Chuck Dixon Explains Comicsgate at MegaCon Tampa!
Legendary comic book creator Chuck Dixon, who created Bane as well as the Birds of Prey, and had an iconic run on the Punisher, recently provided his own definition of what Comicsgate is.
At a recent convention appearance at MegaCon Tampa 2018, Dixon was candid about Comicsgate.
Dixon stated:
“Comicsgate seems to be an umbrella phrase or word for everything about conservative comic creators that the left hates. They use it as a pejorative. It’s supposed to be an insult. Really, being anti-comicsgate, is simply being anti-free speech. People of different political beliefs have a right to believe what they believe.”
When asked if Comicsgate is hateful of comics, Dixon replied:
“No, no we love comics and we want to create our own brand of comics. We want to create an alternative. DC and Marvel, in particularly Marvel, they have every right to do the comics they are doing now that have a political agenda. They have to pay the consequences in the market, which they have. All we are doing is offering an alternative. And for the most part the comics created by the so-called Comicsgate creators are apolitical. There is no politics in them.”
Dixon would add:
“A lot of the people on the so-called Comicsgate end of it, are either unemployed, or unemployable, or underemployed by the major publishers. We are simply not welcome there. So what are we supposed to do? Curl up and die? Go get a job at Home Depot? We want to do comics, and we are going to keep doing comics.”
He continued:
“It’s not about stopping anybody from doing anything. You are free to do whatever comics you want. We’ll leave you alone to do your comics, and you leave us alone to do our comics. It’s really as simple as that. And the comics aren’t about everyone else’s comics. Their just our comics.”
Dixon would hammer his point home:
“I guess because of the reaction to Comicsgate, we are put in the position of being anti-authoritarian, which is fine with me because I am anti-authoritarian anyway. I’ve never liked anyone telling me what to do creatively especially on creator owned projects. It’s my work. I’m going to do whatever I want. And I apologize to no one. These false associations they make with white supremacy, bigotry and homophobia. These are all just catch phrases they use to silence anybody who doesn’t agree with them. What’s silly is, it’s not about not agreeing with them. It’s about doing our own work. Is it a reaction to the market and what’s going on? Yes, it is. We aren’t out to censor or ban anyone we are just offering an alternative.”
ComicsGate from Sergio Cariello on Vimeo.
What do you make of Chuck Dixon’s definition of Comicsgate? Do you agree with it? Is there anything you would add in?
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