Tagged: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Are The CBLDF and Bleeding Cool Promoting Censorship?

  • News
  • September 30, 2011

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is currently in the middle of a massive fundraising drive, set in the middle of Banned Books Week. They’ve been auctioning off a lot of neat items, including professional development reviews with Tom Brevoort and Chris Burnham (also available for lunch) and a meet-and-greet for Saturday Night Live.

But there’s one item that leaves us scratching our heads:

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is auctioning off a “Get Out Of Bleeding Cool Free” card which will allow the winner the chance to remove a story that Bleeding Cool has published, or prevent one specifically from being published.

Also, in a twist, we will allow the winner to use it as a Get Into Bleeding Cool Free card, guaranteeing positive and promotional coverage for the project of your choice.

Either way, it’s a one time use, but will come with a CBLDF membership. The bidding starts at $500.

The CBLDF, until now a staunch anti-censorship organization, is auctioning off the ability to selectively censor a website?

This can’t be right. I find it very hard to believe the CBLDF would doing something so contrary to their stated goals. Nor can I believe that a journalist of Rich’s caliber is promoting that, under the right circumstances, he can be bought.

I look forward to hearing more about this.

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“Demon Circle” story by Crazy 8 Press To Benefit CBLDF — Buy It Here Now!

“Demon Circle” story by Crazy 8 Press To Benefit CBLDF — Buy It Here Now!

  • News
  • July 21, 2011

Athis, an apprentice wizard in the Crimson Keep, isn’t the brightest flame in the candelabra. So when he and another apprentice named Belid summon a demon and then panic, trouble ensues—trouble that threatens to snowball wildly out of control. Will they and their fellow student Klaria be able to deal with the consequences before their master finds out? Will the Crimson Keep still be standing when it’s all over?

ComicMix is proud to offer “Demon Circle”, an original novella from Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg, and Howard Weinstein, the writers behind the new author-driven publishing venture Crazy 8 Press. Written live at ShoreLeave33, Crazy 8 Press and ComicMix are donating all proceeds to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book writers, artists, retailers, and fans.

You can get it for 99 cents, although you can choose to make a larger donation to the CBLDF by putting a different price below. After your purchase, you’ll receive an email telling you where to download the file.

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Peter David’s New Novel Launches Crazy 8 Press

c8-final-logo1-300x247-3643009Crazy 8 Press exists because the founders — Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Glenn Hauman, Aaron Rosenberg, and Howard Weinstein — have found selling their original works to mainstream publishers increasingly difficult. Illogical barriers have been erected and the website was conceived to directly connect the authors with the readers.

The concept was conceived by Friedman at last summer’s Shore Leave convention and now, a year later, the site is officially open for business this afternoon. Its initial offering is an original novel, The Camelot Papers, which is unrelated to David’s previous Camelot trilogy. The novel is available in all eBook formats in addition to Print on Demand.

At a launch panel Saturday at noon, the founders will outline their plans for the future, addressing issues such as frequency, backlist, and if non-member authors will be published through the site.  “It’s not a business,” Greenberger said. “It’s a consortium with a handshake binding friends together. Our goal is to have all our audiences come to one source to find our older and newer original works.”

To bring attention to the new operation and to raise much-needed funds for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the six authors will collaborate on a short story, written in shifts during the convention, based on an opening line supplied by a fan during Friday night’s Meet the Authors event.

Since most of the authors write for ComicMix, we’re particularly proud of their accomplishment.

Comic stores donating Spider-Man/Obama profits to charity

Comic stores donating Spider-Man/Obama profits to charity

  • News
  • January 14, 2009

In the spirit of coming together, a number of stores are taking Amazing Spider-Man #583, featuring Spider-Man meeting Barack Obama, a comic that they know they’re going to sell out of when it goes on sale today, and are using the money to help others.

Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan has announced that they’re donating money from the sales to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Wonderworld Comics in Taylor, Michigan is offering a variety of deals: buy a store gift certificate for $100, for example, and get the Obama Spider-Man issue for free. Wonderworld is donating some proceeds to the Hero Initiative.

