Camestros Felapton

FELAPTONL

Maybe the true scandal was (ComicsGateComics-Gate)Gate-Comics all along…

Links to the other posts 1, 2, 3, 4

Well sad news one and all who hoped that the combined forces of assholery on the internet would consume each other in an internecine apocalypse of name calling, Vox Day has “released” the “ComicsGate Comics” imprint. Yes, I sat and watched another turgid video. Let me once again despair at how awful the medium of talking head YouTube video is. I appreciate that there are many examples of people being entertaining in off-the-cuff videos but in general, this is an awful medium. Aside from anything else, it’s like twenty minutes of video conveys the same amount of information as about a minute of text.

Enough ranting by me. In a recent “Darkstream” video Vox Day (well-known supporter of far-right terrorists) entitled “ComicsGate and Cyberfrog are now free” announced that he had “released” the ComicsGate Comics imprint from the “system”. Of course, this was presented by him as a kind of vengeful masterstroke of the ‘Ha, ha, now look what you made me do!’* kind.

I have to say I’m a bit unclear as to what exactly he did here. He appears to be talking about the distribution system for graphic novels. Now, I’m aware that your standard monthly comic distribution is pretty much controlled by a monopolisitic distributor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Comic_Distributors ) but that collections, graphic novels etc (which get distributed to bookshops as well comic shops) has a bigger variety of distributors (including groups like RandomHousePenguin) [People who understand this better, please wade in]. I don’t know how Vox Day’s comic imprints (Akrhaven and Dark Legion) are distributed in print form but he seems to be claiming that in some “system” he had claimed the term “ComicsGate Comics” and has now ‘released it’.

The dastardly twist is that supposedly now the dread SJWs can grab the term themselves! Oh no! Although it is not obvious why anybody would want to or why that would be disruptive to supporters of ComicsGate. Having a line of comics called “ComicsGate” doesn’t seem to be an objective of the ComicsGate crowd and controlling the name of an imprint nobody (aside from Vox) seems to want wouldn’t help the left or critics of ComicsGate any.

In short, it’s just Vox claiming victory in the face of defeat again. I’m suprised he caved so soon. Hopefully they’ll all start fighting about something else soon and leave everybody else alone again.

For those interested in the underlying resentment fuelling this dispute, Vox reveals the fragile spot of his ego in a follow up post:

“But I became suspicious of his [Ethan Van Sciver’s] two-faced nature when, after praising how well written the bestselling Alt-Hero #1 was, and asking me if I might be interested in writing with him in the future, he went out and publicly slagged the story in the YouTube review he did with his father the very next day, even pretending that he couldn’t figure out what was going on from page to page. He didn’t say one single positive word about my writing despite having praised it effusively the day before.”

Vox really wants people to think his fiction writing is good. Unfortunately it isn’t – it’s pretty bad, much worse than his non-fiction writing.

*[Not his literal words]

camestrosfelapton

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25 responses to “Maybe the true scandal was (ComicsGateComics-Gate)Gate-Comics all along…”

  1. I claim copyright on the term Comicsgate and so does my cat! There, now the ‘gaters won’t be able to use it and I’ll donate any proceeds to the most SJW of SJW causes, all in Teddy’s and Ethan’s names.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. The worst part is I’ve seen the review, and it’s still too kind to Beale’s execrable efforts. As bad as Ted is at writing fiction, he’s worse at doing it in comic book form–which makes sense, as he’s combining an already formidable lack of talent with a lack of familiarity with the form, AND wrapping it all up with the assistance of a deeply incompetent illustrator.

    Liked by 2 people

      • Ethan’s review gave it a C-.

        That baby was an ‘F’ with a note from the teacher to see them after class, at best.

        Like

    • Considering how incompetent Teddy is with prose, then adding the complexity of an entirely different form of art, I doubt Ethan and his daddy were pretending not to know what was going on. I’m sure they were genuinely confused.

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    • It looks to me like
      1) van Sciver was polite and conflict-averse in direct communication with VD, but more forthright in his youtube review
      2) VD took this in the worst possible way (I’ve noticed he’s fairly obsessive about trying to monitor what people he interacts with might be saying about him to third parties – extreme insecurity)
      3) VD has gotten advice from actual lawyers since this blew up, and realized he walked straight into a losing trademark fight
      4) he cannot, of course publicly admit this in any shape or form, therefore resorts to the standard “declare victory and go away”

      Liked by 1 person

    • I just sat through the EVS review of Alt-Hero 1. I’m amazed that VD managed to take offense to this. The criticism is totally spot-on and, most importantly, helpful and constructive. Only an incredibly thin-skinned insecure so-and-so, incapable of ever considering any personal failings, would get mad at this.

      I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Beale had his cronies declare the second volume of his “Arts of Dork and Spite”, as I like to call it, an improvement on the first, even though he rushed it out incomplete to qualify for a Best Series Hugo Nomination. (Which it didn’t get.) His skin is so thin it makes eggshells look like tank plating.

        Liked by 2 people

        • Space Oddity: Beale had his cronies declare the second volume of his “Arts of Dork and Spite”, as I like to call it, an improvement on the first, even though he rushed it out incomplete to qualify for a Best Series Hugo Nomination. (Which it didn’t get.)

          I heard that he thought he had that nom in the bag, and was really pissed off when he didn’t come close to making the ballot.

          Liked by 1 person

      • But he’s sooo totally over the Hugos, remember? Completely. Doesn’t care at all.
        (Except deep down in his tiny shriveled black heart.)

        He’d do better at everything if he wasn’t such a crybaby.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. “Aside from anything else, it’s like twenty minutes of video conveys the same amount of information as about a minute of text.”

    That’s not a problem for the intended market (slow readers)

    Youtube videos do have transcriptions, but they’re produced by computer voice recognition, and between that and the use of speech register rather than text register they’re not as readable as I’d like – you need to translate to formal English on the fly.

    Videos with infographics aren’t quite so tedious.

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    • I know someone (an older family member) who spends several hours each day watching youtube videos. Mostly stuff about machine tools and related work or hobbies, which makes it understandable; being able to demonstrate what they’re talking about in video is probably comparable in efficiency to well-written text in those particular cases, and certainly easier to produce. Also this person sets the default youtube playback speed to 30% faster than normal, so they’re all talking like they’re on helium, while still making it possible to follow.

      I don’t have the patience for it though.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Back in January, Van Scrivner tweeted that “Alt-Hero is a mess.” I’m not sure that what Vox claims about him wanting to write for Arkhaven is true—unless maybe EVS offered to take over the project and turn it into something that is at least readable and marketable. As for Vox’ “distribution system” he’s being a bit grandiose. As near as I can tell, he only sells on Amazon Retail for hard copy. I looked into this about a month ago: Diamond doesn’t have Arkhaven; and as far as I can tell, none of the biggest online/retail comics shops have it either. Vox did mention early on that some retailer (I don’t remember which) took the first Alt-Hero issue—and then ended up selling it at a markdown.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. EVS, I note, *is* a comics artist who’s drawn superheroes for the Big 2 and other professional things. So him giving a C- to an amateur work is pretty generous. Regardless of his politics (ugh), I’d take any constructive criticism as praise.

    There are a LOT of independent comics, and if someone with his resume bothers to look at yours, that in and of itself is a win. Free advertising.

    It’s Teddy’s usual pattern of “Senpai noticed me!” and getting the hysterical vapors when senpai didn’t praise him to the skies.

    Parental issues? Getting stuffed into too many trashcans in school? Never having to hold a real job?

    Liked by 1 person

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