Joe Sergi, blogger for Cup of Geek went to the CBLDF presentation The History (And Future) of Comics Censorship at C2E2 last weekend and wrote an extensive recap of the panel, with additional research and annotations by the author. CBLDF is pleased to represent Sergi’s post in full as a resource for our members and supporters. Read Sergi’s post after the jump.
Category: Features
Kurt Vonnegut’s Letter to the Man Who Burnt His Books
On occasion, the victims of censorship take the opportunity to face their censors directly. However, few artists respond with the humor and aplomb exhibited in a letter written in 1973 to Charles McCarthy, the head of the school board at Drake High School in North Dakota. The author of this letter? Kurt Vonnegut.
Click through for excerpts from Vonnegut’s letter…
MUZZLED! The Thomas Jefferson Center “Awards” Censorship
This week, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression announced the Jefferson Muzzles, which “are awarded as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment.” Among the dubious honorees on the 2012 list are the US State Department for banning the participation of a Palestinian political cartoonist in a conference on free speech and the Salem, Missouri, Public Library Board of Trustees for blocking access to websites related to minority religions.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Thomas Jefferson Center gives the awards to ten individuals or organizations, but they start with a very large list of nominees, an indication that Free Speech is still very much at risk. You can read the entire Jefferson Muzzles list here.
Have your say and stop people from being muzzled! Help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
THREADLESS Hosts C2E2 Fashion Show Welcome Party to Benefit CBLDF!
This Friday, April 13th, CBLDF Corporate Member THREADLESS is hosting a Fashion Show Welcome Party to ring in C2E2 and benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! Free to CBLDF members with a suggested $20 donation for non-members at the door, this open bar event will boast a first look at several exciting new THREADLESS items, a raffle, comics stars, and much more! Don’t miss out on this must attend event!
Click through for more details!
CBLDF Heads to Seattle for Emerald City Comicon
This weekend (March 30 – April 1), Alex Cox is excited to represent the CBLDF at EMERALD CITY COMICON in Seattle, Washington! Continuing CBLDF’s cross-country marathon of fundraising, we will be in booth #1007 at the Washington State Convention Center. Deputy Director Alex Cox walks you through our plans for signings, incentives, and Membership appreciation items!
Know Your Rights — Tools For Travelers Crossing International Borders
Last week, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund announced that criminal charges had been dropped in R. v. Matheson, a case involving an American manga reader who was wrongly accused of importing child pornography into Canada because of comic book images on his laptop. Ryan was extensively, wrongfully searched and detained by the Canadian government who charged him with a crime before he even entered the country. Read the story in his own words here. The CBLDF provided financial and substantive legal support in his case, and is currently fundraising to help restore Ryan’s $45,000 legal debt.
While the good news is that Ryan’s ordeal is now over, the bad news is that this kind of prosecution can happen again. To help travelers crossing borders with comics, the CBLDF is pleased to offer important resources that you should read before you cross a foreign border. These tools aren’t designed to take the place of your lawyer. Nothing in them is intended as legal advice. But they are important overviews of the concerns travelers now face when crossing borders with comic art in printed form and on their digital devices, and must reading for everyone in those situations.
Criminal Charges Dropped in Canada Customs Manga Case
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund are pleased to announce that the Crown has withdrawn all criminal charges in R. v Matheson, the case previously described as the “Brandon X case,” which involved a comic book reader who faced criminal charges in Canada relating to comic books on his computer. The defendant, Ryan Matheson, a 27-year-old comic book reader, amateur artist, and computer programmer has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing.
The total legal costs of this case exceeded $75,000. After taking the case last summer, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund contributed $20,000 to the defense, and the Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund contributed $11,000. The CBLDF also participated in shaping the defense, including recruiting expert testimony for the trial. The organization is currently seeking funds to help pay off the $45,000 debt Matheson incurred as a result of his case, and to create new tools to prevent future cases. To make a contribution to these important efforts, please visit www.cbldf.org.
Full details and resources are available after the jump.
Ryan Matheson’s Personal Statement
After being cleared of any wrongdoing, Ryan Matheson speaks out for the first time about the injustices he suffered at the hands of Canadian authorities because of the comics he had on his laptop. After the jump, he details the mistreatment he suffered in Canada and the profound trauma involved in defending himself against a monstrous, false accusation. He also expresses his gratitude to the many supporters who made contributions to aid his defense. Read Ryan’s full statement after the jump.
Brandon Graham’s King City Supports CBLDF
Brandon Graham is no stranger to boundary pushing comics. He cut his artistic teeth making experimental sex comics before going on to create his idea heavy works Prophet and King City. His groundbreaking collection King City just came out from Image, and he’s supporting the Fund by providing signed & sketched bookplates to raise money for our work. Brandon spoke out on why the Fund matters to him on his blog last summer. He wrote:
The idea of just getting in trouble for having a comic book on you is nuts, with no victim and the crime being an offensive combination of words and lines. It’s like trying to prosecute thoughts you don’t like.
I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that something you could draw could lead someone else to be locked up just by having it on their person. And just looking at the list of books CBLDF has on their site that have had problems at the border (how awkward would it be to have to explain why you are carrying a copy of The bone ranger)
–I’ve read a lot of these, I have friends and have myself probably drawn worse things than what’s in most of these books.
You can get your copy of King City with a signed & sketched Brandon Graham bookplate now for a $60 donation to CBLDF.
NCAC Rebuts PayPal’s Response to Criticism of Erotica Policy
In response to complaints from Free Speech organizations around the country — including a protest letter signed by CBLDF — Anuj Nayar, the Director of Communications for PayPal, blogged in defense of PayPal’s erotic content policy. In their blog, the National Coalition Against Censorship, which was one of the original drafters of the letter that CBLDF signed onto, rebutted several of the points Nayar made. Click through for a point-by-point summary…