The Press Release:
This September, Image Comics fights censorship with a powerful line of variant covers to benefit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), the industry’s voice for free speech advocacy and education. All proceeds from this dynamic campaign will support CBLDF’s important legal work on behalf of comics creators, retailers, educators and readers.
All proceeds from this campaign will benefit CBLDF, with each title featuring two versions of the CBLDF Charity variant—one censored and one uncensored. Image Comics is pleased to reveal the censored versions here. Spearheaded by HACK/SLASH creator Tim Seeley and Image Comics’ Publisher Eric Stephenson, this benefit includes contributions from Skottie Young, Mirka Andolfo, Howard Chaykin, Justin Greenwood, Geoffo, Ryan Browne, Wook-Jin Clarke, David Rubín, Martin Morazzo, Mark Torres, Danny Luckert, and Seeley himself.
“Comics have been uniquely affected by censorship since the very beginning,” said Seeley. “I wanted to do something with my fellow Image creators to call attention to the problem, and to raise money for CBLDF to help their efforts to fight back. They own the Comics Code Seal of Approval, the censorship stamp that used to govern almost all comics until that organization died in 2011. We thought we’d bring back the Code for one month, to show how ham-fisted those censorship attempts were while having some fun making money for the CBLDF’s important work.”
Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics, added: “Freedom of expression is a core value at Image Comics. Image has been a proud corporate member of the Fund for more than a decade. Their work ensures that the comics we make can reach their audiences through retailers, libraries, and online without local authorities interfering. CBLDF is constantly fighting book bans, helping creators and librarians behind the scenes in big and small ways, as well as keeping an eye out to challenge unconstitutional laws that would affect free expression. We’re grateful for their work and proud to support it.”
For more than thirty years, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has protected the First Amendment rights of comics field and developed powerful education efforts in the service of the community. CBLDF has defended a wide range of cases in 2018, most recently a challenge to the graphic novel Fun Home in New Jersey. The organization also produced important resources, notably Be Heard!, a comic book for students to help them understand their protest rights. To learn more about the CBLDF, please visit www.cbldf.org, or read their Summer Update.
Available in stores on Wednesday, September 5th:
BULLY WARS #1 by Skottie Young & Aaron Conley, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Young)
BULLY WARS #1 by Skottie Young & Aaron Conley, Cover E CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Young)
LAST SIEGE #4 by Landry Q. Walker & Justin Greenwood, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Greenwood)
LAST SIEGE #4 by Landry Q. Walker & Justin Greenwood, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Greenwood)
UNNATURAL #3 by Mirka Andolfo, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Andolfo)
UNNATURAL #3 by Mirka Andolfo, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Andolfo)
Available in stores on Wednesday, September 12th:
HEY KIDS COMICS #2 by Howard Chaykin, Cover B CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Chaykin)
HEY KIDS COMICS #2 by Howard Chaykin, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Chaykin)
Available in stores on Wednesday, September 19th:
BURNOUTS #1 by Dennis Culver & Geoffo, Cover B CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Geoffo)
BURNOUTS #1 by Dennis Culver & Geoffo, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Geoffo)
CURSE WORDS #16 by Charles Soule & Ryan Browne, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant VAR CENSORED (Browne)
CURSE WORDS #16 by Charles Soule & Ryan Browne, Cover E CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Browne)
FLAVOR #5 by Joseph Keatinge & Wook-Jin Clark, Cover B CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Clark)
FLAVOR #5 by Joseph Keatinge & Wook-Jin Clark, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Clark)
Tim Seeley’s HACK SLASH RESURRECTION #11 by Tini Howard & Celor, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Seeley)
Tim Seeley’s HACK SLASH RESURRECTION #11 by Tini Howard & Celor, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSOR (Seeley)
ICE CREAM MAN #7 by W. Maxwell Prince & Martin Morazzo, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Morazzo)
ICE CREAM MAN #7 by W. Maxwell Prince & Martin Morazzo, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Morazzo)
RUMBLE #7 by John Arcudi & David Rubín, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Rubín)
RUMBLE #7 by John Arcudi & David Rubín, Cover D CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Rubín)
Available in stores on Wednesday, September 26th:
COLD SPOTS #2 by Cullen Bunn & Mark Torres, Cover B CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Torres)
COLD SPOTS #2 by Cullen Bunn & Mark Torres, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Torres)
REGRESSION #11 by Cullen Bunn & Danny Luckert, Cover B CBLDF Charity Variant CENSORED (Luckert)
REGRESSION #11 by Cullen Bunn & Danny Luckert, Cover C CBLDF Charity Variant UNCENSORED (Luckert)
*** end of transmission ***
PiercingMetal Thoughts: As I’ve noted on numerous variant edition broadcasts, I am not really the consumer for the wide variety of variant covers that get offered up by these fine companies. It’s mostly a budgeting issue than a disinterest and believe me I know several friends who buy ALL the variants. That’s pretty awesome if you ask me. What about you readers? Are you following any of these titles? Will you be adding any of these variants to your collection? If you don’t plan on this, I encourage you to still look into the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund since they are out to do good things for the medium and that is very necessary in these times. I’ll close up now and say that I hope Image shares the Uncensored images which I will post to a brand new narrative for this particular case.
Official Websites:
Image Comics: http://www.imagecomics.com
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: http://www.cbldf.org