Hey! We have a bunch of abbreviations here so please let us explain that real quick, ha! First, SDCC is the “San Diego Comic Con”, which starts on July 18th (Thursday) and runs until Sunday. Then, the CBLDF is the “Comic Book legal Defense Fund”. They’re a non-profit group that helps support Comic Book Retailers and Creators. They also work to SAVE FREE SPEECH. Whew!

OK, the good news is that the Book Designer Chip Kidd will be appearing at the 2013 SDCC with the lovely Japanese Translator Anne Ishii. They will be making multiple appearances, both separate and together, at different times of the event. Also, Chip Kidd will mainly be appearing to sign available copies of Batman: Death by Design, Neil Gaiman's Make Good Art, and The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame.

So far the schedule looks like this:

THURSDAY - Chip Kidd will be signing books at the CBLDF Booth (#1920) at 5:00pm.

FRIDAY - Chip Kidd will appear with Anne Ishii for a Lecture and Book Signing at 12:00pm.

SATURDAY- Anne Ishii will have a performance at 12:00pm.

Of course the CBLDF will have many other Creatives, Authors, Writers, Cartoonists, and other Artists as well. For more information and a complete list of events, please CLICK HERE!

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) will be in San Diego for the 2013 Comic-Con International (SDCC). You can find them at Booth #1920 and you’re going to NOT want to miss them because they will have a bunch of exciting things going on!

First, the CBLDF will have a few Exclusive items you can only get at this event. One such item is a brand-new T-Shirt with the face of EC Comics/Mad Magazine Creator, William Gaines. The shirt also has the motto, “Bill Gaines Was Right”, which relates to the censorship of comic books and supports free speech. Right On!

They will also have some exclusive variant-cover comic books, really great stuff like:

Adventure Time #18, with art by the amazingly talented Chrystin Garland!
Liberty Variant of Quantum and Woody #1, with a cover by Tony Millionaire!
Comics Code Variant of Lazarus #1, by the Creative Team of Rucka, Lark, and Arcas!
Also, don’t miss their authoritative guide book on Manga Art titled, Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices!

Aside from these variants and exclusives, the CBLDF will also have in-booth book signings featuring designer Chip Kidd and translator Anne Ishii, among other exciting appearances! “Chip Kidd” related books on hand will include: Batman: Death by Design (DC Comics), Neil Gaiman's Make Good Art, and The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame. Of course they will have many other Creators, Artists, Writers, etc, as well. For a full signing schedule, CLICK HERE!

For twenty-five years, the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND has been on the front line, protecting comics and pop culture from the spectre of Censorship and moral panic. But they need your help to continue this fight.

Right now, as we speak, the CBLDF is raising funds by selling special T-Shirts in their online store. So, we’re asking everyone to please visit their site, not only for fun cool T-Shirts but also Rare Signed Books (Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, etc…), Limited-Edition Art Prints and Posters, and much more!

For the Official CBLDF STORE, please CLICK HERE!

Supporting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund gives them the resources to help everyone recognize comics as a vital medium, and one that should not be muzzled, censored, or attacked. By becoming a member of the CBLDF, you join us on the front line, helping protect the First Amendment rights of the comics you love. Your donation helps to continue important education and outreach programs, it helps them supply legal advice to fans, creators, and retailers, when Free Speech emergencies arise, your contribution dollars will help to respond to the threat of censorship emerging anywhere in the comics community.

By becoming a member, or donating for premiums, you can fight the unfair stigmas attached to comics, a fight that is more important than ever, with mainstream news outlets continuing to vilify comic content, new library challenges every year, and the current trend of customs officials searching, bullying, and confiscating comics from traveling fans and professionals.

Down below is a small example of the many different t-shirts they have at this moment. We should mention that the ”Scary Trousers” shirt is a caricature of Neil Gaiman with the nick-name given to him by Alan Moore (of “Watchmen” graphic novel fame).

These T-Shirts are available by clicking RIGHT HERE!

For Immediate Release:

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is pleased to name the members of its newly formed advisory board, a body designed to assist the organization in advancing its mission to protect the First Amendment rights of the comics art form. Co-Chaired by CBLDF Founder Denis Kitchen and former board member Neil Gaiman, the advisory board will include legendary creators Frank Miller, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee, Matt Groening, Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson, entertainment lawyer and former CBLDF Board Member Louise Nemschoff, educator Frenchy Lunning, author and designer Chip Kidd, and development executive Susan Alston, who was the first full-time Executive Director of CBLDF. The group was unanimously elected to their one-year term by CBLDF’s Board of Directors at their last meeting.

“It will be a tremendous honor to work with this distinguished group of advisors as we make strides to advance CBLDF’s work in 2013,” says CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. “Each person on the advisory board has been extremely generous with their time, talent, and expertise in helping the Fund become the force that we are today. Having the ability to call upon their wisdom and insights will make the Fund a much stronger organization."

