It’s so funny how times have changed.
In 2018, I warned everyone that they shouldn’t put their faith in failed former Marvel/DC artists to “change the industry” — they WERE the industry. They do the same things as the industry, they have the same egos and outlooks. To have real change, you need an outsider (Like Trump did for politics), but that’s another essay.
Back in 2018, however, the ComicsGate hashtag was used to talk about how comic readers wanted good, fun stories. How it was never about identity politics.
It started to change when a group of angry anons calling themselves “war campaign” — who spend their time role playing as if they’ve got homosexual attraction to Ethan Van Sciver– targeted right-wing creators in the movement for “removal” — much like the mainstream comic industry did to right-wing creators to begin with, which created the movement.
It was a warning sign, but because people were caught up in the charisma of youtube livestreams and drama clicks, just like the people who follow establishment publications like Bleeding Cool are, they followed the drama off a cliff.
There’s a lot of history, enough to write a book, but ComicsGate in the last few weeks has gone to pure simping with someone called That Star Wars Girl.
She’s produced what by every account is an amateur drawing to put on the cover of a book that’s a reprint, not even hers (cuz she has no ability to tell a story). The only reason she’s being supported is her being a woman.
What a stunning and brave effort!
Doesn’t that sound a lot like how the mainstream industry was trying to force identity into books? Force you to buy stuff and called you sexist if you didn’t buy the lousy products?
Now Jon Malin shows it’s 100% about that, as he’s posted he’s backed the book and is supporting it on Twitter.
All that’s missing is Malin to be posting #VisibleWomen as a hashtag, and his twitter account would be indistinguishable from that of Gail Simone or Mags.
This is ComicsGate now — not about quality, just about making sure we clap when a woman puts forth a mediocre effort. Tell me again how this isn’t SJW?
This is why I mock these fools. Not one of them could put together a decent story after taking over the movement which was about rebelling against this garbage. RoboToad: Rekt Manelt will be a better story than anything Ethan Van Sciver will ever write, and it drives them crazy. It’s simple because the book has a beginning, middle, and end.
It was never about “what is right”; it was always about being the emperor instead of the emperor.