Chuck Dixon is awesome

[Sarah Beach]

And I think Dixon and DC both agreed on his exit from the company.

Um. No. Here's what he has to say for himself.....

Chuck Dixon from his own Dixonverse board--

Just to counter some nonsense I've seen "reported" on other sites.
I did not quit.
I do not believe it had anything to do with politics.
My involvement with Robin ends with issue 174.
I think my BATO run is over with #10.
My Booster two-parter will still be appearing.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Storming Paradise continues on schedule.
For those keep score, yes, I was way ahead on both of my monthlies. Down the road perhaps I'll offer those scripts and you folks can help out Books for Soldiers as you so generously have before.

[Chuck Dixon]

Even if the companies have liberal biases ..they understand that Chuck Dixon's a writer and his characters rarely show that. He'll likely be doing work for some company down the line. And I think Dixon and DC both agreed on his exit from the company. Not they called him into an office and said "CHUCK DIXON.....YOUR FFFFIIIIIIRRREED." (Vince McMahon Impression)

There was nothing mutual about my leaving DC Comics. I would have preferred an impassioned Mr Dithers-style You're Fired!" to the way it was handled.
To clear up a few other notions, I have always had a great relationship with IDW (Ted Adams is one of the most trustworthy men in comics) and there were already plans for projects in 2009 before all this crap came down. Some cool, high-end stuff. Dark Horse has always been strange with me. They've had editors who were very high on me but none of them lasted very long. That's gotta be significant, right?
And career-wise, I was much closer to the wilderness when CrossGen failed. But even then I had projects outside of the Big Two.
And thank God for the awesome folks at Bongo. They don't care of you're a card-carrying anarchist as long as you bring the funny and understand their characters. They have saved my ass and my car and my house a number of times.

[CutterMike]

I wish I was kidding. He been fired from DC, and can't get work at Marvel. And since he can’t get work from Vertigo, as it’s owned by DC, his only options are IDW, Top Cow and Dark Horse. All of which have extremely liberal biases. From a professional standpoint the things are looking bleak for him despite the fact that I think he’s at the top of his game and fixed several characters who I thought to be broken forever.

Are you assuming that Chuck can't write and get published -- by anyone -- a creator-owned project and have it sell?

Are you assuming that a writer who is, in your own words, "at the top of his game," can't write novels or TV (live action or animated)?

Because, unless you're making those assumptions, and can show where they are coming from, I'm not seeing it.

If you're simply saying that, at the moment, and for the immediate future, he probably won't be working at the Big Two, then okay.

But, regimes change and, even if they don't, comics are a business and in ANY business someone who can sell product will be able to find work somewhere.

[Gail Simone]

I wish I was kidding. He been fired from DC, and can't get work at Marvel. And since he can’t get work from Vertigo, as it’s owned by DC, his only options are IDW, Top Cow and Dark Horse. All of which have extremely liberal biases. From a professional standpoint the things are looking bleak for him despite the fact that I think he’s at the top of his game and fixed several characters who I thought to be broken forever.

No, it isn't, and it's not my place to say where, but Chuck certainly has a hell of a lot more options than that, and is already taking advantage of them.

[Gail Simone]

There was nothing mutual about my leaving DC Comics. I would have preferred an impassioned Mr Dithers-style You're Fired!" to the way it was handled.
To clear up a few other notions, I have always had a great relationship with IDW (Ted Adams is one of the most trustworthy men in comics) and there were already plans for projects in 2009 before all this crap came down. Some cool, high-end stuff. Dark Horse has always been strange with me. They've had editors who were very high on me but none of them lasted very long. That's gotta be significant, right?
And career-wise, I was much closer to the wilderness when CrossGen failed. But even then I had projects outside of the Big Two.
And thank God for the awesome folks at Bongo. They don't care of you're a card-carrying anarchist as long as you bring the funny and understand their characters. They have saved my ass and my car and my house a number of times.

I say again for the record, the Bongo people are some of the best people in comics. Every single exclusive I sign has an out in it that allows me to work for them. Without Scott Shaw and Bongo, I would never have been in comics at all, and even when I was a pathetic wet-eared newbie, they treated me with kindness, patience and respect.

