Posted in: Comics | Tagged: fcbd, free comic book day, gender queer

Comic Stores Targeted By Political Activists On Free Comic Book Day?

Well, this is new. Bleeding Cool understands that a number of political activist groups are intending to use this weekend's Free Comic Book Day as an opportunity to engage the current political and culture wars in the United States Of America. We receive the word that individuals and groups intend to film themselves or their children picking up certain comic books in comic books stores being given away for free, film them and then use social media and local media in an attempt to cause a storm. Jeff Trexler, current Interim Director of the activist charity, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, told retailer site ICV2 that;

"There's something that retailers really need to be careful about, and it's Free Comic Book Day, One thing that's changed in Free Comic Book Day in recent years was the recommended age range for the book switched from a text‑based statement on the cover to a color code. If it's for mature readers, it's one colour, and for young readers, it's another color. But not every retailer recognized the color change."

"One of the Fund's most famous cases was in Rome, Georgia during a Halloween promotion. The retailer was giving away comics. He gave away a comic with a nude image in it to a kid and got arrested (see "CBLDF Takes Georgia Obscenity Case"). That's happening again. Luckily, we've been able to keep those from going to prosecution so far, but it's happening again. The pressure is real because when you're a retailer and you have a flood of books coming in, you've more people writing indie press books, and you have people doing mainstream books, what's the decision you're going to make?"

It may be news that, behind-the-scenes, the CBLDF is stopping prosecutions of comic book stores. But I guess they don't want the details shared. And Jeff Trexler looks at a new culture, aiming to get offended and then weaponised by bad actors for selfish and personal reasons. Such as the issues of the graphic novel Gender Queer that Bleeding Cool has covered;

"I mentioned the parent in Virginia who went viral after talking about this. Then, that became the heart of the Youngkin campaign. One could say that the protest of Gender Queer became the hub or the foundation of a movement that ended up getting the Republican Governor of Virginia elected."

Either way, kit might be worth comic book stores being very aware of what they are offering. This Free Comic Book Day, there are four titles classified as for Mature Readers Only and are meant to be 18+.

These titles are classified as Teen Titles and are meant to be appropriate for teens and readers 13+

And the following are All Ages

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