Today the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is proud to unveil the new and radically improved CBLDF.org! With a daily news blog and a rich and growing Resources section, we strive to make CBLDF.org your best tool for information about comics censorship.
The new site has also been redesigned to improve ease of use for our readers, and is wrapped in a striking new “Liberty” logo by Cliff Chiang! Here’s just some of the new features you’ll find as you explore the site:
News Blog: A daily resource covering comics censorship as it happens. The CBLDF’s team of bloggers bring breaking coverage of free expression news from courts, libraries, legislatures, and schools, as well as the latest of international issues. We also provide a wide range of historical interest stories, and updates on the latest CBLDF Member Appreciation events. The CBLDF’s blog is edited by Betsy Gomez. Email her at betsy.gomez@cbldf.org if you’d like to volunteer for our writing team!
Resources: The new CBLDF.org boasts a wide-ranging resources section that provides a wealth of practical and historical information on comics censorship for students, professionals, and curious readers alike. Some of the new highlights include:
- Banned Comics: An examination of how comics are banned and what you can do to protect them. The Banned Comics Case Studies provide the centerpiece of this new section, offering the stories behind the banned comics. We also have specific resources for librarians and patrons on what to do to manage challenges.
- Case Files: An overview of the CBLDF’s major cases and notable First Amendment cases. A work in progress, this section will ultimately provide access to the original court documents for many landmark comics censorship cases. We premiere with the decisions in People v. Kirkpatrick, the Zap #4 obscenity case in New York State that represents the first time a comic book was deemed obscene. We also offer dossiers on all the CBLDF’s most important cases.
- Comics Code: An overview of the Comics Code, with a short history by Code scholar Amy Kiste-Nyberg, as well as the full text of the three versions of the Code and its predecessor the ACMP Publishers’ Code. This section also offers links to outside resources to provide students with a wide body of tools to explore this singular historical institution.
- History of Comics Censorship: A concise six-part overview that covers comics censorship from the comic book burnings of the 1940s to the modern day when graphic novels are banned in libraries and readers are facing prison sentences for the comics they read.
- Advisory & Professional Tools: We have dedicated sections for retailers and librarians, as well as a Customs section that combine to provide a variety of substantive tools to help professionals and individuals protect their rights. These and other sections will be continually updated, with large additions scheduled for publication by the end of the year.
Donation Center: In addition to the substantive reboot of our website, we’ve improved our donation center, offering a wider range of premiums contributed by our supporters to raise money for the Fund’s important work.
Thanks to the hard work of CBLDF’s team, including webmaster Christine Hart, editor Betsy Gomez, and our outstanding bloggers, the new CBLDF.org is a marked improvement that takes our education mission to new heights. Welcome, please take a look around!