Open Letter to my fellow pros – - donate to the CBLDF auction now!
I’m donating this page from Shazam! MSoE #1 to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
The CBLDF protects our rights to free expression in comics, and it's a cause that I feel very strongly about. Right now they need our help, because in August they're going to court to defend Gordon Lee, a retailer in Georgia who could go to jail for up to 2 years because of a comic that showed a true-life scene of Picasso walking around in the nude. Maybe not something you’d purposely hand a kid, but I’ve seen the comic and it isn’t porn or harmful to children. Even so, Gordon didn’t realize the scene was in the book, and he has apologized. This is just the tip of the iceberg on this case, and you can learn all the details by visiting cbldf.org.
I don't sell my original art, and I’ve never donated an interior story page to anything before, but this case against comics must not succeed. No one should go to jail for selling art.
The Fund has spent $80,000 to date defending Gordon, and they expect the trial to cost another $20,000 on top of it. This is unconscionable. Right now everyone who cares about free speech in comics needs to stand up for Gordon's freedom.
So I'm asking you, all of my fellow artists, to do something: Please send a page of art or a script, anything the Fund can auction off to raise dollars for this campaign.
Jim Lee is donating this piece of art:
You can read his Open Letter at his blog.
Please join me & Jim and give a piece of art to the Fund for their San Diego auctions. To donate art, please email Charles Brownstein or Greg Thompson at CBLDF1@gmail.com and tell them what you're sending. To make it to the Fund's online auction catalog, send your donation notification and a jpg of your piece in by Sunday, July 15 so they can add it in. They'll let you know where to send the original.
If you can't make it to Comic-Con, you can still bid on any of the pieces. Here's the scoop on that, straight from the CBLDF:
"Online bids will be accepted starting Monday, July 16 until Friday, July 27, 10:00 PM PST. All bids must be emailed to info@cbldf.org with "CCI SD AUCTION BID" in the subject line. This is not a silent auction bidding system. All bids placed online will be used as opening bids during the live auction on Saturday, July 28. In the event there are multiple bids on the same item, the highest bid will be the one accepted. Bid amounts placed online will not be disclosed before the item is auctioned. Winning bidders will be notified by email the week following the convention. Payment is expected within 7 days from said email."
(Updated July 17: To see the full auction with pictures visit the auction page.)
However you can help, now is the time to do it. The Fund has been standing up for comics for over 20 years. It's our turn to stand up for them. Please join me in making a difference.
Well Jeff, you don’t need anyone’s “approval” of donating to something you believe in, but let me say good on you! That is certainly a memorable piece from the Shazam! book, and I’m glad that the funds from the lucky collector who makes the high bid will go to a worthwhile cause. Not to divert attention from the main topic here, but it’s pretty cool to see this comparison of the original art and the final piece – how the design of the Shazam! pages is affected knowing they’d be coloured, as opposed to Bone where you originally drew it all in black in white, never intending it to be coloured.
Comment by Brandon — July 11, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
You are damn right! Trust me I’m with you. I’ve been drawing since I was 6. I’ll donate a piece of work, something nice. Thanks for the info Jeff.
Comment by Marcus — July 11, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
Um quick question. the artwork has to be original right?
Comment by Marcus — July 11, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
Well all done with my drawing. An original cover idea for one of my Flight Star comics. By the way that Batman drawing is killer awesome.
Comment by Marcus — July 12, 2007 @ 1:24 am
I’d be slow to donate to the CBLDF. They collect alot of money and lose just about every case they represent. They don’t publish salaries or overhead which is common practice for non-profits. They never settle a case even if it is in the interest of their client. It’s all money and free publicity. This current Gordon Lee case should have been over a year ago. There’s not much too it. But thanks to poor representation, I think he’s going to lose, and the CBLDF will ask for more money out of our pockets to protect freedom of speech. I think they need to be held accountable for their history of failure.
Comment by jeff — July 12, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
Fair enough. I agree, there have been some cases that should never have been lost. But unless you, jeff, are personally paying for his lawyer and overseeing the case, I will do what I can for the people who are.
Comment by Jeff Smith — July 12, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
So maybe they do it for money/publicicty and maybe not so much the actual guy? Kind of a dumb thing for them to think an’ do considering what they’re standing for. Well, I guess it takes all kinds in this world. Now I’m a little reluctant.
Comment by Marcus — July 12, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
Well maybe actually a donation of art isnt bad. Its the cause.
Comment by Marcus — July 12, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
Marcus, I don't for one minute believe the Fund is in this for money and free publicity. Perhaps I was too easy going in my response to jeff. What I should have said was that I agree there have been some cases that should never have been lost, but there is a real case going on right now, and accusing the Fund of being in this for themselves and not their clients is ridiculous. It does nothing to help Gordon Lee. Unless this other jeff is personally paying for Gordon Lee's lawyer and overseeing the case, I will continue to do what I can for the people who are, which is the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. I hope you will too.
Comment by Jeff — July 13, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
Yeah. I donated a piece of art. I do believe in art and this guy’s case. I just kind of feel that its only right.
Comment by Marcus — July 13, 2007 @ 7:38 pm
Hello Jeff,
I am one of your biggest fans!!!!!I just want to know if there is a book #10 called
“Back to Boneville”??If not I just came up with some ideas about the book.Phoney,Smiley,
and Fone Bone come back to Boneville and all the Bones are happy to see them.Then Phoney starts to brag to all the bones about all the gold he got in Atheia.And then the rest is yours.
Sincerely,
Ryan
Comment by Ryan Warner — July 26, 2007 @ 1:48 pm
Hi Jeff.My name is Kim.My brother is your biggest fan.I’m not bragging but he would be so so happy if he met you.Please repsond back to me soon.He has over a million great ideas for book #10!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From,
Kim
Comment by Kim Warner — July 26, 2007 @ 5:23 pm
Hello, ny name is Jayden and I am 11 years old. I am a big fan of you’re ‘Bone’ books. I share my ideas and thoughts on these books with my family. I even got my older sister interested into the series! Earlier today me, my sister, and my mom were talking. My sister mentioned that it would be sooooo ‘awsome’ if you made this series into a movie! I second’d this opinion and there we haveit. This is why i am writing to you today. I think that if you made this into a movie, that kids of all ages would see this! Including my sister and her friends (who are 12-14 by they way)! Please take this into consideration and think about it. And get back to us if you can!
thanks so much,
you’re big fans,
Jayden and Michigan.
Comment by Jayden — March 21, 2008 @ 9:52 pm
Dear Jeff Smith
I am 12yrs old and from Australia every1 down here loves your books! PLEASE if you were to make it into a movie please broadcast it down here in australia!!!!IS it true that there will be a bone volume 10 called Back to Boneville if so please reply AUSTRALIA WANTS TO KNOW! in your bone volume 10 book please make sure that BArtleby has fun and gets into mischeif in Bone Ville.I have another idea why dont the veni yan secretly plot to take over the valley and all the bones from boneville come to the valley! please reply and tell me if they are good ideas P.S I have heard about your movie when is it going to be released!
Speaking on behalf of the Bone fans from AUSTARLIA
form your biggest fan JACKSON
Comment by Jackson — August 9, 2008 @ 1:10 am