In Your Face Jam - Nov 14, 2012

[CBR News]

The Internet nearly broke earlier this week after another misogynistic screed over female cosplayers became the topic du jour, and Brett White asks the question: How does this keeps happening?


Full article here.

[A_Nominus]

well said.

[Skute]

I'm very happy to say I have no clue who Tony Harris is.

[RDMacQ]

I kind of get the notion that seeing all these cute and attractive girls dressing up as Supergirl, Catwoman and other characters seems to be good to be true. I know for a lot of people growing up, this was a pipe dream. Comics books were for a "loser" audience. Seeing attractive women embrace this sort of lifestyle seems like it's almost impossible to believe. But the hateful statements by Harris just seem over the top. Sounds like a guy who might have tried to be "funny" and controversial, but it ended up falling WAY flat.

Or maybe the guy is just that hateful. Either way, people seem to be taking this the right way- using it as a way to show off their love, not get bogged down by someone's hate.

[stefano]

i went and read Tony's comment. i'm not sure why he's so harsh about scantily clad female cosplayers, but you're out of line calling him "misogynist". The term applies to those who hate women in general, not just women who are cosplayers; so the label doesn't fit, and your diatribe about 2 + 2 = 5 seems almost as weird as Tony's rant. For the record, i've no problem with cosplayers, and share your bafflement that anyone involved in comics, which have been a fringe medium for most of my life, could get so critical about anyone else doing whatever they want to do; but painting Tony with the broad brush of misogyny is an unnecessary escalation of the matter.

[cdemink]

Unwillingness to accept that a lot of people calling you a misogynist may have a kernel of truth is the first sign that you are one.

When the free speech lynch mob shows up at your doorstep with a burning cross and a noose it's best to just accept your beating. You probably deserve it. Because a mass of angry people has NEVER been wrong before.

You label every female cosplayer an imposter and a virgin-manipulating predator, then cut yourself off from the following dialogue that proves that notion ridiculously wrong.

Did anyone here actually do that? This dude is writing a 1,000 word piece fighting a theoretical enemy that doesn't actually exist. And they said comics journalism was dead.

"Two plus two is five, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a stupid, tyrannical pervert!" and then sticking by your guns when every human being alive gets out an abacus. Sorry, man, but your guns are wrong.

Or saying "Anyone who disagrees with me or couches their argument in a way I don't agree with gets labeled as a misogynist." Oh. Wait.

Did the inner voice that's been policing your brain for misogynistic thoughts take a nap? Was it too caught up watching whatever the inside-a-human-head equivalent of "Breaking Bad" is?

And you're a WRITER? Wow. You sure you don't just fetch coffee or something?

It baffles me that some people still think it's okay to treat other humans as less-than.

Yeah. Unless those people disagree with me in a completely fictionalized one sided argument I create for manufactured controversy. In that case, screw them. BOYCOT. HE SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY AGAIN! GOO AMERKA.

[Lot 49]

This is a quote taken from a blog at buzzfeed.com:

I am a female cos-player myself and completely agree with this man. What he is trying to say, ladies, is that if you dress as a comic character yet do not read the comic, you're just a skank in spandex.

It seems to me that, if Harris had simply said that, the internet would not have "almost exploded"...

This is probably why Harris is an artist and not a writer...

[Lot 49]

Also, Tony Harris followed up on his own FB page...

I'm not going to repost here because of the liberal use of profanity...

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/11/...s-tony-harris/

But, I will say that he clarified his statements without backpedaling...

[eDKeener]

I've met and hung out with Tony at cons. He's a great guy, and very passionate about his work. I'm not defending the way he said it, but I do get the gist of what he was saying. Having been to a few Cons and hung out with some pros watching a good number of the cosplayers just wander around in costume and getting pictures taken without ever going up and talking to a creator about their work, or even buying a single book at a Con to support the industry they say they are passionate about by dressing in costume and paying to be a part of a crowd at an event does seem a little odd to me. If I'm going to plop down the cash to go to a con you better believe I'm talking to everyone I can find in the industry that has a few minutes to talk. I've made some pretty good friends doing this. So yeah I can see where Tony is coming from with his comments.

[DamianWayne]

Meh. Stupid internet drama is stupid internet drama. I've got better things to do. Like read my comics.

[Vibranium]

I've met and hung out with Tony at cons. He's a great guy, and very passionate about his work. I'm not defending the way he said it, but I do get the gist of what he was saying. Having been to a few Cons and hung out with some pros watching a good number of the cosplayers just wander around in costume and getting pictures taken without ever going up and talking to a creator about their work, or even buying a single book at a Con to support the industry they say they are passionate about by dressing in costume and paying to be a part of a crowd at an event does seem a little odd to me. If I'm going to plop down the cash to go to a con you better believe I'm talking to everyone I can find in the industry that has a few minutes to talk. I've made some pretty good friends doing this. So yeah I can see where Tony is coming from with his comments.

and that is what you do and how you enjoy conventions...not everyone does it in that way

what has surprised me is the reaction from other writers and artists...basically telling Harris to "shut it"

I think when these sort of things happen, it can either reinforce bad habits or pave the way for change....I hope the latter is the case here

[Lot 49]

what has surprised me is the reaction from other writers and artists...basically telling Harris to "shut it"

Now that comics is getting attention from the mainstream, people in the industry want Harris to play the game and not rock the boat...

[Vibranium]

Now that comics is getting attention from the mainstream, people in the industry want Harris to play the game and not rock the boat...

or want everyone to be treated equally and not slut shamed....this has been a long brewing issue that is just now getting attention..and its not just in comic fandom, happening in video games too

recently a female writer for Bio Ware made some comments about Mass Effect 3 and was deluged with various online tirades about getting back in the kitchen and being a whore

[eDKeener]

and that is what you do and how you enjoy conventions...not everyone does it in that way

what has surprised me is the reaction from other writers and artists...basically telling Harris to "shut it"

I think when these sort of things happen, it can either reinforce bad habits or pave the way for change....I hope the latter is the case here

I can see your point. And like I said I wasn't defending how Tony said what he said, just that I've seen it; people spend all day walking by creators and not even taking a second to look at their work. These guys pay hard earned money for a chance to be in a con, then watch people just walk on by looking for another chance to get a picture taken. I hung out with Alex Grecian (writer of Proof) at a con in KC a couple years ago. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met, but after a couple hours I wanted to jump up and guide people to the table just to look at his book, after watching a lot of people in costume and out just walk right on by. So I can see the frustration some creators probably feel at cons watching people be there just to be there and show off their costumes. I have nothing against cosplay...heck I enjoy looking at everyones costumes, but like I said if you're going to pay the cash to be there you may as well meet some people while you do it.

[starman]

Please write an entire thread to Maggot. I love that guy. Probably because of the cool way that Joe Mad drew him. I just wish his origin didn't envolve Joseph.