COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFEN SE FUND SUMMER UPDATE 2018
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, educators, and readers. CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.
STAFF Charles Brownstein, Executive Director Alex Cox, Deputy Director Georgia Nelson, Development Manager Patricia Mastricolo, Editorial Coordinator Robert Corn-Revere, Legal Counsel
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ADVISORY BOARD
Larry Marder, President Milton Griepp, Vice President Jeff Abraham, Treasurer Dale Cendali, Secretary Ted Adams Jennifer L. Holm Reginald Hudlin Katherine Keller Paul Levitz Christina Merkler Chris Powell Jeff Smith Gene Luen Yang
Neil Gaiman & Denis Kitchen, Co-Chairs Susan Alston Greg Goldstein Matt Groening Chip Kidd Jim Lee Frenchy Lunning Frank Miller Louise Nemschoff Mike Richardson William Schanes José Villarrubia Bob Wayne Peter Welch
CREDITS Betsy Gomez, Designer and Editor Charles Brownstein, Contributor Patricia Mastricolo, Contributor Cover art by Michael Allred. CBLDF is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law in the year they are given. ©2018 Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and respective authors.
CBLDF thanks our Guardian Members:
Director’s Note Thanks to donors like you, CBLDF is making a powerful impact for free expression! Halfway into 2018, we’re developing important education tools for students, getting ready to hit the road with our Retailer Rights Workshops and summer convention programming, and continuing to protect our community from an increasing tempo of challenges to comics and other expressive material. From deploying our lawyers to help comics creators to counseling educators and librarians in censorship crises, CBLDF is on the case. Our efforts in the courts help prevent unconstitutional laws from taking effect, while our advocacy speaks powerfully for the rights of our community. We’re proud to share this important work with you, and hope you’ll support our continuing efforts. These are embattled times for the First Amendment, and CBLDF’s work is essential to preserving the rights it guarantees the comics community. Please help us advance this important work by making a tax-deductible contribution today! —Charles Brownstein, Executive Director
Grant Geissman, Philip Harvey, and Shadowline Comics
CBLDF’s education program is made possible with the generous support of the Gaiman Foundation and supporters like you!
Corporate Members
Art by Tony Shasteen
CBLDF: ON THE FRONT LINES CBLDF’s efforts protect our community, overturn unconstitutional laws, and preserve the right to free expression. Some highlights from this year so far: CBLDF provides legal advice and support in a variety of cases affecting creators, readers, and publishers. Turn the page to check out Aaron Lange’s comic about how CBLDF came to his aid, resolving his case positively without going to court. We are currently defending Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic after a challenge in New Jersey. The memoir was assigned to several senior English classes this spring after Watchung Hills spent two years examining its curriculum for ways to improve it. The review and expansion of the school’s reading selections came after students and alumni offered feedback indicating that the curriculum didn’t reflect the spectrum of sexual and gender identities at the school and in the world at large. The high school has an opt-out policy in place, in which any student uncomfortable with an assigned text can choose an alternative assignment. But two parents who voiced complaints about the graphic novel argued that the policy isn’t sufficient and that they don’t want children singled out for not participating in an assignment. The case is still developing, so visit cbldf.org for updates. CBLDF is a sponsor of the Kids’ Right to Read Project, which safeguards the First Amendment rights of minors all over the United States. This year, we’ve co-signed a wide range of letters and provided one-on-one counseling in First Amendment emergencies. Some of the titles KRRP has defended in 2018 include Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Tanya Lee Stone’s A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl.
CBLDF released a free comic to help students understand and assert their rights. Be Heard! is by cartoonist Kai Texel and was released ahead of the March For Our Lives, ultimately reaching hundreds of thousands of readers. Read more about it on page 6. CBLDF expanded the conversation about First Amendment rights and the storied history of activism with The Art of MARCH: A Civil Rights Masterpiece, an exhibit at The Society of Illustrators in New York City. Congressman John Lewis’s masterful memoir, which was brought to life by illustrator Nate Powell and co-writer Andrew Aydin, helps audiences understand current events, including the relationship between free expression and civic responsibility. Learn more on page 11. CBLDF was recognized as the 2018 Intellectual Freedom Champion by the Oregon Library Association! The award is granted by the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Oregon Library Association to recognize “truly outstanding effort in promoting the principles of intellectual freedom.” CBLDF’s efforts, including Be Heard! and librarian support, were celebrated during the award presentation. You can listen to CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein’s acceptance remarks online at http://cbldf.org/?p=34316 Continue the conversation about free expression with some of the medium’s greatest thinkers with the CBLDF Podcast! Guests on our newest episodes include Ron Wimberly, the artist and editor of LAAB, a magazine about black identity in pop culture, who discusses comics, race, and free expression; Ron Turner, the iconic publisher of Last Gasp, who converses about his career and activism; and cartoonist, writer, and editor Sina Grace, who talks about his career and influences. Listen online at http://cbldf.org/podcast/ or via your favorite podcast service.
cbldf.org | 3
CBLDF TO THE RESCUE!
