Comic-Con 2013

For those in the know, manga is a powerful form of storytelling that has its roots in Japan but reaches out to speak to the inner life of audiences all over the world. Unfortunately, manga is also one of the most misunderstood forms of expression in the modern cultural landscape, and for librarians, educators, and aficionados looking to share their passion for this amazing medium, overcoming those misunderstandings can be a daunting task. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund executive director Charles Brownstein is joined by experts to discuss the history of manga, its genre and demographic categories, and the issues affecting its readers in a panel that will provide audience members with more tools to defend this amazing category against uninformed attacks.

In 1994, a Florida jury convicted cartoonist Mike Diana of creating obscene material in his hand-made zine Boiled Angel. As part of his sentence he was forbidden from drawing in his own home. In the last decade, an increasing number of individuals, including Christopher Handley and Ryan Matheson, have been targeted and prosecuted by law enforcement for reading manga that the government claims is deviant and obscene material. In the conclusion of CBLDF's Comics on Trial series, CBLDF executive director Charles Brownstein walks through the disturbing current battleground where individuals are being prosecuted for the ideas they draw and read.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund hosts its biggest auction of the year, the Comic-Con Live Art Auction! This year’s auction will feature lots for bidding curated by some of comicdom’s top editors, dealers, and fans. With an amazing array of everything from pin-ups, original pages, sketches, and concept art, there is something for every taste and every price range, featuring work from such luminaries as Jim Lee, Charlie Adlard, Jock, Yoshitaka Amano, Jill Thompson, Jeffrey Brown, Tim Seeley, Cliff Chiang, Jonathan Case, Brandon Graham, James Stokoe, and more! Preview images and bidding instructions are available to see at the CBLDF’s booth in the Comic-Con Exhibit Hall!