Recently, Occasional Superheroine’s Valerie D’Orazio got mad as hell and decided she wasn’t going to take it anymore. A recent blog entry talking about stereotypes in comics got a bit heated, especially when one poster asked D’Orazio (whose comments had become increasingly condescending as the thread grew larger), “Are you capable of responding to an argument without a personal insult?”

Cue fireworks in 3… 2… 1:

D’Orazio: You don’t like what I write? Don’t come on here and whine about it like a 13-year-old. Go read another f**king blog. See if they tolerate your negativity. I owe you NO respect when you disrespect this blog. It isn’t a democracy, where you can come in here and bitch and insult me and my intelligence and I’m going to bend over backwards to make sure your rights as a debater are preserved. Got that? And if you don’t like it, please please please take you and your self-righteous whiny comments elsewhere.

Well, since you insist.

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Kevin Huxford has ridden into the sunset, as documented here. However, that sunset has led to a sunrise for SCHWAPP!!!, his newly rededicated comics and pop culture blog.

As part of his relaunch, Kevin asked me 10 Random Questions for his new interview feature. It was rather fun, and Kevin decided to post the manga-style family portrait that the talented Sarah Vaughn did of me, my wife, and kids last year.

So, if you have ever found yourself enjoying Kevin’s posts, Kevin’s blogs, Kevin’s Best Shots reviews, Kevin’s arguments with comics talent, Kevin’s appearances in Lying with the Gutters, or tall bald Muslim men in general, you should check it out. And if you happen to dislike any of those things, I’m sure he’d welcome your posts as well. But don’t say I didn’t warn you . . .

Ah, Steve…so much time spent, yet none of it accurately addressing the topic at hand…

“Where does one start when documenting how Marvel has gone beyond simple huckster-isms and into straight out lying to their customers?”—Kevin Huxford

Apparently, you’ve never been in sales of any kind, Kevin.

Marvel cared enough to offer an explanation—whether it’s completely accurate or not really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

Dear biased, win-at-all-costs, attain-your-goals-at-the-expense-of-others Ekstrom…if it isn’t completely accurate…and it is shared with full knowledge of its inaccuracy…it isn’t simply sales and marketing, but a full blown lie.
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“Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.”—Plato

This is the entertainment business, not the honesty business, Kevin. You and I are nothing but nodes which contribute to the propagation of this industry when you look at the bottom line. I do understand that in an ideal world no one would lie to anyone and that all of our farts would smell like lemon chiffon and Koben Kelly would get to bed down with Asia Argento every night but it doesn’t stop publishers from stopping the direction of a project or going against a promise—in effect changing their minds.

What Marvel did wasn’t lying–it was marketing their product.
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By the time any of you read this, it will be February 5th. My 33rd birthday and a bittersweet one. Why?

Because I am taking a sabbatical from Shotgun Reviews and have asked that my account at Newsarama.com be closed (which was honored by the site administrator).

Why did I resign? I’d like to think it is because I have principles, while others would probably suggest I just have a big mouth and don’t know when to shut it.
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An oldie but a goody.

If you can’t read it too well there, click on it for the full size image. You can always check to see if the Amazon page is still up: http://www.amazon.com/19-0-Historic-Championship-Englands-Unbeatable/dp/1600781500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202095244&sr=8-1

It is amazing how, in this day and age, there is such a rush to be first to market with something to take advantage of an opportunity (created by someone else entirely), that we see more and more things like this. A book about the unbeatable, 19-0 New England Patriots. Except they aren’t unbeatable or 19-0.

I get the baseball caps and t-shirts. But friggin’ books? That still won’t be ready to ship for a week or two anyway?

For the record: yes, I’d buy it if it was available…and hope that it became a collectible, like the Dewey Beats Truman newspaper.

Troy here: Recent posts by contributor Kevin Huxford concerning issues surrounding the unmasking of Spider-Man and the subsequent fan reaction to “One More Day” and “Brand New Day” have spread into other sites, blogs, and forums. Over at Blog@Newsarama, a spirited debate began between Kevin and another Shotgun contributor, Steve Ekstrom. All parties involved thought that it would be more appropriate to move the discussion to a more formalized setting. Here.

The Rules, then:
1) Each contributor prepared an opening position statement regarding Marvel, the Unmasking, BND, etc.

2) Both opening positions appear in this post.

