Novelist Chuck Wendig fired by Marvel
October 12, 2018 1:21 PM Subscribe
Marvel has fired Star Wars writer Chuck Wendig apparently because of his politics.
Novelist Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) has written science fiction and fantasy, novels, comics, and screenplays. He has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and has occasionally appeared on MetaFilter for his amusing Twitter threads with Sam Sykes. (Previously, Previously)
A few years back Wendig wrote a Star Wars novel that included LGBT characters, which led to some backlash from the less-enlightened members of the fandom. Wendig also posts openly political tweets online.
Now Marvel has fired Wendig, explicitly and expressly because of the occasionally-vulgar and political tone of his public statements. It was too much politics, too much vulgarity, too much negativity on my part.
Novelist Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) has written science fiction and fantasy, novels, comics, and screenplays. He has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and has occasionally appeared on MetaFilter for his amusing Twitter threads with Sam Sykes. (Previously, Previously)
A few years back Wendig wrote a Star Wars novel that included LGBT characters, which led to some backlash from the less-enlightened members of the fandom. Wendig also posts openly political tweets online.
Now Marvel has fired Wendig, explicitly and expressly because of the occasionally-vulgar and political tone of his public statements. It was too much politics, too much vulgarity, too much negativity on my part.
I guess Marvel has decided that misogynistic assholes are their core demographic. Something to keep in mind before giving them any money.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:27 PM on October 12, 2018 [74 favorites]
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:27 PM on October 12, 2018 [74 favorites]
It's not fear of boycotts or even of bad press anymore. This is someone at or near the top who actively agrees with the Goobergaters and wants to punish people who speak out for human rights and justice.
posted by Etrigan at 1:27 PM on October 12, 2018 [53 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 1:27 PM on October 12, 2018 [53 favorites]
My decision to not buy any marvel comics after the civil war 2 debacle and then Hydra cap has never made me feel bad.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 1:28 PM on October 12, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 1:28 PM on October 12, 2018 [11 favorites]
My decision to buy Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comics is now making me feel bad. I wonder how Ryan North feels... and whether he's next.
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:35 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:35 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
It's not fear of boycotts or even of bad press anymore. This is someone at or near the top who actively agrees with the Goobergaters and wants to punish people who speak out for human rights and justice.
That would be Chairman of the Board Ike Perlmutter, whom you may recall as one of the three Donald Trump hangers-on who have been dictating policy for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:36 PM on October 12, 2018 [74 favorites]
That would be Chairman of the Board Ike Perlmutter, whom you may recall as one of the three Donald Trump hangers-on who have been dictating policy for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:36 PM on October 12, 2018 [74 favorites]
And who is also lending not just money, but also his personal jet to Ron "I don't want my black opponent to 'monkey it up'" DeSantis.
posted by zombieflanders at 1:40 PM on October 12, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 1:40 PM on October 12, 2018 [16 favorites]
Let's also not forget Editor-In-Chief C.B. Cebulski, who in the early 2000s wrote comics for Marvel under the persona of "Akira Yoshida," a made-up Japanese man who drew a separate paycheck from Associate Editor C.B. Cebulski in order to circumvent the company's policy against editors moonlighting as writers or artists at Marvel.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:51 PM on October 12, 2018 [31 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:51 PM on October 12, 2018 [31 favorites]
I am reading all this and my mind is boggled. His twitter feed is freaking awesome.
posted by nikaspark at 1:51 PM on October 12, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by nikaspark at 1:51 PM on October 12, 2018 [5 favorites]
Trying to figure out what was going on with this led me to discover that Wendig blocked me on Twitter some time in the last few days, which baffles me, since I'm entirely sympatico with his views and can't remember any negative interactions. But forget it, Jake, it's twitter.
Anyway: Marvel being cowardly shitheads towards a creator is pretty in-character.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 1:52 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
Anyway: Marvel being cowardly shitheads towards a creator is pretty in-character.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 1:52 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
This probably explains why Ragnatalk episode 2 is a sore subject, then...
