May 29, 2002
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is defending Chicago cartoonist Stu Helm against Kraft Foods in a trademark dilution and infringement suit over Helm's nickname King VelVeeda. The Phillip Morris owned cheese food giant is suing Helm to stop using the name on any comics or illustration work and for punitive damages of three times the amount he has made from using the name. They are also seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent him from using the nickname leading into and during the trial. Helm had been signing comics under the moniker for over a decade before Kraft took notice and is the author of the comics collection "Singles" and operates the website Cheesygraphics.com.
Helm had been defending himself against Kraft for over a month before he contacted the Fund for help. Within two days of taking Helm's call, he was in the office of CBLDF legal counsel Burton Joseph building a strategy for the case. Joseph agreed that Helm's long use of the nickname falls within the rights afforded him by the First Amendment and that he is being unjustly persecuted by Kraft. "This case represents a two billion dollar corporation trying to push the envelope in restricting the use of anything that resembles or ridicules a trademark," Joseph explains, "Kraft's complaint alleges that Stuart Helm's website cheesygraphics.com, which averaged about 350 hits a day by use of the designation 'King VelVeeda's Cheesygraphics' diminished or diluted the value of the Velveeta pasteurized processed cheese food that they sell. The facts seem highly dubious from Kraft's standpoint that any visitor to cheesygraphics.com would confuse King VelVeeda with Velveeta pasteurized processed cheese food."
Helm, Joseph, and the CBLDF see larger implications in Kraft's suit, and feel it's an important fight. "The law is in a state of flux with regard to trademark dilution, so it is more important than ever to protect the First Amendment rights of comic book creators who poke fun at the symbols of our popular culture," explains attorney and CBLDF Board Member Louise Nemschoff. "Claims such as the ones brought by Kraft against alternative comic book creator Stu Helm have a tendency to chill freedom of expression when it comes to such jokes, parody and commentary," Nemschoff adds.
Helm says, "Even though it seems like a small issue because it is a silly nickname, I feel that it's so far removed from the actual product that if I go down, it opens the door for a lot more action against a lot more people. It's a big issue. If it can happen to me -- and I'm so far removed from the product -- that sets a bad precedent."
Since taking the case, the Fund has spent dozens of legal hours waging Helm's defense, including the deposition of a Kraft executive and an appearance at the Preliminary Injunction hearing. "We are hoping first that the court will deny Kraft's request for a preliminary injunction and will ultimately rule that Kraft cannot prove any dilution of its trademark by the artist's nickname of King VelVeeda," Joseph says. "We're very confident, but the ultimate decision will depend on a case now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Mosely d.b.a. Victor's Little Secret v. Secret Catalog Inc. (Victoria's Secret), and also whether Kraft's arguments are mere speculation or grounded in some evidence or genuine concern of market confusion."
"It's cases like this where the community's support of the Fund matters the most," says CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. "Without our involvement Kraft could have steamrolled Stu into bankruptcy simply because they have more money and lawyers. We believe that Stu Helm is well within his First Amendment rights and are committed to defending them, despite the monstrous expense ahead of us. That's what the Fund was set up to do and this is what every membership and donation dollar goes into making happen."
Helm is grateful for the Fund's involvement in his case, but it's a hassle he never wanted. "I haven't tried to cut into their market by mimicking anything they do," Helm says. "I made a good name for myself doing what I do best which is my art and I just want to be left alone to do that."
For more information and to support the CBLDF, including the defense of Stu Helm, visit
To read Helm's journal of the case and official papers visit
SUPPORT THE FUND
The CBLDF is set up to defend artists and retailers on First Amendment issues and we pay for that defense through money raised in contributions and memberships. It's your donations that enable us to pay for a case like Helm's and to keep comics a safe place to exercise the rights afforded by the First Amendment. To keep the Fund strong and to help us pay for Helm's case, we ask that you consider making a donation, renewing your membership, or buying a piece of merchandise from our website. Protecting free speech is an expensive endeavor and every dollar counts, so please help us stay strong and make a donation today.
Digital Webbing Presents has continously hit Diamond Comic Distributors' Top 300 Best Selling Comics list since it's first issue. Wizard Magazine ran a full page article in their March issue praising "With this talent already turning heads in the industry, the anthology series may soon turn into a breeding ground for tomorrow's big names."
Also in August, Digital Webbing is offering the Ma brother's BURN: RAIN. A full color one-shot. Previously previewed in the pages of Digital Webbing Presents #1, BURN: Rain is the first book from the creative team at Epic Proportions Art Studio. The story: Troy and Marlon are ambushed by their former gang members in a nightclub while the heartbroken Meiling awaits Troy's return. Love, honor, violence, betrayal and brotherhood take place in a stylish and moody gangland Chinatown. The drama drama goes down like a smooth drink at the bar of one part visual and one part narrative for some pure intoxicating imagery. Shipping with 2 different covers in a 50/50 ratio split.
LAND OF O
by Michael Slack
Top Shelf is proud to represent Michael Slack's Xeric Award winning
comic, "Land of O" -- a stunning debut of dark, humorous short stories.
Set in a dystopian third world America, the "Land of O" is 32 pages of
amazingly rendered graphite illustrations. Chronicling the lives of a
cast of repulsive characters living in the fallout of glutinous over
consumption, greedy global capitalism, and excessive genetic tinkering,
this debut is not to be missed.
