The latest San Diego Comic Con may have finished, but the discussion concerning women in comics — be they behind the drawing board or in the pages — is far from over. Following the SDCC panel “Censorship at the Female…
Censors in Myanmar Suspend Two Weekly News Journals
Last week, two weekly publications in Myanmar (Burma), The Voice Weekly and Envoy, were suspended indefinitely for violations of the country’s regulations on news media. The suspensions came as new media laws are drafted that officials claim will lift past…
Comic Spring in the Arab World
Comic artists and cartoonists in Arab nations and much of the Middle East have been cultivating a new era of cultural, social, and political importance of the media. These artists have been defiant, often risking their lives in the face…
Political Cartoonist Zunar Scores Partial Victory in Malaysian Court
Last week, a Malaysian civil court ruled that the arrest of political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaqur, also known as Zunar, was lawful but that the seizure of his 66 books and paintings was not. This decision is the latest in…
Updated Arizona Anti-Harassment Bill Features Improved Free Speech Protection
Heeding concerns of the public and organizations like Media Coalition, of which the CBLDF is a member, the state of Arizona has passed an updated and more precise version of March’s legislation against cyberstalking and cyberharassment. House Bill 2549 was…
Censorship and the Female Artist
San Diego hosts the infamous Comic-Con International every year in July, and from its modest roots as a gathering for comic book enthusiasts, Comic-Con has grown into an entertainment and pop culture behemoth. Featuring not only vendors and artists showcasing…
The Sordid Tale of The Lone Avenger’s Rise to Infamy
In examining the history of comic book censorship, sometimes it is difficult for people to separate the creator from the creation. A clear example of this is the sad tale of Australian comic creator Len Lawson and his creation, The…
Syrian Cartoonist Ferzat Featured in Amsterdam Exhibit
Almost a year ago, when Syrian political cartoonist Ali Ferzat was abducted and had his hands broken by men likely connected to authoritarian president Bashar Assad’s government, the message was clear: stop drawing. But Ferzat defied the warning and, in…
Columbia Missourian Project Reveals the Breadth of Book Challenges in Public Schools
Why are books challenged in public schools and, even more importantly, why are some challenges successful in getting books banned while others fail? A new comprehensive study by the Columbia Missourian is attempting to find out. The periodical is currently…
Looking Back At SDCC 2012
The Summer Solstice of the comic fan’s year has come and gone. The maypoles are down, and the blood has been washed from the altars. Comic Con International is over until the earth spins around the sun again. …
Effort to Return MAS Books to Classrooms Fails in Tucson
Early this year, CBLDF joined a coalition of organizations to decry the removal of seven books by renown Latino and Native authors from Tucson, Arizona, classrooms. Last week, TUSD Governing Board Member Mark Stegeman brought forth a resolution to put…
Support The CBLDF At OTAKON!
This weekend the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund will be at Otakon, one of the country’s largest gatherings celebrating anime and manga culture! Learn more about the fight to protect manga with a panel and booth appearances by Ryan Matheson,…
Cartoonist Battles Frivolous Lawsuits with Comedic Protest
The Oatmeal, a website that features the work of cartoonist and programmer Matthew Inman, has been entangled in a legal dispute with the attorney of competitor Funny Junk, a comedy site that posts user-uploaded images. After exercising his First Amendment…
Danish Report Discredits Link Between Cartoons and Child Sex Abuse
The Copenhagen Post reveals that a report issued by experts at Sexologisk Klinik discredits claims that cartoon depictions of underaged characters engaging in sex acts encourage people to commit child sex crimes in real life. The report to the justice…
Canadian Fair Dealing Expanded to Include Parody
While working on my recent post about Canadian political cartoonist Dan Murphy’s animated parody being removed from his newspaper’s website, allegedly under pressure from the very company targeted by the video, I was somewhat surprised to learn that such works…