New York Comic Con is returning as an in-person event this week, and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund will be there! Join us this Thursday, October 7, at 2:45 p.m. for our panel Defending Comics Today: Contemporary Comics Censorship. Join Interim Director Jeff Trexler, Coalition Director Betsy Gomez, and Digital Editor Jordan Smith from CBLDF, along with special guest Joseph Illidge (Heavy Metal) as they discuss the changing face of censorship as it affects the industry and fandom.
In addition to the panel, Jeff Trexler will be an instructor for several continuing education courses for lawyers offered at NYCC. Both classes provide 2.5 CLE credits. The two workshops offered are From Panel to Publisher: Representing Comic Book Creator Clients in 2021 and Comic Book Contract Negotiating and Drafting Practicum 2021. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to catch up with the latest trends in litigation and transactional work in the comic industry. Additional instructors include Thomas A. Crowell, Gamal Hennessy, and Robyn Williams, and more.
You can find more detailed information about our panel and the legal workshops below. We hope to see you there!
CBLDF Panel
Defending Comics Today: Contemporary Comics Censorship
Thursday, October 7, 2021 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
The Comics Code may be a thing of the past, but new censorship challenges continue to emerge. Algorithmic content restrictions and targeted takedowns in online platforms graphic novel bans at schools proposed legislation curbing free speech – these are just a few of the issues that the comic creators, publishers, retailers, and fans have been encountering in recent years. Join the CBLDF Coalition Director Betsy Gomez, Digital Editor Jordan Smith, Interim Director Jeff Trexler, and special guests for what is sure to be a lively discussion of the past, present, and future of comics censorship.
For Lawyers, CLE Courses!
From Panel to Publisher: Representing Comic Book Creator Clients in 2021
Thursday, October 7, 2021 10:45 AM – 2:00 PM ET
$175 course fee
This seminar has been approved for 2.5 CLE * credits in areas of professional practice for NY and 1 CLE credit in the area of diversity and inclusion.
In this first course, we present an overview of the comic book industry over the past two years, highlight new areas of litigation and transactional work, and provide the fundamentals of representing comic book industry clients. We will explore new distribution models, NFTs, and myriad new cases impacting the comic book and graphic novel publishes and the attorneys who represent them. We will also be addressing diversity and inclusion topics key to representing clients in the comic book industry (as well as general practice), which will also provide attendees with credit towards the New York State’s diversity and inclusion CLE requirements.
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Comic Book Contract Negotiation and Drafting Practicum 2021
Sunday, October 10, 2021 10:45 AM – 1:00 PM ET
$125 course fee
This seminar has been approved for 2.5 CLE * credits in areas of professional practice for NY.
This is an intensive two-hour course: attendees will do write a rough draft of key comic book agreement provisions, engage in client interview exercises tailored to the comic book industry, dive into mock negotiations, and issue-spot common problems in publishing contracts. Facilitated by seasoned comic book publishing attorneys, attendees will get a chance to issue-spot, draft, and engage in mock negotiations.
NOTE: Each CLE workshop may be taken individually, but the organizers recommend both be taken for maximum exposure to the subject matter. Course attendees must have a NYCC badge valid for the day of the workshop they purchase. Industry badges may be purchased for either Thursday (free) or all four days of the show (an additional $85 on top of the course fees listed below.)
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