You have a point about the weakness of the “not the government” argument, but I’m fairly certain it doesn’t apply here.
It is fairly trivial for an affected publisher to ring up a bunch of other, potentially affected publishers (see publishers participating with mature stuff in the part for a list), form a rival entity or not, and agree to offer a sample issue at cost on the same day as FCBD. A bunch of press releases and they’re done.
Sure, it might not be as effective as participation in FCBD would have been, but the difference will be in the range of adverse effects due to other market participants, not comparable to the effect of government intervention. Which in turn will demonstrate that the “not the government, hence no free speech issue” is NOT merely a semantic sophism in this case.

Those running the FCBD (still Diamond, isn’t it?) are forcing publishers to fit their cultural standards or they can’t participate. They are censoring them (just like some radio and TV shows have their content censored for words that they think might alienate listeners/viewers, not just FCC banned ones).

So now…on the one day of the year that brick and mortar stores are best able to give out loss leaders to generate customers, they can’t get any help selling them on diversity of offerings. Publishers that don’t have any all ages material (I’m thinking Zenescope and Avatar, though I can’t swear on either) are effectively frozen out of the process.

It further hurts the standing of the comic book hobby in society, because it helps paint a picture of comics being for kids. If the Gordon Lee case is the motivation, then they’re retarded. There have been three years of the offerings since then with no incidents. If those running this wanted to insulate themselves, they could make participating retailers sign a form that guarantees that all mature titles will be under strict observation by an employee of the store at all times to ensure that no child gets one. Maybe even point a webcam or digital cam to record for back up in case there are any claims. That way, if the retailer doesn’t do anything that they agreed to, those running the program can distance themselves from the retailer.

FICW (Free Independent Comics Week) - Celebrating the creativity, diversity and talent independent comic publishers provide mature readers.

During the week ending with the last Saturday in April, participating comic shops would give away comics with the FICW logo on the cover, using the same discretion they use to run their business the rest of the year.

http://tinyurl.com/2huybo

Problem solved.

If every comic had a rating, just like every movie has a rating, I think that would be a big help without labeling comics as being primarily one way or the other.

Anyway, labelling both seems like the obvious middle way here, but as for the current FCBD decision, I dunno. It depends on what standard they use.

Supporting publisher’s rights seems more helpful than enabling lazy adults so that they don’t have to pay attention to what they give to children.

Me, an immature reader? Ha! Jump to some other conclusion!

As others have stated, the FCBD committee can make any rules they want - it’s their game. And they aren’t telling anyone what they can or cannot publish. What they’ve said is that if a publisher is going to participate in FCBD, then their offering must be all-ages content. Participation in FCBD is neither a requirement nor a right for any publisher.

In any case, FCBD is intended as a promotion for the retailer, and a giveaway to the public, not a benefit for the publisher.

It might be worth mentioning here that the incorporated parties that sell material in the FCBD program do not possess the right to free speech, at least in the US. That’s reserved entirely for individual human beings…none of whom offered comics in FCBD 2006. So, it’s not a free speech issue. You’ll have to find something else to protest.

That seems backwards. Why not put the labels on the comics for kids, rather than perpetuate the idea that comics are for kids, except for a few adult titles that need to be kept behind the counter?

I suppose it’s idealistic to wish that the comic industry would take a stand rather than castrate itself again.

Telling publishers what they can and can’t publish in order to benefit from FCBD seems like a free speech issue to me.

Perhaps you would prefer calling it a common sense issue.

Why should a publisher be forced to put out misleading FCBD comics? If their comics aren’t all ages, how is putting out an all ages FCBD book helpful to them or the industry? Should they be prohibited from participating, so that people who take their kids to a comic shop once a year for FCBD don’t have to pay attention to what their kids are reading?

Why do immature readers believe they have a right to ban FCBD books for mature readers? Sorry, I don’t get it.

So the new standard for free speech is that limits on it is fine, as long as the content enjoyed by you–an anonymous Internet poster–is protected?

Avoid problems like the Lee case?
Hey, then why not use this FCBD “logic” to ALL books in a comic shop.
Would it had been any different had he SOLD the book to the kid by accident?

And where is it sated that FCBD is AIMED at kids???
Where?

I thought it was a day to AIM at ALL POTENTIAL NEW CUSTOMERS. That goes for someone who wants a copy of Superman or Scooby Doo or Love & Rockets or Spider Girl or Acme Novelty Co.

If there was all this concern to acquire a new generation of kid readers than the large comic companies, Diamond Distributers and comic shops in general have missed that boat A LONG TIME AGO.

All of you decrying this as an affront to free speech and saying “This is possibly the second worst thing to happen to comics since the CCA.” need to shut the hell up.

First off this is mainly to AVOID problems like the Gordon Lee case, and to protect retailers. Second, FCD is a day that is AIMED at kids and picking up new readership. All Ages books do not mean it’s all ponies and butterfly’s people. So until we find out that super hero violence and amazing reads like last years Umbrella Academy are getting blocked because of some ridiculous guideline calm the f*** down.

Isn’t this a medium where people are supposed to be able to read?

In bookstores (not comic stores), the books for adults aren’t labeled “For Mature Readers”. The children’s books are in the children’s section, the young adult books are in the Y/A section, usually with Y/A on the spine.

Borders and Barnes & Noble seem to be “getting by” without warning labels on everything that isn’t all-ages.

Again, it’s about the message the industry is giving the general public. If that message is “Comics are for kids”, then it’s time I stop buying comics.

It’s does reinforce the notion that comics are for kids. What a shop in my area did was have two tables.
One had the Johnny DC and Marvel kids comics. On the other was the mainstream and other mature indy titles. The owner doesn’t sell nor order XXX comics, so it wasn’t an issue.
It’s family friendly and I’ve seen parents load up on Black Diamond Detective, Umberella Academy, and other titles.

I was never under the impression that the point of FCBD was to bring children into comic shops. I thought the point was to bring customers into comic shops.

I’m not opposed to publishers putting out all-ages titles, and putting “All-Ages” on the cover.

I am opposed to putting out the message to the general public that comics are a children’s medium.

Someone please clarify for me what happens the day after FCBD, when the books are $3, and they’re not all ages.

I suppose congratulations are in order for chasing away any adults that aren’t interested in all-ages titles.

For example - A parent brings their child into a comic shop on FCBD, and while their kids are picking through the titles with “All-Ages” on the cover, the parent asks about the ones that don’t.

Unless there aren’t any…

Way to shoot the industry in the foot.

1) Kids

2) Kids

and

3) Kids

We all have plenty of opportunities to get mature comics, give the kids a chance to go into a comic shop and walk out with a big stack of free colorful comics goodness.

This year my three-year-old daughter went to a local shop, got a bag full of free comics and a hug from Spider-Man. She was smiling all day and still loves to take out her stack of comics and pore through them.