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I'm wondering whether we need a CBLDF/replacement as a separate organization any more, or whether we could set up a comics taskforce within some larger 1st Amendment group (say, the ACLU).
The CBLDF came to be because of two distinct factors of the moment...
The CBLDF came to be because of two distinct factors of the moment...
1) Comics were under specific, serious attack, in cases like Friendly Franks.
2) Other civil liberty groups showed disinterest in handling matters.
It looks to me like both situations are now different.
2) Other civil liberty groups showed disinterest in handling matters.
It looks to me like both situations are now different.
Maybe I'm forgetting something, but it's been years since anything I can think of that has the egregiousness of the Friendly Franks and Boiled Angel cases. And comics are much more integrated into the cultural landscape, no longer the odd loner.
Much of what I've seen the CBLDF do in recent years is to join in on a culture chorus on cases that are not directly targeting comics, but could have outcomes that would impact comics. And yes, there is some value in having that separate voice.
But if we were to use the financial assets (and sell off the non-financial assets - I hereby bid $500 for the Comics Code seal rights!), and continue our fundraising efforts, we might be able to have an ongoing seat at the table of a better-established organization.
I'm appreciative of the legal work that CBLDF has done even on the smaller cases - they once got free a man who was arrested for selling a comic I wrote. But some sort of "ACLU Comics Action Team" would wield a bigger hammer in cases like that.
I have zero idea if the ACLU or other known rights groups would be interested, and I know no one was asking my opinion (well, @geneluenyang kinda was), but I just thought I'd throw that out there.
