Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund
Encyclopedia
The Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund is a Canadian
nonprofit organization, created in 1987 to protect the free speech rights of comics creators, publishers, retailers, and readers, by helping to cover legal expenses in the defense of cases where its directors feel those issues are at stake.
and Paul Stockton of Strawberry Jam Comics
to assist with the legal defense of Comic Legends, a Calgary, Alberta comic shop whose owners were charged with selling obscene materials. The CLLDF raised approximately $3000 to aid in the owners' defense, bringing Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth
to Calgary to testify as an expert witness in the trial. The trial ended with a conviction and a sentence totaling $3,000 in fines. The CLLDF supported an appeal. The conviction was not overturned, but the sentence was reduced to a nominal fine. As part of this effort, the organization published the books Truth North and True North II as fund-raisers.
In later years, the organization made financial contributions to support Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium
in its legal dispute with Canada Customs over imported comics, and paid for an expert witness whose testimony assisted in the acquittal of Marc Laliberte, a fanzine
publisher in Windsor, Ontario
.
In 2011, the organization, which had been mostly dormant for twenty years, became involved in a case involving a U.S. citizen visiting Canada, whose laptop computer had been searched by Canada Customs and who was arrested based on the comics illustrations found there. In coordination with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
, a U.S. organization with similar goals, which became involved because of the defendant's citizenship and international elements of the legal issues, the CLLDF began raising funds for his defense and awareness of the legal issues involved in the case. To facilitate that, it formally incorporated as a charitable organization. At the same time, the Fund expanded its Board of Directors from three (McCulloch, Stockton, and Vancouver comics convention organizer Leonard S. Wong) to five, adding retailers Jay Bardyla and Jennifer Haines.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
nonprofit organization, created in 1987 to protect the free speech rights of comics creators, publishers, retailers, and readers, by helping to cover legal expenses in the defense of cases where its directors feel those issues are at stake.
History
The Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund was begun by writer Derek McCullochDerek McCulloch (comics)
Derek McCulloch is an author of graphic novels, comics, and books for children who was born in Ottawa in 1964, raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lives in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
and Paul Stockton of Strawberry Jam Comics
Strawberry Jam Comics
Strawberry Jam Comics was a Canadian publisher of comic books during the black-and-white comics boom of the mid and late 1980s. Inspired by the creative success of Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark, founders paul Stockton and Derek McCulloch launched Strawberry Jam with the publication of To Be...
to assist with the legal defense of Comic Legends, a Calgary, Alberta comic shop whose owners were charged with selling obscene materials. The CLLDF raised approximately $3000 to aid in the owners' defense, bringing Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth
Gary Groth
Gary Groth is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal and a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books.-Early life:...
to Calgary to testify as an expert witness in the trial. The trial ended with a conviction and a sentence totaling $3,000 in fines. The CLLDF supported an appeal. The conviction was not overturned, but the sentence was reduced to a nominal fine. As part of this effort, the organization published the books Truth North and True North II as fund-raisers.
In later years, the organization made financial contributions to support Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium
Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium
Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium, also known as Little Sister's Bookstore, but usually called "Little Sister's," is an independent bookstore in the Davie Village / West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a predominantly gay community...
in its legal dispute with Canada Customs over imported comics, and paid for an expert witness whose testimony assisted in the acquittal of Marc Laliberte, a fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
publisher in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
.
In 2011, the organization, which had been mostly dormant for twenty years, became involved in a case involving a U.S. citizen visiting Canada, whose laptop computer had been searched by Canada Customs and who was arrested based on the comics illustrations found there. In coordination with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses....
, a U.S. organization with similar goals, which became involved because of the defendant's citizenship and international elements of the legal issues, the CLLDF began raising funds for his defense and awareness of the legal issues involved in the case. To facilitate that, it formally incorporated as a charitable organization. At the same time, the Fund expanded its Board of Directors from three (McCulloch, Stockton, and Vancouver comics convention organizer Leonard S. Wong) to five, adding retailers Jay Bardyla and Jennifer Haines.