Month: March 2012

Pakistan Openly Advertises for Web Censorship System

Free speech advocates are concerned over Pakistan’s recent advertisement for companies to install a nation-wide Internet filtering system that could potentially block access to millions of Web domains. These advocates are apprehensive that this move by Pakistan may lead to broad governmental intervention and the censorship of political discourse in the country.

Click through for a summary and excerpts from an Associated Press report on this developing situation.

Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

MOUSE GUARD Volume 1: Fall 1152, Signed by David Petersen

Saxon, Kenzie, and Lieam, members of the fearless Mouse Guard, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse. Their search through dangerous terrain for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard’s own ranks. Collects the first acclaimed Mouse Guard series from 2007 Russ Manning Award Winner David Petersen, along with special bonus material. The softcover comes bookplated with a signature by series creator, David Petersen.

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BPRD: Plague of Frogs Vol. 1 HC, signed by Guy Davis

In 2001, Hellboy quit the B.P.R.D., leaving Abe Sapien to lead Liz Sherman and a bizarre roster of special agents in defending the world from occult threats, including the growing menace of the frog army, first spotted in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. Mike Mignola and Dark Horse present the complete Plague of Frogs saga, from Hollow Earth to King of Fear. This first book explores the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense after Hellboy’s departure, cracks open the secrets of Abe Sapien’s origin, and sets the war on frogs in motion. This hardcover is signed by series artist Guy Davis.

Get your copy here!

CHEW Volume 1, signed by John Layman

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he’s a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn’t mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit and why. He’s been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases. This softcover is signed by author John Layman.

Get your copy now!

MOVING PICTURES, Signed by Kathryn and Stuart Immonen

During World War II, the Nazis pillaged much of Europe’s great art collections. Museum curator Ila Gardner and SS officer Rolf Hauptmann are forced by circumstances to play out an awkward and dangerous relationship in a public power struggle. Moving Pictures unfolds along two timelines which collide with the revelation of a terrible secret, an enigmatic decision that many would not make, and the realization that sometimes the only choice left is the refusal to choose. This softcover edition is signed by creators Kathryn and Stuart Immonen.

Pick up your copy today!

Mister Wonderful, signed by Dan Clowes

The fan-favorite, Eisner Award-winning story, originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine, now collected with 40 pages of new material. Marshall has a blind date with someone named Natalie. After nearly an hour, when he’s long since given up hope, Natalie appears. She’s too good to be true: attractive, young, intelligent, and she seems to be seriously engaged with what Marshall has to say. There has to be a catch. And, of course, there is. A captivating, bittersweet, and hilarious look at the potential for human connection in an increasingly hopeless world, Mister Wonderful more than lives up to its name. This hardcover edition is signed by cartoonist Dan Clowes.

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Enjoy a “Lurid, Unsavory, Gruesome” Exhibit at the University of Maryland

If you live near the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, you might consider a trip to the special collections department of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery for “All Lurid, Unsavory, Gruesome Illustrations Shall Be Eliminated: The Comics Code as seen through the UMBC Comics Collection.” The exhibit is open to the public and includes comics and original art from UMBC’s special collections.

More information on the exhibit after the jump.

Four Charged for Plot to Attack Danish Paper that Printed Muhammad Cartoons

In 2005, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten gained worldwide attention when it published a series of 12 editorial cartoons, several of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Depictions of Muhammad are forbidden by the Islamic faith, and the publication of the cartoons led to protests — many of which became violent — around the world. The Jyllands-Posten offices also became targets, weathering several threats. Most recently, four Swedes have been charged for allegedly planning a shooting attack on the offices. The four men have been charged with terrorism. For more on the story, visit The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

Last Round of The Muppet Show Sketch Variants Up for Auction!

For the past few weeks, Ultimate Comics has been auctioning sketch variants of The Muppet Show #1 to benefit CBLDF. The last round of sketch covers went up last week, and it’s a doozy! This week’s batch includes covers by Geof Darrow (Shaolin Cowboy), David Mack (Kabuki), Georges Jeanty (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Guy Davis (B.P.R.D.), Casey Jones (New Warriors), Lance Sawyer (Geek Box), Robbi Rodriguez (Maintenance), and more! To bid, visit Ultimate Comics’ eBay page here. All funds raised by the auction go to CBLDF’s important First Amendment work.

Click through for a preview of the items up for auction!

ABFFE and NCAC Protest PayPal’s Erotic Content Policy

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the National Coalition Against Censorship have written a letter to PayPal and parent company eBay in protest of PayPal’s threat to deactivate the accounts of publishers over certain kinds of erotic content.

Last week, it was revealed that PayPal had sent letters to several publishers threatening deactivation of their accounts if they did not remove content depicting incest, pseudo-incest, rape fantasies, bestiality (including non-human fantasy characters), and BDSM. In response, independent publisher e-books Smashwords notified its authors that they would need to remove the content in question because, in its words, “It is not feasible for us to switch to another provider, should such a suitable provider even exist.”

Read the full text of ABFFE and BCAC’s letter after the jump.