CBLDF’s most important efforts are the ones you never hear about. At the first sign of legal trouble, we deploy our lawyers, who frequently defuse cases before they go to court. Here is one of those cases, in which our lawyers protected the rights of cartoonist Aaron Lange.
Art by Aaron Lange, https://thecomixcompany.ecrater.com
STUDENTS: BE HEARD! As millions of American students asserted their First Amendment rights in protests across the country, CBLDF and the National Coalition Against Censorship released a new comic book to help foster students’ rights. Be Heard! is a free resource drawn by cartoonist Kai Texel that serves as a practical guide for helping kids assert their First Amendment rights.
Educator, creator, and CBLDF Board Member Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) spoke passionately about the project. “A Chinese poet once described free expression as the mother of truth. In our age of fake news, speaking truth to power is more important than ever. This comic is a valuable guide that teaches students how to ensure their truth is heard.”
Teen Vogue released the comic in full on March 12, starting a whirlwind of interest all across social media. From there, The Washington Post picked up the story and took the time to interview Texel about how her own experiences shaped the comic:
Neil Gaiman (American Gods, The Sandman), the best-selling author who co-chairs the CBLDF Advisory Board, released a statement about Be Heard!:
Kai Texel vividly recalls the lockdown drills staged at her New Jersey high school. “We’d hide under desks, turn out the lights and lock the doors,” she said. “I remember having surprise ones multiple times a year. It was a part of life.”
“In the U.S., freedom of speech is paramount. The First Amendment states that you can’t be arrested for saying things the government doesn’t like. It’s important that students everywhere know that they have the right to be heard. This comic will help provide them with practical tools to raise their voice.”
Texel, who graduated from High Point Regional High School in Sussex County in 2012, used those lockdown memories to help fuel her new webcomic, Be Heard!, in which two friends discuss how best to speak out.
The reaction to Be Heard! was overwhelming. People tweeted and posted the comic all over social media. As the protests continued throughout the spring, Be Heard! continued to be passed around online, as well as in print. Teachers and librarians created displays with free copies of the comic and shared pictures online to inspire others. Pioneer of young adult literature and NCAC board member Judy Blume, summed it up perfectly: “This comic book feels just right. It’s so important to support and encourage kids on issues that affect their own lives and their country.”
Art by Matthew Loux
Read Be Heard! on the following pages or online at http://cbldf.org /beheard/ This important resource is also available for download on the CBLDF website!
Be Heard .indd 1
3/9/18 4:52 PM
cbldf.org | 7
Be Heard .indd 2
8 | CBLDF Summer Update 2018
3/9/18 4:52 P
Be Heard .indd 3
3/9/18 4:53 P
cbldf.org | 9
Heard .indd 4
10 | CBLDF Summer Update 2018
3/9/18 4:5
THE ART OF MARCH It’s impossible to talk about the relationship between free expression and civic responsibility in comics without talking about March, Congressman John Lewis’s masterful memoir about the Civil Rights Movement, which was brought to life by illustrator Nate Powell and co-writer Andrew Aydin. CBLDF helped mount The Art of MARCH: A Civil Rights Masterpiece, a definitive exhibition of this extraordinary graphic novel at The Society of Illustrators in New York City. “March is a book that is the embodiment of everything that is important about the First Amendment. It is a work of speech and press about assembly and petition inspired by one man’s faith and one man’s service,” said CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein, who co-curated the exhibit with John Lind, the Creative Director of Kitchen Sink Books (a Dark Horse Comics imprint).
Awards display for March, including the first-ever National Book Award for a graphic novel.