(Seriously, it totally nailed the vital two-guys-talking-about-Thor: Ragnarok-10-minutes-at-a-time demographic where all the big money is. Loved the first episode so much!)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 2:02 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Seriously, it totally nailed the vital two-guys-talking-about-Thor: Ragnarok-10-minutes-at-a-time demographic where all the big money is. Loved the first episode so much!)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 2:02 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Trying to figure out what was going on with this led me to discover that Wendig blocked me on Twitter some time in the last few days, which baffles me, since I'm entirely sympatico with his views and can't remember any negative interactions
You may be on somebody's block list for entirely arbitrary reasons. I don't use blacklists for that reason -- Wil Wheaton wound up blocking a lot of trans people because was using a TERF-y block list (and was unsympathetic when called on it). But I have 15k followers and no blue check mark, and Chuck has four times and many and a checkmark. I'm already in "how did these damn Nazis" find me?" territory every week or so, and I'm nobody, so he might find a block list necessary.
posted by maxsparber at 2:04 PM on October 12, 2018 [25 favorites]
You may be on somebody's block list for entirely arbitrary reasons. I don't use blacklists for that reason -- Wil Wheaton wound up blocking a lot of trans people because was using a TERF-y block list (and was unsympathetic when called on it). But I have 15k followers and no blue check mark, and Chuck has four times and many and a checkmark. I'm already in "how did these damn Nazis" find me?" territory every week or so, and I'm nobody, so he might find a block list necessary.
posted by maxsparber at 2:04 PM on October 12, 2018 [25 favorites]
Some people who are targets of harassment have to automatically block anyone that attempts to interact, unless their account meets certain requirements (e.g. age, etc). It's that bad.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 2:10 PM on October 12, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 2:10 PM on October 12, 2018 [10 favorites]
Sad to say, but I think we're reaching a point where the risks greatly outweigh the benefits for creatives to engage in social media that's not their own curated blog.
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 2:29 PM on October 12, 2018 [25 favorites]
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 2:29 PM on October 12, 2018 [25 favorites]
While reading through the comments on Twitter I blocked well over a hundred anti-Wendig morons. It's another day in the worst timeline on the worst social medium.
posted by bryon at 2:31 PM on October 12, 2018
posted by bryon at 2:31 PM on October 12, 2018
> [...] the risks greatly outweigh the benefits for creatives to engage in social media that's not their own curated blog
s/creatives/anyone/
posted by sourcequench at 2:39 PM on October 12, 2018 [13 favorites]
s/creatives/anyone/
posted by sourcequench at 2:39 PM on October 12, 2018 [13 favorites]
Such bullshit.
posted by rtha at 2:47 PM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by rtha at 2:47 PM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
Marvel is really working at bring malicioudly irrelevant, aren’t they?
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:50 PM on October 12, 2018
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:50 PM on October 12, 2018
That would be Chairman of the Board Ike Perlmutter
Just in case anyone is new to the shit lurking in the closets of Marvel Entertainment, here's a List of Reasons Ike Perlmutter Sucks, including:
Fuck Ike Perlmutter. And fuck Marvel Entertainment.
posted by fight or flight at 3:07 PM on October 12, 2018 [75 favorites]
Just in case anyone is new to the shit lurking in the closets of Marvel Entertainment, here's a List of Reasons Ike Perlmutter Sucks, including:
Three black women sued him and Marvel in 2012 because in addition to being super homophobic, he's a fucking racist. The suit claimed that despite the three women all being long time Marvel executives he always referred to them as "The Help." Other claims listed were things such as telling one woman she had a bullet with her name on it. For the record, Ike is a strong supporter of open carry and often carries his gun to the office. Marvel quietly settled.Oh, and he's also the reason why Marvel movies have been so bereft of female superheroes until now.
To cut cost on films Ike replaced Terrence Howard with Don Cheadle because nobody would notice. Telling former Disney executive Andy Mooney, "all black people look alike."
Fuck Ike Perlmutter. And fuck Marvel Entertainment.
posted by fight or flight at 3:07 PM on October 12, 2018 [75 favorites]
I put "creatives" there because of a two-fold problem. First, they're a field where we still teach incoming professionals to build their own "brand" via social media within a freelance/gig/short-term contract economy. But there, you run into the other bind where having an opinion on social media is likely to make you a target for thousands of trolls looking to pick a fight.
