Signed “Berserker” comic will benefit CBLDF
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A special signed edition of the “Berserker” comic will be distributed to comic-book retailers who sign up to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund through Diamond Comics. The promotion was announced by Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik at the ComicsPRO annual meeting of direct-market retailers.
The issue will be signed by Milo Ventimiglia (”Heroes”) and the creative team. Ventimiglia brought the project to Top Cow; the team creating “Berserker” is made up of writer Rick Loverd (”Friday Night Lights”), artist Jeremy Haun (”The Leading Man”) and cover artist Dale Keown (”PITT”).
The preview issue of “Berserker” is available now; the first issue is set to ship in June. Sablik said the violent series should appeal to fans of “Wanted.” In the story, the two lead characters discover they have incredible strength when they become filled with rage.
– Matt Price
Embedded below is a “Berserker” promo video, which debuted at New York Comicon.
CBLDF outlines board changes; Powell named president
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Comic Book Legal Defense Fund executive director announced changes to the board of directors for the Fund while speaking at the ComicsPRO annual meeting.
Chris Staros of Top Shelf is stepping down as president of the board to focus more time on his publishing company, Brownstein said. Larry Marder, creator of Beanworld,” will join the board. Chris Powell of Lone Star Comics was named the new president of the CBLDF board.
Powell, also a member of the board of ComicsPRO, spoke to the assembled retailers.
“We value everybody in this room as one of the groups we’re here to protect,” Powell said. “The Fund is vital, because we don’t just protect you; we protect your customers and we protect your suppliers.”
Powell spoke to ways retailers could continue to support the fund: through memberships that are solicited through Diamond Comics Distributors; through eBay auctions that designate some funds to the CBLDF through MissionFish; through a donation jar on the counter; or through signings and events benefiting the Fund.
“Besides monetarily, one of the things you can do … is to help us continue to get the mission out,” Powell said.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community.
– Matt Price
Image Comics plans CBLDF benefit comic, variants
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Image Comics will release a second “Liberty Comics” to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, announced Joe Keatinge, the public relations and marketing coordinator for Image.
The first “Liberty Comics” raised more than $30,000 for the fund.
The second “Liberty Comics” is planned for October.
In addition, Keatinge announced a series of variant covers that will be tied to some of Image’s biggest releases. These covers, which will cost $1 more than the standard cover, will raise money for the CBLDF.
– Matt Price
Jeff Smith to sign for ComicsPRO store; Amos items hit eBay for fund
Jeff Smith will sign at Flying Colors Comics in Concord, Calif., after retailer Joe Field bid $4,650 in an auction for the appearance. The auction was held on the ComicsPRO retailer forum and benefits the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Also announced by the CBLDF is a benefit auction of Tori Amos items on eBay. Full release after the break.
ComicsPRO meeting: Notes from DC, Top Cow, Hero Initiative, CBLDF, Cartoon Books
From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
WORD BALLOONS
LAS VEGAS — Comics publishers gathered at the 2008 ComicsPRO annual meeting to share information about upcoming plans with comic-book retailers.DC Comics’ vice president of sales Bob Wayne talked about DC’s upcoming crossover “Final Crisis,” and the prelude to the series, “DC Universe Zero.”“DC Universe Zero” is a 50-cent comic set for May release that is written by Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison, with art by George Perez, Tony Daniel and J.G. Jones.“When you finish reading ‘DC Universe Zero,’ you’re going to say, ‘Wow, I really wish I had ordered more copies of this,’”
Wayne said. “It does set up some of the things that appear in ‘Final Crisis,’”
Wayne said.“Final Crisis” is a seven-issue miniseries, with issue No. 1 set for a May release.
Wayne said “Final Crisis” is “Grant Morrison telling stories the way Grant does.”“It starts with Anthro and goes to Kamandi. From the first boy on earth to the last boy on earth, and everything in between,”
Wayne said.In addition,
Wayne announced a sequel to “Plain Janes,” the best-selling title in their “Minx” line of young adult graphic novels for girls.
