Category: News Blog

This will show up on the main blog page

CBLDF Announces Exclusive CONAN Print by Becky Cloonan for NYCC!

by  •  • Comments Off on CBLDF Announces Exclusive CONAN Print by Becky Cloonan for NYCC!

With the announcement today of writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan as the new creative team on Dark Horse Comics’ Conan, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is excited to unveil an exclusive letterpress print, available throughout New York Comic Con at CBLDF booth #1158.

This print features characters from Robert E. Howard’s “Queen of the Black Coast,” the adaptation of which forms the basis of Wood and Cloonan’s first Conan arc. The print is based on the line art of an exclusive variant cover and is being used by CBLDF for this exclusive premium item through the gracious cooperation of the Robert E. Howard Estate and Dark Horse Comics.

Signed by Wood and Cloonan, these prints come in a limited numbered run of 100, and they were hand-letterpressed by Letterpress PDX in Portland, Oregon. If you are a Conan fan, a fan of Wood and Cloonan, or simply want to support the CBLDF’s continuing fight for Free Expression, this print will be available throughout the weekend of NYCC, October 14-16, for a $50 donation. Visit CBLDF at booth #1158 to pick up yours!

(Conan (r) (c) 2011 Conan Properties International LLC (“CPI”). Conan, Conan the Barbarian, The Savage Sword of Conan, Hyboria, and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI. All rights reserved.)

Read more →

Be Counted At NYCC – Fear Itself #1 Original Art Raffle, Signings, Programs & More!

by  •  • Comments Off on Be Counted At NYCC – Fear Itself #1 Original Art Raffle, Signings, Programs & More!

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund enters the fourth week of its Be Counted membership drive at New York Comic Con, where we’re bringing you some of our best incentives to join the Fund yet!

Kicking off with a Member Appreciation Party on Thursday night, a members only raffle that will award one lucky fan with Stuart Immonen’s original pencils for the Fear Itself #1 cover, an all new grab bag sponsored by HeroesCon, a massive manga giveaway at CBLDF’s Anime Artists Alley Table, three programs, and a wide array of incredible opportunities for time with top pros at the show!

If you’re attending NYCC, please visit CBLDF’s booth #1128 and Be Counted as a member. Check out our highlights below!

Read more →

CBLDF’s Massive Manga Giveaway At NYCC!

by  •  • Comments Off on CBLDF’s Massive Manga Giveaway At NYCC!

Manga is not a crime! Right now an American citizen is facing a minimum sentence of one year in a Canadian prison because customs authorities wrongly allege that horror and fantasy manga on his computer are child pornography. The CBLDF is helping him by assisting in legal strategy and by raising money to offset his legal fees, which are expected to reach $150,000.

Join the effort to defend this case by visiting the CBLDF’s table in Manga Artists Alley and signing up for membership! When you do, we’ll enter you into our Massive Manga Giveaway!

The top publishers in the manga industry, including Viz, Seven Seas, Vertical, Yen, Dark Horse, DMP, Kodansha, and ALC/Yuricon have contributed prize packages for teen and adult readers for each day of the show. Come learn about the CBLDF’s efforts to protect your freedom to read manga, and take home amazing books!

Titles include: Tenjo Tenge , Dance of the Vampire Bund, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Strawberry Panic! Complete Light Novel Collection , Lychee Light Club Chi’s Sweet Home , High School of the Dead , Yotsuba! WORKS, Rica ‘tte Kani!?, Yuri Monogatari, Volume 3,4,5,6, selections from CLAMP and much more!

Read more →

CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 in Stores Today!

by  •  • Comments Off on CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 in Stores Today!

When you head to your local comic book shop for new comics today, don’t forget to include a copy of CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 in your pile of loot! All sales of the ANNUAL benefit the First Amendment work of the CBLDF, so you not only get a wonderful anthology — you also get to support one of the most important nonprofit organizations in comics!

Keep reading for more images from the annual and the latest details on the UNITED AGAINST CENSORSHIP signings!

CBLDF urgently needs to raise $100,000 for our important First Amendment work by the end of October! Be Counted and support CBLDF’s First Amendment legal work by bidding on original artwork, making a donation, or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

Read more →

HeroesCon Sponsors CBLDF’s Fall Comics Grab Bag!

by  •  • Comments Off on HeroesCon Sponsors CBLDF’s Fall Comics Grab Bag!

HeroesCon (www.heroesonline.com) is seeking to raise $10,000 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund by sponsoring its Fall Comics Grab Bag! Debuting this weekend at New York Comic-Con, the CBLDF Fall Comics Grab Bag includes 10 comics for a $20 donation, with rare and signed comics guaranteed in every bag!

HeroesCon has contributed a vast array of rare comics from the silver, bronze, and modern age to support the Fund. Comics guaranteed to be included in the Fall Comics Grab Bag include Avengers #57 (1st Appearance of the Vision), X-Men #46, X-Men #48, Batman #185, Luke Cage #1, Nick Fury: Agent of Shield #3, Sub-Mariner #5, and dozens more. Signed comics were contributed directly from their artists, including Amanda Conner, Garth Ennis, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Jill Thompson, Gail Simone, and many more! Keep reading…

Read more →

Kick Off NYCC with CBLDF, IDW, and Dark Horse!

by  •  • Comments Off on Kick Off NYCC with CBLDF, IDW, and Dark Horse!


WHO: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, IDW Publishing, and Dark Horse Publishing

WHAT: CBLDF NYCC Kick-Off Party!

