For the past three years, Things From Another World has played a pivotal role in collecting original artwork for CBLDF’s annual Comic-Con International charity auction, helping the Fund raise more than $75,000 in the process. They’re at it again this year, and they’ve already lined up some comics superstars to help raise money for our important First Amendment work!
Click through for the official press release and more details about TFAW’s auction art drive!
Celebrate free speech at this year’s Book Expo by raising a toast to CHIP KIDD tonightin a benefit to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!
A VIP cocktail reception starts at 7 PM. Kidd will present a behind-the-scenes look at creating this book, and all attendees will receive an extremely limited copy of BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN, with an exclusive signed and numbered bookplate, designed by Mr. Kidd. These bookplated editions are extremely limited, and will be available one time only. Hors d’Oeuvres will be served. This is a ticketed event, with limited admission available for a $50 donation to the CBLDF. Reserve your ticket here.
At 8:30 pm, an open release party and book signing will begin. Copies of BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN will be available at the venue! (No ticket needed for this portion of the evening, but a suggested donation at the door is appreciated)
The event happens at SMITHFIELD, 215 West 28th Street New York, NY 10001.
by Alex Cox
The CBLDF is excited to be returning to the great city of Philadelphia, for the first time in several years for Wizard World Philly! This historic city is one of the most important homes of American democracy, and we are proud to help continue the legacy of Free Speech and Free Expression in this exciting town!
Wizard World was gracious enough to host us, and we will be in booth 1049 all weekend long. We have a terrific array of donation premiums, including several new books, signed by awesome supporter artists such as Stuart Immonen, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Frank Miller, and many, many more! We’ve put together a killer mix of books and t-shirts for the fine folks of Philly, and can’t wait to see the Pennsylvania area fan community!
For CBLDF members, we have the last few exclusive, variant cover copies of GLORY 23, available only to card-carrying member of the CBLDF! If you are not a member, but want to join, we can sign you up on the spot! Never fear! These GLORY variant covers are free to members, and extremely rare, as well as signed by writer Joe Keatinge!
So swing by booth 1049, if you are visiting Wizard World Philly! There’s no better to join the fight for Free Speech!
The CBLDF is proud to offer our supporters an exciting new premium by Neil Gaiman & David Mack! This beautiful, exclusive print was contributed by our friends at Neverwear. Silk-screened in Austin, Texas these are the variant blue test run, created in very limited quantities prior to the standard edition grey run.
Printed on a gorgeous French paper called Madero Beach, a 70 weight 8.5 ” x 11″ recycled stock, the prints are full of flecks and bits. Creamy off-white, with 3 colors to show off David Mack’s luscious artwork and lettering.
They are hand-numbered, in an extremely limited artist/printer edition of 90. They are not available anywhere else!
Get yours today!
by Betsy Gomez
I rolled an hour down the road this weekend for Big Wow! Comicfest, a regional show that’s seen quite a bit of growth since the last time I attended. In the years that have passed since my last outing to the show, it’s grown from a smallish collectors show (where I could fill in the gaps in my Jonah Hex and The Phantom collections) into a bustling event with an impressive guest list and a burgeoning artists alley. It was a genuine joy to see how the show has upped the ante. By the end of the convention, I had introduced many people to CBLDF and talked to many of our regular contributors, raising $1,500 for the cause!
Click through for more…
With Executive Director Charles Brownstein in Japan for a symposium on manga and censorship; Deputy Director Alex Cox in Portland, Maine, for the Maine Comics Arts Festival; and a charity auction and booth headed up by volunteer Diana Green at St. Paul, Minnesota’s Spring Con, CBLDF is all over the world this weekend. Lest the West Coast feel left out, CBLDF Web Editor Betsy Gomez will be on hand at the Big Wow! ComicFest in San Jose, California! Big Wow takes place May 19 – 20 in downtown San Jose at the San Jose Convention Center, Hall 2, and you’ll find CBLDF at booth #603.
More details after the jump!
CBLDF Deputy Director Alex Cox will be at the Maine Comics Arts Festival in Portland, Maine, all weekend. On Saturday, May 19, he will be presenting the CBLDF’s “History of Censorship in Comics” — a slideshow walk through oppression and small-mindedness from the 1930s to today! The presentation happens at the Portland Public Library Main Branch in the Rines Auditorium (5 Monument Square). On Sunday, May 20, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., you’ll find him at the Ocean Gateway with a booth full of info about the Fund and awesome donation premiums!
Click through for more details about the show!
SpringCon, the annual comic book celebration produced by the Midwest Comic Book Association, takes place this weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota. This amazing event takes place May 19 – 20 and gathers hundreds of creators and many more fans for a comic marketplace, programs, and a huge charity auction. This year’s charity auction takes place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, and all of the proceeds will be split between the Minnesota Lupus Foundation and CBLDF! In addition, the CBLDF will be there with a booth headed up by a local volunteer team lead by Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s Diana Green!
All of the details follow after the jump…
The response to the Threadless Comics-On Tees vol. 6 design challenge has been phenomenal, with 73 artists having a go at designing the first in a series of four shirts featuring Neil Gaiman’s “The Day the Saucers Came.” The challenge isn’t over yet — the Threadless community of 1.8 million users is voting on their favorite design, and you can join their ranks! Voting ends in three days, so head over to the Threadless Atrium to pick your favorite now!
More after the jump…
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) announced today that comiXology — the world’s largest digital comics platform with over 60 million downloads to date — has become the organization’s newest Corporate Member. ComiXology joins industry leaders Dark Horse, DC Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Image Comics, Legendary Comics, Random House, and Threadless as Corporate Members supporting the CBLDF’s important work of protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers.
“There is no time like the present to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund,” said comiXology co-founder and CEO David Steinberger. “With freedom of speech being encroached upon at every corner, especially as new digital content platforms arise, comiXology is happy to show our commitment to free speech and the comics industry with this donation. If you have yet to become a member and are a comic book fan, please do so today.”
“We’re grateful that comiXology is taking this leadership position in supporting the CBLDF’s important work,” says CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. “We have already seen prosecutions resulting from comics delivered in the digital realm, and those prosecutions are still on the rise. The CBLDF maintains an active program of fighting back when those cases occur, and works hard to challenge unconstitutional laws that would restrict the rights of comics in this new environment. We’re gratified that comiXology recognizes the importance of our work in this area and are putting their financial support behind us.”
Recently, the CBLDF helped fund and guide the successful defense in R. v. Matheson, a case that involved a comic book fan who faced criminal charges in Canada relating to comic books on his computer. 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 also participated in shaping the defense, including recruiting expert testimony for the trial. The CBLDF is currently seeking funds to help pay off the $45,000 debt the defendant 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.