About the CBLDF Advisory Board:

Susan Alston, CBLDF's first Executive Director (1993-1997) and former board member (1997-1999), is a development, marketing, and communications professional in western Massachusetts. Alston began her career as Assistant Director of Marketing at Bank of Boston, then as Director of Administration at Tundra Publishing, owned by Kevin Eastman. In 1993, Tundra merged into Kitchen Sink Press, whereupon Denis Kitchen offered her a part-time position overseeing CBLDF administration. Shortly thereafter, with the onset of the Mike Diana case and a large donation from Dave Sim, the position was moved to full-time.

After leaving CBLDF in 1997, Alston took her interest in fundraising, marketing, and communications and honed them at positions with Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, VNA HealthCare, and Center for Human Development. In 2012, Alston earned her Master's degree in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy from Bay Path College and will sit for the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) exam in 2013.

Chip Kidd is a designer/writer in New York City whose body of work has been profoundly influential in the rise of the modern graphic novel. His book cover designs for Alfred A. Knopf have helped create a revolution in the art of American book packaging. He is the recipient of the National Design Award for Communications, as well as the Use of Photography in Design award from the International Design Center of Photography. Kidd has published two novels, The Cheese Monkeys and The Learners, as well as Batman: Death By Design, an original graphic novel published by DC Comics and illustrated by Dave Taylor. He is also the author of several books about comics and the co-author and designer of True Prep, the sequel to the beloved Official Preppy Handbook. A distinguished and prolific lecturer, Kidd has spoken at Princeton, Yale, Harvard, RISD, and a zillion other places. His 2012 TED talk has garnered over 660,000 hits as of this writing and is cited as one of the "funniest of the year."

Jim Lee is a renowned comic book artist and the Co-Publisher of DC Entertainment. Prior to his current post, Lee served as Editorial Director, where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was also the artist for many of DC Comics' bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including Batman: Hush, Superman: For Tomorrow, All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, and Justice League. He also serves as the Executive Creative Director for the DC Universe Online (DCUO) massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). For his next project, Lee will be working with writer Scott Snyder on a new Superman book in 2013.

Frenchy Lunning is a professor of Liberal Arts at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where she focuses on design, popular culture, and cultural theory throughout her work. She has written a book on fashion and fetish published by Berg Publishers in Britain and is currently working on two books: one on cosplay and the other is a book she began as a Fulbright Scholar in Japan in 2008 on the sh jo as a global and transnationally exchanged character. Lunning is the director of SGMS: Mechademia Conference on Asian Popular Cultures, the only academic conference in the U.S. currently focusing on Asian popular culture. She is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Mechademia, a book series published by the University of Minnesota dedicated to Asian popular culture, manga, and anime. In addition to her work at MCAD, Lunning teaches seminars on anime and manga, is a co-founder of Anime Detour, and is a producer for Moving Walkway Productions.

Frank Miller is among the most influential voices in comics. His groundbreaking superhero work changed the tone of the medium in the 1980s, starting with a legendary run on Marvel Comics’ Daredevil and continuing with the classic graphic novels Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One for DC. In 1991, Miller fulfilled his dream of doing a straight ahead crime series with Sin City. He went on to produce seven Sin City graphic novels and later to co-direct an acclaimed film adaptation with Robert Rodriguez. His multi-award-winning epic 300 from Dark Horse was also brought to life as a blockbuster motion picture. Miller served on CBLDF’s Board of Directors in the 1990s and continues to be a force in advancing the organization’s work.

Louise Nemschoff is a lawyer in the Los Angeles area who specializes in entertainment, copyright, international law, video games, and other digital media. A long-serving member of CBLDF’s Board of Directors, Nemschoff aided dozens of creators on legal matters during her tenure with the organization.

Mike Richardson is the founder and president of Dark Horse Comics, the largest independent comics publishing company in America. The company was founded in 1986 on the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals by supporting their right to own and control the work they create. In 1980, Richardson opened Pegasus Books in Bend, Oregon, the first in what became a successful chain of pop culture/comic shops. The 1994 addition of a flagship store at Universal Studios' CityWalk heralded a new name for the chain: Things From Another World. Richardson is also the founder and president of Dark Horse Entertainment, a company he launched in 1992 that has developed and produced more than two dozen film and television projects since its inception. In 2008, Richardson won an Emmy for producing the John Landis-directed documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. Richardson has also written numerous comics and graphic novels, including The Secret; Cravan; Star Wars: Crimson Empire; and 47 Ronin.

Denis Kitchen, co-chair, founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in response to the arrest of a comic book store clerk who was wrongly prosecuted and convicted on obscenity charges for selling comics to an undercover police officer. Kitchen organized an industry fundraising effort to retain and pay for First Amendment expert Burton Joseph to wage the appeal against the conviction, which was victorious. Following this important win, Kitchen established CBLDF as an ongoing concern to protect against future prosecutions. For the organization's first 18 years, he served as its President, and nurtured it from a volunteer effort, driven out of an office at Kitchen Sink Press, to a professional institution with a fulltime staff.

