the road (and sometimes even when we don’t), we hear “what can I do to help”? Until recently, the answer typically was “donate money.” That hasn’t changed—we still need money!—but lately, the CBLDF has been looking into other ways that people can pitch in, too. We’re in the process of building information resources (to be available on the CBLDF website and in hard copy for distribution at conventions and other live events) that will give people ideas for how they can get involved. We are looking for your help in building these resources.

So—how can you help? Here are a few ideas:

* Apply to be part of the CBLDF’s Advisory Legal Committee or Advisory Library Committee. The CBLDF is particularly interested in getting the word out to lawyers and librarians. These two committees will help the CBLDF reach out to the legal and library communities by writing informational materials, responding to queries, spreading the word, and helping to plan events. If you are interested in being a part of either committee, send an e-mail to outreach@CBLDF.org with information on why you should be put on the committee, including your name, contact information, qualifications, relevant experience, and ideas for what you’d do to help.

* Host a CBLDF party. Invite your friends and be creative! Swap comic books, serve comics-related food or beverages have a raffle or auction to raise money for the CBLDF . . . the possibilities are endless. For larger-scale events, the CBLDF may be able to send someone to speak. For events of any size, the CBLDF is working on materials including a “How to Host a CBLDF Party” information sheet on how to get information from the CBLDF, how to plan an event, and how to send us the proceeds.

* Host or attend a CBLDF information session The CBLDF is interested in training people to do presentations about the CBLDF and our First Amendment work. If you are interested in being such a person—or holding a training session—let us know at outreach@CBLDF.org.

* Make the CBLDF the beneficiary of your eBay auctions, and shop CBLDF on eBay. When you set up an eBay auction, you can give 10% to 100% of the final auction value to the Fund by using eBay Giving Works. The CBLDF has been a recognized charity on eBay since 2007, our nonprofit ID is 19329. Not only will the sale benefit the CBLDF, but also your auction may be featured on the CBLDF website, which will draw more potential bidders. Information, instructions, and shopping links to all CBLDF auctions are available at http://bit.ly/givingworks

* Social Network the CBLDF. Link to CBLDF in your blog. Profess your “like” for the CBLDF on Facebook (where you can also find CBLDF-related Facebook posts and events). Tweet about the CBLDF and follow @cbldf on Twitter.

* Select the CBLDF as the benecifiary of a charitable wedding. The I Do Foundation allows marrying couples and their guests to make wedding-related purchases that generate donations for the CBLDF or to make donations in lieu of gifts. Of course, weddings aren’t the only opportunities for planned giving—for more information on bequests, gifts of stock, and other sorts of planned giving to the CBLDF, contact CBLDF Development Manager Cheyenne Allott at cheyenne.allott@CBLDF.org.

Do you have an education or outreach idea of your own that you think we should add to the list? Let us know at outreach@CBLDF.org.

CBLDF’s Comic-Con Auction Preview!


Posted Monday, July 19th, 2010

It’s here! The CBLDF’s biggest auction of the year! Saturday night, starting at 7:30 PM in Room 3 of the San Diego Convention Center, the CBLDF will be auctioning off one of the largest and most diverse arrays of original art ever contributed to benefit the organization! Highlights below, followed by a complete list of items.

Highlights include:

Dave McKean – Black Orchid, page 96, original art.

Contributed and signed on the back of the frame by Neil Gaiman, from his personal collection! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a one in a kind work of art by two trailblazers in modern comics, and perhaps your only opportunity to acquire a piece with such a unique provenance. Truly a rare and significant offering!

MUTHR Maquette from The Search for Wondla

From the mind of Tony DiTerlizzi, creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles comes The Search for WondLa, the start of a new trilogy that’s already been optioned for the screen! This maquette, MUTHR is generously contributed by DiTerlizzi and Simon & Schuster Young Readers. MUTHR is Multi Utility Task Help Robot, and is brilliantly sculpted and painted by Martin Meunier, the award-winning sculptor/model maker and graphic designer whose film credits include Coraline, James and the Giant Peach, and The Spiderwick Chronicles the film on which he met author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. Martin has worked for FX Company as well as film studios Industrial Light and Magic, Pixar, Disney, and Universal. Intricately crafted and cast in hard resin, MUTHR Maquette is a limited edition of 100 worldwide, signed by Tony DiTerlizzi.