The risks and stakes for the people who get their name on the cover or in the leading credits for a mega-franchise are a bit higher than for my dad, who just uses it to share motorcycle pics and memes with cousins. He's a fair bit less likely to "go viral."
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 3:10 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
The risks and stakes for the people who get their name on the cover or in the leading credits for a mega-franchise are a bit higher than for my dad, who just uses it to share motorcycle pics and memes with cousins. He's a fair bit less likely to "go viral."
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 3:10 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
Or not even leading credits as we saw with Lauren Zuke.
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 3:25 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 3:25 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
Wendig's written up his Twitter thread as a post on his blog, http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2018/10/12/in-which-i-am-fired-from-marvel/, which is either getting hammered from the attention this controversy's drawing or is being DDS'ed by the usual awful people. Here's a Threadreader version in the meantime.
posted by Doktor Zed at 3:29 PM on October 12, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Doktor Zed at 3:29 PM on October 12, 2018 [7 favorites]
Gosh, it’s a good thing for Perlmutter that Marvel is still a wholly independent company, and not a subsidiary of a much larger one that could stomp him into oblivion while giggling like a cartoon mouse.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:04 PM on October 12, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 4:04 PM on October 12, 2018 [16 favorites]
Marvel/Disney is inching ever closer to full Nazi appeasement complicity and I hate it so much in my bones because it's anathema to everything their stories I love ever purported to stand for.
posted by nicebookrack at 4:19 PM on October 12, 2018 [28 favorites]
posted by nicebookrack at 4:19 PM on October 12, 2018 [28 favorites]
I often think the only thing that could curb Marvel's racism and sexism, is family orgs announcing that they're not taking a group of kids to Disney because of Marvel's fascism. Things like, "Captain America was part of Hydra; I don't want my kid getting a photo with a Nazi," or "we're going to Universal Studios, not Disneyland, because our church doesn't want to risk the kids running into Marvel staff members."
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:23 PM on October 12, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:23 PM on October 12, 2018 [12 favorites]
Journalist Asher Elbein: "Hey, comics people. Are you willing to talk on the record about labor issues in corporate comics, particularly when it comes to dealing with outside harassment and arbitrary firing?
DM me or email me at aelbein@gmail.com"
Unionize comics now.
posted by nicebookrack at 4:33 PM on October 12, 2018 [26 favorites]
DM me or email me at aelbein@gmail.com"
Unionize comics now.
posted by nicebookrack at 4:33 PM on October 12, 2018 [26 favorites]
MeFi previously: Comics and Cowardice
posted by nicebookrack at 4:35 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by nicebookrack at 4:35 PM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
Perlmutter needs to go, like, yesterday. I don't understand why they didn't use the abject failure of his pet project Inhumans to boot his ass out but it was a huge missed opportunity. (If Inhumans had led to getting Perlmutter shitcanned, I think I'd actually feel better about the hours I wasted on that disaster.)
And I don't know about Chuck's editor Mark but I do not have a high opinion of people in managerial roles who don't step up to protect the people working under them. Editor's not exactly the same as a manager, but it's close enough, in these circumstances, for me to say: protect your people. That's a core part of the job. And anybody who can be exposed to the kind of crap that Wendig has been dealing with for years now from the *gater crowd and respond with as little profanity and as relatively good spirits as Wendig has probably ought to be in line for sainthood.
posted by mstokes650 at 4:55 PM on October 12, 2018 [21 favorites]
And I don't know about Chuck's editor Mark but I do not have a high opinion of people in managerial roles who don't step up to protect the people working under them. Editor's not exactly the same as a manager, but it's close enough, in these circumstances, for me to say: protect your people. That's a core part of the job. And anybody who can be exposed to the kind of crap that Wendig has been dealing with for years now from the *gater crowd and respond with as little profanity and as relatively good spirits as Wendig has probably ought to be in line for sainthood.
posted by mstokes650 at 4:55 PM on October 12, 2018 [21 favorites]
I guess Marvel has decided that misogynistic assholes are their core demographic.
