A few words from Dennis Kitchen
In the 1980s, a Chicago-area comic shop manager was arrested for “displaying obscene material” including Omahaza Cat Dancer, a well-known erotic series published by Kitchen Sink Press, and thus founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) in the 1980s. One arrest police officer cited by a local reporter said the store sold “devil material, like a Wonder Woman poster.” Manager Michael Correa was quickly convicted.
I quickly realized that if random, ultra-religious cops were able to shut down the shop and lead managers to serious fines and months of prison, the comic industry needed to need help and could make it faster. The newly formed CBLDF, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, quickly raised funds, hired experienced lawyers, overturned Correa’s conviction on appeal, and has since fought threats to the industry’s first amendment rights.
I started out as a manga artist and publisher, and created “Underground Comics” in the late 60s and 1970s. But anyone looking at today’s headlines and news images is aware that the threat to our fundamental rights is reaching dangerous new heights. Even the long-respected PBS, who recently censored Art Spiegelman’s documentary film, succumbed to intense pressure.
The strange, persuasive documentaries that take place in my own career address CBLDF and years of involvement in self-expression and freedom of speech. If you share these important values, and are more relevant than ever, we recommend supporting the Kickstarter campaign from the documentary’s creators. The end of their campaign is nearing. If you want the movie to reach as many people as possible, swear what you can afford and get some cool rewards in return. Thank you for your support!
