Comics Alliance sat down with superstar artist Cliff Chiang to talk about the gorgeous original artwork he created for the 2012 member card. Keep reading to find out what Chiang told Comics Alliance about his motivation behind the artwork.
Fight Censorship! Celebrate Liberty! Join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund today, and get your own membership card, featuring a stunning and exclusive portrait of Lady Liberty by Cliff Chiang! Join today!
Lawyers too often get a bum rap. Even Shakespeare couldn’t help himself from dumping on lawyers with his imminently quotable quip, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” But that’s really not fair. A good many lawyers work selflessly and passionately to advance the greater good. Louise Nemschoff is most certainly among them.
A long-serving member of CBLDF’s Board of Directors, Louise retired from the board last summer. Throughout her tenure on the board, Nemschoff worked tirelessly to help creators whose rights came under threat. If you ever approached the CBLDF with a trademark, copyright, or entertainment law concern, Nemschoff was probably the person who helped you with the answers you needed.
After a few well deserved months off from CBLDF duty, we caught up with Louise to get her perspectives on the Fund, the First Amendment, and the challenges cartoonists will be facing in the new world of digital media for this installment of The Good Fighters.
Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
Fight Censorship! Celebrate Liberty! Join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund today!
Today, the CBLDF unveiled its 2012 Membership Drive, featuring the best incentives and benefits in the free speech community, starting off with a stunning membership card by superstar creator Cliff Chiang! Channeling the classic depiction of Liberty through the influence of WPA art and comic book iconography, Chiang has created a powerful membership card that you’ll be proud to keep in your wallet. CBLDF offers membership plans for donors in every budget, each with its own premiums and benefits, and all of them are tax-deductible!
Joining the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund puts you on the front line of the fight against censorship! Your membership dollars provide the tools to fight back when comic book readers, retailers and artists are muzzled, censored, or attacked! When you become a CBLDF member, you are proclaiming that comics are important and that you are a protector of their First Amendment rights! Join now!
by Betsy Gomez
The CBLDF is kicking the year off right, with some amazing items from our archives! From classic books that every library needs to books signed by some of the greatest authors and artists to work in comics, this round of auctions has something for every fan!
Keep reading for a rundown of the items up for bid!
Yesterday, Bleeding Cool broke the story about a news report from a Washington DC Fox TV affiliate attacking comics. In the teaser for the report, a commentator called comics “fictionalized Playboy.” CBLDF took immediate action, releasing guidelines for how retailers can defend themselves from media attacks.
ICv2 followed up today with video of the full report and commentary. As expected, the reporter who made the news report, Sherri Ly, used the same faulty reasoning that has formed the basis of so many attacks against comics: The mistaken belief that comics are created primarily for children, and the specious argument that violent or sexual content in comic books promotes violent behavior in children.
Today Bleeding Cool ran a piece linking to a local news promo promising a titillating exposé on modern comics that will offer tips on “HOW TO K.O. THESE COMICS BEFORE THEY CORRUPT YOUR KIDS!” These media scare stories are nothing new. They’ve been plaguing comics since the very beginning, whether it was massive public comic book burnings in the 1940s, Frederic Wertham’s attacks in the 1950s, or the retailer stings of the 1980s that led to the CBLDF being formed. While we’ve seen this type of story arise time and again, it should never be taken lightly. Below we offer some tips on how to deal with hostile cameras if they come to your store.
When the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society of University College London used an image of Jesus and Mohammad sharing a pint on a Facebook event page, the organization probably didn’t expect to start a global debate over free speech. However, when the student union at University College London protested the use of the image, the atheist society refused, gaining support from secularists such as Richard Dawkins.
Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
Free Comic Book Day has become every comic fan’s favorite holiday, and the lineup of books for FCBD 2012, which takes place May 5, is definitely impressive.
Among the offerings for this year’s FCBD: BOOM! Town’s The Censored Howard Cruse, a sneak peek of The Other Sides of Howard Cruse. The Other Sides of Howard Cruse celebrates the groundbreaking work of Stuck Rubber Baby creator Howard Cruse.
The official description of The Censored Howard Cruse from the FCBD website:
In conjunction with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, BOOM! Town presents The Censored Howard Cruse! Get a special sneak-peek at this summer’s upcoming The Other Sides of Howard Cruse graphic novel. He’s known for his gay comix, but that’s not all that’s been on his mind! From his Underground days up through present day, Howard wrote on a slew of topics, including freedom of speech, civil rights, drugs, and interesting uses for toothpaste. Get a taste of his impressive catalog of works, just with a few tastefully-placed black boxes. You’ll have to get the OGN for the uncensored version!
Don’t miss picking up your copy of The Censored Howard Cruse on Free Comic Book Day, May 5, 2012!
Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
In 2010, the Tokyo government signed the Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths, a vaguely-worded bill that restricts the sale and rental of manga, anime, games, and other media that can be “considered harmful to a minor’s mental health regarding sexuality.”
The intent of the bill was to keep drawn erotic material involving children out of the hands of minors, but it raises concerns among advocates for free expression.
Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
With more than 25 years of defending free speech for the comics community, CBLDF has firmly established itself as the premiere non-profit organization in the field. Now you can join the fight against censorship by becoming part of the CBLDF team! CBLDF is currently looking for an Office Manager:
OFFICE MANAGER
(Full-Time, Salaried)
Works with the Deputy Director in the further development of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, with an emphasis on managing the day-to-day financial and practical operations of the organization.
The Operations Manager’s responsibilities include:
• Bookkeeping and day-to-day financial management of the organization, including but not limited to: entry of all income; bank deposits; bill entry and payment; supervision of document retention; and preparation of materials for treasurer and accountants.
• Responsible for processing all invoices, payables, receivables, expenses, and general reporting.
• Management of all workplace compliance, and preparation and responsibility for insurance, utilities, and supply vendors, with the oversight of the Deputy Director.
• Management of shipping and processing premiums and donor acknowledgments. This includes oversight of physical inventories of fundraising premiums.
• Management of bulk mailings, mailing lists, and membership data.
• Recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteers and interns for office and off-site tasks.
• Managing logistics, staff preparation, material handling, vendor services, and shipping for off-site events and conventions.
Qualifications
• Extensive practical Quickbooks training and experience.
• Experience in human resources and insurance compliance useful.
• Education, training, and experience with bookkeeping sufficient to fulfill job description.
Additional qualifications:
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Excel.
• Strong financial, analytical and organizational skills.
• Experience with inventory management.
• Ability to work under pressure and balance numerous priorities simultaneously.
• Experience with project/organizational management and strategic planning.
• Experience with recruitment, supervision and training of interns and volunteers.
Please send cover letters, resumes, and inquiries to alex.cox@cbldf.org or submit a cover letter and resume by mail:
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
ATTN: Alex Cox
255 West 36th Street, Suite 501
New York, NY 10018
About CBLDF
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.