TFAW.Com’s Second Annual Comic-Con CBLDF Art Auction!

Last year, Things From Another World and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund teamed up with some fantastic comics professionals to help raise more than $30,000 for the CBLDF’s annual auction at San Diego Comic-Con. They’re at it again, with an even wider array of great original art gathered by TFAW in association with Image Comics! Check out this amazing range of original art, including contributions from Ben Templesmith, Charlie Adlard Darick Robertson, Fabio Moon, Phil Foglio, Jeff Lemire, Jeffrey Brown, Jenny Frison, Jim Lee, Moritat, Peter Bagge, Phil Hester, Jim Valentino and many more!

SeenAllOver.com/Etnies Contributions!

SeenAllOver.com launched on July 4 with a bang to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! Now we’re auctioning off their great work, including a selection of Etnies sneakers customized by artists including Jill Thompson, David Mack, Eric Powell, and more, plus original paintings made on the CBLDF’s Live Art Stage by Tara McPherson, Aya Kakeda, Molly Crabapple, Nikki Cook, Khary Randolph, and Brian Ewing!

Apart from all of these great items, even more than we can show here will be in the final auction, including live art created at the CBLDF Master Sessions by Paul Pope, Rob Liefeld, Jill Thompson, Terry Moore and Darick Robertson, as well as the Ale Garza hosted Drink Draw Dance pre-Comic-Con party on Wednesday, and the Thursday night’s CBLDF Welcome Party sponsored by Image Comics, in association with SeenAllOver.com, Soulcraft Comics, and IHEARTCOMIX.

Come out on Saturday night to win your share of these great original pieces, and support the First Amendment at the CBLDF’s Comic-Con Art Auction!