-- $3.95 (US), Comic Book, 32 pages, 6 5/8" x 9"
EGOMANIA
by Eddie Campbell
(published by Eddie Campbell Comics)
A new quarterly magazine from Eddie Campbell mixing all-new art and
articles, all by Eddie himself -- "Its always got to be about you,"
said Anne Campbell when she suggested the title. It includes the first
fifteen pages of the new Alec serial "The History of Humour," and an
in-depth article/interview with Lew Sayre Schwartz, who ghosted Batman
for Bob Kane for seven years; was in the room when Siegel and Schuster
said they were going to sue DC; and did some work in Dr. Strangelove for
Stanley Kubrick. Plus, Eddie hunts down the peculiar history of a
neoclassical French nude that hangs in an Australian pub, and gives a
detailed report on the Hollywood premiere of >From Hell. -- $4.95 (US),
48 pages, Comic Book
HAPPY: ELEPHANT, BUNNY & CHICKEN
by Josh Simmons
Not for the weak of heart, Josh's incredibly drawn comics are a
disturbing exposé on the dark side of the American Dream, pointing out
the sometimes ludicrous underbelly of Democracy and Prosperity. Fans of
Ivan Brunetti's SCHIZO, Pete Sickman-Garner's HEY, MISTER and Johnny
Ryan's ANGRY YOUTH COMIX will definitely want to "get Happy." Included
in this all-new issue is a 17-page story, "Autobiographical Comix,"
where Josh "celebrates" the existence of confessional autobio strip;, a
very detailed 10-page story, "The King of the World Makes a New Friend"
which took Josh two years to draw working off and on; and a few
unforgettable shorter pieces as well. Mature Readers.
-- $3.50 (US), Comic Book, 32 pages, 6" x 9"
The MoCCA Art Festival
Sunday, June 23rd, 2002
11am - 7pm
The Puck Building
293 Lafayette Street, New York City
Open to the public, suggested donation $5
General Information Hotline: 212-696-7945
General Information E-mail: ArtFestival@moccany.org
Website:
JULES FEIFFER'S expansive career spans over four decades, starting with the publication of his first collection, Sick, Sick, Sick in 1958. Shortly thereafter, a cartoon based on his character Munro, from Passionella and Other Stories, won the Academy Award for Best Animation. His creative influence has been acknowledged through the years with the multi-award winning Off-Broadway play, Little Murders, the controversial film, Carnal Knowledge, a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartoons, and his release of several children's books. Mr. Feiffer has been a long time contributor to The New Yorker, Playboy, The New Republic, Esquire and The Nation.
PATRICK MCDONNELL'S Mutts is a much-loved strip featuring the antics of Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, reminiscent of the cartoons of yesteryear. Mr. McDonnell and Mutts are winners of the National Cartoonists Society's Best Comic Strip of the Year Award, Germany's prestigious Max and Moritz Best International Comic Strip Cartoonist Award, and two Genesis Awards from The Ark Trust, a nonprofit animal rights advocacy group. Six anthologies have been published in the United States, and Mutts now appears in more than 450 newspapers and is published in more than 20 countries.
FRANK MILLER has been instrumental in revitalizing the superhero genre and at the same time has become a forerunner in unconventional subject matter for the modern graphic novel. His work for Marvel Comics includes Daredevil, Wolverine, and The Amazing Spider-Man. In the mid 80's he received critical praise for penning Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics) and Batman: Year One. Breaking away from traditional superheroes, Mr. Miller created the world of Sin City, a satirical and gritty crime series. Recently he has published 300, a fictional exploration of ancient Greece and the Persian-Greco War, and the much-anticipated sequel to the Dark Knight series, The Dark Knight Strikes Back (DK2). He has also scripted the films Robocop 2 and Robocop 3.
JEFF SMITH is one of the most highly recognized cartoonists in the industry, having received over thirty national and international awards including: Sweden's Adamson Award, France's Alph-Art Award, Germanys Prix Vienne Award, and Spain's Premios Expocomic Award. After co-founding Character Builders Animation Studio in 1986, Mr. Smith created his unique comic book Bone, on which he continues to work today and publishes with his company Cartoon Books. His work has been translated into thirteen languages and can be found worldwide.
For a complete list of participating artists, sample art or for press passes, please contact Kristen Siebecker at 212-727-1014 or MOCCAaf@aol.com
For more information on the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, please contact chairman Lawrence Klein at 212-254-3511 or lklein@moccany.org
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Chaos! Comics
14425 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Suite 300
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
(480) 991-9080
Please send all letters and/or correspondences to this address which takes effect on June 1, 2002.
As a consequence of our move, please note that our Shipping Department will be closed from May 23 - June 3, 2002. Thank you for your cooperation.
Best,
Chaos! Comics
Under a cover by Dave Cooper, Nick Bertozzi dreams about the sequentiality of Hokusais prints, Ivan Brunetti muses upon the music of Erik Satie, David Choe examines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a trip to the Gaza strip, David Collier discusses the quirks of Islam, Renee French provides an eccentric example of portraiture, Tom Hart explores his literary side, the respected cartoonist Lat retrieves a distant memory of his childhood in Malaysia, Matt Madden produces sequential magic out of old NYC mugshots, Miriam Katin delves into the moral questions surrounding her childhood in Hungary, Megan Kelso provides another chapter in her Artichoke Tales, James Kochalka provides an atypical example of his realism, Ron Rege Jr. philosophizes about consumerism, Katja Tukiainen provides a diary of her trip of India to study yoga and Stefan J H van Dinther tests the boundaries of experimental comics.
The contributing artists include:
A multi-country book signing tour will kick off with the debut of Rosetta at the Small Press Expo (SPX) held the weekend of September 6-8, 2002 at the Holiday Inn Select in downtown Bethesda, MD, just one mile outside the nation's capital, Washington DC. In its ninth year SPX now serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent.
For more information about Alternative Comics or Rosetta:
Send press releases to:
P. O. Box 882 Bellaire, TX 77402-0882
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