The tone and tactics of arguing about the comics industry, on the internet.

“We have a difficult time talking about things in comics. This is weird in that any reasonably large Twitter feed will tell you that people in comics talk all the damn time. So it’s not lack of practice, obviously.

“A lot of what was specifically distressing about the reaction to the video was how many old, corny, early Internet argument constructions still hold sway, ways of arguing that that should have been dragged into the light and staked a long time ago.

“That people shouldn’t be allowed to complain unless they solve the problem they’re complaining about is a ludicrous notion given two seconds thought.

“That a huge subset of superhero comics fans chose to regard this video as they’ve processed every argument since 1974 with a critical component — as some sort of full-bore assault on themselves and their tastes — is just sort of pathetic at this point.

“That comics people tend to cede to corporations some “right” to do whatever the hell they want as long as they don’t get put in jail, without criticism, because that’s the obligation these companies have to their stockholders remains stunning to me. It’s alarming partly because it’s a repugnant view, or at least I feel that way, but also because the history of comics is full of examples of companies and businesses acting humanely rather than inhumanely, making a choice of one thing over another on the basis of something other than ruthless self-interest.

“After 15 years working in comics and 14 and a half months on the comics Internet, I never need to see the word “hypocrite” again.

“Ditto the idea that anyone that criticizes anything does so from a cross-armed position of moral superiority and it’s that assumed smug state, rather than the argument or issue itself, that needs to be brought down.

“We have a lot of hang-ups, the comics community, and it will be much easier to move forward if we’re honest about when those come into play. We might at least try to find new ways of saying these things, so that we know something is being said instead of clichés being brandished. This wasn’t our finest discussion.”

That’s a quote from Tom Spurgeon’s rather lengthy reaction to Eric Powell’s video trumpeting creator rights. I’ve broken it up because Tom tends to write very densely and in a way that isn’t particularly friendly to the people that most need to hear his message (140 characters, Tom), and this is the internet, and I can do that. Go read the whole article, http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/index/a_brief_reaction_to_a_video_thats_already_been_taken_down/.

– Christopher