Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

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Wired Talks Transmetropolitan Art Book

by Betsy Gomez • April 27, 2011

This May will see the release of the Transmetropolitan art book, which celebrates the visionary dystopian comic series by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson. Funded entirely by a Kickstarter donation drive, proceeds from the sale of the book benefit CBLDF and The Hero Initiative.

Wired.com has an exclusive preview of artwork from the book. They touched base with CBLDF about the project:

“Transmetropolitan is one of those rare works that functions as a compelling genre story, perceptive science fiction and cutting social satire all at the same time,” said Charles Brownstein, executive director of Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, in an e-mail to Wired.com. “The series uses edgy, and sometimes taboo, topics to address the changes that are happening to our society, and that’s what expressive speech is supposed to do. Transmet does it exceedingly well.”

Wired.com also spoke with Ellis, Robertson, and Brian Pulido of The Hero Initiative about the project. You can catch the full article and exclusive images here.

Features, Headline, Homepage, Legal, News Blog

Chief Justice Roberts and the First Amendment

by Betsy Gomez • April 26, 2011

The nomination of John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court in 2005 caused considerable protest among politicians and law experts, many of whom voiced concerns over Roberts’ typically conservative stance in his decisions.

The First Amendment Center recently analyzed Roberts’ decisions regarding First Amendment cases, starting with the idea the “Conservatives are often portrayed as hostile or indifferent to First Amendment issues.” They found that Roberts “has not been a disaster — far from it.”

Premiums

WILSON, signed by Dan Clowes

by Betsy Gomez • April 25, 2011

Wilson is an original graphic novel by comics legend Dan Clowes (Ghost World, Ice Haven, David Boring). The story of a misanthrope named Wilson as he tries to find his way in the world, this book captures the sly wit and subtle cartooning that has made Dan Clowes one of the literary world’s favorite comic creators. These hardcovers are signed by Clowes. Available now!

Auctions

Neil Gaiman NEW POEM with art by Tony Harris- SIGNED

by Betsy Gomez • April 24, 2011

Neil Gaiman, the award winning author of The Graveyard Book, Coraline, Sandman and more writes this all-new, unpublished poem to benefit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! Illustrated by Tony Harris of Ex Machina and Starman fame, “In Relig Oran” is…

Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog

A Con Grows In Stumptown

by cbldf • April 21, 2011

Last Friday comics creators and fans converged on a rain streaked Portland night to kick off the 2011 Stumptown Comics Festival. A growing showcase for handcrafted comics and art, Stumptown behaves less like a traditional comic book convention, and more like a pageant honoring the distinctive creative culture of Portland, Oregon. For three days, the city’s various institutions, including comic shops and galleries host comics focused parties while artists show their wares on the festival’s curated exhibit hall. The CBLDF was there to participate in the festivities.

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Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites HC, signed by Jill Thompson!

by Betsy Gomez • April 21, 2011

From award-winning creators Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, The Invisibles, Death: At Death’s Door) and Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese), this beautiful hardcover edition collects the Eisner Award-winning short stories, as well as all four issues of the acclaimed series. It is signed by illustrator and painter Jill Thompson.

About Beasts of Burden: Welcome to Burden Hill — a picturesque little town adorned with white picket fences and green, green grass, home to a unique team of paranormal investigators. Beneath this shiny exterior, Burden Hill harbors dark and sinister secrets, and it’s up to a heroic gang of dogs — and one cat — to protect the town from the evil forces at work. These are the Beasts of Burden Hill — Pugs, Ace, Jack, Whitey, Red and the Orphan — whose early experiences with the paranormal (including a haunted doghouse, a witches’ coven, and a pack of canine zombies) have led them to become members of the Wise Dog Society, official animal agents sworn to protect their town from evil. This turns out to be no easy task, as they soon encounter demonic cannibal frogs, tortured spirits, a secret rat society, and a bizarre and deadly resurrection in the Burden Hill cemetery — events which lead to fear and heartbreak as our four-legged heroes discover that the evil within Burden Hill is growing and on the move. Can our heroes overcome these supernatural menaces? Can evil be bested by a paranormal team that doesn’t have hands? And even more importantly, will Pugs ever shut the hell up?

Get your copy now!