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Report Censorship
Report Censorship or Request Assistance

CBLDF is committed to supporting the comics community. Fill out our form to request assistance or report censorship today!

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Features, Fundraising, Headline, Homepage, News Blog, Uncategorized

CBLDF Gets Festive at LA Times Festival of Books

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This weekend, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books takes place on the campus of the University of Southern California, and CBLDF is on hand to celebrate in the sun with hundreds of stellar author guests and thousands of book lovers!

Executive Director Charles Brownstein and President Larry Marder will be joined by Good Fighter Pam Noles at booth 843 in the green-flagged Childs Way area of the festival. You’ll find them at a booth well-stocked with autographed premiums for bookworms of all ages and CBLDF’s new “I Read Banned Comics” t-shirt, all in support of the First Amendment work of CBLDF.

Started in 1996, the Los Angeles Times Book Festival brings together the people who create books and the people who love to read them. One of the largest book festivals in the United States, it attracts 140,000 book lovers each year!

The Los Angeles Times Book Festival takes place May 30 – April 1, 2011, starting at 10:00 a.m. each day. General admission to the festival is free, so come out to support CBLDF at booth 843!

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Features, Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog

The Good Fighters: Angela Moeny

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Angela Moeny claims to have the best jobs — paid and unpaid — and when you talk to her, you can do nothing but believe her claim. She’s as enthusiastic a librarian and educator as anyone could find. A staunch youth advocate, you can find her working as an elementary school librarian, spending her summers with a youth theatre ensemble, and running events such as book fairs. Moeny recently joined the ranks of CBLDF volunteers, and we’re delighted to have her aboard!

Also a professional photographer, writer, compulsive doodler, urban chicken farmer, comics junkie, and more, Moeny recently took some time out of her busy schedule to talk to CBLDF in this installment of The Good Fighters.

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Features, Fundraising, Headline, Homepage, News Blog

Wired Talks Transmetropolitan Art Book

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This May will see the release of the Transmetropolitan art book, which celebrates the visionary dystopian comic series by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson. Funded entirely by a Kickstarter donation drive, proceeds from the sale of the book benefit CBLDF and The Hero Initiative.

Wired.com has an exclusive preview of artwork from the book. They touched base with CBLDF about the project:

“Transmetropolitan is one of those rare works that functions as a compelling genre story, perceptive science fiction and cutting social satire all at the same time,” said Charles Brownstein, executive director of Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, in an e-mail to Wired.com. “The series uses edgy, and sometimes taboo, topics to address the changes that are happening to our society, and that’s what expressive speech is supposed to do. Transmet does it exceedingly well.”

Wired.com also spoke with Ellis, Robertson, and Brian Pulido of The Hero Initiative about the project. You can catch the full article and exclusive images here.

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Features, Headline, Homepage, Legal, News Blog

Chief Justice Roberts and the First Amendment

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The nomination of John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court in 2005 caused considerable protest among politicians and law experts, many of whom voiced concerns over Roberts’ typically conservative stance in his decisions.

The First Amendment Center recently analyzed Roberts’ decisions regarding First Amendment cases, starting with the idea the “Conservatives are often portrayed as hostile or indifferent to First Amendment issues.” They found that Roberts “has not been a disaster — far from it.”

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Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog

A Con Grows In Stumptown

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Last Friday comics creators and fans converged on a rain streaked Portland night to kick off the 2011 Stumptown Comics Festival. A growing showcase for handcrafted comics and art, Stumptown behaves less like a traditional comic book convention, and more like a pageant honoring the distinctive creative culture of Portland, Oregon. For three days, the city’s various institutions, including comic shops and galleries host comics focused parties while artists show their wares on the festival’s curated exhibit hall. The CBLDF was there to participate in the festivities.

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Features, Homepage, News Blog

Muzzled!

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Each year, on or around Thomas Jefferson’s April 13 birthday, The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression “awards” the individuals and organizations who put in a concerted effort to abridge free speech in the previous year. The 2011 “winners” of these awards — called the Jefferson Muzzles — were recently announced.

Who can we thank for impeding free speech during 2010? The dubious honorees included no less than the Obama Administration and BP “for restricting media access to the Gulf oil spill,” the TSA “for having a young man arrested for stripping off much of his clothing to display the text of the Fourth Amendment,” and more. You can check out the full list of recipients here.

The Jefferson Muzzles serve as a reminder that free expression isn’t always as safe as we think it is.

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Features, Fundraising, Homepage

Jeffrey Brown’s Inspiring Membership Cards

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As any past and present member knows, CBLDF membership has its benefits, including a number of incentives and premiums.

We have a membership level for everyone, and each membership level has its own incentives. Everyone gets a membership card — this year’s features Green Lantern — but if you sign up for the CBLDF Defender Membership at a $250 donation, you will also get a hand-drawn membership card! You can choose a card by celebrated comics artists Jeffrey Brown, Matt Wagner, Eric Powell, Cliff Chiang, or Dean Haspiel.

Brown just sent us a slew of eye-catching, full-color cards! We’re inspired both by these gorgeous cards and by the time Brown donated to make the cards for us, and we hope this inspires you to become a defender of Free Speech for the comics community. Become a member now!

