Are you a CBLDF member? Do you attend conventions, and are tired of the standard badge and lanyard combo? Do you wish you had more “flair” to show everyone that you support free speech? Do you find yourself pen free…
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SDCC: CBLDF’s Comic-Con Welcome Party!
Kick off Comic-Con with the greatest stars in comics to celebrate 20 Years of Image Comics and the power of free expression at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Comic-Con Welcome Party! Starting at 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 12…
CBLDF Contributes Additional $10,000 to Ryan Matheson’s $75,000 Legal Defense Costs Thanks To Donors!
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is pleased to announce that thanks to the support of its contributors, the organization has disbursed an additional $10,000 to Ryan Matheson to help pay off the $75,000 legal defense costs that he incurred defending himself against false charges brought by Canada Customs in a case involving manga comics on his laptop computer.
Earlier this year, charges against Matheson were dropped in a case where Canada Customs illegally detained and wrongly charged the American with importation of child pornography for humor and fantasy manga on his laptop. The CBLDF came to Ryan’s aid in 2011, providing substantive and financial support for his case, including arranging expert testimony that contributed to the charges being dropped. With this most recent disbursal, the CBLDF has provided $30,000 to Ryan’s $75,000 legal defense costs. Last year, Canada’s Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund contributed $11,000 towards Ryan’s defense. CBLDF seeks contributions to help pay off Ryan’s remaining $34,000 in legal expenses.
In a message to CBLDF supporters, Matheson says, “Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the CBLDF! The donations raised so far have given me enough financial stability to finally get back on my feet and live my life normally instead of worrying about money so much. It’s really encouraging to know that there are so many people out there that want to help stand up for comics and manga. I used to feel so isolated and alone but now I’ve realized that the comics and manga community is definitely one that cares about the things we love and is willing to stand up for our rights. Your donations really do help a lot and I am so grateful for all the support I’ve received so far. Thank you!”
This summer, Matheson will be appearing on panels at San Diego Comic-Con and Otakon to discuss his case, where CBLDF will also be distributing literature advising convention goers of their rights.
Please make a donation to CBLDF to help the organization continue to pay off Matheson’s legal defense costs and to support their important work raising awareness of the rights facing comics and manga readers. To learn more about Ryan’s case, please visit the CBLDF Case File R. v. Matheson, which includes the original defense documents, and special advisories for travelers crossing borders with comics books.
The CBLDF Hits North Carolina, Celebrates 30 years of HEROES CON!
by Alex Cox
This weekend (June 22-24), CBLDF is excited to be attending HEROES CON 2012, joining an insane roster of writers, artists, and comic legends, all celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest regional shows in the comics world!
Heroes Con is is a spectacular show; it is not only a labor of love by Shelton Drum and his amazing staff, but a living, breathing testament to how one store can create a vibrant community that stretches nationwide. The Heroes Con show floor is all about Comics, with a capital “C”, boasting an artist’s alley that truly represents a top-notch cross-section of the best and brightest talent working today. I have yet encountered a fan or creator that has anything less than a heart full of love for this terrific show, and I include myself in that list.
Click through for a sneak peek of our new T-shirt!
CBLDF Teams with NCAC and ABFFE in Defense of Alan Moore’s NEONOMICON
Today, CBLDF joined forces with the National Coalition Against Censorship and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression to write a letter in defense of Alan Moore’s Neocomicon (Avatar Press), which has recently been challenged in the Greenville, South Carolina, public library system. Objections to Neonomicon were raised by a patron after her teenage daughter checked out the book, which contains adult themes. The book was correctly shelved in the adult section of the library, and the teenager possessed a library card that allowed access to the adult section.
Click through for the full text of the letter CBLDF, NCAC, and ABFFE sent to the Library Board of Trustees at the Greenville County Public Library.
Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and defense against library challenges such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
Alan Moore’s NEONOMICON Challenged in South Carolina Library
Neonomicon, the Bram-Stoker Award winning series from Alan Moore and artist Jacen Burrows, has been challenged at a library in Greenville, South Carolina. The book was shelved in the adult section of the library, which is generally restricted to minors unless they have parental permission. A 14-year-old girl who had permission from her mother checked out the book. After asking her mother about a profane word used in the book, her mother looked at the book and filed a complaint. The book was challenged for sexual content and is currently under review.
More after the jump…
TFAW Announces Fourth Annual SDCC Autograph Card and CBLDF Auction Event
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!
Free Speech Advocates Score Victory in Utah
A victory for Free Speech was claimed yesterday when US District Judge Dee Benson issued an order ruling that people posting constitutionally-protected content on websites cannot be prosecuted for doing so and are not required to label the content they post. The ruling supports the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that opposed a Utah “harmful to minors” law that restricted free expression online. CBLDF was one of the organizations that opposed the law, joining fellow Media Coalition members the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, and the Freedom to Read Foundation. Additional plaintiffs included the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah; painter Nathan Florence, the Publishers Marketing Association, and the Sexual Health Network.
Read the official response from the Media Coalition after the jump.
Please help support CBLDF’s work to strike down unconstitutional censorship laws such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!
CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein to Participate in Conference on Creative Expression in Japan
This weekend sees CBLDF events around the country and around the world: CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein is headed to Japan to talk about the challenges creative expression faces in Japan and abroad.
Japanese manga and anime have strong appeal worldwide, and as their popularity has increased, they have faced challenges in Japan and overseas, including in the United States. Japanese censors have actively called for and passed laws that regulate the sale of manga and the depiction of sexuality in manga. In the United States, a Korean manwha — the equivalent of manga — is near the top of the list of the most-challenged books in 2011, and the ownership of manga led to the prosecution of Christopher Handley and Ryan Matheson.
The conference addresses the challenges faced by manga and anime and the detrimental effect of regulation on creative expression in Japan. During the symposium, Brownstein will join local and international experts to talk about the censorship of content in manga and anime in both Japan and overseas.
More details after the jump…
Iranian Cartoonist Sentenced to Lashes for Depiction of Conservative MP
Iranian political cartoonist Mahmoud Shokraye has been sentenced to 25 lashed for his depiction of conservative Member of Parliament Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani. Ashtiani was among a group of Iranian politicians who had been criticized for interfering with the country’s sports. In his cartoon, Shokraye depicted Ashtiani dressed as a soccer player. Ashtiani sued Shokraye, claiming he was insulted by the cartoon. The resulting sentence of 25 lashes is an unprecedented punishment.
More details after the jump…