Sadly, that’s probably not too far from the truth. Gamergaters. Tech bros. It’s all the same nerdy cesspool.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:59 PM on October 12, 2018 [15 favorites]
Sadly, that’s probably not too far from the truth. Gamergaters. Tech bros. It’s all the same nerdy cesspool.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:59 PM on October 12, 2018 [15 favorites]
Indeed, the Diamond system basically guarantees that reading "Big Two" comics will always be a niche hobby rather than a mainstream cultural affair like watching Marvel films, and that particular niche has primarily been occupied by aggrieved man-children since at least the 90s.
(For those unaware, the primary way to follow a comic as it comes out is to go a specialty store. And "sales" numbers are determined entirely based on preorders. You're really excited about that new book that's coming out? You'd better preorder at your shop, because if you were planning to just walk down to the store and buy it on release day you basically don't exist as far as the beancounters are concerned.)
posted by tobascodagama at 5:05 PM on October 12, 2018 [18 favorites]
(For those unaware, the primary way to follow a comic as it comes out is to go a specialty store. And "sales" numbers are determined entirely based on preorders. You're really excited about that new book that's coming out? You'd better preorder at your shop, because if you were planning to just walk down to the store and buy it on release day you basically don't exist as far as the beancounters are concerned.)
posted by tobascodagama at 5:05 PM on October 12, 2018 [18 favorites]
I am so fucking tired of this shit.
I hope Chuck gets hired by DC.
posted by dorkydancer at 9:09 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
I hope Chuck gets hired by DC.
posted by dorkydancer at 9:09 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Ike Perlmutter needs a date with Mephisto.
posted by benzenedream at 9:54 PM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 9:54 PM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
"we're going to Universal Studios, not Disneyland, because our church doesn't want to risk the kids running into Marvel staff members."
Universal actually has the license to use Marvel characters in any theme parks east of the Mississippi River, because of a hilariously one-sided deal that Marvel signed back in the 90s. Universal has an open option to keep the deal running as long as they want, and Disney inherited the deal and can't do much about it without negotiating heavily.
This is why Orlando's Islands of Adventure has a "Super Hero World" that's covered in Avengers, X-Men, Hulk and Spidey.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:08 PM on October 12, 2018 [7 favorites]
Universal actually has the license to use Marvel characters in any theme parks east of the Mississippi River, because of a hilariously one-sided deal that Marvel signed back in the 90s. Universal has an open option to keep the deal running as long as they want, and Disney inherited the deal and can't do much about it without negotiating heavily.
This is why Orlando's Islands of Adventure has a "Super Hero World" that's covered in Avengers, X-Men, Hulk and Spidey.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:08 PM on October 12, 2018 [7 favorites]
I understand the Warner Brothers are hiring these days. Perhaps they need someone to scribe a bright and optimistic movie about a wildly diverse group of young heroes in the far future, a super-team made of dozens of contributors, all very different from each other. A veritable Legion of Superheroes, as it were.
(And also there are try-outs and those who don't make it are dubbed Substitutes and then Matter Eater Lad saves everyone with quick thinking and collaborative leadership. Again.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 11:16 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
(And also there are try-outs and those who don't make it are dubbed Substitutes and then Matter Eater Lad saves everyone with quick thinking and collaborative leadership. Again.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 11:16 PM on October 12, 2018 [6 favorites]
And I don't know about Chuck's editor Mark but I do not have a high opinion of people in managerial roles who don't step up to protect the people working under them. Editor's not exactly the same as a manager, but it's close enough, in these circumstances, for me to say: protect your people.
Yuuup.
Worst thing about this is that Wendig is somebody who isn't dependent on comics work, on Marvel's approval to make a living, but if editorial staff can treat him (and somebody like Chelsea Cain whom he also mentions) this shittily, what about the peons who are dependent on getting Marvel work?
It's ...interesting... also what impact this will have on Marvel courting outside talent, because for example on the Black Panther, they've gotten people to write for them who are far more "controversial" with the sort of scum Wendig was controversial with. Why should a Nnedi Okorafor or Ta-Nehisi Coates trust Marvel to protect them after they failed to do so for Wendig?
posted by MartinWisse at 12:39 AM on October 13, 2018 [25 favorites]
Yuuup.
Worst thing about this is that Wendig is somebody who isn't dependent on comics work, on Marvel's approval to make a living, but if editorial staff can treat him (and somebody like Chelsea Cain whom he also mentions) this shittily, what about the peons who are dependent on getting Marvel work?