Auction List

1. Dave McKean & Neil Gaiman – Black Orchid, p. 96 original art
2. Martin Meunier & Tony DiTerlizzi – MUTHR Maquette from WONDLA
3. Philip Tan – Batman
4. Jim Lee – CBLDF’s Liberty Comics 2010 Cover, 1/1 print
5. Jeffrey Brown – Cat Mischief
6. Jeff Lemire – Sweet Tooth pinup
7. Guy Davis – The Marquis
8. Guy Davis – Abe Sapien
9. Gabriel Ba – Casanova and Kraken
10. Jenny Frison – Wonder Woman
11. Fabio Moon – The White Violin
12. Jay Anacleto – Ecstacy
13. Duncan Rouleau – The Great Unknown
14. David Hine – The Bulletproof Coffin
15. Darick Roberston – Conan, cover to CBLDF’s Liberty Comics 2010
16. Phil Hester – The Wretch Pinup
17. Peter Bagge – A Widow’s Worry
18. Peter Bagge – Sticks & Stones
19. Paul Grist – Jack Staff
20. Patric Reynolds – Dexter
21. Nick Percival – Pin up
22. Matthew Southworth – Brewster Wayne
23. Mark Dos Santos – Death
24. Kody Chamberlain – Sweets pinup
25. Jonathan Luna – The Sword pin up
26. Jim Rugg – Codex
27. Bill Morrison – Lady Robotika
28. Ben Templesmith – Choker #3, page 20
29. Amy Mebberson – Miss Piggy
30. Tim Seeley – Warrior Maiden
31. Arthur Adams – Batman pinup
32. Frank Miller – My Universe signed print
33. Arthur Adams – Wolverine pin up
34. Cully Hamner – The Question original art
35. Craig Thompson & Neil Gaiman – The Last Angel tour poster, signed
36. Matt Wagner – Tek Jansen #2 original cover art
37. Tara McPherson – Mr. Bubbles original painting
38. Rob Schrab – SCUD original drawing
39. Terry Moore, Jim Valentino, Batton Lash, Marc Hempel, Jimmie Robinson, Zander Cannon, Jon Bean Hastings – Independent Alley original art
40. Matt Kindt – Scarlet original art
41. Jeff Smith – RASL original drawing
42. Paul Pope – Pin up original art
43. Jim Silke – Pin up – original pastel
44. Nikki Cook – original painting
45. Nikki Cook – original painting
46. George A. Walker – Murder Mysteries Woodcut- Angel
47. George A. Walker – Murder Mysteries Woodcut- Smoker
48. David Petersen – Mouse Guard unfinished page
49. Charlie Adlard – Michonne, original character design from The Walking Dead
50. Jim Mahfood – Kick Drum Comix #1, page 13
51. Khary Randolph – original painting
52. Jose Marzan Jr. & Bill Willingham – Jack of Fables #27, page 15
53. Ron Lim – Iron Man/Doom #4, pg 7 original art
54. Kerry Gammill & Sam De La Rosa – Indiana Jones #7, p. 23
55. Richard Case – Hunter #22, page 16
56. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 1 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
57. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 2 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
58. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 3 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
59. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 4 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
60. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 5 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
61. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 6 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
62. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 7 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
63. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 8 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
64. Charlie Adlard – Walking Dead Suite 9 [Preview Art Available 7/21]
65. Tom Scioli – Death of Godland pinup
66. Shaky Kane — The Coffin Fly signed production stat
67. Phil & Kaja Foglio – Girl Genius pinup
68. Nate Powell – Swallow Me Whole
69. Larry Marder – Beanish Original drawing
70. Kenneth Rocafort – Velocity pin up
71. Jim Valentino – Tall Tales pin-up
72. Gabriel Hardman – Spider-Man pin up
73. Dane Ault — Kid Zombie
74. Dan Brereton – Pinup
75. Andy Kuhn – Firebreather original art
76. Victor Santos – Mice Templar original art
77. Moritat – Original Drawing
78. The Talisman #0 Signed by Stephen King & Peter
79. Straub
80. Eric Powell Etnies
81. David Mack Etnies
82. Molly Crabapple Etnies
83. Kevin Colden Etnies
84. Aya Kakeda Etnies
85. Jill Thompson Etnies
86. Larry Marder – Portrait of Harvey Pekar
87. Sienna Morris – Perpetual Motion
88. Steve Seeley – Bandito Superman
89. Peter Krause – The Plutonian
90. Billy Tucci – Heroes For Hire #2, Page 1
91. Eric Powell & Neil Gaiman – Orignial sketch card & sketchbook set
92. Bob Layton – Galactus original drawing
93. Craig Rousseau & Paul Tobin – Marvel FCBD Iron Man/Nova
94. Georges Jeanty – Faces of Evil: Deathstroke original page
95. Casey Jones – Exiles #84, page 15
96. Jim Calafiore – Excalibur #15, page 4
97. Dustin Nguyen – Detective Comics #849, page 5 original art
98. Nathan Fox – Creepy #2, Muscle Car page 1
99. Bernie Wrightson – original painting
100. Matt Smith – Clock Maker #7, page 9
101. Ben Templesmith – Choker #3, Page 18
102. Ben Templesmith – Choker #3, Page 17
103. Brian Ewing – Broken Skull
104. Guy Davis – BPRD: The Black Goddess #1, page 4
105. BPRD – BPRD: The Black Flame #1, page 15
106. Sam Ellis – Bed Bug Origin #1 original page
107. Aya Kakeda – Original Painting
108. Alan Moore & Todd Klein, Alphabets of Desire print, first edition


Bidding Rules

At The Show

All bidders will need to have a bidder number, which can be picked up at Booth 1920 at any time during the convention, or at the auction.

