Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

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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.

1 History
2 Notable cases
3 References
4 External links

[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 was successfully acquitted, 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.

[edit] Notable cases

2005: Rome, Georgia comics retailer Gordon Lee is charged with distributing obscene material to a minor, after a child obtained an anthology comic containing brief nudity and sexual references on Free Comic Book Day. The case will go to trial in 2007. [1]

2000: Comic book artist Kieron Dwyer is sued by Starbucks Coffee for parodying their famous mermaid logo within his comic book Lowest Common Denominator. Dwyer is forced to comply with the ruling. [2]

1994: Florida-based underground comic book artist Mike Diana is charged with obscenity stemming from his self-published Boiled Angel. He is convicted in March, sentenced to three years probation, 1248 hours of community service, is not allowed to have contact with minors, and must undergo a journalistic ethics course. After relocating to New York to serve out his sentence, he performs his community service hours—working for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.[3]

1986: Michael Correa, store manager at Friendly Frank's, a comic store in Lansing, Illinois, is charged with possession and sale of obscene material. He is convicted, but the conviction is overturned on appeal. [4]