Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

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Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Formation 1986
Headquarters New York, NY
Website http://www.cbldf.org

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses.

It is supported by many big names of the industry; the board of directors includes Chris Staros, Peter David, and Neil Gaiman. "Fund Comics," "More Fund Comics," and "Even More Fund Comics" are compilations of short work by famous artists sold to support the CBLDF. Additionally, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab offers a line of perfumes whose profits go directly to the CBLDF.[1] Popular artists such as comedian Bill Hader,[2] cartoonist Jeff Smith[3] and comic book artist Frank Miller[4] have expressed support for it.

Contents

[edit] History

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund began as a means to pay for the legal defense of Friendly Frank's comic shop manager Michael Correa, who was arrested in 1986 on charges of distributing obscenity. The comic books deemed obscene were Omaha the Cat Dancer, The Bodyssey, Weirdo, and Bizarre Sex. Kitchen Sink Press released an art portfolio of pieces donated by comics artists; proceeds were donated to Correa's defense. After Correa's conviction was subsequently overturned, Denis Kitchen officially incorporated the CBLDF in 1990 as a non-profit charitable organization with capital of $20,000 left over from Correa's defense fund.

The Fund publishes a quarterly newsletter called Busted! : the official newsletter of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. OCLC 41042960

[edit] Notable cases

  • 2008: An Iowa comics collector is being prosecuted under obscenity charges is assisted by the CBLDF as a consultant.[5] It is led by Eric Chase who is confronting the Miller test for obscenity pertaining to the art in possession of defendant Christopher Handley.[6] For more information see here.
  • 2005: Rome, Georgia comics retailer Gordon Lee was charged with distributing obscene material to a minor, after a child obtained an anthology comic containing brief nudity on Halloween. A mistrial was called in 2007, and the case was finally dismissed in April 2008.[7]
  • 2000: Comic book artist Kieron Dwyer was sued by Starbucks Coffee for parodying their famous mermaid logo within his comic book Lowest Common Denominator. Although the judge ruled that Starbucks could not sue a parody and the case settled out of court, Dwyer was forced to comply with the ruling that he could no longer use his logo for its confusing similarity to that of Starbucks.[8]
  • 1994: Florida-based underground comic book artist Mike Diana was convicted in March for obscenity stemming from his self-published Boiled Angel. He was sentenced to three years probation, 1248 hours of community service, a $3000 fine, was banned from having contact with minors, and was forced to undergo a journalistic ethics course and a psychiatric evaluation at his own expense. After relocating to New York to serve out his sentence, he performs his community service hours—working for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.[9]
  • 1991: Comic artist Paul Mavrides protested against a resolution by the State of California to levy a sales tax on comic strips and comic books. He challenged the law in court, with assistance from the CBLDF, arguing that the comic strip is a communications medium that should be classed with books, magazines, and newspapers (which are not subject to sales taxes due to First Amendment provisions).[10] In 1997, a ruling in Mavrides' favor was handed down by the California State Board of Equalization.[11]
  • 1986: Michael Correa, store manager at Friendly Frank's, a comic store in Lansing, Illinois, was charged with possession and sale of obscene material. He was convicted, but the conviction was overturned on appeal.[12]

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ "Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: Smell the Neil Gaiman Collection". 2007-02-01. http://www.cbldf.org/articles/archives/000311.shtml. 
  2. ^ Bill Hader for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Youtube
  3. ^ Jeff Smith for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Youtube
  4. ^ Frank Miller for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Youtube
  5. ^ CBLDF To Serve As Special Consultant In PROTECT Act Manga Case October 9, 2008
  6. ^ Iowa Collector Charged for Allegedly Obscene Manga October 10, 2008
  7. ^ http://www.cbldf.org/pr/archives/000310.shtml
  8. ^ http://www.cbldf.org/pr/001130-starbucks.shtml
  9. ^ http://www.cbldf.org/casefiles/diana.shtml
  10. ^ http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/Vreedeez/X0005_Mavrides_Case_Could_.html
  11. ^ http://www.modemac.com/media2/1997_busted_1-97.html
  12. ^ Comics Relief - CBLDF Comes to Legal Aid of Comic-Book Artists, Publishers, and Sellers, Baltimore City Paper, 1998-03-04

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_Book_Legal_Defense_Fund"