Category: News Blog

This will show up on the main blog page

Anime Arrest

The arrest of U.K. citizen Finley Bowd in Ireland while traveling to a U.S. comic convention – evidently last weekend’s Anime NYC – highlights a major risk noted in our pre-SDCC visas and comic-cons series: the search of phones and…

CBLDF @ SDCC: Booth, Panels, and Party

We look forward to seeing you soon in San Diego! On Thursday night, we’ll be hosting our annual Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Comic-Con Welcome Party, sponsored by Oni Press, The Nacelle Company, and Mad Cave Studios, along with GlobalComix,…

Visas and Comic-Cons: More Options and Assistance

Heightened visa and immigration enforcement have justifiably raised concerns among international creators and the U.S. comics community alike. Is travel safe? What could lead to detention or denial of entry? Are there options for protecting one’s freedom to create beyond…

Visas and Comic-Cons: Trans Creators and U.S. Travel

We continue to get questions about visa issues, and one that was particularly poignant was whether trans creators would be detained or denied when crossing the border into the U.S. As with the rules on work for tourist and business…

Visas and Comic-Cons: Specific Strategies

Passport and "Business visa" on a U.S. flag

This post builds on our previous analysis of the fundamental principles of the visa system with a more detailed examination of how border patrol and ICE officials could perceive specific comic-con activities. Since the tourism visa and ESTA travel for…

Visas and Comic-Cons: Free Speech and Paid Work

Snoopy from Peanuts typing "It was a dark and stormy night ..."

Attending a comic-con on a tourist visa or ESTA is a relatively low-risk endeavor for a fan with a hotel room who is just going to enjoy the experience. So long as you limit your activity to seeing panels and…

Visas and Comic-Cons: Visa ABCs

The recent detention of cartoonist Becky Burke and ongoing ICE raids exemplify the importance of understanding U.S. immigration law, which applies both to nonimmigrant temporary visitors and immigrants leaving their home countries to reside here permanently. The heightened degree of…

This Week: Visas and Comic-Cons

Cover of the book "Banned Book Club," with a person holding a book

Now that convention season is well underway, one of the most frequent questions we’ve been hearing here at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is whether it’s safe for creators from other countries to go to comic-cons in the U.S.…

Peter David

Peter David Autograph Liberty Trading Card

R.I.P. to legendary comics creator and former CBLDF board member Peter David, who understood.

CBLDF’s May Update

The following is the CBLDF’s latest email update, sent to members earlier this month! _________________________ The past few months have been an absolute whirlwind. The surge in challenges to free expression through the the comic arts had been intense prior…