As many teenagers will tell you, they simply want to be able to freely express themselves. The application of the free speech provisions of the First Amendment during secondary education presents an interesting conundrum: balancing students’ desire for free expression with the need to maintain an effective educational environment. Often, legal decisions regarding free speech in secondary school publications align with the latter, giving secondary students somewhat diminished First Amendment rights.
CBLDF is committed to supporting the comics community. Fill out our form to request assistance or report censorship today!
CBLDF is committed to supporting the comics community. Fill out our form to request assistance or report censorship today!
CBLDF Invites You to the 2011 BOOK EXPO AMERICA MEMBER PARTY!
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is having a membership party to kick off Book Expo America, and we want you to be a part of it! Sponsored by IDW, the CBLDF Book Expo Welcome Mixer happens this Tuesday, May 24!
The CBLDF is inviting the book industry out for a welcome mixer on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. Publishing professionals, booksellers, librarians, and creators are all invited to kick off BEA. The party is free for all BEA attendees and NYC comics and book professionals and retailers!
Transmetropolitan: All Around The World Now Available to Order
Transmetropolitan: All Around The World — the most hotly-anticipated art book of the year — is now available for order from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!
Celebrating Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s dystopian classic, all proceeds from the sale of Transmetropolitan: All Around The World benefit the First Amendment work of CBLDF. Transmetropolitan combined black humor, political scandal, and moral ambiguity to look into the mind of gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem and The City he inhabits. Aided by his embattled Editor and his two Filthy Assistants, Jerusalem blazes a path through a futuristic world of skyscrapers and technological wonders, dark alleys, and unspeakable depravity.
Transmetropolitan: All Around The World is a lovingly crafted and designed tribute to a seminal work. Contributors include:
Aaron Alexovich, Stephanie Buscema, Jim Calafiore, Stefano Caselli, Cliff Chiang, Richard C. Clark, Kevin Colden, Molly Crabapple, Camilla d’Errico, Kristian Donaldson, Ryan Dunlavey, Gary Erskine, Richard Friend, Dan Goldman, Cully Hamner, Lea Hernandez, Phil Hester, Rantz Hoseley, Matt Howarth, K Thor Jensen, Seth Kushner, Jonathan Luna, Milo Manara, John McCrea, Moritat, Dean Motter, Darick Robertson, Jimmie Robinson, Stuart Sayger, Tim Seeley, Fiona Staples, Bryan Talbot, Pete Woods, and many, many others.
Only a limited number of copies are available, so place your orders now!
The Good Fighters: Molly Crabapple
A fine artist and the founder of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Molly Crabapple creates work that provokes desire in some and the urge to silence in others. Her work also openly embraces sexuality, influenced by her experience as a model and burlesque dancer, which often brings her into opposition with censorship. Thus, she’s become an eloquent and devout supporter of free expression.
With Crabapple’s recent donation to CBLDF of an intricately-detailed 8′ by 7′ art monster — you can bid on it here — we took a moment to chat with her for this edition of The Good Fighters.
Larry Marder’s CBLDF Liberty Cards Diary #2
Hello again!
As promised, we’re taking a sneak peek at more of the one-of-a-kind artist sketch cards that will be randomly inserted in packs of CBLDF LIBERTY TRADING CARDS. Today’s cards all feature artists’ individual interpretation of Matt Wagner’s GRENDEL.
The Comics Reporter Details First Manga Restricted by Japan’s Revised Youth Healthy Development Ordinance
Tokyo recently revised the controversial Youth Healthy Development Ordinance, expanding the number of manga that are listed as harmful publications that should be restricted from sale to anyone under age 18. The Comics Reporter has the details here.
Comics Alliance: Why Comics Get Confiscated & How to Protect Yours
Laura Hudson at Comics Alliance dug into the recent seizures of comics at the Canadian Border, speaking to CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein and Tom Neely about the incidents, and sorting through “Canadian customs documentation to get the details on how this happened, the measures you can take to protect yourself and your comics when you’re crossing the border, the concerns this raises for comics fans, and a list of things that may get your comics flagged as obscene and confiscated (or worse).” It’s a terrific summary that presents a concise overview of the complex issue, and provides some excellent, plainspoken pointers about how to protect yourself and your comics. Read the full story here.
Please support the CBLDF’s coverage and defense of free speech issues like this by making a donation today!
CBLDF Auctions Massive Molly Crabapple Original
Bid Now! The auction for this artistic tour de force is live now. Bids can be placed online here.
Press Release (and more photos!) available below the cut …
Larry Marder’s CBLDF Liberty Cards Diary #1
CBLDF President Larry Marder takes you behind the scenes of the CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards with this first hand diary of his experiences putting the set together! Today he shows off how the set’s sketch cards came to be, and takes you with him as he visits Rob Liefeld & Scott McCloud to get them embellishing the cards!
