Next Stop: Pittsburgh Comicon!

This year's Pittsburgh Comicon, held April 27-29 in Monroeville, PA, marks an even stronger relationship between the show and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Pittsburgh Comicon's record number of CBLDF benefits combined with its strong support of the Harvey Awards (which it hosts for the second time this year), prove that this show cares about good comics. In addition to the Harvey Awards Banquet April 27 at 8:00 p.m., Pittsburgh Comicon has put on events almost hourly that benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Guest of Honor, and CBLDF Superstar Supporter Frank Miller recognizes
Pittsburgh Comicon's support, and will be on hand to receive the CBLDF's
2001 Defender of Liberty Award. The award honors those members of the
comics community who truly dedicate themselves to the support of free
speech in comics. Miller's decade-long tenure on the CBLDF board of directors
and vocal advocacy of the cause make him this year's overwhelming choice
for the award. Before he receives his award on Friday evening, Frank make
his only appearance at the show at the CBLDF booth from 3 -5 p.m. signing
autographs for our supporters.

In an event sponsored by the Pittsburgh Comicon, there will be a cast
reunion of George Romero's Classic Dawn of the Dead. Nine
members of the cast will attend the show, and the folks at Pittsburgh
have gotten permission to lead tours of the adjacent Monroeville Mall,
where the movie was filmed. Tickets for the Saturday morning tours will
go on sale at the start of the show for $10 at the CBLDF booth. Participants
will be treated to an hour-long tour led by all 9 attending castmembers.
All proceeds go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. In conjunction with
this event, artist Brian Rood has painted an original piece for
the Dawn of the Dead Reunion. 750 prints will be made and sold
with all the proceeds going to the CBLDF. The original painting will be
auctioned off for the Pittsburgh area Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Later on Saturday, after the tour and show, the annual CBLDF Mardi Gras
Party will begin. At 10:00 p.m., all attendees are encouraged to hang
out in the Monroe Room of the Radisson Hotel/Convention Center for a night
of fun, music, and mayhem in support of the CBLDF. This year, actor Bob
Trebor, best known for his work on Xena Warrior Princess, will be
the Master of Ceremonies. Performing this year will be actor/musician
Andres Jones, comicdom's favorite band Ookla the Mok, and the local
Dave Hekman's Brothers Band. The event rages until the wee hours as everyone
there fights long and hard to defeat the forces of censorship.

Throughout the show there will be CBLDF Quick Sketches, where fans can
pay a dollar to watch their favorite artist work. After the hourlong session,
lucky fans can win all the work created before their very eyes. Quick
sketches are taking place Friday from 6 - 7 p.m., Saturday from 5 - 6
p.m., and Sunday from noon to 1 p.m.

All in all, Pittsburgh promises to be an important weekend for comics.
Not only will last year's great books be honored by the Harvey Awards,
but money will be raised to ensure that great comics can and will be produced
free from any threat of censorship.

For more on the Harvey Awards visit www.harveyawards.org