Facebook Removes Bill Sienkiewicz’s Anti-ComicsGate Rant For Violating “Community Standards On Harassment And Bullying,” Ethan Van Sciver Reacts

John F. Trent |

Aug 27, 2021

Artist Bill Sienkiewicz known for his work on Marvel Comics’ Moon Knight, New Mutants, and Elektra: Assassin recently revealed that his 2018 Anti-Comicsgate rant was removed from Facebook for violating the company’s “Community Standards on harassment and bullying.”

Luigi Novi, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Sienkiewicz posted the rant to Facebook back in August 2018.

It began, “To Comicsgaters – but also: to general friends and colleagues in arms . Profuse profanity to follow. Be advised.”

Sienkiewicz then wrote, “To begin. I’m convinced Comics chose ME as a practitioner, emissary, evangelist, what-have-you–rather than the other way around. Perhaps that’s why I tend to view most other creators through a similar lens. Whatever the actual reason people create comics, tell stories, live in this world, it’s still a wonderful calling. Creators are family; every voice is unique and necessary.”

Source: New Mutants: War Children #1

He continued, “That said, Comics sure as hell didn’t choose the so-called Comicsgate contingent to promote hateful, misogynistic and plain-old-ugly dogma. No, these ‘Gaters- you guys- you brought that ugliness all by yourselves.”

“To be honest, I just don’t get your deal. Are you so insecure, so afraid, so fearful of the prospect of bearing the ‘incel’ moniker, or by sharing creative space with someone with more estrogen than you- that you’re all somehow threatened to your very manhood or your livelihood? How super-heroic of you,” he wrote.

Source: New Mutants: Demon Bear Trade Paperback

He then asserted, “I’d ask you to explain it to me, but frankly what I’ve heard from your quarter already bores me; as well as just plain pisses me off. I f***ing despite bullies. Cowards.”

“What you’re each promoting individually is not some divine creative dispensation; it’s just you being an asshole. Collectively, you’re a gaggle, a clan, (-potentially with a k unsubtle as that may be)- a veritable bag’s worth of douches. Whatever the name you give for your assembly, you’re not the Avengers. You’re still just a bunch of assholes,” the artist asserted.

Source: Elektra #1 (2014)

The rant continued, “Comics isn’t a boys club. It’s not ‘NO (insert ethnic group, gender, religion, sexual preference here) ALLOWED.’ It’s a club , a meeting place a forum for creators. Of all stripes. Like a real life Legion of Super Heroes, or a Justice League. Only with pen and ink paper and Cintiqs and laptops and…

“Stop being the creepy racist misogynist uncles showing up at reunions and pissing in the punchbowl to disprove your beta standing. Stop being the weird cousins the entire world points to as the definition of every ‘comic book nerd’ stereotype. Or do it far away from us,” he wrote.

“Stop being whiny misunderstood victims b****ing bout favoritism, intolerance, and sexism. You’re slinging inky-black aspersions, obliviously crying racism in your Wite-Out™. You’re damned right some corrections need to be made; starting with the guys in the mirror first,” Sienkiewicz stated.

Source: True Believers: Wolverine vs. Sabretooth #1

“So stop being awful ambassadors for the worst of our natures. Stop being brownshirts. Stop being goddamned ugly dicks. And to re-jigger an ugly phrase you sling at women, I’m instead going to channel it here in the spirit of my Aussie friends: Stop being such insufferable clueless c***s,” he proclaimed.

Sienkiewicz concluded the rant, “The medium didn’t call on you to be the best version of assholes you could be. Neither did we. Knock it off. Either step up. Or step off. We, Comics, and The Audience- will be absolutley fine without you. And you won’t be missed one damned bit. Visualizza traduzione.”

Source: Bill Sienkiewicz Facebook

Sienkiewicz recently revealed that the anti-Comicsgate rant was removed by Facebook. He posted, “Apparently my 2018 open letter to the Comicsgate crowd has received renewed attention…. It also now violates FB’s community standards against profanity and bullying. I REALLY think they missed the point.”

The artist then proceeded to share a screenshot of Facebook informing him, “Your post goes against our Community Standards on harassment and bullying. No one else can see your post. We have these standards because we want everyone on Facebook to feel respected and welcome.”

Source: Bill Sienkiewicz Facebook

Prominent member of Comicsgate and the creator of Cyberfrog Ethan Van Sciver reacted to Facebook’s removal of Sienkiewicz’s rant on Twitter.

Van Sciver wrote, “One of the saddest aspects of becoming #ComicsGate and having my eyes opened to the nature of Cancel Culture, and what had happened to my beloved comics industry, was discovering how desperate and low IQ so many of my peers were. How could such gifted people be this ugly inside?”