Don’t miss out! There’s still time to support the CBLDF in 2011 by making a tax-deductible contribution by midnight on December 31! If you haven’t yet joined or renewed your membership, now is the best time, because all new, renewing and gift memberships made by December 31 will be matched with a $5 contribution from the The Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation. Please make a difference by making a tax-deductible contribution to CBLDF today!
Author: cbldf
Comics Reporter Talks To CBLDF’s Larry Marder & Charles Brownstein!
The Comics Reporter’s Tom Spurgeon spoke to CBLDF President Larry Marder & Executive Director Charles Brownstein in an extensive interview on the organization’s current work. Check it out here!
Today In Comics Showcases First Wave of Comics Code Censorship Articles
57 years ago today the first news of how the recently formed Comics Code Authority censored comics hit the wires, and Tim Stroup’s excellent “Today In Comics” blog has the clippings. Stroup gathers stories from five news services that covered Comics Code administrator Charles Murphy’s press conference touting the organization’s work to diminish the impact of images containing sexuality and violence within comic books.
Earlier this year the Comics Code Authority closed its doors and the CBLDF acquired the intellectual property rights to the Code’s Seal of Approval. Thus ended an era of censorship that sanitized the medium’s output, and established a stigma against comics that would endure until recent years. Dr. Amy Nyberg created a short history of the Seal of Approval for the CBLDF.
There’s Still Time To Fight Censorship in 2011! Please Make A Tax-Deductible Donation Today!
There’s still time to make a difference in the fight against censorship by making a contribution to the CBLDF today! All donations made up until midnight on December 31 are tax-deductible in 2011, and support the Fund’s urgent work. Additionally, all new, renewing and gift memberships made by December 31 will be matched with a $5 contribution from the The Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation
Right now the CBLDF needs your support to pay for expert testimony and legal bills in a case supporting Brandon X, an American citizen facing a minimum sentence of one year in prison for possessing horror and fantasy manga on his laptop computer. His case is expected to go to trial in 2012, and legal expenses are estimated to run $150,000. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to CBLDF today to help us defend this case, and to create tools for retailers, librarians, and readers to help protect against cases like this happening in the future!
The CBLDF exists because of the grass-roots support of individuals like you! Please support our work by making a tax-deductible donation, signing up or renewing your membership, or signing up a friend for a gift membership. Your donations help us protect the First Amendment rights of everyone in the comic book field. Please make a difference in supporting that work by making a donation today.
CBLDF Releases Year-End Appeal Comic!
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is proud to release The Comic Book Fan’s Worst NIGHTMARE!, our 2011 year-end comic showcasing our current casework. Boasting new work by Jeffrey Brown, Ming Doyle, J. Gonzo, Michael Kupperman, Tony Shasteen, and more, the comic is available for free on Comixology and at CBLDF.org!
The CBLDF’s new comic recounts our work defending Brandon X, an American citizen facing a minimum sentence of one year in prison for possessing horror and fantasy manga on his laptop computer. His case is expected to go to trial in 2012, and legal expenses are estimated to run $150,000. Please make a tax-deductible contribution to CBLDF today to help us defend this case, and to create tools for retailers, librarians, and readers to help protect against cases like this happening in the future!
The CBLDF exists because of the grass-roots support of individuals like you! Please support our work by making a tax-deductible donation, signing up or renewing your membership, or signing up a friend for a gift membership. Contributions and membership donations are tax-deductible in the year they’re given. In addition, the Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation will make a $5 donation to the CBLDF for every new or renewing membership contribution made by 12/31.
Please help the CBLDF continue our important work — donate today!
CBLDF & ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Speak Out In Defense of Comic Facing Removal From School Library
Later today, a hearing in Dixfield, ME will address a parent’s call for removal of the anthology Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age from the Buckfield Junior-Senior High School Library.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom sent a letter of support for the anthology, which was edited by Ariel Schrag and includes contributions from award winning graphic novelists Daniel Clowes, Dash Shaw, Gabrielle Bell, Lauren Weinstein, and others. The book received praise from professional review sources such as Booklist, New York Times, and Publishers Weekly, and it was selected for New York Public Library’s “Books for the Teen Age” list in 2008.
