I ordered my copy directly from Asthmatic Kitty a few weeks back, hopefully the rest of you did as well or you might be waiting a little longer for Illinois...
Taken from Pitchfork
Sufjan Stevens LP Delayed Due to Cover Art
Caroline Bermudez reports:
Good things come to those who wait-- well, at least until a cease and desist order from DC Comics is no longer in place. Such is the fate that has befallen Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, which was originally scheduled to be released today. A post on Stevens' label, Asthmatic Kitty, states, "Unfortunately we've had to stop selling Illinois due to an legal issue concerning the artwork." According to various blogs and message boards, the legal issue in question is that the album cover featured an image of Superman (flying high above the Chicago skyline with Al Capone in the foreground). As comic book fans well know, the birth of the superhero came in 1938, when Superman made his debut on DC Comics.
In a statement to retailers, Asthmatic Kitty asked them not to sell the LP, saying: "We have been informed that there is a possible copyright and trademark infringement on the cover of the Illinois album art. We have been advised by a lawyer to essentially cease and desist, and that it would be in our best interest to do our best to retract as many of these cds as possible."
There has been no word yet from Asthmatic Kitty or Stevens regarding the specfic nature of the matter, the album's new release date, or what the new cover art will be. Daniel Gill, Stevens' publicist, e-mailed Pitchfork to say that an official statement is shortly forthcoming. We will provide updates on this story as more details emerge. On the plus side, if you were able to order Illinois early, you've now got a nifty collectors' item in your hands.