It's ...interesting... also what impact this will have on Marvel courting outside talent, because for example on the Black Panther, they've gotten people to write for them who are far more "controversial" with the sort of scum Wendig was controversial with. Why should a Nnedi Okorafor or Ta-Nehisi Coates trust Marvel to protect them after they failed to do so for Wendig?
posted by MartinWisse at 12:39 AM on October 13, 2018 [25 favorites]
I've stayed away from the cesspoll but I'm guessing comicgaters have claimed this as some sort of victory? Whatever, it's super depressing... and just as I was tipping my toe back into cape books with Al Ewing's (who I know back from 2000AD fandom days) amazing Hulk book.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:53 AM on October 13, 2018
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:53 AM on October 13, 2018
More, James Gunn is absolutely not the same person who was fired... it's a false equivalence the radical right loves so much. People can change for the better, and for the worse. James Gunn took steps to make himself a better human.
Warner Bros. hired Gunn on for Suicide Squad. Boomerbutt and The Wall riffing on each other? Please?
posted by Slap*Happy at 2:01 AM on October 13, 2018 [2 favorites]
Warner Bros. hired Gunn on for Suicide Squad. Boomerbutt and The Wall riffing on each other? Please?
posted by Slap*Happy at 2:01 AM on October 13, 2018 [2 favorites]
This story confuses me, since next month Marvel will start publishing Eve Ewing's take on Ironheart, the 15-year old black girl genius from Chicago who invented her own suit of Iron Man armor. Ewing goes by Wikipedia Brown on Twitter, where she's a very strong voice on race, police brutality, etc, and doesn't suffer fools gladly.
For the first time in years, I called my local comics shop to put a Big Two comic on a pull list for me, and now I'm wondering if that was the right move.
posted by mediareport at 2:45 AM on October 13, 2018 [12 favorites]
For the first time in years, I called my local comics shop to put a Big Two comic on a pull list for me, and now I'm wondering if that was the right move.
posted by mediareport at 2:45 AM on October 13, 2018 [12 favorites]
-sigh- Fandom would be a lot better without so many fans. Or, at least, without certain "fans"
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:32 AM on October 13, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:32 AM on October 13, 2018 [6 favorites]
Making Vader a brony (while accurate) was probably a step too far.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:05 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 7:05 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
MeFi previously: Comics and Cowardice
Colin Spacetwinks' twitter stuff about the absolute moral cowardice and general shittiness of Marvel remains relevant. He also makes the point that this is absolutely accepted with a shrug by the majority of high-profile (and generally straight and white) professional comics creators:
i'm sure though there'll be another hashtag again as a bunch of pros step up and say there's no room for bigotry and harassment in comics - while looking away from their bosses and their peers being bigoted, doing harassment, or bowing to both
Also, it's worth bearing in mind that DC kept Eddie Berganza, a known sexual harasser, in his editorial position for something like five years, simply keeping women from working on Superman because they knew he'd harass them. DC and Marvel are both absolute shit and Wendig could do better than work for another shower of arseholes (though it's not like indie comics doesn't have its own problems).
posted by ocular shenanigans at 7:20 AM on October 13, 2018 [11 favorites]
Colin Spacetwinks' twitter stuff about the absolute moral cowardice and general shittiness of Marvel remains relevant. He also makes the point that this is absolutely accepted with a shrug by the majority of high-profile (and generally straight and white) professional comics creators:
i'm sure though there'll be another hashtag again as a bunch of pros step up and say there's no room for bigotry and harassment in comics - while looking away from their bosses and their peers being bigoted, doing harassment, or bowing to both
Also, it's worth bearing in mind that DC kept Eddie Berganza, a known sexual harasser, in his editorial position for something like five years, simply keeping women from working on Superman because they knew he'd harass them. DC and Marvel are both absolute shit and Wendig could do better than work for another shower of arseholes (though it's not like indie comics doesn't have its own problems).
posted by ocular shenanigans at 7:20 AM on October 13, 2018 [11 favorites]
The Mary Sue: Marvel Fires Star Wars Author Chuck Wendig for Not Being Civil, and We’re Furious
Sorry, Your Art Has Never Been Apolitical. Take a stand or take a seat.
