Welcome To The New CBLDF.Org!


Posted Friday, April 16th, 2010

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a community of people who love comics and recognize the First Amendment as the cornerstone of the medium’s creative vitality.  The new CBLDF.org is designed to reflect and serve that community, with frequently updated news about comics, free expression, and the people who are taking strides to keep both healthy and strong.

Now, and in the weeks to come, you’ll find regular updates about the state of Free Expression,  and informative articles about the CBLDF’s supporters and the work they do.  You’ll also find better resources about the Fund’s history, along with tools concerning comics censorship and how to fight it.

This page is a work in progress, so we ask for your patience as we work out the kinks.  We also ask you to get involved.  We are always seeking writers, educators, lawyers, artists, and students to join the ranks of contributors who will make CBLDF.org a vibrant hub of activity in the fight for free speech.  You can contact me, Charles.Brownstein@cbldf.org, to lend your voice to our efforts.

For more than 20 years the CBLDF has stood up against those who’d censor comic books because of the grassroots effort of passionate supporters who believe in comics and free speech.  Thank you for bringing us this far.  Let’s see what we can do together to make the future of Free Expression in comics even stronger!

– Charles Brownstein,
Executive Director

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The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund are pleased to announce that the Crown has withdrawn all criminal charges in R. v. Matheson, the case previously described as the “Brandon X case,” which involved a comic book reader who faced criminal charges in Canada relating to comic books on his computer. The defendant, Ryan Matheson, a 27-year-old comic book reader, amateur artist, and computer programmer has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.

The total legal costs of this case exceeded $75,000. After taking the case last summer, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund contributed $20,000 to the defense, and the Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund contributed $11,000. The CBLDF also participated in shaping the defense, including recruiting expert testimony for the trial. The organization is currently seeking funds to help pay off the $45,000 debt Matheson incurred as a result of his case, and to create new tools to prevent future cases. To make a contribution to these important efforts, please visit www.cbldf.org. Learn more about the shocking details of this case and how you can support the CBLDF's efforts to fight back!Read the full post