They are the BEST.

[Cam63]

Writer bootcamp is softer than I thought.

They could've at least made you do laps holding your 'puter screen over your head.

[Gail Simone]

I can't speak for the new poster, but generally people who bash DC always have glowing words of exception for you. Chances are he falls into that catagory as he posted here.

I didn't take it as a personal shot, there simply isn't enough information there. I just am enjoying a lot of DC books lately and it's sad when people are that unhappy with the books.

[Red Jack]

Look!

People!

Can we just all agree that Chuck Dixon is awesome and leave it at that?

::Best Napoleon Dynamite::

God!

[Erik Burnham]

No, it isn't, and it's not my place to say where, but Chuck certainly has a hell of a lot more options than that, and is already taking advantage of them.

Yes he is.

I know of several of them.

I am just as - if not more - jealous of these opportunities. One in particular just made me green with envy.

I mean, if what Chuck wanted was to write ONLY mainstream superhero comics, he'd be closer to "at the bottom." Fortunately, that's not the case.

[Paul D. Storrie]

Gail,

Just to be clear: Despite the way I've phrased a couple of my posts, I have no great personal animosity towards Rich. Lots and lots of my friends think he's a great guy and I trust their judgment in regards to that. That being the case, though, it disappointed me that he seemed to think that someone's personal decision not to engage in the kind of rumor-spreading that is is bread and butter was something that should/could be casually put aside.

I do get angry on some occasions that Rich's column can put people's careers at risk. Not people like Pat Lee or Rick "doesn't really have a career" Olney. But people who are working on projects that he's leaking information about who might end up in hot water because word got out. Or just people who may have made a slip in how they phrased something, whether online or at a con, and then end up pilloried by fans and/or pros who read something that may not accurately reflect that person's actual opinion.

Now, I'm going to resist the temptation to close my post by lapsing into a Sally Field impersonation and saying, "You like me! You really like me!"

Aren't you glad I resisted the temptation?

PDS

[Pink Bat Maxine]

I like Chuck, I like Paul, I like Rich, I like PBM, I like BnL, I like Reflecto, and on and on. I see the good side of all of you, and you all have been gracious or crazy enough to overlook my own shortcomings.

In fairness, I think I've been pretty good about extending an olive branch, both here and in private messages. As I never got a response, I take it that Mr. Dixon isn't overly concerned by any differences between us.

My interpretation is that we're both content to let sleeping dogs lie. Just 'cause people disagree, doesn't mean they need to argue ad infinitum about their differences.

(Perhaps you refer to my 'Drama Queen' comment? Anyone, friend foe or indifferent gets THAT one when they invoke Hamlet in comparison to themselves.)

[Erik Burnham]

In fairness, I think I've been pretty good about extending an olive branch, both here and in private messages. As I never got a response, I take it that Mr. Dixon isn't overly concerned by any differences between us.

It could also be because CBR's PM system hides like ninja.

I once had a message sit there for nearly two months before I finally noticed it...

[Pink Bat Maxine]

It could also be because CBR's PM system hides like ninja.

I once had a message sit there for nearly two months before I finally noticed it...

Well, I actually CCed one to Chuck to Gail, and she got it.

Called it '100% Class' as well, which still makes me smile.

And seeing as it was months ago.... I imagine it arrived. 'Course, whether he reads his PMs is another question.

[Erik Burnham]

(Perhaps you refer to my 'Drama Queen' comment? Anyone, friend foe or indifferent gets THAT one when they invoke Hamlet in comparison to themselves.)

What do you do when someone invokes MacBeth? (;

[Pink Bat Maxine]

What do you do when someone invokes MacBeth? (;

Super-Mega-Drama-Queen? Or just plain.... SCOTTISH?

Seriously, when someone invokes a Shakespearian.... you know... Drama to describe themselves, I think they should be willing to take the term 'Drama Queen' with a shrug and a chuckle.

'Course, Mr. Dixon may well have done just that.