Category: News Blog

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Larry Marder’s CBLDF Liberty Cards Diary #11

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Hello Friends of Liberty!

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization is dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights of the comic book community. That means all of us: creators, publishers, distributors, retailers, librarians, and fans. It’s CBLDF’s mission to spring into action whenever and wherever we are needed to protect freedom of speech.

We are living in transitional times. In the past, much of the suppression of free speech focused on comic book shops. As the 21st century unfolds, some overzealous people forget how the constitution guarantees our rights to express ourselves without the censorship or impediment of government.

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New Tennessee Law Threatens Freedom of Expression

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There’s a new law in Tennessee that threatens freedom of expression and the right to privacy. Last week, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed into law HB 300, which makes criminals out of those who post images online that cause “emotional distress,” even when the emotionally distressed individual is not the intended recipient.

The language of the bill is extremely vague and open to interpretation; a prosecutor need only convince a jury that an image, phrase, or link was posted with the express purpose of causing distress in order for HB 300 to be invoked. Anyone who sees an image online can become a victim under the auspices of the law as written.

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Larry Marder’s CBLDF Liberty Cards Diary #10

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Hey there, Friends if Liberty!

Here I am again with the tenth episode of behind the scenes at CBLDF Liberty Trading cards.

You know the story by now, don’t you? CBLDF and Cryptozoic Entertainment’s have teamed up to produce a 72 card set showing the incredible history of comic book censorship through words and pictures. The illustrations for the base cards are stacking up and I’ll be showing some more of those next week.

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Larry Marder’s CBLDF Liberty Cards Diary #9

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Hello again!

Today’s super-duper sneaky-peak is of a quartet of one-of-a-kind artist sketch cards of characters from Jeff Smith’s masterwork, Bone. 2011 marks Bone’s 20th anniversary of publication as a comic book. There will be all sorts of celebrations surrounding this important date as the year rolls on.

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Supreme Court May Soon Make Decision About Violent Video Games

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It’s a case that calls to mind the 1950s-era attacks on comic books and the censorship of the Comics Code. Does the First Amendment allow limits on the violent content in popular entertainment — in this case video games — sold to minors? Brown v. EMA (formerly Schwarzenegger v. EMA) may soon answer that question, with a final decision from the Supreme Court expected soon.

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Transmetropolitan: All Around the World Makes Its Way Around The World

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Last week, a bevy of CBLDF volunteers descended on the Pirates Press warehouse to pack up and ship Transmetropolitan: All Around the World, the hotly anticipated art book celebrating Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s dystopian masterpiece. Those of you who’ve already gotten your copies know just how gorgeous the book is!

CBLDF would like to thank the volunteers who helped us with shipping: Project Manager Susan Augér, Bryan Burnett, Greg Burnett, Sonia Harris, Alexis Nomm, Ted C. Roland, Seamus Tuohy, and Terry Taplin. Additional thanks go to the entire crew at Pirates Press, including Sam Harris, who designed the book and coordinated shipping, and project manager Chunk Kelly.

Finally, CBLDF thanks Ellis, Robertson, Augér, and all of the contributors for assembling a knockout volume!

If you haven’t received your copy, it should arrive soon! For those of you who still need to order a copy, a limited number are available in the CBLDF store.

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CBLDF, Booksellers, Artists, ACLU Seek to Bar Utah Law Restricting Speech on Internet

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Yesterday, a coalition including CBLDF, booksellers, media companies, artists, and the ACLU of Utah asked the federal district court in Salt Lake City to permanently bar enforcement of a Utah statute that restricts constitutionally-protected speech on the Internet. Although passed in 2005, the statute has not been in effect because Utah consented to a temporary injunction barring its enforcement.

Utah’s law seeks to regulate all Internet speech that some might consider “harmful to minors,” including works of visual art, photography, graphic novels, and information about sexual health and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.

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Larry Marder’s CBLDF Liberty Cards Diary #8

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Hi, Friends of Liberty!

I spent the afternoon at the Crytpozoic Entertainment offices yesterday. Saw a whole lotta cards that have come in over the last week. Incredibly diverse stuff. Artists featuring their own characters. Artists taking a shot at favorite characters and rendering them in their own unique style. A great example of that is showcased in these sneak-peek of a few Savage Dragon cards below…

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The CBLDF and TFAW Announce Third Annual SDCC Autograph Card / CBLDF Auction Event

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For the past two years, Things From Another World (TFAW) and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) have teamed up with comics professionals, such as Jim Lee, Charlie Adlard, Philip Tan and more, to help raise more than $60,000 for the annual CBLDF auction at San Diego Comic-Con. Now, TFAW and CBLDF are proud to announce their Third Annual SDCC Autograph Card/CBLDF Auction event!

As in years past, TFAW is asking artists to create original sketches to donate to the CBLDF auction at San Diego Comic-Con. However, this year, Marvel and DC Comics have generously agreed to allow artists to use their proprietary characters in these CBLDF sketches!

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