We think this should be encouraged, so if you are running any such benefits, or if you hear of any of them, send a quick note to us here, or post it in the comments, and we’ll update this entry to include it. (Hat tip: Patricia Montemurri, Detroit Free Press.)

ComicMix QuickPicks – January 5, 2009

ComicMix QuickPicks – January 5, 2009

Today’s installment of comic-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest…

* Missed this one in the holiday wackiness: A federal appeals panel said that child pornography is illegal even if the pictures are drawn, affirming the nation’s first conviction under a 2003 federal law against such cartoons. Even though there are no actual children involved. So Dwight Whorley of Richmond is serving 20 years in prison on an anime charge, even though he could just be in jail on the photographs. Time to donate to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund…

* Washington, D.C., library officials have proposed a ban on sleeping at public libraries. Our solution? More graphic novels! No one will sleep through those thrill-packed extravagnz– oops. Too much Stan Lee there.

* Recession? How can there be a recession when you can pre-order Captain Kirk’s chair for $2200 retail?

* That’s Sir Terry Pratchett to you, buddy.

Anything else? Consider this an open thread.

Manga Reader Charged for Obscenity

Manga Reader Charged for Obscenity

  • News
  • October 17, 2008

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has defended several arists and retailers in the past. But now, for the first time, they have been called to aid an actual comic book collector.

Christopher Handley of Iowa is facing obscenity charges under the PROTECT Act (18 U.S.C. section 14661) for ordering and possessing manga that is allegedly "obscene." Although no photographic material is contained within the manga in question, the charges allege that the material includes drawings depicting minors engaging in acts of a sexual nature. The material was reported by a postal inspector.

The"objectionable" manga in question is only a small part of Handley’s collection, which included over 1200 volumes of various manga. Despite this, authorities have taken possession of Handley’s entire comic book, magazine, manga and DVD collection, as well as his computer, in their search for further evidence.

If found guilty, Handley could face up to 20 years in jail. CBLDF legal counsel Burton Joseph commented, "I have never encountered a situation where criminal prosecution was brought against a private consumer for possession of material for personal use in his own home. This prosecution has profound implications in limiting the First Amendment for art and artists, and comics in particular, that are on the cutting edge of creativity. It misunderstands the nature of avant-garde art in its historical perspective and is a perversion of anti-obscenity laws."

As of now, Handley and the CBLDF-assisted defense team have been able to achieve partial victory. The court has ruled that sections of the PROTECT Act are infirm because they "do no require that the material be deemed obscene" by a court-appointed jury but rather by Congressional standards.

In the latest CBLDF update, it states: "Handley now faces charges under the surviving sections of 1466A, which will require a jury to determine whether the drawings at issue are legally obscene."

The following are the legal standards that would make the material "obscene." All three must be met in order for there to be a conviction.

A. Whether the average person, applying comtemporary community standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest.

B. Whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law.

C. Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

For more information and how you can help, check out the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund web-site.

Charges Against Gordon Lee Dropped

  • News
  • April 21, 2008

A few months back, retailer Gordon Lee escaped prosecution when a mistrial was declared in the case against him for distributing obscene material. Today comes word the case won’t be brought again.

The legal battle began in 2004 after an employee at Lee’s comic book store accidentally gave a minor a sampler book containing a scene of Nick Bertozzi’s The Salon, which included a naked Pablo Picasso.

The first trial against Lee, who was supported by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, was thrown out after the prosecuting attorney disobeyed the judge’s instructions. The Rome News-Tribune offers this on the latest development:

The case filed against local comic book store owner Gordon Lee has been dismissed, according to Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson.

Patterson said the case was dismissed after the district attorney met with Lee’s counsel and decided that a measure other than prosecution could be taken in resolving the case.

“He did a written apology to the victims in the case,” said Patterson.

