Thursday, May 10, 2012

Greenberg on Comics, Courts & Controversy

The Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review has just published Marc Greenberg's article Comics, Courts & Controversy: a Case Study of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It is available as a pdf (or other formats) here on the journal's web site, and will be available in hard copy later this month.

Marc says in the abstract, "Cartoons and comics have been a part of American culture since this nation’s formation. Throughout that lengthy history, comics and cartoons have also been a subject of controversy, censorship, legislation, and litigation. They have been viewed as a threat to society and a cause of juvenile delinquency; they are scandalous, indecent, and obscene. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (“CBLDF”), a New York-based non-profit organization, provides legal defense for comic artists, collectors, distributors, and retailers who face civil and/or criminal penalties for the creation, sale, and ownership of comics, cartoons, graphic novels, and related works." The article continues with an interviews and analysis of the Paul Mavrides California Tax Board case, the formation of CBLDF and their continuing fight against censorship, and commentary on censorship "for the sake of the children" in general.