“Plain Janes: Janes in Love,” from Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg, is shipping in September.“The comic shop market has surpassed all of our expectations at DC on how many copies you would be able to sell of these titles,”
Wayne said.
Wayne talked about DC’s newest weekly comic book, “Trinity,” following in the footsteps of “52” and “Countdown.” The lead story of the book each week will be written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Mark Bagley.“Mark Bagley has shown he’s a guy who has consistently been able to produce a high number of pages,”
Wayne said, “and we feel very comfortable that Mark can continue to do this on this particular project.”
The first issue of “Trinity” is 40 pages for $2.99. Back-up stories for “Trinity” will be written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with rotating artists.
ComicsPRO is the largest organization of comic-book retailers in the world, with more than 100 members. Other representatives at the conference included Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Cartoon Books, Top Cow, the Hero Initiative, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and Graphitti Designs.
More notes from the ComicsPRO conference:
* Top Cow outlined plans for their “Witchblade” property, including keeping the creative team of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic on the book for 34 issues.
“This creative team is going to be on the book until issue 150,” Top Cow’s Filip Sablik said. “We’ve heard that you want consistent shipping, you want a creative team you can rely on, you want a book that can turn and make money for you month in and month out. We’re going to do that for you with ‘Witchblade.’”
* The nonprofit organization, the Hero Initiative, which helps comic-book creators in need, will collect the “Stan’s Soapbox” columns from Marvel Comics as a fund-raiser.
* The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is planning a retailer resource guide, to help comic-book retailers to be aware of good retailing and legal practices.
* In May, “Stupid Stupid Rat Tales” and “Rose” will come back into print from Cartoon Books.
ComicsPRO meeting: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
LAS VEGAS — Charles Brownstein of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund appeared at the ComicsPRO meeting to discuss his organization’s goals and how the fund and comic-book retailers could work together.
“Comics are now front and center,” Brownstein said. Once, a marginalized part of culture, now “we are the culture.”
If it were not for the efforts of comic book retailers, comics might have joined vaudeville and radio dramas as near-extinct forms of entertainment, Brownstein said.
But with increased exposure comes increased scrutiny, and that’s where the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comes in, Brownstein said. The CBLDF works to defend the first-amendment rights of comic book creators and retailers.
Through a recent promotion with Diamond Comic Distributors, allowing stores to sign up via a Diamond ordering line item, the Fund signed up more than 200 store members and raised more than $29,000 dollars.
In the near future, the Fund plans to send out a retailer resource guide, helping retailers to be aware of good retailing and legal practices.
Brownstein also announced that ComicsPRO would be involved in promoting an upcoming auction to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Smith will make his only in-store signing in 2008 available in an upcoming auction to benefit the CBLDF.
– Matt Price
All for one and one for all
Nobody knows better than I that this is the season not just for family and fellowship, but for outright begging.
Part of my daily work seems to be typing up stories featuring charities in need. This isn’t a knock on charities — they do good work — but this time of year it seems everybody is asking and most of us only have so much to give.
So it was with trepidation that I opened up my letter from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund today, knowing full well they were likely to solicit a donation from me.
The thing is, I’m writing a check. Why? Because these people do something I believe in — fight for retailers (like Matt) and creators and guys like me who just like to read comics.
No, it doesn’t seem like Spider-Man is getting in a lot of legal trouble outside the comics page (damn you, Jonah!), but independent creators and store owners are often persecuted for creating and selling works some deem “too adult” or “too controversial” for comics.
Now isn’t that a back-handed compliment? They’re trying to protect us from big, bad thoughts because, as comic book readers, we must be too dumb to think for ourselves.
Frankly I’m insulted. A book can be free speech. A painting can be free speech. But if you put art and words together, suddenly there’s no free speech? Thank goodness for the CBLDF.
So here’s another plea for money in a season already full of them — if you have $10 or $25 or $1,000 to spare, think about going to www.CBLDF.org and clicking on the donations link.
If comic fans band together behind them, we can be sure they’ll fight for us when it counts.
– Greg Elwell