Off-Site Bidding

If you are unable to be at the convention, or unable to attend the auction, bids will be accepted online bids starting Monday, July 19 until Saturday, July 24, 1:00 PM Pacific Time. All bids must be emailed to director@cbldf.org with “SDCC AUCTION BID” in the subject line. Be sure when bidding to use the item name as it appears on the website.

This is not a silent auction bidding system. All bids placed online will be used as opening bids during the live auction on Saturday, July 24 at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. In the event there are multiple bids on the same item, the highest bid will be the one accepted.

Bid amounts placed online will not be disclosed before the item is auctioned. Winning bidders will be notified by email the week following the convention. Payment is expected within 7 days from said email.

CBLDF’s Massive Comic-Con


Posted Friday, July 16th, 2010

CBLDF At Comic-Con!

Comic-Con is here! CBLDF is celebrating the country’s largest gathering of comics and pop culture fans with massive slate of events! Three parties, Six Live Art Events, an unforgettable auction, the best selection of signed graphic novels at the convention, and amazing exclusives await! Read on to see what the CBLDF has in store for you at Comic-Con!

Great Donation Rewards at CBLDF Booth 1920!

From the start of Preview Night to the closing moments on Sunday, CBLDF has an amazing array of signed graphic novels, art prints, t-shirts, and other surprises for you at Comic-Con. Our inventory of signed graphic novels includes more than 200 titles and includes hot titles autographed by creators including: Geoff Johns, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, Jill Thompson, Stan Sakai, Frank Miller, and many, many more! Stop by the CBLDF at booth 1920, right across from DC Comics and claim one of these amazing donation rewards!

Exclusives!

The CBLDF is proud to debut two amazing exclusives at Comic-Con. First up is an all new Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab fragrance “Liberty Leading The People,” inspired by the famous Delacroix painting embodying the ideals of liberty. We also are proud to produce a brand new, signed CONAN print by Darick Robertson, commemorating his cover to CBLDF’s Liberty Comics 2010, coming this fall from Image!

Parties!

This year CBLDF brings you THREE amazing parties to celebrate Comic-Con! CBLDF parties attract the cream of the comics crop, and at each event you can expect to meet and mingle with art stars at work and play. CBLDF’s Comic-Con parties are open to everyone, whether or not you have a Comic-Con pass, so bring your friends and celebrate comics and Free Speech at any of these events:

Wednesday night it’s Drink, Draw, Dance! a pre-con party, presented by Ale Garza and CBLDF at The Office! Attending artists include Joe Benitez, Mark Brooks, Francis Manapul, Micah Gunnell, Ale Garza, Sean Dietrich, Oliver Nome, and many others! Also performing live will be up and coming hip-hop artist, Cassanova, as well as a DJ set from Ale Garza! All artwork created by the attending artists will be auctioned off at the CBLDF’s Saturday night auction! The party starts at 9 PM and rolls on til 2 AM. The Office is located at 3936 30th Street in North Park. No cover! RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109611535756236

Thursday it’s the CBLDF Comic-Con Welcome Party, sponsored by Image Comics, in association with SeenAllOver.com, Soulcraft Comics and IHEARTCOMIX! Festivities include a WALKING DEAD Live Art Stage, featuring the book’s co-creator Charlie Adlard and models presented by Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School! PSYCHENAUT, multimedia sound and vision by Paul Pope! DJ set by Franki Chan of IHEARTCOMIX! Plus, a photo booth provided by seenallover.com! All this, and an auction preview gallery, featuring ETNIES/SEEN custom designed sneakers, the TFAW.com art auction, and a gift bag for the first 300 contributors! Come dressed in your zombie finest and party down! Free for CBLDF Members, $10 to $20 suggested donation for non-members! The Westgate Hotel is at 1055 2nd Ave in downtown San Diego. RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=134933566541001