The landmark exhibition of Congressman Lewis’s celebrated graphic novel trilogy took visitors on a visceral tour of the Civil Rights Movement, illuminating pivotal moments, people, and philosophies through the display of more than 150 pieces of original art, interactive materials, and exhibition essays. The award-winning trilogy is a prime example of activism through comics, and the exhibit offers both those familiar with the story and newcomers a chance to experience the narrative through Powell’s breathtaking artwork, aided by exhibition essays created specifically for The Art of MARCH by Jonathan W. Gray, Associate Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and author of Civil Rights in the White Literary Imagination: Innocence by Association (The University Press of Mississippi, 2013).
Photos by Steve Prue, www.teamrockstarimages.com
Exhibit curators John Lind (l) and Charles Brownstein (r) with March artist Nate Powell (c). cbldf.org | 11
CONVENTION PREVIEW Come meet the CBLDF team at this year’s conventions! CBLDF will be exhibiting and presenting programming at Comic-Con International (July 19–22), Small Press Expo (SPX) (September 14–15), and New York Comic Con (October 4–7). Here’s what we have in store for you!
Programming! CBLDF’s brings extraordinary programming to all the conventions we attend! Times are subject to change, so please check the convention program and cbldf.org for updates.
Comics—Start Here! It’s hard to believe now, but comics used to be the black sheep of literature! Once synonymous with juvenile delinquency and bad reading habits, comics are now at the center of pop culture! That doesn’t mean everyone knows how to use them in their library. Don’t fear, CBLDF is here! We’ll help you make the most of this incredible creative medium for all of your patrons! Come learn about cataloging comics and get helpful tips about collection development and defense! (SDCC • Thursday, 12:00–1:00 p.m.)
State of Censorship 2018 Get a global look at comics censorship from CBLDF. Find out about current censorship challenges in the U.S., including new bills that would regulate internet use and challenges to comics addressing diversity and equality. Explore how cartoonists are being prosecuted, threatened, and intimidated by authorities around the globe. Learn how you can help CBLDF stand up for free expression! (SDCC • Thursday, 1:00–2:00 p.m.)
Intellectual Property, Comics, and the Law Some of comics’ greatest clashes never appeared within the panels—they were decided by a gavel! CBLDF board member Dale Cendali, an intellectual property icon known for litigating high profile cases (including in the Supreme Court), walks through the history of comics IP in the courts, examining some of the cases creators need to know about to protect themselves and their work! (SDCC • Friday, 12:00–1:00 p.m.)
Comics Change the World— The History of Activism in Comics From the medium’s earliest days, activists have 12 | CBLDF Summer Update 2018
used comics to communicate their messages to the world. CBLDF Deputy Director Alex Cox brings you on an image-filled journey through more than a century of comics activism! (SDCC • Friday 1:00–2:00 p.m.)
EC Comics—Fighting For Change! The untold story of comics’ original social justice crusaders! From 1950 to 1955, the young creators of EC Comics changed the face of the medium. In titles like Tales From the Crypt, Weird Fantasy, MAD, and Shock SuspenStories, EC addressed civil rights, the injustices of war, gender fluidity, vegetarianism, and other vital topics. Discover how EC’s unprecedented social consciousness changed comics in this riveting presentation by CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. (SDCC • Saturday, 12:00–1:00 p.m.)
Outlaw Art—The Trials of Underground Comix Underground comix were more than an art revolution, they were a scandal in the courts! Busts spread from California to New York as law enforcement used obscenity laws to crack down on this renegade form of free expression. How did the creators and publishers take the heat? Join Ron Turner, publisher of Last Gasp and Air Pirates Funnies; Robert Williams of Zap Comix #4; and Joyce Farmer, co-creator of Abortion Eve, for this freewheeling discussion moderated by CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. (SDCC • Saturday 1:00–2:00 p.m.)
CBLDF Live Art Jam Celebrate the legacy of underground comix by seeing art made right before your eyes! The CBLDF Live Art Jam brings together legendary underground cartoonist and publisher Denis Kitchen; Emil Ferris, whose My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the most acclaimed debut in a generation; and Tom Neely of Henry & Glenn Forever and The Humans. Watch live art being created, learn about censorship, and bid to win the pieces made during the panel! All proceeds benefit the important free speech work of CBLDF. (SDCC • Sunday 12:15–1:45 p.m.)
SDCC Debuts NO COMICS CENSORSHIP Enamel Pin— An iconic new enamel pin that shows the world you are against comics censorship! COMIC BOOK FACT SHEET T-Shirt— All the facts you need to explain comic art on one handy t-shirt, available in black or heather grey. Also available as a tote bag exclusively at SDCC! COMICS CODE AUTHORITY SEAL Embroidered Patch—The classic comics code seal, put to good use raising money for free expression!