How to Keep Customs From Seizing Your Comics
The crew over at Gamma Squad took a moment to touch base with CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein about the latest comic book seizures by Canada Customs and to outline some tips for protecting yourself when crossing the border. Brownstein talks about why books are seized:
“It’s always hard to say why customs agents seize the work that they do, because oftentimes the determinations made are subjective,” said Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. “I don’t second guess the motives of customs authorities. In 2004 a customs agent in South Carolina seized a shipment of books that included a strip satirizing the Bush administration called “Richie Bush,” because the agent alleged the parody comic was ripping off the Richie Rich trademark. All kinds of content has been seized, and is at risk.”
Check out the full article here.
CBLDF President Larry Marder on CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards
I’m Larry Marder, creator of Beanworld and President of the Board for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and I’m here today to talk about the CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards.
So what are these cards?
Let me tell you!
Ripped from the lurid headlines of yesteryear, the CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards relate the history — told in words and pictures — of comic book censorship in the United States of America.
Tom Neely & Dylan Williams Speak Out On Their Customs Seizure Experience
Last weekend artist Tom Neely and publisher Dylan Williams were stopped and searched by Canada Customs on their way to the Toronto Comics Art Festival. Customs officers seized copies of two items they were bringing to the festival, Black Eye, an anthology of comics Neely contributed to, and Young Lions, a graphic novel by Blaise Larmee. The CBLDF caught up with Neely & Williams over email when they returned to the United States to learn more details about their ordeal. Full Story
Please support the CBLDF’s coverage and defense of free speech issues like this by making a donation today!
The Good Fighters: Jeffrey Brown
Jeffrey Brown finds truth in the personal and intimate details that dominate our lives. Even his most autobiographical work is relatable, adeptly capturing the unease we all occasionally feel as we go about life.
Brown’s first book, Clumsy, defined his ability to articulate the bittersweetness and awkwardness that follows most people around, an ability that is further demonstrated in Ignatz winner I Am Going to Be Small, Unlikely, Little Things, and Funny Misshapen Body. Brown is also an established humorist and absurdist, as shown in the observational humor of Cat Getting Out of a Bag and Cats Are Weird and the superhero parody Incredible Change-Bots.
In person, Brown is quiet but articulate, a keen observer of the people and things around him — he always seems to be looking for the next drawing or story. On the eve of his Incredible Change Bots art opening at Brooklyn’s Scott Eder Gallery, Brown took a moment to talk about his motivations for supporting free expression in this installment of The Good Fighters .
CBLDF Looking for a Law Student Intern
Attention current law students! Are you looking for a way to support CBLDF and build your resume at the same time? Here’s your chance: CBLDF is looking for a law student summer intern!
The CBLDF law student summer intern will research, draft, and coordinate publication of short articles in bar journals directed at criminal law practitioners. The work is expected to take all summer and may be extended into the Fall semester. A full-time summer commitment is expected. Betsy Rosenblatt, CBLDF Advisory Chair for Outreach and Education, will supervise the internship. Supervision will be electronic, so you can work from anywhere!
The internship is offered on a volunteer basis, but we are willing to work with your school to provide school credit. Interested law students should e-mail a cover letter, resume, and writing sample on or before May 20, 2011.
CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards Are Coming This Summer!
Available For Preorder Now! This summer CBLDF and Cryptozoic Entertainment are teaming up to bring you the CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards, a 72 card set telling the story of comics censorship, with a ton of great sketch and autograph chase cards by the greatest talent in the comics industry! This month the CBLDF will be showcasing spoilers and highlights from this exciting card set every Tuesday and Thursday, but today we hit the basics.
What Are The CBLDF Liberty Trading Cards?
This trading card set showcases the legal struggles comics have fought, from the historic 1950s Senate Subcommittee hearings and the 1970s conviction of Zap Comix to the modern day! This base set brings home the stories of the CBLDF’s battles. Comics retailers fighting for their lives against local authorities; artists being harassed by mammoth corporations; readers being attacked by the federal government — the Liberty Cards show the price of Free Speech!
In addition to the base set, special hand drawn sketch cards and autograph cards by some of the top talent in the comic book world will be featured! Erik Larsen, Charlie Adlard, Rob Liefeld, Frank Quitely and Terry Moore are just a few artists who will be doing sketch cards. Plus, autographs can be found from such names as Geoff Johns, Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Gail Simone and Robert Kirkman.
ALL proceeds from this set benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Ask Your Retailer To Preorder Yours Now!
Check back Thursday for a first look inside the set!
Release Date: Summer 2011
Packs: 5 cards per pack; 24 packs per box
MSRP: $3.50 pack
Base set: 72 Cards
Chase Sets: Two 9-card chase sets
Inserts: Autographs and Sketch Cards