WHEN: Thursday, October 13
7:00 p.m.: VIP Hour
Join quest VIPs Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman), Chris Roberson (I, Zombie), Andy MacDonald (Terminator), Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man), and more! CBLDF members who joined at the Defender level ($250) or higher are invited to join us for VIP hour!

8:00 p.m.: Open party!
Start your convention weekend with talented creators from across the comics world and fellow CBLDF members! While supplies last, there will be a gift bag at the door featuring Liberty Trading Cards, CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011, and more! Free to members, $10 suggested donation for non-members.

WHERE: Hudson Terrace, 621 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10026; (212)-315-9400; www.hudsonterracenyc.com

WHY: Start NYCC right by defending Free Speech with CBLDF!

Read more →

Unite Against Censorship with CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011, Out This Week!

by  •  • Comments Off on Unite Against Censorship with CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011, Out This Week!

CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 is out on Wednesday, and retailers around the country are sponsoring signings with some of the creators who contributed to the best issue of the ANNUAL yet! Here are the events taking place during UNITED AGAINST CENSORSHIP:

Forbidden Planet NYC
October 12, 6:30 p.m.
840 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-1576, www.fpnyc.com
with Thomas Chu, Kevin Sacco, Brandon Montclare, Michael Bramley, J. Gonzo, and more

Laughing Ogre Comics
October 12, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
4258 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43214
(614) 267-6473, www.laughingogrecomics.com
with Dara Naraghi

Another Dimension
October 12, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
424 B – 10th Street NW; Calgary, AB T2N 1V9, Canada
(403) 283-7078
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-Dimension-Comics/180997045270673
with Riley Rossmo

Infinite Monkey Comics & Games
October 13, 7:00 p.m.
65 East College Street, Suite 1, Oberlin, OH 44074
(440) 775-4263, www.infinitemonkeyonline.com
with Kazim Ali

Even if you can’t attend one of these amazing signings, you can be part of the fun by picking up a copy of CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 from your favorite local comic shop! The sales of CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 benefit CBLDF’s First Amendment legal work, including our Canada Customs Case.

CBLDF will also have signings at booth #1158 during New York Comic-Con, October 13-16! We’ll post details later this week, but rest assured we’ll have a spectacular assortment of signed exclusives!

CBLDF urgently needs to raise $100,000 for our important First Amendment work by the end of October! Be Counted and support CBLDF’s First Amendment legal work by bidding on original artwork, making a donation, or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

Read more →

Voicing an Opinion: Manga Bookshelf’s Melinda Beasi Talks Canada Customs Case

by  •  • Comments Off on Voicing an Opinion: Manga Bookshelf’s Melinda Beasi Talks Canada Customs Case

When I was in junior high, my English class was assigned to read George Orwell’s 1984. It was a pretty engaging read, but despite our teacher’s best efforts, it was difficult for most of us to take its deeper messages seriously. Big Brother and the Thought Police were terrifying for sure, but no more so than the likes of Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger. They were fantasy villains from our point of view, impossibly removed from our real lives, where we were forced into daily battle with the true horrors of Midwest adolescence — teenage classism, 80s fashion, and our own deep self-loathing.

Now, as a 40-something in the 21st century, Orwell’s warnings are both utterly preposterous and terrifyingly real. It seems outrageous to imagine that in an age when civil liberty is so loudly trumpeted and treasured that a person could be arrested, imprisoned, and legally stigmatized for life because of his or her thoughts. Yet cases such as that of Brandon X prove this to be not only possible — but even likely — if those thoughts are being expressed and shared with others in the form of comics. more…

Read more →

Charles Brownstein Talks Comics Code Authority Seal

by  •  • Comments Off on Charles Brownstein Talks Comics Code Authority Seal

Last week, CBLDF announced it had acquired the rights to the Comics Code Authority Seal, marking the end of the censorship the seal once represented. After the announcement, CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein spoke with Vaneta Rogers at Newsarama about the acquisition.

Several reports mistakenly indicated that CBLDF purchased the rights to the seal, a misconception Brownstein cleared up when Rogers asked him about the acquisition:

“As the Comic Magazine Association of America, was winding down they approached us to inquire whether we would be interested in receiving the Seal of Approval,” Brownstein told Newsarama. “Through a brief, and fairly straightforward process, they assigned us the rights to the Seal for use as part of our fundraising and education program. It was a donation from the industry’s dying self-censorship body to assist its mature First Amendment defense body.”

Keep reading…

Be Counted and support CBLDF’s First Amendment legal work by bidding on original artwork, making a donation, or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

Read more →

Frank Miller, Karen Berger & Babymouse Champion Free Speech In Be Counted Week 3

by  •  • Comments Off on Frank Miller, Karen Berger & Babymouse Champion Free Speech In Be Counted Week 3


The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund continues its Be Counted membership drive this week, with generous incentives from legendary cartoonist Frank Miller, groundbreaking editor Karen Berger, and the unstoppable team behind Babymouse & Squish – three time Newbery Award honoree Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm!

The CBLDF needs to raise $100,000 by October 31 to pay for its urgent legal and education to work. To date, the organization has raised over $30,000 of that goal. Be Counted and becoming a member of the Fund today. Membership contributions are tax deductible and start at $25 per year. Those who can afford to join at higher levels can take advantage of some of the amazing opportunities available in this campaign. To view all of the Be Counted incentives, featuring opportunities to go backstage at Saturday Night Live, have tea with Neil Gaiman or get your work reviewed by Tom Brevoort or Dan DiDio, among many others, please visit www.cbldf.org.


Read on to see all of this week’s incredible offerings!

Read more →