CBLDF SDCC Art Auction Come bid on original art by comics’ greatest creators! This year’s auction includes work from Charlie Adlard, Emil Ferris, Frank Miller, Paul Pope, Jeff Smith, and more! Plus live art and a special keynote. Visit CBLDF booth 1918 to get your bidder number and a list of items. Sponsored by IDW Publishing (Booth 2743) and Splash Page Comic Art (Booth 4400). (Hilton Bayfront Sapphire AB • Saturday, 8:00–10:00 p.m.)
SAN DIEGO COMIC CON 2018 Exclusive Shirt—A commemorative athletic jersey shirt with art by Michael Cho! Limited!
CHARLIE ADLARD & STEFANO GAUDIANO The Walking Dead #126, p. 4
JEFF SMITH
Smiley Bone
PAOLO RIVERA
CBLDF SDCC Welcome Party Kick-off Comic-Con with comics’ greatest creators at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Comic-Con Welcome Party, sponsored by comiXology and BOOM! Studios, with a special gallery display from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab! The fun starts at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, at the Westgate Hotel (1055 2nd Ave., San Diego), where CBLDF welcomes you to Comic-Con with a night of amazing creators, astonishing art, and outstanding exclusives! RSVP: https://cbldfparty2018.eventbrite.com
Cast Only Poster for The Winter Soldier, AP #1/3
JOCK TESS FOWLER
Batman #44, p. 3
Femme Magnifique cover
SPONSORED BY:
cbldf.org | 13
SPX Small Press Expo (SPX) is the premiere U.S. event for indie comics, cartooning, and graphic novels! Each year, SPX supports CBLDF’s important work, helping us protect the future of comics as the festival itself celebrates today’s creators. This year, we’re proud to host signings with Jules Feiffer (Kill My Mother), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), Roz Chast (Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant?), and David Small (Stitches)! Learn more at www.smallpressexpo.com
NYCC ReedPop supports CBLDF with booth space and programming time at the East Coast’s largest celebration of comics and pop culture! We’ll be offering signed comics and graphic novels, in-booth education, and the debut of our brand new publication, Read Banned Comics!
Still to Come! Retailer Rights Workshops This year, CBLDF will tour the country with our Retailer Rights Workshop for comic store owners, managers, and staff. This workshop covers legal principles related to selling comics and provides training for common risk scenarios, such as police visits, media visits, protests, and more. This workshop is interactive and gives retailers a critical grounding in asserting the rights the First Amendment guarantees. In the program’s first full year, we intend to visit 10–15 cities. We aim to continue the program in 2019 and to develop training videos built on the feedback we receive from the 2018 tour. This valuable program will help comic book stores for years to come. Please help us make it a reality!
Comics—Start Here! Just because graphic novels are popular, that doesn’t mean everyone knows how to use them in their library. That’s why CBLDF created this essential new publication, which includes the latest research about successfully cataloging comics, plus essential suggestions for starting, expanding, and defending a graphic novel collection that will help every library patron love comics! http://cbldf.org/library/
Read Banned Comics
Signings & Exclusives! At every convention, CBLDF is proud to host some of comics’ greatest creators and to provide spectacular incentives to thank our donors for their contributions to our work. In addition to signings, stop by the CBLDF booth for graphic novels signed by iconic creators such as Alison Bechdel, Neil Gaiman, Robert Kirkman, and many more! 14 | CBLDF Summer Update 2018
Celebrate Banned Books Week with this guide to banned and challenged comics! This 16-page handbook is a free publication to help retailers, librarians, and educators spotlight the graphic novels targeted for censorship and to raise awareness about how readers can support the right to read!
CBLDF Artist Store! CBLDF is a team effort supported by the field’s greatest creators! We’re proud to offer some of our classic designs through the CBLDF Artist Store at cbldf.threadless.com, where you can get vintage threads from Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Judd Winick, and more! Check back for new designs throughout the rest of the year!
WELCOME TO THE TEAM! CBLDF’s work is possible because everyone in the industry joins together to contribute to our mission. We’re thrilled to welcome new members to our team!
CBLDF Board of Directors Welcomes Ted Adams and Gene Luen Yang!
CGC, Lion Forge, and Rebellion Support CBLDF as Corporate Members!
