Do Not Siege Walled Cities - 253

Good News, Everyone...

WE GOT’M!

Time to celebrate, right?

C’mon! Bad guy is gone! We all did our part and now it’s time to party!

Why don’t you seem happy? Isn’t this what you wanted? Something about how you really care about victims and so you’re all good on whatever happens next?

Something about how you care so much about this community, other than the parts of it you don’t like and have no sympathy for, and so this is the best possible outcome?

Self-elected trust and safety division of comics, where you at? We got the guy to kill himself! I thought we’d at least have a parade!

Nobody?

What a buncha killjoys.

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WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I got married this weekend, so I will be doing my best to refer to my girlfriend as my wife from hereon.

My wife read the Ed Piskor suicide note and was deeply effected. She asked me what I want from comics. Why am I still here. She wanted to know if there was a way to find what I’m looking for creatively without being around people like the ones who mobbed up on Piskor.

She posed a few interesting questions. If the awards are fixed, if the tastemakers are deranged, and if the readership has been demoralized... what’s the point of ‘trying to leave a mark?’ What is there to leave a mark on? And most importantly, if you don’t respect the culture of comics, then why give it your time?

I don’t know that I have an answer for her.

In the wake of Piskor’s death, a lotta people are asking themselves questions about social media. Others are pretending to ask themselves about their role in his suicide. I’m asking myself why I’d give the best years of my life to a scene of losers.

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DEALING WITH THE UNWELL

Just wanted to address some of the psychopathy on display in the hours since Piskor posted his suicide note.

“This is unfortunate, but what’s important is that we listened to the victims.”

Piskor refuted their claims in his letter. That’s a counter-allegation, for anyone paying attention. So this is now a matter that requires sober-minded inspection of the facts. But the truthfulness of the claim never why you listened to them anyway, right? You wanted these things to be true. Piskor was an annoying dick, so you wanted the worst-case to be the case. Everyone can see that.

“I am sorry this happened, but I stand by my criticism.”

Which criticism? That 40-year-old men shouldn’t be in a 17-year-old’s DMs? Brave stance. You joined a chorus of people. It wasn’t your criticism. It was a blindingly obvious fact that didn’t need any contribution from you. But you ‘contributed’ because… something about consequences being important? Well, good news. You got consequences to happen.

“This is sad, but it’s a call to arms for comicsgate assholes who whine about cancel culture.”

Your brain has been eaten by moths. Get off the internet. That’s all online nonsense. Someone just died in real life. Prioritize you concerns.

“This is [insert insincere bullshit], but comics have to be a safe space for aspiring creators where they will not be exploited.”

No shit. Big no shit, man. But did you automatically assume that was best achieved by calling a guy a pedo until he killed himself? Did you cycle through other options or was this one just so immediately attractive that you had to run with it?

“This [blah blah blah], but it’s important we hold creators accountable.”

Who are you? Am I supposed to believe you’re the arbiter of this shit? Your job is to hold people accountable? Is that an elected position? Or are you just a self-righteous weirdo who saw an opportunity to harm a stranger?

Here’s how I know you people are full of shit: You never cancel your plumbers. Never cancel the garbage man. Never cancel line cooks. You only, ever, attempt to bring down people doing better than you. Piskor was self-made and undeniable. I didn’t like his work and I thought he was borderline illiterate. But he created a space for himself in comics and self-advocated until he could make a living in that space. You’re jealous. And that’s so goddamn apparent you can’t hide it under your moralizing bullshit.

“Take note of anyone who isn’t centering the victims right now. That’s a dangerous person.”

Fuck you. Add me to whatever list you want.

There’s so few things in life that can’t be resolved through purposeful mediation and an open heart. From interpersonal conflicts to behavioral concerns, most things have imperfect but attainable fixes or at least salves we can live with. Anyone who thinks Piskor was beyond redemption is lost themselves. None of this was necessary.

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A NICE TIME IN VEGAS

“By the power vested in me by ‘Getordained.com’…”

Ignore losers (do a better job of it than I do, clearly) and do for self.