Saturday brings SCENES OF A GRAPHIC NATURE, presented by Nerd City and sponsored by Image Comics, TFAW.com and Nerd City, featuring live art by Jim Mahfood, Mike Huddleston, Scott Morse, King Gum AKA Dave Crosland, Jason Shawn Alexander, and more, with DJ sets by Major Taylor and Red Sonya, PLUS a performance by San Diego rockers The Burning of Rome, there is no doubt that this is THE party for Nerds in the know. SCENES kicks off at the Soda Bar at 3614 El Cajon Blvd. Presale tickets are available at http://tickets.frontgatetickets.com/choose.php?c=1&lid=45223&eid=52134

CBLDF Comic-Con Benefit Auctions

Saturday 7:30-9:30 CBLDF Benefit Live Auction— This is it, the CBLDF’s biggest auction of the year! Support free speech and walk away with incredible original art! Highlights include original art by Arthur Adams, Paul Pope, Dave McKean, Tara McPherson, Ben Templesmith, Jill Thompson, Jim Lee, Jim Rugg, David Hine, Shaky Kane, and many more. This auction includes highlights from auction initiatives by TFAW.com, Image Comics, and SeenAllOver.com, as well as original art created at the CBLDF Master Sessions. Stop by CBLDF booth (#1920) for a complete auction list. All proceeds from this auction will benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Room 3

AUCTION PREVIEW WILL LAUNCH ON CBLDF.ORG ON MONDAY, JULY 19

And online now is Lunch With Geoff Johns at Comic-Con! Make your Comic-Con unforgettable by bidding spend a one-on-one hour with DC Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns in an auction benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! This is your chance to ask all your questions about Johns’ unforgettable characters, stories, and behind the scenes insights! All proceeds from this event will benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! Bidding ends on Wednesday, July 21! Visit http://myworld.ebay.com/cbldf/ for your chance to win!

CBLDF Master Sessions & Live Art Jam!

The CBLDF Master Sessions are back, with a full slate of insightful craft programs by comics masters! This year’s sessions are:

Thursday, July 22

12:00-1:00 CBLDF Master Session: Paul Pope: Inking with Speed and Precision— Paul Pope became an art icon by building unforgettable characters and worlds with his fearlessly fluid and singular line art. Each of his pages appears to be tightly composed but rapidly executed. Bring your sketchbooks and learn the secrets of a fast, but precise approach to inking at this CBLDF Master Session. The original art from the session will be auctioned off on Saturday night in the CBLDF’s Art Auction. Room 30CDE

1:00-2:00 CBLDF Master Session: Rob Liefeld: Designing Iconic Characters— Learn what it takes to design a character that’s lasting, iconic, and cool. Using his legendary creations Deadpool, Cable, and Youngblood as examples, Rob Liefeld shows you the values that go into creating a character who can leap from the comics page and into games, film, television, and merchandise. The original art from this session will be auctioned off on Saturday night at the CBLDF’s Art Auction! Room 30CDE


Friday July 23

12:00-2:00 CBLDF Master Session: Jill Thompson: Secrets of Watercolor Technique— Bring your sketchbooks and learn the secrets of expressive watercolor from one of the medium’s top practitioners! Renowned for her work on Beasts of Burden, Scary Godmother, and Sandman, Jill Thompson shows you the intricacies of the watercolor medium and how to apply it to making masterful comics and covers. The original art from this session will be auctioned off on Saturday night at the CBLDF’s Art Auction! Room 30CDE

Saturday, July 24

12:00-1:00 CBLDF Master Session: Terry Moore: Drawing Characters with Character— Learn what it takes to draw characters whose distinctive actions define them on the page. In Echo and Strangers in Paradise Terry Moore has established himself as a master for expressing a wide range of emotions through his characters. Bring your sketchbook and follow along as Moore shows you the secrets of how to make your characters “act” on the page in this CBLDF Master Session. The original art from this session will be auctioned off on Saturday night in the CBLDF’s Art Auction! Room 30CDE