posted by homunculus at 8:58 AM on October 13, 2018 [5 favorites]
Sorry, Your Art Has Never Been Apolitical. Take a stand or take a seat.
posted by homunculus at 8:58 AM on October 13, 2018 [5 favorites]
Here's something to look forward to, at least.
posted by homunculus at 11:10 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 11:10 AM on October 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
PSA: Marvel Entertainment ≠ Marvel Studios
Kevin Feige and Disney worked to break Marvel Studios away in 2015 precisely because of Perlmutter and decisions like these. Marvel TV is still under Marvel Entertainment, though. Why, yes, those shows have dropped in quality recently, haven't they?
posted by Arson Lupine at 7:08 PM on October 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
Kevin Feige and Disney worked to break Marvel Studios away in 2015 precisely because of Perlmutter and decisions like these. Marvel TV is still under Marvel Entertainment, though. Why, yes, those shows have dropped in quality recently, haven't they?
posted by Arson Lupine at 7:08 PM on October 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
Why, yes, those shows have dropped in quality recently, haven't they?
Iron Fist is literally unwatchable. Meanwhile on Netflix, The Flash is going through all of the silliest silver-age shenanigans, massive life-changing events just glossed over from one episode to the next, including The Council of Wells, each Dr. Wells more ludicrous than the last, it is charming and engaging and the villains are continually raising the stakes and the supporting cast keeps on knocking it out of the park. Why can't they make a movie like this?
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:19 AM on October 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Iron Fist is literally unwatchable. Meanwhile on Netflix, The Flash is going through all of the silliest silver-age shenanigans, massive life-changing events just glossed over from one episode to the next, including The Council of Wells, each Dr. Wells more ludicrous than the last, it is charming and engaging and the villains are continually raising the stakes and the supporting cast keeps on knocking it out of the park. Why can't they make a movie like this?
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:19 AM on October 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Iron Fist was literally quite watchable, because I can literally click some links and watch it. I also found it subjectively better by leaps in Season 2 over Season 1, because in the current season it actually addressed the problem baked into the premise, that Danny is an entitled person who persued power and is using it partly for self-serving ends, and resolved storylines while opening up some interesting new ones. And now it's cancelled, will probably get rolled into a new "Heroes For Hire" show once Disney/ABC gets their streaming together, and who knows where it will go next. Ah well.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:09 AM on October 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:09 AM on October 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Aren't comics at their best when they reflect politics and ideals of their era? In histories of comics, the stand-outs usually touch upon controversial things of their eras. Otherwise it's just a bunch of idiot goobers running around doing violence to other ridiculous goobers.
posted by GoblinHoney at 2:06 PM on October 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by GoblinHoney at 2:06 PM on October 15, 2018 [2 favorites]
Cloak and Dagger started off as blatant war on drugs propaganda.
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 3:00 PM on October 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 3:00 PM on October 15, 2018 [1 favorite]
NYMag's Vulture received inside info from a leaker: "A source with close knowledge of the decision-making process behind the firing tells Vulture that this weekend was the last straw after a period of aggravation with Wendig’s social-media presence, though they say the issue was just the vulgarity, not the politics. (Marvel had no official comment on the matter, though they did confirm that the company and Wendig have parted ways.) [...] Whatever the case may be, Vulture’s source says the firing was a Marvel editorial decision, not a Lucasfilm one."
Not coincidentally, last week Wendig was sent to Twitter jail of reduced functionality after getting blocked by James Woods and threatened by Curt Schilling. He shrugged it off at the time—"guess I need to check my pockets to see if someone planted a Shithead Magnet on me somewhere"
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:40 PM on October 15, 2018
Not coincidentally, last week Wendig was sent to Twitter jail of reduced functionality after getting blocked by James Woods and threatened by Curt Schilling. He shrugged it off at the time—"guess I need to check my pockets to see if someone planted a Shithead Magnet on me somewhere"
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:40 PM on October 15, 2018
Twitter thread from political science professor Bethany LaCina:
posted by nicebookrack at 9:51 AM on October 16, 2018 [10 favorites]
Friday @ChuckWendig lost his contract with @Marvel/@starwars because of his Twitter. His mistake was to attract sketchy Twitter, probably via @EthanVanSciver. This graph is tweets to/from/re Wendig before/after his “civility” tweets on 10/6 (goo.gl/Tri9eM). @mortenbayComics artist Ethan Van Sciver is a major figure in the Comicsgate harassment movement and also a bigoted asshole piece of shit.