3) Due to a coin toss, Steve’s statement appears first, then Kevin’s. Subsequent posts will carry rebuttals and extensions.

4) The Debate, like fights at Fight Club, will go as long as it needs to.

5) And, for the record, Steve and Kevin’s opinions are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ShotgunReviews.com writers and management, Best Shots, Blog@Newsarama, or Newsarama.com.

Everyone good? Let’s go.

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Graeme McMillan linked to my original blog over in his Blog@Newsarama.com column. The discussion is getting some attention there.

It has been called into question whether anyone at Marvel actually made a solid statement that can actually be called a lie, rather than just making implications. Kevin Melrose caught just such a comment weeks ago, when he appeared to be going along the same lines of thinking as I did after him.

Some apologists are trying to argue against it all being a lie…trying to pass it off as just a bunch of hate from those who didn’t like OMD…but that’s just not it.

The other day, Mr. F’n brought up Wizard’s auction of Heath Ledger covers on eBay.

Since then, I’ve looked into the issue a little more.

The Ledger covers weren’t the only Wizard magazines being auctioned off. Makes it appear like it is just a coincidence that the Ledger covers were out there, right?

Wrong.
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Over on Newsarama, Marc Guggenheim (WGA member) said the following:

“Speaking solely as a WGA member (and not a representative thereof), I’m not disappointed in Joe at all. He isn’t a member of the WGA (or the DGA, SAG or IATSE, for that matter) and, therefore, has no legal or moral obligation to honor the picket line. Nevertheless, he still solicited the opinion of at least one highly successful WGA member before committing to go on the show — a classy move, in my opinion, that he didn’t have to do.

Plus, did you notice the red WGA-solidarity wristband he wore?”

So, it appears that there are at least two WGA members that think it is OK to support the producers by helping them complete one of their shows by filling time as a guest. I give Mr. Guggenheim all the credit in the world for stating his opinion publicly and standing behind it as he has. But agreeing to appear on a show, when you have no contractual obligation, supports the producers by helping them to get new, compelling product out there. Sure, Quesada is not a big mainstream draw and someone else would probably step in, but that doesn’t excuse making the appearance.

But I want to know who this highly successful WGA member is and whether or not they are a current Marvel writer. I don’t want to support anyone who makes excuses for someone crossing a picket line. As far as comic book writers, that means no purchasing works by Guggenheim, thus far. I can only hope that the Skrull WGA member Joe spoke to will have the courage of his convictions to put his name to that advice so I can swear off purchasing their material as well.

Plus, did anyone notice the attempt to act like the red WGA-solidarity wristband that most of America has no recognition of might outweigh helping producers create a show without writers?

Sound issues have been corrected!
Two books that were both worth buying this week. One suffered a bit from lateness and the other managed to impress despite my accidentally missing the last two issues.

Sound issues have been corrected!

First shot of the week is a two-fer. In reviewing Amazing Spider-Man, I make it clear that I’m not reviewing books to do my best to win friends and influence people amongst the comic book professional set. With Amelia Rules, I stumble upon a little gem of a book (and all because a Newsarama message board member suggested it months ago).

I just wanted to add my two cents to THE BEAT debate over whether publishers selling their books at conventions prior to shipping to retailers is a proper practice. Do the publishers have a right to make money by selling directly to their customers? Sure. But to not share their plans to have a competitive advantage by selling the book at the con before the retailers get a hold of the product? Not so much.

Wow.

Just wow.

I’ve long since realized that Marvel went from general huckster-ism to outright lying, but I’m constantly amazed by how much they’re putting the spotlight on their own lies.

From a Newsarama interview: 

Tom Brevoort: McNiven’s involvement with the Spidey launch actually predates Steve Wacker’s involvement, and goes back to Civil War. As we were wrapping up that series, McNiven and I had been chatting about what he should do next (he was looking for a gig with a single lead character, to no one’s surprise), and I was beginning to plan the Spidey relaunch.

It had been Marvel’s public position that Spider-Man was being unmasked to stay unmasked for a very long time. Joe Quesada was adamant about that in his New Joe Fridays interviews. But they were already planning the Spidey relaunch at the end of Civil War? So…they already knew they’d have a magic fix ready for it, when Joe said there was no magic fix ready for it. Mind you…they may not have been sure they were going to do it, but they knew were ready to do away with this aspect that had so much potential for great stories, according to editorial.

THEY.

LIE.

FREQUENTLY.