Comicsgate

Comicsgate is a controversial campaign focused on the North American superhero comic book industry and the creators who work in it.^[1] Comics artist Ethan Van Sciver presents it as "a consumer-led revolt" against liberalism in the industry.^[2] Artist Mike S. Miller describes it as "an alliance of comic book fans, critics, and creators who have found common cause in standing up against what they see as a hard push by social justice warriors into their hobby".^[3] Participants blame "forced diversity" – in both hiring and comics content – for a decline in sales.^[4][5] Critics of the movement have described it as a harassment campaign^[6] which "targets women, people of color, and LGBT folk in the comic book industry".^[7] The name is derived from Gamergate, a movement related to video games.^[8]

Activities

Participants say that it has no organization or leadership, but commentator Richard C. Meyer (posting under the banner Diversity & Comics)^[9][7][8] and Ethan Van Sciver^[7][8] have been prominent advocates for the campaign. A few creators involved with Comicsgate have run highly successful crowdfunding campaigns to produce comics intended to reflect the group's values.^[1][7] Alt-right activist Vox Day has hired industry veteran Chuck Dixon to write comics,^[10] and announced a publishing imprint Comicsgate Comics.^[11]

Members of the movement have rallied against things they feel exemplify problems in the comics industry. Van Sciver describes "a left-wing dominance in the comic book industry" which has led to "oppressive social justice warrior harassment and blacklisting", and called for "escapist, apolitical entertainment".^[2] In the industry's pursuit of a more diverse marketplace,^[12] Dixon and Brett R. Smith – both politically conservative – alleged in May 2016 that they had been blacklisted by Marvel and DC.^[13] (DC published Bane: Conquest, a 12-issue mini-series written by Dixon, from May 2017 to June 2018.)^[14]

In April 2017, conservative magazine The Federalist tracked the Twitter accounts of all 30 freelance writers who had a comic released by Marvel that month, reporting that each had criticized President Donald Trump at least once, and none mentioned him positively. It attempted to identify the writers' religions, publishing a report that they included atheists, Jews, and a Muslim, but that none had spoken on Twitter about being Christian.^[13]

A July 2017 social media post by Marvel Comics assistant editor Heather Antos, featuring several young female coworkers getting milkshakes in memory of company veteran Flo Steinberg, drew a significant amount of attention from members of the movement.^[7][15] Antos was described as a "diversity hire",^[16] "an unqualified bimbo",^[16] and "the 'false rape charge' type",^[7][17] and the group in general as "fake geek girls", "social justice warriors", "tumblr-virtue signalers", and "the creepiest collection of stereotypical SJWs anyone could possibly imagine".^[17][7] Antos reported that a campaign of online harassment followed.^[18][7][16]

Meyer has made the campaign a common subject on his Youtube channel and Twitter account, in which he identifies comics professionals whose work or activities he sees as detrimental to the industry. He took credit for^[19] the firing of writer Aubrey Sitterson from the IDW comic G.I. Joe: Scarlett’s Strike Force after Sitterson criticized on social media what he saw as "performative grief" about 9/11.^[15] In a 2017 private invitation-only video titled "The Dark Roast", he referred to a female Marvel Comics editor as a "cum dumpster", accused various female professionals of "sucking their way into the industry", and labelled a transgender female writer a "man in a wig".^[7]

Members of Comicsgate have responded to professionals criticizing the movement by circulating lists of such creators to boycott.^[8] Among those placed on such lists and counter-criticized have been Larry Hama, Mark Waid, Alex de Campi, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Matt Fraction, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.^[8]

In 2018, Meyer announced that his crowdfunded comic book Jawbreakers: Lost Souls, a collaboration with freelance artist Joe Malin, would be published by Antarctic Press. In May 2018, Meyer posted on his social media screencaps of a private conversation between comic retailers discussing whether or not they would order copies of the series.^[20] Meyer encouraged his followers on Twitter to publicly post names, locations, and employee information of stores that said they would not be stocking it.^[21][22][23] On May 13, Antarctic Press announced that they were canceling their partnership with Meyer, who blamed freelance writer Mark Waid for contacting Antarctic's publisher to talk about the controversy.^[23] Both Antarctic and Waid issued statements denying that any threats or bullying had taken place.^[24][25][26] In October 2018, Meyer sued Waid for "tortious interference with contract and defamation".^[27]

Criticism

Comicsgate has been met with widespread criticism from other readers, comics creators, and industry journalists.^[28][29] In late 2017, Polygon writer Kieran Shiach accused Meyer of homophobia in comments he made in a video, that people like openly gay freelance writer Sina Grace should be "waned out of society" [sic], such as by a war-time military draft leading to his planned death in combat.^{[30] [31]}

In mid 2018, Marsha Cooke, widow of writer-artist Darwyn Cooke, became the subject of a heated online argument on Twitter when she denied a claim by Comicsgate participants that her husband would have supported the campaign.^[32][33] In response, several industry veterans (including Bill Sienkiewicz, Van Jenson, Tony Bedard, Jeff Lemire, and Magdalene Visaggio) wrote rebukes to the movement.^[32][34] In a social media post, writer Scott Snyder, who teaches writing in college and DC Comics' talent development program, said the movement launched "cruel, personal attacks" on his students that "were (and still are) especially repugnant for their sexism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia."^[35]

Writer Tom Taylor posted a brief message on social media rejecting the tenets of Comicsgate, stating "I believe comics are for everyone. There is no excuse for harassment. There is no place for homophobia, transphobia, racism or misogyny in comics criticism." The social media post was retweeted by creators including Kelly Thompson, Tim Seeley, Margaret Stohl, Jason Latour, Greg Pak, Fabian Nicieza, Benjamin Percy, and Jeff Lemire.^[36] In an unsigned editorial, Paste magazine took issue with Taylor conflating Comicsgate with editorial criticism, arguing that the group's activities should not be equated with valid critical commentary.^[37]

Greg Hatcher, administrator of the Comic Book Resources forums, compared the movement to the harassment that drove actresses Kelly Marie Tran and Millie Bobby Brown from social media, and noted that famed comic creators such as Jack Kirby and Stan Lee had also faced fan backlash for including political messages in comic books.^[38]

References