The black line is the share of tweets coming from sketchy accounts –totally anonymous or sock puppets. (Puppets tweet improbably often, >70 tweets/day). The Wendig twitter “controversy” happened because a bunch of fake accounts latched on. It all died out by Wednesday.
Why was the explosion of puppets (red) so long after the original tweetstorm? The puppets probably found Wendig via @EthanVanSciver. On the 2nd graph, there is a line for @EthanVanSciver's tweet of a YouTube video about Wendig (goo.gl/osqedd).
Wendig's firing was a win for #Comicsgate. Without @EthanVanSciver amplifying the controversy, the Twitter fight would have been much smaller. My guess is there are account farms that follow VanSciver (and other pundits) for clues re what to troll next.
Wendig’s case is troubling for civil liberties & wasn’t good business. Twitter fights don’t reveal information about real customers. They also don’t change minds. People on Twitter tend to have immovable opinions, post disingenuously, or not be people.
posted by nicebookrack at 9:51 AM on October 16, 2018 [10 favorites]
Prof. Lacina has an update, supported by a lot of data (Threadreader):
posted by Doktor Zed at 1:12 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Updated data on Twitter before/after @ChuckWendig being fired from @Marvel/@StarWars. The new part is the number of bots (fully automated accounts) tweeting about Wendig. I'm amazed by how many bots there were.In the context of a sci-fi story, weaponized geeks and cyberspace bots would be fascinating, but here in the 21st century, it's just pathetic and dispiriting.
The # of tweets from normal accounts is in this graph. Of note: Lots more real people paid attention when he was fired vs after his initial tweetstorm. Also, @EthanVanSciver is right that legit accounts found Wendig through him – there is a bump after he tweeted his YouTube link.
Also after EVS tweeted, sketchy twitter exploded. Graph shows likely bots (automated) & 2 kinds of likely semi-automated accnts -- anon (no user description) & puppets (tweet >70/day). Bars are stacked counts-e.g., bar after Wendig’s 1st tweet is 44 bots, 8 puppets, & 4 anons.
Now all the types of Twitter stacked. I’ve said before that fully automated accounts were not that active on SW twitter (Washington Post: Who hates Star Wars for its newfound diversity? Here are the numbers.). But 20% of the tweets in this period of Wendig twitter were from likely bots! (19% of accnts) cc: @Stephen_Kent89 @mortenbay
FAQs: I used @Botometer to code bots. Anon. accounts are suspiciously generic. It isn't based on if someone uses a real name/picture. (Not sure how I’d know). Anon is unverified + no user description. Puppets are unverified and tweet a lot (>70/day, inc. retweets).
NB: An automated/semi-automated account can take cues from a pundit account (like EVS) without the pundit knowing or doing anything special. It is the same principle as the algorithms that are continually monitoring your feed and picking ads for you to see.
posted by Doktor Zed at 1:12 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Isn't it time to coin a phrase to describe the situation in which a cowardly corporation surrenders to fake Internet outrage and fires a creative? "Gunn'ed down"? "Shit-Cain'ed"? "Wendig'ested"?
posted by Doktor Zed at 1:19 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Doktor Zed at 1:19 PM on October 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
As a positive aside, Wendig has a new tweetstorm in light of this experience: "So, how the hell do we do it? How the hell do we, as writers -- or artists, or Makers of Cool Shit -- keep on keeping on in this hell-poop epoch of vile shenanigans? I've spoken on this many times, but people also keep asking me, so here we go" (Twitter|Threadreader)
posted by Doktor Zed at 8:38 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Doktor Zed at 8:38 AM on October 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
In other Marvel news: Chris Evans Is Just as Done With Everything as We Are
posted by homunculus at 3:34 PM on October 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 3:34 PM on October 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
If he starts calling himself "Nomad", you'll know we're really in for some shit.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:34 PM on October 19, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 5:34 PM on October 19, 2018 [4 favorites]
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posted by Atreides at 1:25 PM on October 12, 2018 [15 favorites]