The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund enters the fourth week of its Be Counted membership drive at New York Comic Con, where we’re bringing you some of our best incentives to join the Fund yet!
Kicking off with a Member Appreciation Party on Thursday night, a members only raffle that will award one lucky fan with Stuart Immonen’s original pencils for the Fear Itself #1 cover, an all new grab bag sponsored by HeroesCon, a massive manga giveaway at CBLDF’s Anime Artists Alley Table, three programs, and a wide array of incredible opportunities for time with top pros at the show!
If you’re attending NYCC, please visit CBLDF’s booth #1158 and Be Counted as a member. Check out our highlights below!
Member Appreciation Welcome Party!
Join CBLDF, IDW and Dark Horse for CBLDF’s NYCC Kick-Off Member Appreciation Party on Thursday night! Start your convention weekend with talented creators from across the comics world and fellow CBLDF members! While supplies last, there will be a gift bag at the door featuring Liberty Trading Cards, CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011, and more! Free to members, $10 suggested donation for non-members. 8:00 – 10:00 PM; VIP Hour for professionals and Defender level ($250) members and higher. Featuring live art, free gifts and great times!
The party happens at Hudson Terrace, 621 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10026; (212)-315-9400; www.hudsonterracenyc.com
Be Counted Pro Access!
Thanks to the efforts of our supporters and the creators who are donating their time to raise money for the CBLDF, we have raised $37,000 of the $100,000 we need to raise by October 31 to pay for our current legal work. We still have amazing incentives to meet top pros, including opportunities at NYCC! There’s still time to Be Counted as a CBLDF Member and take advantage of chances for one-on-one time with pros such as Brian Azzarello, Terry Moore and Jeff Smith, as well as editors like Scott Allie, Tom Brevoort and Dan DiDio. These offers are open until Thursday at 6:00 Eastern Time — don’t miss out!
Stuart Immonen Fear Itself Original Art Raffle — For Members Only!
When you sign up or renew your CBLDF membership at New York Comic Con, we’ll enter you in a raffle to win the original pencils for the cover of Marvel Comics’ FEAR ITSELF #1, drawn by Fund supporter and superstar artist Stuart Immonen! This incredible piece was graciously donated by Mr. Immonen, and will be on display in the CBLDF booth throughout the weekend. If you’re already a member, just bring your current year Green Lantern Member Card and you can get a ticket for a donation of $20! This raffle runs all weekend at Booth #1158, and the winner will be drawn on Sunday at 4:00 PM! Winner need not be present to win.
CBLDF Fall Comics Grab Bag Sponsored by HeroesCon!
HeroesCon is seeking to raise $10,000 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund by sponsoring its Fall Comics Grab Bag! Debuting this weekend at New York Comic-Con, the CBLDF Fall Comics Grab Bag includes 10 comics for a $20 donation, with rare and signed comics guaranteed in every bag!
HeroesCon has contributed a vast array of rare comics from the silver, bronze, and modern age to support the Fund. Comics guaranteed to be included in the Fall Comics Grab Bag include Avengers #57 (1st Appearance of the Vision), X-Men #46, X-Men #48, Batman #185, Luke Cage #1, Nick Fury: Agent of Shield #3, Sub-Mariner #5, and dozens more. Signed comics were contributed directly from their artists, including Amanda Conner, Garth Ennis, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Jill Thompson, Gail Simone, and many more! On top of all the signed and rare books, every bag boasts great comics to read from the silver, bronze, and modern age! A coupon for $10 off a 3-day pass to HeroesCon 2012 is available in the CBLDF Fall Comics Grab Bag and can be redeemed at Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find’s NYCC booth, #1369. Come get your grab bag from CBLDF Booth #1158 all weekend at NYCC!
Massive Manga Giveaway!
