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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."

Free Comic Book Day Warnings Over Mature Content To Shops & Libraries
Free Comic Book Day

"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?"

Free Comic Book Day Content Warnings Given to Comic Stores & Libraries
Free Comic Book Day Content Warnings Given to Comic Stores & Libraries

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+.

Publisher
Title
ABLAZE Trese
Image Comics Bone Orchard Mythos Prelude
Mad Cave Studios Nottingham FCBD Special
Vault Comics Barbaric #1 FCBD Edition

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

Publisher
Title
AfterShock Comics Bunny Mask Tales
Archie Comics The Best Archie Comic Ever #0
AWA Studios Primos #1
Behemoth Comics Kult Cable ft. Jack Black
BOOM! Studios 25 Years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dark Horse Comics Stranger Things/ Resident Alien
Dynamite Entertainment Red Sonja Marvel Feature Stories
Epicenter Comics Tex: In the Land of Seminoles
Humanoids The Incal Universe
IDW Publishing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles FCBD Special
Image Comics Clementine #1
Kodansha Wandance & Blackguard Double Feature
Lev Gleason Publications Equilibrium
Marvel Avengers/ X-Men #1
Marvel Marvel Voices #1
Marvel Spider-Man/ Venom #1
Penguin Young Readers Neverlanders
Rebellion Publishing Best of 2000AD #0
Scout Comics The Electric Black Children of Caine #0
Source Point Press The Winchester Mystery House: 100 Year Curse
Ten Speed Press It Won't Always Be Like This
Ten Ton Press 10 Ton Tales
Titan Comics Bloodborne
UDON Entertainment Street Fighter Masters: Blanka
Valiant Entertainment The Year of Valiant 2022 FCBD Special
VIZ Media Kaiju No. 8/ Sakamoto Days

And the following are All Ages

Publisher
Title
American Mythology The Three Stooges FCBD Celebration
BOOM! Studios Hollow Preview
Dark Horse Comics Avatar: The Last Airbender/ Legend of Korra
Fantagraphics Books Disney Masters Donald Duck & Co. Special
Gemstone Publishing The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Comics
Graphix/ Scholastic Dav Pilkey's Dog Man & Friends Super Comic Teaser
Graphix/ Scholastic Realm of the Blue Mist (The Rema Chronicles #1)
IDW Publishing Sonic The Hedgehog FCBD 2022 Special
Oni Press Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #1
Papercutz Graphic Novels Fuzzy Baseball: Greatest Hits
Random House Children's Books Max Meow: Cat on the Street Comic Spectacular
Red 5 Comics Carriers/ Beorn/ Dragon Whisperer
Titan Comics Doctor Who
TOKYOPOP The Guardian of Fukushima
VIZ Media Pokémon Journeys/Pokémon Adventures: XY
Yen Press Enemies

 


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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