1:00-2:00 CBLDF Master Session: Darick Robertson: Body Language in Sequential Storytelling— Bring your sketchbook and learn how to express action, attitude, and meaning through your characters’ body language in this CBLDF Master Session. In his work on The Boys, Transmetropolitan, and Conan, Darick Robertson has had to express story through his drawings of a wide variety of characters. Follow along as he demonstrates how body language can add dimension to your sequential storytelling. The original art from this session will be auctioned off on Saturday night in the CBLDF’s Art Auction. Room 30CDE

Sunday, July 25

12:30-2:00 CBLDF Live Art Jam— Watch Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Ale Garza (Fathom), Chris Burnham (X-Men: Manifest Destiny), and Daniel Leister (Hack/Slash) battle it out to see who can make the coolest art before your eyes! Get an inside look behind the scenes at how these artists work, as they make live art projected onto the big screen at the CBLDF Live Art Jam! All art will be auctioned off at the end of the event to benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Room 5AB

Whatever your comics passion, there’s something great in store for you from the CBLDF at Comic-Con! See you there!

–

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. They have defended dozens of Free Expression cases in courts across the United States, and led important education initiatives promoting comics literacy and free expression. For additional information, donations, and other inquiries call 800-99-CBLDF or visit them online at www.cbldf.org.

Announcing: CBLDF Presents Liberty Comics 2010!


Posted Friday, July 16th, 2010

What do Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and Image Comics have in common? They all support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which protects your right to make, sell and read the comics you love. Image Comics is showing its continued support for the CBLDF with the publication of CBLDF Presents: LIBERTY COMICS 2010 this October.

The CBLDF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance and education in furtherance of these goals.

CBLDF Presents: LIBERTY COMICS is the annual ensemble of comic book greats, all of whom have donated their time and energy to support the CBLDF. With two issues published to date, CBLDF’s LIBERTY COMICS has raised over $50,000 for the Fund.

CBLDF’s LIBERTY COMICS 2010 will feature some of the best in the industry, including a new The Boys story by GARTH ENNIS & ROB STEEN, the first new Megaton Man adventure by DON SIMPSON in over a decade, an all-new Milk & Cheese story by EVAN DORKIN, a preview of The Contrarian by SCOTT MORSE, a new Conan tale by DARICK ROBERTSON, Boilerplate by ANINA BENNETT & PAUL GUINAN and “Why We Fight!” by LIBERTY COMICS editor LARRY MARDER.

CBLDF’s LIBERTY COMICS will also feature all-new short stories and illustrations by GEOFF JOHNS & SCOTT KOLINS, FRANK MILLER, GABRIEL BÁ & FÁBIO MOON, PAUL POPE, JEFF SMITH, TERRY MOORE, DAVE GIBBONS, BRIAN AZZARELLO & JILL THOMPSON, ROB LIEFELD, COLLEEN DORAN and SKOTTIE YOUNG as well as all new covers by JIM LEE and DARICK ROBERTSON. Design for the entire package is contributed, as always, by Richard Starkings and John Roshell from Comicraft.

“The comics community would be at a great loss without the CBLDF around to protect our First Amendment rights,” says Marder. “CBLDF Presents LIBERTY COMICS is such a great way both creators and comics fans can show their support. Creators break into their busy schedules, donating their time and creativity. Fans can express their appreciation by purchasing CBLDF’s LIBERTY COMICS from the CBLDF or from their favorite comics shop. I think this year’s CBLDF’s LIBERTY COMICS will be the most diverse and cool issue yet!”

Adds Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson, “We’ve always been enthusiastic in our support for the CBLDF, but it’s both an honor and a pleasure to be involved with the many fine creators donating their talents to CBLDF’s LIBERTY COMICS. Larry’s put together an outstanding book this year!”

The CBLDF Presents LIBERTY COMICS 2010, a 48-page full-color comic book from Image Comics, will be available October 6, 2010. All proceeds will benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

The CBLDF wants you!


Posted Thursday, July 15th, 2010

CBLDF Seeks Volunteers For Comic-Con!

The Fund is looking for volunteers to help us work our booth and parties.