Manga is not a crime! Right now an American citizen is facing a minimum sentence of one year in a Canadian prison because customs authorities wrongly allege that horror and fantasy manga on his computer are child pornography. The CBLDF is helping him by assisting in legal strategy and by raising money to offset his legal fees, which are expected to reach $150,000. Join the effort to defend this case by visiting the CBLDF’s table in Manga Artists Alley and signing up for membership! When you do, we’ll enter you into our Massive Manga Giveaway! The top publishers in the manga industry, including Viz, Seven Seas, Vertical, Yen, Dark Horse, DMP, Kodansha, and ALC/Yuricon have contributed prize packages for teen and adult readers for each day of the show. Come learn about the CBLDF’s efforts to protect your freedom to read manga, and take home amazing books!
Liberty Annual 2011 Debuts!
CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 debuts in stores today and will be available at CBLDF Booth #1158 all weekend! This amazing new anthology includes original stories by superstars J. Michael Straczynski (Superman: Earth One), Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman), J.H. Williams III (Batwoman), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Judd Winick (Catwoman), Mark Waid (Daredevil) and Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), and Carla Speed McNeil (Finder). Look for all-new tales featuring Grendel by Matt Wagner, Cowboy Ninja Viking by AJ Lieberman and Riley Rossmo, and Elephantmen by Richard Starkings and Shaky Kane. Plus: a massive and first-ever full-color story from independent comics master Craig Thompson (Blankets, Habibi)! Marvel and DC Comics have stepped up to show their support, with all-new pin-ups of Batman by Dustin Nguyen, X-Men by Greg Land, Green Lantern by Ivan Reis, and the Avengers by Greg Horn! It’s all topped off by incredible covers by John Cassaday, Matt Wagner, and two variant covers by Frank Quietly: a full-color, 1 in 25 cover, and a black and white, 1 in 50 cover!
Booth Signings & CBLDF Exclusives!
Come by CBLDF booth #1158 to see the full schedule of amazing creators offering signatures and sketches throughout the weekend! Folks signing in the CBLDF booth include:
Fernando Blanco — Marvel Zombies
Michael Bramley — Liberty Annual 2011
Thomas Chu — Liberty Annual 2011
J. Gonzo — Liberty Annual 2011
Michael Kupperman — Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910 – 2010
Larry Marder — Beanworld
Brandon Montclare — Liberty Annual 2011
Francis Portela — Legion of Superheroes
Kevin Sacco — Liberty Annual 2011
Sara Veron — Bake Sale
CBLDF Programs!
Saturday
Dark Horse & CBLDF Present: Putting Your Best Work Forward — How To Break Into The Comics Industry, 5:00 PM, Room 1A03
Dark Horse and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund invite you to learn how you — yes, YOU — can showcase your work in the most effective way possible! Join Dark Horse senior managing editor Scott Allie (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Serenity) as he gives a first-hand tutorial for artists, writers and aspiring comics professionals. You’ll learn not only what publishers are looking for, but how they’d like to see it presented. From portfolios to pitches, this is your chance to learn from one of the top editors in the industry. In addition, the CBLDF will be holding an auction for one-on-one portfolio reviews with Scott Allie himself to take place on Sunday the 16th at the convention. For more details visit www.cbldf.org!
CBLDF: Defending Manga, 7:30 PM, Room 1A23
Right now a manga fan is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison and registering a sex offender because Canada Customs agent allege that horror and fantasy manga on his laptop are child pornography. The threat to manga has been growing in recent years, as North American authorities’ misunderstanding of the material leaves innocent readers in the crossfire. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is fighting these cases, with a need to raise $150,000 to defend the Canada Customs case. Come listen to a discussion on the issues facing manga and what you can do to help.
Sunday
CBLDF: Censorship Then & Now, 2:45 PM, Room 1A02
Earlier this year the Comics Code Authority closed its doors forever, ending an era of self-censorship where comics were stigmatized in the general culture. Though the threats that brought about the Comics Code are the stuff of history books, real threats to comics are still present in the courts in the United States and abroad. CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein delivers a gripping history of comics censorship from the 50s to today, and talks about life after the Code.