One of the best things about living in America is that you have the freedom to read whatever you want. You get to make the decisions about what is worthwhile or entertaining for you. Nobody can tell you that a book is too political, too controversial, too blasphemous, too sexy, or too violent for you to read. You get to think for yourself. Hooray for freedom of speech and freedom of thought!
Unfortunately, we don't always get to keep freedoms without a fight. There is always some chowderhead who wants to think for you. Someone who decides that this or that book just isn't right, so you shouldn't be able to read it. Why, some books might give people funny ideas, and we don't want funny ideas, right? The list of great books that have been banned at one time or another in our free country is pretty staggering. (I won't even try to list them all here, but you can check out http://www.banned-books.com/ for more information.)
What you may not realize is that comics face a greater threat of censorship and lawsuits than books without pictures. It may be because pictures can evoke much stronger reactions than just words on the page, but I think it is more likely that ignorant people still make the ridiculous assumption that comic books are strictly a children's medium, so anything challenging or shocking in a comic or graphic novel MUST have been created to to harm children. There are many cases from the last few years alone in which publishers, creators, store owners, and readers have found themselves arrested and charged for creating, publishing, selling, or simply reading, a comic book that someone else found offensive. If you are a reader, a small shop owner, or a struggling creator, a charge like that can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, that is where the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comes in.
The CBLDF raises money to support people in the comic book community who find themselves targeted by those who want to stifle our freedom. They hire lawyers for defendants who can't afford to defend themselves and provide publicity that brings much needed attention to censorship cases that might otherwise slide under the radar. They do good work that helps people who have been victimized by those who want to prevent free speech. If you want to know more, you should check out their website at http://www.cbldf.org/index.shtml Not only is there a lot more information there, you can also check out endorsements from famous CBLDF supporters like Neil Gaiman and Jeff Smith, so the site is well worth a little of your time.
At this point, you may be wondering what this all has to do with the Book of the Week. Wonder no more! There are many ways to support the CBLDF, but the most fun and easy way is to simply buy this week's guaranteed book: Liberty Comics #2. This anthology comic is loaded with great stories and art from creators like Jason Aaron, Ben Templesmith, Mike Allred, Paul Pope, Paul Grist, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, and many, many others. These stories are all in some way about freedom to read, write, or think what you want, and the book's sales help raise money for the CBLDF. You can help out AND read some great comics at the same time! That's a deal that you just can't pass up.
Celebrate the fact that you have the freedom to come out to Four Color Fantasies and buy Liberty Comics #2. You can choose between the awesome Tim Sale Free Speech cover or the amazing John Romita Jr. Kick-Ass cover, but either way you need to try this comic. There is also a can for CBLDF donations by the register, so you won't have to carry home any annoying, rattling, change. Man, we're good to you!
Unfortunately, we don't always get to keep freedoms without a fight. There is always some chowderhead who wants to think for you. Someone who decides that this or that book just isn't right, so you shouldn't be able to read it. Why, some books might give people funny ideas, and we don't want funny ideas, right? The list of great books that have been banned at one time or another in our free country is pretty staggering. (I won't even try to list them all here, but you can check out http://www.banned-books.com/ for more information.)
What you may not realize is that comics face a greater threat of censorship and lawsuits than books without pictures. It may be because pictures can evoke much stronger reactions than just words on the page, but I think it is more likely that ignorant people still make the ridiculous assumption that comic books are strictly a children's medium, so anything challenging or shocking in a comic or graphic novel MUST have been created to to harm children. There are many cases from the last few years alone in which publishers, creators, store owners, and readers have found themselves arrested and charged for creating, publishing, selling, or simply reading, a comic book that someone else found offensive. If you are a reader, a small shop owner, or a struggling creator, a charge like that can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, that is where the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comes in.
The CBLDF raises money to support people in the comic book community who find themselves targeted by those who want to stifle our freedom. They hire lawyers for defendants who can't afford to defend themselves and provide publicity that brings much needed attention to censorship cases that might otherwise slide under the radar. They do good work that helps people who have been victimized by those who want to prevent free speech. If you want to know more, you should check out their website at http://www.cbldf.org/index.shtml Not only is there a lot more information there, you can also check out endorsements from famous CBLDF supporters like Neil Gaiman and Jeff Smith, so the site is well worth a little of your time.
At this point, you may be wondering what this all has to do with the Book of the Week. Wonder no more! There are many ways to support the CBLDF, but the most fun and easy way is to simply buy this week's guaranteed book: Liberty Comics #2. This anthology comic is loaded with great stories and art from creators like Jason Aaron, Ben Templesmith, Mike Allred, Paul Pope, Paul Grist, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, and many, many others. These stories are all in some way about freedom to read, write, or think what you want, and the book's sales help raise money for the CBLDF. You can help out AND read some great comics at the same time! That's a deal that you just can't pass up.
Celebrate the fact that you have the freedom to come out to Four Color Fantasies and buy Liberty Comics #2. You can choose between the awesome Tim Sale Free Speech cover or the amazing John Romita Jr. Kick-Ass cover, but either way you need to try this comic. There is also a can for CBLDF donations by the register, so you won't have to carry home any annoying, rattling, change. Man, we're good to you!
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