A cat in a hat is nothing. Try getting a shirt on a rabbit, you’ll lose a finger.
Who doesn’t love controversy? It gives everyone a chance to rally behind a good cause or a bad cause, or the next one that sparkles and catches one’s eye.
This week, our industry turned it’s sparkly attention towards the New DC Online Digital Adventures of Superman because some stories are going to be written by a mildly well known science fiction writer who is also a mildly well known activist for keeping “traditional values” away from gay people. Which, of course means, we’ll be finding out next year he’s gay himself.
In the meantime, some thoughts…
That word balloon from panel two is essentially a real quote from Orson Scott Card, only he didn’t rhyme when he said it. History is bending away from those sorts of comments in the 21st Century though, and one hopes Mr. Card learns to bend away from them as well.
Right wing people well bend faster if we don’t alienate, demonize and and try to silence them so much. If we actually have the better path to a better society with equality for all, then we should educate the other side to this idea, enlighten the confused, and lift up people instead of shouting at them. You actually win some over that way.
And boycotting a company I used to work at, and punishing struggling retailers in my neighbourhood, to make some point, is just a preposterously dumb idea that wins over no one.
Even the CIA knows it’s better to turn an opponent than kill him. If you can’t trust the CIA, who can you trust?
Ty the Guy OUT!
Here now, your BONUS Dr. Seuss Comic Book Moment:
This delightful parody project is brought to you from Down Under by an illustrator known as Dr. Faustus. Here’s his Deviant Art page, where you can read the entire Call of Cthulu Easy Reader. Too much fun!
——————————————————————————————–
Click here for the Bun Toons Archive!
Ty Templeton's ART LAND!! 
Yeah, great, a Canadian espousing we all trust the CIA. Dang, now we all know how Ty lives such a lavish lifestyle in the great northern range…
Cheers!
Steven Willis
XOWComics.com
Just wanted to thank Ty for coming out to Sheridan College yesterday to make a special student very happy.
Ty spent approx an hour with this avid comic fan Liam, who was not short on questions (for those in the “know”).
A truly treasured day for Liam and a special thank you from Sheridan College.
Brian
My delight and pleasure, Brian. Glad to help someone have a fun day.
Pingback: Under the Beret » Oh Ty…
That freelancer you drew needs a chair with better lumbar support.
Hey,Bun-bun!So that is who people are upset about,Orson Scott Card doing Supe!He is following his Mormon faith in his comment on gays,though I don’t remember any saying it with violence before. Oh, I saw yesterday a 7 year old boy with T-shirt saying”Lovecraft” in large letters. I was going to ask where he got that and if he knew who Lovecraft was,but he left with his Mom at the party I was in.
Dear Ty —
I was vastly amused by your Seussical* spoof of the DC Comics imbroglio. I just wrote a post in praise of it –http://devifemme.livejournal.com/1318155.html
As a lesbian, I could not be more pleased about your skewering of political correctness. Cheers, Justine
____________________
* I titled my piece “Seussiness,” with apologies to Steven Colbert. Now I owe a nod toward whoever wrote the musical…
I can’t speak for anyone else, but my boycott of DC over this extends to Card’s work. And it’s not because he’s anti-gay but because he’s an anti-gay activist who’s making life difficult for my friends. I won’t buy his work, you know, voting with dollars and all.
Have people called for boycotting all of DC? I thought it was just boycott that not one title. I agree with just not buying his work and saying why.
But if people really want to boycott all of DC, then that’s up to them. It’s entirely their right to not spend their money where they don’t want to. I agree that other freelancers get hurt, but that’s on DC for hiring people like Card. Actions have consequences and they often don’t just affect 1 party. That goes all around. DC hurts the whole company (including freelancers) by hiring people who’s statements/actions are so repugnant to enough people that these boycotts get started. That’s why they don’t hire people who publicly support and are an active participation in the Klu Klux Klan and other radical organizations, the PR nightmare/backlash would not be a smart business decision. I think DC is now realizing that Card and his organization is among those in the PR nightmare/backlash territory. Or might be anyway, we’ll have to see the boycott actually leads to lower sales.
What? No picture of OSC with his head up his ass?
You’re right, a DC wide ban is overkill and carries more collatoral damage than needed. But from what I’ve read most people are just planning not to buy the one title/issue, which is valid. Deciding to put your money elsewhere rather than support a specific creator you don’t wish to read is a simple economic choice.
I’m all for people not buying this specific issue, but I’ve read facebook comments by grown men that you and I both know, claiming to never again shop in comic stores that order the issue, and to permanently cancel their DC pull lists. That’s what I was reacting to, not the very reasonable disinterest in Card’s specific work. I’m wondering if ANYONE making these blanket statements about boycotting stores that order the print edition of the book, would ever boycott a bookstore for carrying Ender’s Game. Probably not.
I don’t really see what the problem of anyone permanently cancelling their DC pull lists is. I did after 27 years as a loyal reader because I hated the New 52 and the people here have far better reasons than I did.
If DC can make increasingly transparent cash grabs and bad decisions, they can take the collateral damage and proverbial lumps that come with them.
Ty Templeton, I adore you 🙂
It’s funny, but I was fantasizing that if DC hired me to write an Adv of Supey story, I’d ask for you to draw it.
Cheers,
Dale Lazarov
(the gay comics writer everyone’s quoting or misquoting on the OSC matter)
That might be fun, Dale. I haven’t drawn Superman for a few years now, and he’s always a charge to revisit. Of course, if it was collected in an anthology, we’d have to boycott ourselves.
Uh…Uhm… KLTPZYXM! :: poof ::
The BBC does a show called QUESTION TIME. Politicians and notable figures are invited to answer questions in front of a live studio audience. In 2009 the leader of the ultra far-right British National Party, Nick Griffin, was to appear. There was an outcry around the country, with people saying that he should not be allowed to air his odious views. The BBC stuck to their guns, and the programme was aired. Griffin was revealed in all of his bumbling, stumbling, uninformed glory, and the after effect of the show was that the BNP was discovered to have LOST popularity. The TV appearance actually cost them votes. In the end we change opinions by encouraging enlightened debate, not by crushing dissent.
Reasonable as always, Ty. A specific ban of Card’s work would be much more effective than a DC boycott. If Card’s issue sells far less than every other issue, that sends a much clearer (and financially relevant) message to DC, whereas a lost sale across the board only hurts everyone.
Are we allowed to boycott all of DC if the villain in Card’s Superman story is and evil version of Extrano?
Pingback: When Orson Met Clark « tomtificate
I dunno. On one hand, you make a very good point, Ty.
But on the other hand, it’s DC who gave the anti-gay activist jerk a starring role, so boycotting DC is a way for consumers to tell the company “it was YOU who hired him”.
I know political correctness has nothing to do with comics, yeah. But I also know you can’t help a reader’s gut feeling. At least this time, they’re getting outraged for something reasonable.
Pingback: Vast and Flat Bun Toons! YAY! | Ty Templeton's ART LAND!!
Another Mormon was Zenna Henderson.Her books about The People were favorites of mine. The People were aliens with psychic powers and got persecuted by Earth people,when all they wanted was to have a place where they can grow food and raise their kids. I don’t think she ever said anything bad about gays.