page_title: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, speaking during a presentation on the CBLDF on Day 2 of the 2012 New York Comic Con, Friday October 12, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. This photo was created by Luigi Novi. It is not in the public domain, and use of this file outside of the licensing terms is a copyright violation. If you would like to use this image outside of the Wikimedia projects, you may do so, only if I am properly credited, either by linking the photograph to this page, or with an easily visible credit placed near the photo in each instance in which it is used. Please credit authorship as follows: &#160;© Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. Please maintain the original file name in all uses. You can see a gallery of some of my other photos here. If you have any questions, you can contact me by sending me an email or leaving a note at the bottom of my talk page.
context_page_description: The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is an American non-profit organization formed in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses. Executive Director Charles Brownstein served in that capacity since 2002, until his resignation in 2020.
  The CBLDF is supported by many big names of the industry; over the years, its board of directors has included Larry Marder, Ted Adams, Reginald Hudlin, Gene Luen Yang, Chris Staros, Peter David, Neil Gaiman, Paul Levitz, Milton Griepp, Steve Geppi, and other many other industry figures. 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. Popular artists such as comedian Bill Hader, cartoonist Jeff Smith, and comic book artist Frank Miller have expressed support for it.
  The CBLDF is a sponsor of Banned Books Week, and also works with libraries, helping to keep graphic novels on their shelves.
context_section_description: 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. First Amendment attorney Burton Joseph defended Friendly Frank's and ultimately had the conviction overturned. Denis Kitchen officially incorporated the CBLDF in 1990 as a non-profit charitable organization with capital left over from Correa's defense fund, and Burton Joseph became their legal counsel in 1996. Since then the Fund and Burton Joseph have provided advice and legal assistance in many cases and incidents. In 1991, the CBLDF got honoured by the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award.
  In 2002, Charles Brownstein became the executive director of the CBLDF.
  The Fund publishes a quarterly newsletter called Busted!: the official newsletter of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. OCLC 41042960
  On September 29, 2011, it was announced that the CBLDF acquired intellectual property rights of the Comics Code Authority seal from the now-defunct Comics Magazine Association of America; the sale coincided with Banned Books Week. The CBLDF intends to use the seal in merchandise through licensing agreements, with proceeds from the licenses benefitting the CBLDF.
  The CBLDF works independently and with coalitions to defend against unconstitutional legislation. CBLDF works with the Media Coalition, along with: The American Booksellers for Free Expression Group at ABA, Association of American Publishers, Inc., Authors Guild, Entertainment Software Association, Freedom to Read Foundation, Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., and Recording Industry Association of America, Inc. They were active plaintiffs against internet filters in libraries and more recently in 2012, a Utah bill that wanted to censor internet speech, which the CBLDF was able to help stop.
  Since 2008, the CBLDF has published an annual comic book, The CBLDF Liberty Annual, to which many major artists and writers, including J. Michael Straczynski, Garth Ennis, and Richard Corben, have contributed.
  The Daily Beast reported that "under Brownstein’s tenure, the CBLDF drew criticism for defending actual Nazi (and non-comics creator) Milo Yiannopoulos, while not intervening to defend 11 creators who were slapped with a defamation suit after accusing small-press comics creator Cody Pickrodt of rape and sexual harassment". 
  In June 2020, Brownstein resigned as the executive director of CBLDF after "renewed pressure from the comic book industry surrounding a sexual assault from 2005 [...]. Brownstein assaulted comic book creator Taki Soma at Mid-Ohio Con in November, 2005, in an incident that was reported to police without leading to an arrest. [...] Brownstein, who characterized the incident as 'a stupid, drunken prank, of which I’m ashamed,' remained in place with the CBLDF following what was described as an independent investigation carried out on behalf of the organization". Polygon reported that "multiple comics creators", including Brian Michael Bendis, Al Ewing, Pia Guerra, and James Tynion IV, "announced they would no longer be working with the CBLDF — or spoke publicly about how they had already stopped working with the organization — because of Brownstein’s conduct". 
  
  In the following week, three members of the board also stepped down: Jeff Abraham, Katherine Keller, and Paul Levitz. "All three leave days after it emerged that Brownstein had been abusive to others during his tenure in charge of the non-profit organization [...], with the organization taking the unprecedented move of releasing former employee Shy Allot from a non-disclosure agreement signed in 2010 so that she could come forward with her experiences". CBLDF issued a statement on June 29, 2020:
  We respect the decisions that Paul, Katherine and Jeff have made to leave the Board. We realize 
caption: CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein speaking at the 2012 New York Comic Con
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