A PDF of the letter is available here: cbldf stuck in the middle letter
The full text of the letter is also reproduced after the jump.
LAST CHANCE For Personalized GNs In The Spirit of Giving!
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO RESERVE YOUR PERSONALIZED GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE CBLDF SPIRIT OF GIVING DRIVE! Don’t miss out!
Fight censorship by getting your holiday gifts from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! 25 of today’s most popular graphic novelists will personalize their books to the fans on your list in exchange for donations to the Fund! Best of all, every item supports the Fund’s First Amendment legal work, and a portion of each contribution is tax-deductible.
As part of the CBLDF’s Spirit of Giving holiday gift drive, donations you make on Cyber Monday will be acknowledged by The Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation who will make a contribution of $1 for every donation and gift order placed on the CBLDF’s website. In addition, they will contribute $5 for each new, renewing or gift membership made from now until December 31!
25 legendary graphic novelists are personalizing books for the CBLDF, including some of the season’s best new gift books. Make your holiday comics giving a cinch by choosing from books by bestselling masters including Neil Gaiman, art spiegelman, Frank Miller, Dave Gibbons, and Scott McCloud; Lit comics lions Chester Brown, Dan Clowes, Los Bros. Hernandez, Seth, and Adrian Tomine; Indy comics icons Jeff Smith, Evan Dorkin, Larry Marder, Carla Speed McNeil and Terry Moore; Superhero visionaries Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, Paul Levitz and Gail Simone ; or Hard boiled thrill makers Robert Kirkman, Jason Aaron, Brian Azzarello, Garth Ennis, Brian K. Vaughan, and Brian Wood!
Be a hero this holiday by giving the most unique gifts that make a real difference when you support the CBLDF with the Spirit of Giving!
Fight Censorship, Not Holiday Crowds – Support the CBLDF’s Spirit of Giving!
Forget fighting the mall crowds this weekend – get the best holiday gifts for the fans on your list from the CBLDF during our The Spirit of Giving holiday gift drive! Order today and get some of the best gift graphic novels personalized by their creators to the fan in your life! Icons including Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman, Frank Miller, Dan Clowes, Robert Kirkman, Dave Gibbons, Chester Brown, Garth Ennis, and many more are supporting the CBLDF and personalizing gifts for you! See the full list after the jump!
Make a difference this holiday – get the best gifts & support free speech by contributing to the CBLDF’s Spirit of Giving!
Happy Thanksgiving From CBLDF
The CBLDF wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of money, time, energy, and talent from a wide range of people who care about comics, and we’re thankful to all of you. CBLDF’s Executive Director Charles Brownstein wrote this personal message of thanks for all of your support. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
The Spirit of Giving – Get The Best Holiday Gifts When You Support CBLDF!
Celebrate The Spirit of Giving this holiday season by getting once-in-a-lifetime presents for the fans in your life in support of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! When you do, The Will & Ann Eisner Family Foundation will make a contribution to the CBLDF for every donation and membership placed during this campaign!
CBLDF is offering the best presents in comics, including graphic novels personalized to the fan in your life by icons including Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman, Frank Miller, Dan Clowes, Robert Kirkman, Dave Gibbons, and many more. Plus you’ll get an exclusive Will Eisner gift card that tells them your gift helped do good for comics!
When you support the CBLDF’s Spirit of Giving drive between now and December 16, the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation will make a contribution of $1 for every donation and gift order placed on the CBLDF’s website. In addition, they will contribute $5 for each new, renewing or gift membership made from now until December 31!
Be a hero this holiday by giving the most unique gifts that make a real difference when you support the CBLDF with the Spirit of Giving!