The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund returns to San Diego Comic-Con with another set of panels on protecting comics and the rights of the comic arts community! Here’s the current roster, with more panelist updates to follow!
Comic Bans: Learning from the 1950s Comic Book Scare, Thursday, 7/25/24, 12:00PM – 1:00 PM, Room: 11
In 1954 the publication of Frederic Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent and the historic U.S. Senate comic book hearings brought the comics industry to the brink of legal cancellation. Today, it is happening again. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Interim Director Jeff Trexler, CBLDF board members Dale Cendali, Gene Luen Yang, and Bob Wayne, forensic psychiatrist Vasilis Pozios, playwright Mark Pracht , and Oni Press President Hunter Gorinson, publisher of the historic EC Comics revival, will share their thoughts on what earlier attempts at comics censorship can teach us about protecting comics in our communities now.
Comics IP Q&A, Thursday, 7/25/24, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, Room: 11
Copyright, trademark, patents, the right of publicity, trade secrets – the intellectual property landscape for the comic arts is continuing to evolve. Join Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Interim Director Jeff Trexler, CBLDF board member and partner at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm Dale Cendali, the Michelson Foundation’s Brian Chase, and other IP experts as they answer your questions on this important subject!
Cosplay, Fan Fashion, and Anti-Drag Laws, Friday, 7/26/24, 12:00PM – 1:00PM, Room: 11
The past year has seen a new wave of attempts to ban wearing drag in public, most notably through enacting new laws that also encompass gender-diverse cosplay and fan fashion. Join costume designer and cosplayer Chad Hatter; drag diva Mama St. Merman; Jen King, cosplayer and co-owner of the Eisner-nominated award-winning Space Cadets Collection Collection; and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund interim director Jeff Trexler for a cutting-edge look at the latest developments in safeguarding fandom’s freedom to wear!
Defending Comics Today with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Friday, 7/26/24, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, Room: 11
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund returns to Comic-Con International to discuss the latest developments in its battle to protect freedom of expression through the comic arts! Join Interim Director Jeff Trexler, Membership Director Rachael Andreas, and CBLDF board members Christina Merkler, Chris Powell, Dale Cendali, and Bob Wayne as they discuss the CBLDF’s ongoing work to defeat attempts to restrict access to the comic arts – and what fans can do to help.
Contracts, Creators, and Protecting Legal Rights, Friday, 7/26/24, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, Room: 11
Understanding contracts is essential for comics creators, publishers, and licensees. In this panel, comics creators & Comic Book Legal Defense Fund board members Amy Chu and Joseph P. Illidge,, attorney and CBLDF board member Dale Cendali, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Interim Director Jeff Trexler, and other comics industry professionals will share their insights on how contracts can help with everything from establishing the framework for business relationships to protecting fundamental legal rights.
Comic Bans: On the Front Lines, Saturday, 7/27/24, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, Room: 11
Challenges to graphic novels and manga are taking place throughout the country in numbers that are sure to increase as election day draws near. In this panel, comics retailers, publishers, educators, students, and fans will join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Bob Wayne, Jeff Trexler, and Dale Cendali; attorney Marc Greenberg; and San Diego State University Lecturer Mary Ellen Stout to share their experiences – and strategies – on the front lines of what can seem to be a never-ending battle to protect the comic arts.