Page 33, Vol I, #9

Going for the Jugular

Scott Kurtz, creator of PVP (twelve days of Christmas ago as of the day this column appears, to be exact) ranted about how Joey Manley is making comic artists look bad.

Wait, that's not right, he said "why in the HELL would Joey decide to display us at our worst?" Same tune, different lyrics. (and I don't know that I'd be far off the mark to say that the reason for his flaming virulence – this time – is that Joey prominently puts Scott at the fourth biggest troublemaker in web comics.

So, why do I care? Well, I don't. Scott flies off the handle so often I'm surprised he doesn't wear a crash helmet when he sweeps the kitchen (incidentally, the response Scott had is probably the reason why he's #4 in the first place, though I'm sure that didn't occur to him). I only bring it up because it's symptomatic.

If, in the course of human events, Kurtz can say bad things about Buckley, or Squidi can say bad things about Gabe, or just about anybody can say bad things about Crosby, it is said. If webcomic creators were comic characters, most of them would be Wolverine: basically a good guy, but don't be surprised if he rips your guts out.

Like it or not, comic creators on the web are some of the most anti-social, insulting people out there. And before anyone gets antsy (and I'm sure I'll be in a flame war about this anyway), I'm using Kurtz as an example. I am not saying he's the only problem (after all, even Joey said there were at least three people worse than Kurtz).

Why is it? Why are web comic creators so insanely rude to each other?

Part of it is just the web. I can't tell you how often I've had verbal fisticuffs with my closest and dearest friends on the Internet. Seriously, someone should do something about it. This Interwebs thing is turning us into horrible, horrible people. You get time to stew about anything that's said, and it gets spread a whole lot more when it's there in the digital world. Before you have time to have a second thought (really, measure twice, cut once, shouldn't you have had that second thought before you hit post?) your message is being read by 90% of Keenspot's regulars and they'll never forgive you for your rudeness (which they will gently inform you of in the most vulgar language you can imagine).

The other reason is that comic creators aren't trapped in a box like print creators. We see them more often and they had to spend much less money to get themselves out there. They never have to deal with a publisher or, more importantly, an editor. Whatever pops into their head gets announced, in first draft form.

Scott McCloud has some things right about how much potential the web has for comics, but I don't recall him ever pointing out this essential problem with the web.

Not only are the creators not censored in anyway, but they tend to have egos.

Now, I have an ego. I have a bigger ego than anyone in this room. I once had to fight off the Silver Surfer to keep Galactus from landing on my ego and draining the energy from it. So when I point my finger, I'm well aware that three are pointing back at me. But, yes, they have egos.

And it makes sense that they do. They've written/drawn/coded this site and they say all these things and people come and look at it and praise it and their name starts getting known. And then the magic moment comes when people are asking how they can give money to you for the free giggle. Man, if that doesn't kick playing guitar on the street corner in the pants. They have justifiable egos.

But they're still egos.

And when people get mad, natural human "fight or flight" kicks in. And there's no where to hide on the web.

In the end, I don't think a columnist has the responsibility to be nice about comics. There's a rancid underbelly to comics that would be full of gambling, cheap whores, and hit men if nerds had the energy or the guts to leave our mother's basements. Anyone writing about comics objectively has the responsibility to say what needs to be said. As a warning, as praise, or as whatever.

And lets face it anyway. Anyone writing about comics has the same problem that every other nonfiction about comics has always had.

It's us socially backward comic geeks that are going to be reading it. No one else will even recognize we're here.

Discuss it in our forums.

Written by SaintEhlers on December 19th, 2005