The Lebanese indie comics collective Samandal, financially crippled after three of its editors were fined a total of $60,000 for charges that include “inciting sectarian strife” and “denigrating religion” through comics, this week turned to crowdfunding in a last-ditch effort…
Category: International
Suppressed 1978 Judge Dredd Stories to be Republished Next Year
Two legendary Judge Dredd storylines that were suppressed by their original publisher in 1978 amid concerns about copyright infringement will finally see the light of day again, after a recent change in UK law provided firmer protections for parody and…
UN Envoy Recommends Japanese Ban on Some Manga and Anime
A UN special envoy on child protection waded into the debate over manga and anime in Japan this week, urging the country to ban “particular, extreme child pornographic content” even if it does not involve any actual children. In a…
Human Rights Watch Report Skewers Malaysia’s “Culture of Fear”
A searing new 143-page report from Human Rights Watch is shining a spotlight on the Malaysian government’s selective use of vague laws to suppress speech it doesn’t like — notably from cartoonist Zunar, who next week faces trial on nine…
New Information Implicates Sri Lankan Government in Cartoonist’s Abduction
On January 10, 2010, Sri Lankan cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda disappeared from his place of work under mysterious circumstances. His family and many others believe that he was abducted by the government in retaliation for voicing his dissent with the then…
Ai Weiwei Collecting Donated LEGO After Company Rejects Bulk Order
Fans of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei are setting up collection points for donated LEGO bricks around the world after the Danish company refused to fulfill a bulk order for his upcoming show in Australia. In response to inquiries, a LEGO…
Zunar to Tour Europe Ahead of Sedition Trial
In the final weeks before his trial on nine counts of sedition is set to begin in Malaysia, cartoonist Zunar will embark on a whirlwind European tour with several speaking engagements from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. Although the events…
Tokyo Prison Under Fire for Banning Gay Manga
The Tokyo Bar Association issued a sexual orientation discrimination warning to the Tokyo Detention House earlier this week when it was found out that they had been explicitly refusing an inmate access to manga which depicts homosexual sex acts —…
Myanmar Cartoonists Caution Future Generations About the Obstacles of Free Expression
In an interview with Dateline Irrawaddy, Burmese cartoonists Maung Maung Aung and Win Aung discuss the history of cartoons in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and what it means to be a cartoonist in the current media landscape. They also address the…
Country-Wide Ban Lifted from Award-Winning Book Into the River
An award-winning coming of age novel is back on shelves throughout New Zealand after the country’s Office of Film & Literature Classification lifted its temporary ban. Into the River by New Zealand native author Ted Dawe was banned in his…