Mike Diana Art Raffle And Closing Party

Press release for your consideration (Diana is a great guy who got a bum rap):

FINAL DAYS of MIKE DIANA ART RAFFLE & CLOSING PARTY
AUGUST 8th @ Passout Records - Brooklyn
Live Music, Original Art, Paintings, T-Shirts, Video & Puppet Show

contact: Jefe aka Johnny Chiba: ph: 917-250-7192 - e: jefe@testpress.net - AIM: testicle88

WHO: MIKE DIANA - first artist convicted of obscenity in Florida
WHEN: Saturday, August 8th, 7-10PM
WHERE: PASSOUT RECORD SHOP: 131 Grand Street (bet Bedford/Berry)
Williamsburg Brooklyn 718.384.7273

OPENING BANDS START AT 5PM:
The Aliens
Wombat In Combat

ENTER THE MIKE DIANA SUPERPHAT RAFFLE - Only $5.00
Help Mike pay off his Florida fines

Anyone who enters raffle gets a small exclusive b/w print signed by Mike, so everyone wins!
Enter as many times as you like, via pay pal online, by mail or at the Closing Party.

Two winners (1 online, 1 at closing party) will receive:

The Worst of
Boiled Angel

Superfly
Comix #1

Superfly
Comix #2
"Nancy" t-shirt
Bubblegum
Ghost Girl print

Note: as pay pal does not allow raffles, anyone who purchases this signed, exclusive b/w print
(for $5), or anything from mikedianacomix.com now thru August 8 will be entered into raffle... wink!

Send $5 via pay pal (use "mikediana@testpress.net")
or send well-hidden fiver, check or money order (attn: "Mike Diana")
c/o TEST PRESS, PO Box 1582, Cooper Station, NY NY 10276

Important: include name, email, address and "MIKE DIANA PRINT"

Winners will be chosen August 8th


Closing Party Flyer

MORE INFO:
jefe @ testpress.net
www.mikedianacomix.com

In 1994, underground cartoonist Mike Diana was thrown in jail for 4 days without bail on obscenity charges, for publishing, advertising, and selling his zine BOILED ANGEL. Mike was on probation for 3 years, terms included fines of $3000, no contact with minors, 1280 hours of community service, maintain full time employment, and at his expense, see a psychiatrist and take journalism courses at his own expense; AND no drawing for his own personal use... his home was subject to unannounced searches by local police to make sure he was complying. On June 4, 1996, a ruling issued by Largo, Florida, Circuit Judge Douglas Baird declared Mike Diana's zines, Boiled Angel #7 and #ATE as obscene. The judge emphasized that he personally found Diana's comics "patently offensive." and stated, "The evident goal of the appellant's publication is to portray shocking and graphic pictures of sexual conduct so it will be noticed. If the message is about victimization and that horrible things are happening in our society, as the appellant alleges, the appellant SHOULD HAVE created a vehicle to send his message that was not obscene." Mike Diana was served with another 2 years of probation, including $2000 in fines, and the same probationary terms.

15 years after his initial Florida arrest on pornography charges for mailing his zine Boiled Angel to an undercover agent,
Mike Diana is still subject to harassment from the law for not paying off thousands of dollars in fines from his 1994 conviction;
In April 2009, Mike was detained flying back from Sweden's Comic Art School, Swedish airport authorities called Homeland
Security in Florida to ask if they wanted to come arrest him. Two weeks later, returning from Bolivia's Vinetas Con Altura
(Bullets With Height) Art show, Mike was forced to wait a full week to reroute his flights to NOT go through Florida.

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