Michael George and the Pittsburgh Comicon

Michael George and the Pittsburgh Comicon

  • News
  • March 18, 2008

Well, this has been an interesting morning.

I awoke to a slew of e-mails from people either asking me about, or trying to get me to not go to, the Pittsburgh Comiccon. Not that I had decided one way or the other, although a lot of friends of ours (including ComicMix’s own Timothy Truman, Mike Grell and Robert Tinnell) will be there. It’s a good show.

This boycott is in response to yesterday’s conviction of Michael George, who, along with his wife Rene, is the promoter of the show. Michael was convicted in Michigan of murdering his first wife 18 years ago. The details of both the crime and the conviction are in the Macomb Daily.

I understand the sentiments of those who feel that they do not want to support a convention run by a convicted murderer. But I strongly believe such feelings are misguided.

First of all, the Pittsburgh Comicon is also a major charity event. Last year, for example, they raised nearly $30,000.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and some $5,000.00 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Both are quite worthy causes.

But, more important, Michael George will not benefit from the profits of the show. Quite frankly, he’s set for life – if spending the rest of your life in a Michigan State penitentiary is your idea of “set for life.” It’s Rene who will lose out if this show winds up in the red.

After a long and horrific trial, Rene probably can use a few bucks. No doubt she’s looking at massive legal bills that were hardly of her making – despite her relationship with Michael, she didn’t kill anybody. She now has to create an entirely new life from the ground up; as such, she’s another victim of Michael’s efforts.

I don’t know if I’ll be at the show as I’ve got commitments to other shows and I can only spend so much time on the road, a lesson I learned the hard way last year. But I’m going to try. It’s a good show, Rene is a good person and the Pittsburgh Comicon no longer has anything to do with the sad horror that is Michael George.

Mike Gold is editor-in-chief of ComicMix.

 

First Look: ‘Y:The Last Man’ Wrap Party Footage

First Look: ‘Y:The Last Man’ Wrap Party Footage

  • News
  • February 22, 2008

It’s probably not much of a secret that I’m a huge fan of Brian K.Vaughan’s comic book series Y: The Last Man. If I wasn’t, why else would I be posting about it so much? So, in my continuing effort not to disappoint those of you who are also fans of the series, here now is yet another bit of news about it.

This time, the news comes to us in the form of exclusive video from the Y:The Last Man wrap party courtesy of Variety’s Bags and Boads site. The party, which took place a couple of weeks ago at Meltdown Comics here in LA, was held to celebrate the final issue of Y: The Last Man and as a benefit for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund — a worthy cause indeed.

The video showcases some of the many guests in attendance, including Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerrra, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid and my personal hero, Joss Whedon.

Check it out at the Bags and Boards site. Or, if, as the post says, you have trouble watching it there, it’s also available at Myspace Comics. Enjoy.

Inside the ‘Y: The Last Man’ Party

Inside the ‘Y: The Last Man’ Party

  • News
  • February 11, 2008

We told you about this event before and now Kevin Kelly at i09 let’s us in on the highlights of Friday night’s "Y: The Last Party" in L.A., celebrating the conclusion of Y: The Last Man, Brian K. Vaughan’s hugely popular tale of the last man on Earth.

The party, which took place at Meltdown Comics on Sunset Blvd., featured guests such as Vaughan himself, comic co-creator and artist Pia Guerra, Grant Morrison, Drew Goddard, Mark Waid and Joss Whedon.

Among the highlights of the event, whose proceeds went to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, were many revelations regarding the creation and inspiration of the comic as well as some tidbits about who might play the comic’s title character, Yorick Brown, in the oft-discussed, big-screen version and what co-creator Guerra’s next project will be.

According to the report:

[Vaughan] originally came up with the concept for Y as a project called Boyson, "The Last Boy On Earth" for Penthouse Comics full of "women built like robot fuck machines" and one boy remaining on the planet. After they folded, he replaced the robots with a Gloria Steinem quote and sent it over to Vertigo.

(more…)

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