“In offering further thoughts on the recent ’emergency stop’ placed on her overall DC career, Red Hood Vol. 2 writer Gretchen Felker-Martin has criticized how the publisher was exceptionally fast to not just cancel, but fully recall the only published issue of her Red Hood Vol. 2, but did not offer a similar response to a number of other ‘uncouth’ creators.”

  • Lyrl@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 hours ago

    "One thing I’ll say about DC not only canceling Red Hood, but recalling the first issue and refunding stores for buying it, is that you can still get Neil Gaiman’s work through them. They still work with Otto Schmidt. Eddie Berganza worked there for years AFTER the formation of a policy that no women were to be around him at any time for any reason due to his habitual sexual harassment and assaults.

    “Frank Miller released one of the most savagely Islamophobic comics of all time, HOLY TERROR, and still works with DC. There are pedophiles, war criminals, confessed sexual predators on staff.

    “You can still buy all their work.

    For those unaware of the specific cases involving the creators named by Felker-Martin:

    • Gaiman was recently accused of grooming and sexual assault by a number of women, and is currently facing a related lawsuit from one of them. DC still publishes his Batman and The Sandman work.
    • Schmidt drew a graphic propaganda comics on behalf of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. DC continues to commission him for cover work, his most recent gracing the front of this month’s Batgirl Vol. 6 #9
    • Berganza was fired from DC in 2017 following numerous accusations of inter-office sexual harassment, prior to which the aforementioned ‘No women around’ rule was confirmed by Sensational Comics Vol. 2 writer Alex DeCampi. His run as an editor on a number of Superman-related titles, including Action Comics Vol. 1, Advenutres of Superman Vol. 1, and Worlds’ Finest Vol. 1, are still widely available in various trade collections.
    • Miller, as noted by Felker-Martin, wrote and drew Holy Terror!, a post-9/11 anti-terrorism that presents both the War on Terror and the Islamic faith as cartoonishly evil. From The Dark Knight Returns to its third-sequel, 2019’s The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, Miller’s collected work remains a mainstay of comic book retailers.

    While Felker-Martin did not provide any specifics as to the supposed “pedophiles” and “confessed sexual predators on staff”, it’s currently presumed that the “war criminals” include not just Schmit, labeled as such for his Putin propaganda piece, but also current DC golden boy Tom King, himself an ex-CIA agent who helped plan and facilitate America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.

  • hactar42@lemmy.ml
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    2 days ago

    The US would be in a much better place if more people stuck to their guns like her.

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    2 days ago

    That’s a good point, it is some fucked up priorities for a publisher to not support free speech but to support rape. Gaiman is a vile and disgusting rapist who brutalized at least one vulnerable teenager and multiple adult women. If you would rather associate with someone like that and help make them richer there’s something fucked up with morals.

    • Sgarcnl@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I suppose however that Gaiman probably had more earning potential? He has some notable works, but I do agree the publisher should have taken the high road.

  • finitebanjo@piefed.world
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    2 days ago

    Fun fact, the original publications involving Terra and Deathstroke from the 1982 publication of New Teen Titans included fully illustrated graphical sex between the two while she was depicted as underage.

    Actually, none of that fact was fun. I’m sorry that you now have to live with this accursed knowledge.

        • Ceedoestrees@lemmy.worldOP
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          19 hours ago

          She might have been contracted rather than an employee, and may have already completed her contract. But either way it’s fuzzy. She could have grounds to dispute it, because:

          1. She wasn’t acting as a representative of the company or it’s views.

          2. She was using her independent social media account.

          3. Her sometimes incendiary, political social media presence was a known entity and apparently discussed, and might even be considered part of her brand, unless her contract outlined what she could and couldn’t say for x amount of time after completing her contract.

          4. The book was already printed and shipped, their recall could be considered retaliation for her political views, since they don’t apply the same rules across the board, and the recall would hurt her worse than them.

          • bigmamoth@lemmy.world
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            19 hours ago

            Mostly agree with your point except it was still a public account. About 4 I haven’t seen any instance that would proove they dont apply the rule accords the board. Also she s a contractor and as so she signed a contract with clause and thoses clause allow them to finish the contract.

            • Ceedoestrees@lemmy.worldOP
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              10 hours ago

              Much of the article, and the headline of the article, are about the rules on public image not being unilaterally applied.

              I can’t parse your last sentence.

              • bigmamoth@lemmy.world
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                2 hours ago

                The contract she signed has clauses that she must respect and can justify its cancellation. This is very classic.

                About the fact that the rule isn’t apply fairly accros the board I tend to agree but the other case aren’t that similar tbh