For comic professionals at San Diego Comic-Con, there is no better party than the annual Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) welcome party. This year’s event will be Thursday, July 20 at the Westgate Hotel, from 8pm-12pm on the Terrace Under the Stars, and it will be sponsored by Oni Press.
At the event, they’ll be debuting a new initiative in support of the CBLDF, called “FIGHT CENSORSHIP, READ COMICS!” where they’ll be unveiling new artwork for the initiative from artists including Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer), Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, BRZRKR), Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon.
The party is free for CBLDF members and the general public with a suggested voluntary donation to support CBLDF’s ongoing work supporting free speech and creative expression. The first 50 attendees will also receive a free “Secret Edition” variant cover of the latest issue of the publisher’s sci-fi anthology, Xino #2, featuring artwork by Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade), while the first 200 will receive a free FIGHT CENSORSHIP, READ COMICS! button set.
The evening will also feature the annual CBLDF annual Silent Art Auction, featuring comic art and collectibles donated from Abrams Comicarts, Becky Cloonan, Dark Horse Comics, DSTLTRY, Dynamite Entertainment, Oni Press, IDW, and more.
During the evening’s events, Oni Press will also be offering 50 signed copies of the Gender Queer: Deluxe Edition hardcover with a bookplate signature by creator Maia Kobabe with all funds benefiting the CBLDF. High-quality, 11×17″ prints of Kobabe’s FIGHT CENSORSHIP, READ COMICS! illustration will also be available at the Oni Booth #1829 throughout the week, with a portion of all proceeds benefiting the CBLDF.
