A unique event raised over $45,000 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund last weekend.  Fiddler's Green was an exclusive, limited attendance convention for Sandman fans held at the Millenium Hotel in Minneapolis.  Organized by a group of experienced volunteers led by Davey Snyder, the event featured guests of honor Neil Gaiman, Karen Berger, Charles Vess, Jill Thompson, Caitlin Kiernan, and Todd Klein.  Just over 300 fans were in attendance, providing an intimate atmosphere in which proximity to the guests was easier than at any other show. 

Sandman creator Neil Gaiman said of the event, 'This one was special, and not just because of the money that it raised for the CBLDF war chest. I was thrilled that Sandman was able to bring together such an amazing bunch of con attendees, guests and panelists, and delightedly astonished by how much they cared about freedom of speech and the right to read comics.'

CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein talked about the sense of community created by the event.  'They created an atmosphere of community unparalleled by most any other convention.  The generosity of that community has shored up the Fund's resources, providing us with a substantial addition to our war chest at this very critical time for free speech.'

(For the observations of an exhibitor, see 'Dark Horse's David Scroggy on Fiddler's Green').