In exchange for volunteering a shift of at least 5 hours, you’ll get free access to the CBLDF’s party, a badge for the day(s) you work and a chance to see comics’ greatest heroes at work or at play.

To volunteer, please email cheyenne.allott@cbldf.org for the volunteer application form.

Retail and/or convention experience is strongly preferred.

We look forward to working with you!

Win Lunch With Geoff Johns At Comic-Con!


Posted Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Geoff JohnsMake your Comic-Con unforgettable by bidding spend a one-on-one hour with DC Entertainments Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns in an auction benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!  A driving force in modern comics, Johns is the bestselling writer of the Green Lantern, The Flash, Blackest Night, and Brightest Day!  As the Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment, Johns helps shepherd DC’s upcoming film and television projects.

This is your chance to ask all your questions about Johns’ unforgettable characters, stories, and behind the scenes insights!  All proceeds from this event will benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! Bidding starts today at 3 PM and ends on Wednesday, July 21!  Visit our eBay site for your chance to win!

Red White and Brews- 4th of July Bash!


Posted Friday, June 18th, 2010

On July 4, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund celebrates free expression at the launch party for SEEN, a new force in pop culture media.

Come check out the CBLDF’s Live Art Stage, where Tara McPherson, Molly Crabapple, and Khary Randolph headline an all star roster of art titans busting out their skills! Also check out the gallery of one-of-a-kind Etnies sneakers boasting original art by Jill Thompson, David Mack, Becky Cloonan, Eric Powell and more!

SEEN is the newest authority in pop culture, emphasizing comics, music, designer shoes and streetwear. Curated by an a-list of who’s who industry trend spotters and will showcase their collective agreement about what’s “next”.

Born on the Fourth of July launches the SEEN brand! Boasting an A-list of guests from comics, skateboarding, fashion, and art, this is guaranteed to be THE Independence Day event.

Feature coverage is expected across various media outlets, including G4 and the soon-to-be launched site itself. In addition to the holiday traditions of tasty eats and cold beers; Etnies, Mишкa NYC and SEEN will provide co-branded merchandise, live music, and a few other surprises.

Born on the Fourth of July explodes at New York’s Water Taxi Beach on the Hudson River in Long Island City. The party starts at 4 and wraps at 10pm with fireworks over Manhattan.

Fireworks, live art, all-star bands, DJ’s and top secret surprises makes Born on the Fourth of July the best Independence Day ticket in pop culture.

Open to the public, and free to attend!

New CBLDF Auctions on eBay!


Posted Friday, June 18th, 2010

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has the best supporters in comics. Artists from all over the world donate to the CBLDF’s efforts at conventions all over the country, which means we pass their generosity on to you! Check the auctions blog on the right column of our home page each and every week for new auctions to benefit our First Amendment legal work! This week’s highlights include donations from Arthur Adams, Camilla D’Errico, Chris Marrinan, Dan Parent, and Erik Arreaga. Check the auctions out by visiting: http://myworld.ebay.com/cbldf/

Ford & Brian K. Vaughan Donate to CBLDF at Wizard World Philly


Posted Friday, June 18th, 2010


The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund thanks Ford and Brian K. Vaughan for a $5,000 donation to the Fund in support of the new Ford Fiesta at last week’s Wizard World Philadelphia!

Ford Motor Company introduced the 2011 Ford Fiesta to all Wizard World Philadelphia attendees last weekend, June 11-13, 2010 on Arch Street outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Individuals had the opportunity to test drive the new Ford Fiesta and experience the vehicle’s performance, amenity and safety features, while exploring the state-of-the-art SYNC® in-car connectivity system.

Test drivers entered to win a special edition copy of the final issue (#50) of Ex Machina signed by Brian K. Vaughn, and 50 lucky drivers each day received an exclusive Wizard World VIP package valued at $300. Ford and Brian K. Vaughan also added some philanthropy to the weekend, donating $5,000 to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Check out www.winafiesta.com for more information and to enter for the chance to win a 2011 Ford Fiesta!

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Seth Kushner Photography