CBLDF is proud to welcome IDW Founder Ted Adams and Gene Luen Yang, the fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and author of American Born Chinese, to the CBLDF’s Board of Directors.
CBLDF is pleased to welcome CGC, the world’s largest and most trusted third-party grading service with more than 4.5 million collectibles certified since 2000; Rebellion, one of Europe’s leading independent publishing and game developers; and Lion Forge, a trans-media studio with a focus on comics across all age groups, as our newest corporate members!
Adams remarks, “The freedoms we have because of the First Amendment can only survive if everyone knows and understands their rights and if we’re willing to fight to keep them. I’ve long admired the work the CBLDF does to achieve those principles. My goal is to help the office team and Board continue to educate the comics community about their rights and to be there to defend those rights whenever and wherever necessary.”
“The First Amendment is the only protection for under-represented voices who offer stories or opinions that might conflict with the status quo,” says Lion Forge president Geoff Gerber. “As a former lawyer who has defended creators, publishers, distributors, and purveyors of challenged content, I know personally that the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s efforts to protect First Amendment rights of everyone in the industry, from creators to librarians and publishers to retailers, are vital to the strength of the medium. I am proud to be a part of a company that contributes to the cause and helps their efforts.” “We are proud to support Comic Book Legal Defense Fund by becoming a corporate member,” says Ben Smith, Rebellion’s Head of Books and Comic Books. “CBLDF does vitally important work supporting creators, retailers, and readers with their preventative resources and legal action. We’re proud to contribute to their vital work!” Harshen Patel, CGC’s Director of Operations says, “CBLDF’s unwavering commitment to supporting the fan and retail communities has helped comics grow in incredible ways. We are proud to be a partner in their efforts to safeguard the field and those who are part of it!”
Yang says, “Like many people, I’ve found it more and more difficult to wrap my head around issues of free speech because of recent news events. However, I still believe that, to borrow a phrase from poet Liu Xiaobo, free expression is the mother of truth. The CBLDF has been at the forefront of these issues for many years now, which makes our work more important than ever.”
Thank You for Your Service! As we welcome new board members, we’re also grateful for the extraordinary work of those retiring from the CBLDF Board. As president, Larry Marder oversaw the Fund’s growth from a small task force for legal emergencies to an organization with a broad, proactive education mission. Milton Griepp served as vice president and treasurer through a span of time that saw the Fund grow from one fulltime employee to our current standing as a major institution serving the First Amendment rights of the comics profession. Jeff Smith lent his valuable support as CBLDF established a foothold in the education and library worlds. We are grateful for their service! cbldf.org | 15
Compliments of:
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 100 Portland, Oregon 97204 www.cbldf.org info@cbldf.org 1-800-99-CBLDF
FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO READ — JOIN CBLDF TODAY! CBLDF’s important work defending the freedom to read is only possible because of the support of individuals like you. Show your support for our work protecting the freedom to read by making a tax-deductible membership contribution today! We have membership plans for donors in every budget!
Contact Information Name Address City / State / Zip Email
Membership Level qq $100 Member (membership card, button assort-
ment, sticker pack, pocket sketchbook, and t-shirt and print featuring art by Michael Allred) qq $30 Associate Member (membership card) qq $50 Supporter Member (membership card, button assortment, sticker pack, pocket sketchbook) qq $250 Defender Member (all of the above, plus a coffee mug, and pullover hoodie and signed print featuring art by Michael Allred)
qq $500 Protector Member (all of the above,
plus the CBLDF-exclusive hardcover of Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown) qq $1,000 Champion Member (all of the above, plus a messenger bag) qq $2,500 Guardian Member (all of the above, plus special recognition in select CBLDF publications throughout 2019)
qq I’m already a member, but I’d like to make an additional donation of $ Members joining at the $100 level and higher will receive a member-exclusive tee, with art by Michael Allred! T-shirt size (circle one): S M L XL XXL qq Please send no premiums.
Payment Information
qq Online (Visit us at http://cbldf.myshopify.com/collections/memberships) qq By check (Please make checks payable to CBLDF.) qq By credit card (Please complete the following.) Card Number Exp. CVV Type of Card Signature
Thank you for your support! CBLDF is recognized by the IRS as a not-for-profit 501(c)3 institution, and donations are tax-deductible in the year in which they are given. Please contact us for information on deductible amounts for CBLDF premiums, and consult your tax advisor as to the extent to which your donation is tax deductible.