Neil Gaiman, co-chair, advanced CBLDF's work with extraordinary support in fundraising and awareness building efforts. Gaiman embarked on several reading tours and developed merchandise, special events, and partnerships that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Fund's important work. He was also instrumental in building awareness for the organization with public service events, and he was a key mover in establishing CBLDF's educational program. Most recently, the Gaiman Foundation contributed $60,000 to CBLDF to support the growth of its education program. Gaiman’s work has been honored with many awards internationally, including the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. His books and stories have also earned Hugos, Nebulas, Eisners, Harveys, Locus Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, British SF Awards, British Fantasy Awards, Geffens, Mythopoeic Awards, as well as the International Horror Guild Award and the World Fantasy Award.

About Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

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, and readers. CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals. http://www.cbldf.org

JOIN THE FIGHT! Here’s some strange news to be reporting on in 2013. Marjane Satrapi’s Graphic Novel, THE COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS (Pantheon), is being censored removed from Chicago Public Schools… for NO known reason. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has been all over this issue (excuse the pun), but the war rages on! To join the fight, and for more details, please be sure to visit the CBLDF Website.

Also, Knopf Doubleday, the parent company of Random House, which published Persepolis, has issued the following statement:

"The Chicago Public School district has issued an ambiguous statement regarding the present and future availability of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis to students," the statement read. "Persepolis is a coming of age memoir about a girl in her early teens. The book has been read and taught in school districts across the country, without caveat or condition. In addition, Marjane has met with students across the country, including students in Chicago. The fact that Chicago is trying to limit this book's use in classrooms and curriculums, suggesting teachers need guidance before they can discuss it, smacks of censorship."

The COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND needs your help! One way to donate is to purchase some specially signed books they have on their “Donation Page”. What is the CBLDF? This is a Non-Profit Organization that is devoted to securing Freedom of Speech among Artists, Writers, Store Retailers, etc. who are all comic book related in some way. Supporters of this group include Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Frank Miller, Chip Kidd, and others.

The Cartoonist, Daniel Clowes, has donated a few of his Autographed books to be sold and all proceeds go towards the group. So, if you’re a Fan of his work then this is a great opportunity to get a RARE signed copy. It also goes to a great cause. For more info, please CLICK HERE!

Celebrate The Spirit of Giving this holiday season by gifting signed and personalized books & comics by famous authors from Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! When you do, The Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation will make a contribution of $2 for every donation and gift order placed on the CBLDF's Website by December 12th. In addition, they will contribute $10 for each new membership and $5 for every gift membership made from now until December 31st! Now, we’re mentioning this offer here because Chip Kidd has two books for offer there ( Batman: Death By Design and Shazam: The Golden Age of The World’s Mightiest Mortal ). but it’s important to note that there are many other books and Graphic Novels offered and some of the other Authors/Artists include: Paul Levitz, Rebekah Isaacs, Dave Roman, Chris Burnham, Larry Marder, Evan Dorkin, Jeff Smith, Terry Moore, Raina Telgemeier, Alan Moore, Bryan Wood, Brian K. Vaughan, Jason Aaron, Howard Cruse, and Cliff Chiang.

Here's How The Personalization Works

When you place your order with the CBLDF for these holiday premiums, you can have each of the offered books personalized to one or two names, and the artist will sign and personalize the book on a high quality CBLDF-branded bookplate. When you place your order, please indicate how you want the book personalized in the comments section. Please include the personalization request, such as: For Will, For Carl & Nancy, or To The Groppers! Sorry - artists will not be able to provide sketches or other messages.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SHIPPING

All books will be personalized the week of December 5, and will be mailed the week of December 12. If you have questions about whether a book will reach you in time for a specific day, please email Alex Cox at info@cbldf.org

International donors, please note, we are happy to ship anywhere in the world, but due to extended international shipping times and potential customs delays beyond our control, we cannot guarantee these personalized items will arrive for Christmas delivery.

Over at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund ( CBLDF ) Website they are offering a very special limited-edition Art Print of Catwoman that is pretty cool! The artwork is done by the amazing Comic Book Artist, Amanda Conner. It measures about 11″ X 14″ and has a donation price of $40.00. The cool thing is that all the money made from the sale of this art will help support CBLDF and also protect free speech. To order the CATWOMAN ART PRINT just click here.

Chip Kidd, among many other Comic Book Publishers, Authors, Artists, etc… supports the CBLDF <— Click Here . What is it? In a nut shell, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization that supports all of our Rights to Freedom of Speech. To learn more please check out the video down below with Comic Book Artist Terry Moore ( Strangers in Paradise, Echo, and Rachel Rising ) as he explains why HE supports the cause and why YOU should too.