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Homepage, Legal, News Blog

CBLDF Applauds Amendment to 2010 Massachusetts Law Removing Restrictions on Internet Speech

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Following a successful legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, local booksellers, and others, including the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Governor Deval Patrick yesterday signed into law an amendment to controversial 2010 legislation that imposed severe restrictions on Internet content, including discussion of topics such as literature, art, and sexual and reproductive health.

The amendment, which goes into effect immediately, is a direct response to the granting of a preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Rya Zobel last fall that found the law likely violated the First Amendment. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed the bill in order to address the constitutional flaws in the existing law. CBLDF joined the Harvard Book Store, Porter Square Books, the Photographic Resource Center, a licensed marriage and family therapist, trade associations, and the ACLU of Massachusetts in filing suit last July to block the law because it made providers of constitutionally protected speech on the Internet criminally liable if such material might be deemed “harmful to minors.”

“Comic book creators and retailers are pleased to see this amendment go into effect, because it protects their constitutionally protected works as they are circulated and sold online,” said Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

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Features, Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog

CBLDF Has a Wonderful Time at WonderCon 2011

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Hey, hey, hey, everyone! It’s your intrepid Web Editor here with a quick report about WonderCon.

What’s to say about WonderCon 2011?! WOW! What a year! WonderCon keeps on growing, topping all previous years with a jam-packed exhibit hall and programming schedule. CBLDF was kept plenty busy slinging free speech, putting hot signed premiums in fans’ hands, and signing up new members!

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Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog

Catch A Wave With CBLDF At WonderCon

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This weekend finds your battle-hardened CBLDF crew eagerly headed to sunny San Francisco, California, for WonderCon 2011! You’ll find the whole team at the Moscone Center with a booth chock full of signed premiums, a new Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab fragrance, a new t-shirt, and Frank Quitely exclusives! Read on for all of our exciting plans!

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Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog, Uncategorized

New BPAL Scent Premieres for CBLDF At WonderCon!

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CBLDF is proud to premiere the new Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab fragrance Cohen v. California at WonderCon! Based upon the landmark First Amendment case that explicitly acknowledged profanity as protected speech, Cohen v. California celebrates the notion that “one man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric.” This special premiere is accompanied by an all-new signed and numbered print by Beanworld creator Larry Marder!

This premiere edition of Cohen v. California is strictly limited to 50 pieces, and will be available at the CBLDF, booth 323, during WonderCon, April 1-3, 2011, in San Francisco, California!

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Features, Fundraising, Headline, Homepage, News Blog

CBLDF Offers Frank Quitely Exclusives for WonderCon

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CBLDF is delighted to partner with comics wunderkind Frank Quitely for a series of exclusive prints and postcards, debuting at WonderCon, April 1 – 3, 2011, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California!

Quitely is best known for his work on All-Star Superman, Batman and Robin, We3, and The Authority. The Scotland-residing artist rarely visits the United States, and CBLDF is honored to work with Quitely on exclusives to benefit CBLDF’s First Amendment work.

When fans of Quitely’s kinetic artwork visit CBLDF at booth 323 during WonderCon, they will be able to get a stunning print, designed by Quitely exclusively to benefit CBLDF! An unlimited, full-color edition is available for a $20 donation to CBLDF. A signed and numbered black and white facsimile edition of the original art is available for a $50 donation and is limited to just 50 pieces.

CBLDF supporters who visit the booth will find not one, but two, sets of CBLDF Signature Series postcards! Each set is a $10 donation, with one set featuring Quitely’s full-color character designs and the other set featuring some of his gorgeous figure sketches.

Quitely will be joining CBLDF for signings during WonderCon. Come by booth 323 for details.

If you don’t have lunch plans during WonderCon, you could win a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet Quitely one-on-one. Bid here!

Don’t miss your chance to pick up exclusive prints and postcards, designed by Frank Quitely to benefit CBLDF. Visit booth 323 during WonderCon, April 1-3, 2011 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco!

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Features, Fundraising, Headline, Homepage, News Blog

Win One-on-One Time With Frank Quitely in San Francisco and New York!

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Frank Quitely is an illustrator who is universally acclaimed for his unique dynamic style — a style that perfectly complemented Grant Morrison’s visionary redefinition of Superman in All-Star Superman. He also lives in Scotland, so he’s a bit hard to find around these parts! However, CBLDF has talked him into a visit Stateside, and now you have a chance to join him for lunch during WonderCon in San Francisco or for drinks in New York!

CBLDF is auctioning off two chances to meet Quitely! Two lucky fans will get the rare chance to spend time with one of the superstars of modern comics!

For West Coast fans, you can bid on a chance to join Quitely for lunch one day during WonderCon, taking place in San Francisco, April 1 – 3, 2011. Bid on lunch in San Francisco here!

East Coast fans can join Quitely for drinks on April 5, 2011, in New York City. You can find the auction for drinks in New York here.

Don’t miss your chance to meet Frank Quitely during a rare US appearance! CBLDF is delighted to offer one fan the opportunity to join Quitely for lunch in San Francisco during WonderCon, April 1-3, 2011, and the chance for a second fan to meet Quitely for drinks in New York on April 5, 2011. Bid now to meet Frank Quitely in San Francisco or New York!

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