WonderCon booth 323 across from Nintendo! CBLDF has Frank Quitely signings and exclusives, plus other goodies.
Today! 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tomorrow! 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
In NYC? Tickets still available for Frank Quitely’s live NYC appearance with Jose Villarrubia here!
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund today published the advisory document “Legal Hazards of Crossing International Borders with Comic Book Art.” The advisory was created in response to an increasing number of reports from travelers who have been stopped, searched, and/or detained by customs agents because of comic book art they carried in print and electronic forms. CBLDF legal counsel Robert Corn-Revere prepared the advisory for the Fund’s constituents and members.
“Most people do not know that their constitutional rights are not guaranteed, even from U.S. Customs agents, when they cross international borders,” Corn-Revere said. “Their books, papers, laptop computers, and even cell phones are subject to routine search and possible seizure by the government, even without any suspicion of criminal activity. This is important to know in an age when many people carry with them a great deal of highly personal information in electronic form.”
The CBLDF’s advisory shines light on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement policies pertaining to the search of information, and also explains how border searches lack traditional legal protections otherwise afforded to speech. Finally, the document offers suggestions for avoiding intrusive border searches and protecting the safety of your information.
The CBLDF Advisory is available here as a Word document, and here as a PDF file.
This weekend the CBLDF team will be kicking off the convention year at the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo, C2E2, at McCormick Place! We’ve brought out a fierce array of signed graphic novels, art prints, and membership rewards to thank you for donating. Saturday night we’re hosting a party at Reggie’s Music Joint featuring music by Adam WarRock, live art, and a terrific raffle. We’re also appearing on programs. The whole CBLDF team will be there: Charles Brownstein, Brady Bonney, Alex Cox, and me, your humble web editor, Betsy Gomez! Come on by and say hello at booth 231. After the jump, check out full details of our events!
If you’ve been lucky enough to go to Comic-Con International in San Diego, you’ve seen Pam Noles. As a prominent volunteer in their Guest Relations Team, Pam is often zooming across the exhibit floor with a walkie-talkie in one hand, her guest’s schedule in the other, and a bag overburdened with Things Her Guest Requires slung over her shoulder.
As a volunteer, Pam is indefatigable and single minded in her drive to fulfill her mission. It’s made her an incredible asset to us at CBLDF, who she volunteers for when she isn’t whisking the likes of Neil Gaiman or Bruce Campbell to safety at Comic-Con. Actually, if you’ve been unlucky enough to get to a Neil Gaiman signing at the CBLDF booth after we’ve capped the line, but you were able to get a signature, she’s probably the one who made that happen.
Pam aids the CBLDF when we do fundraising in California, and has always been a valuable resource for the organization behind the scenes. We’re grateful to have found her standing still long enough for a quick chat about her drive to volunteer, and her work for rights organizations like ACLU and the Fund in this first installment of The Good Fighters, CBLDF’s volunteer profile series.
DC’s The Source is reporting: New York Times bestselling novelist Neil Gaiman and DC Comics Co-Publisher Jim Lee’s illustrated poem “100 Words” is available today for the first time digitally. This seven page poem can be purchased for .99 cents through the DC app and DCcomics.com. All of DC Comics’ proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
“From The Sandman and Black Orchid to Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?, Neil Gaiman has provided some of the most memorable stories of the comic book industry,” said Jim Lee. “This was a unique opportunity for the two of us to collaborate together and I’m thrilled that the story is now available for even more fans in this format.”
This project was originally published as part of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund 2010 annual comic book and was, until now, only available as a limited edition print on neverwear.net
“The project began when I was asked to write a hundred word poem about death. And I did. I tried to make it honest and, given the word limit, simple and true,” said Neil Gaiman.
“Jim Lee took my poem and illustrated it, in a beautiful pencil style, turned it into a comic, as a limited edition print that was published by Neverwear for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and it made people happy. It made me especially happy, as I’ve been a fan of Jim’s since Chris Claremont showed me some advanced pages by a talented newcomer, somewhere back in the dawn of time, and we’ve been trying (and failing) to work together ever since.
Most people haven’t seen “100 Words.” I love that there’s now an opportunity for everybody to see what Jim and I did, all up close and digital. And I’m thrilled that DC Comics is publishing it for such a good cause.”
Cryptozoic Entertainment™ and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund™ have joined forces to protect creativity by collaborating on a new trading card set. The Liberty Trading Cards set tells the story of the fight to defend the First Amendment and includes chase cards from the greatest creators in comics and entertainment. The set will be released in July 2011, with proceeds from the sales benefiting the Fund.
Thanks to the talent of Portland, Oregon’s comics community, the CBLDF is proud to kickstart the Liberty Trading Cards with this first look at cards created during a jam session held last week! Click the full story to see the full sneak preview!
Joining the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comes with a number of incentives, across all donation tiers, each with its own premiums and benefits. Of course, the number one benefit of membership is peace of mind. You’ll know that there’s someone at the other end of the phone when a retailer gets busted or an artist is brought up on charges. Become a member of the CBLDF and help preserve comics as a vital medium for the next century.
The $50 “Supporter” level receives the following:
* The exclusive CBLDF Membership card. This sturdy, plastic card fits easily in a wallet and provides special access to CBLDF events across the country. The 2011 card will feature DC Comics’ GREEN LANTERN, with art by superstar IVAN REIS.
* A CBLDF bumper sticker.
* A button set featuring our logo, and a new version of the “I READ BANNED COMICS” button
Join Now!
Signed by CBLDF Founder, cartoonist, and comics publishing legend Denis Kitchen, the handsome book serves as not a tribute to a great underground artist, but a biographical trip through some of the most important moments in comics. Featuring an introduction by Neil Gaiman, this full-color hardcover is a must-read for fans of great cartooning. Available now!
