@gimpnelly’s awesome post on @graphicpolicy was met with some thoroughly lackluster statements by DHC’s president, Mike Richardson.
Lack of diversity in comics is being reinforced by the industry’s failure to support victims of harassment and its protection of abusers. The volume of abuse within the industry has created a culture of fear and protectionism, and although women and people of color are the usual targets, that’s not to say men have not been affected too. I was told a story by one source of a straight guy getting his crotch grabbed by another guy. The comic book industry is small and very set in its ways, and we have a situation right now where the abusers keep getting rehired but those trying to blow the whistle are blacklisted.
As a script and article writer (and very part time webcomic creator), I would worry about getting blacklisted, too; but given that I’m a trans woman, in the current comic culture I’m more likely to find an iguana on a unicycle singing show tunes in my fridge before I’d get hired at either DC or Marvel. For other people within the industry the risk of talking to people is too great.
TMS editor Carolyn Cox breaks down why that viral video is so important and what we can learn from it.
John Scalzi’s no stranger to taking his clout as a successful (not to mention Hugo and Nebula award winning) science fiction author, the (now former) president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and a blogger with no small amount of renown and using said clout to do good things for women who create and are interested in science fiction, and sometimes even for women in general. He participated in the first Humble EBook Bundle, where fully half of the items available where created by women, was up for a photoshoot with Jim C. Hines, and when the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure defunded Planned Parenthood for very clearly political reasons, he donated all proceeds from the sale of his ebooks to Planned Parenthood.
Now the author, often asked to be a prominent guest at science fiction conventions, is issuing an ultimatum to any con that wants him on their floor that is as simple as it is firm: have specific, clear rules about sexual harassment and a path to report them, and make sure that everyone knows it.
The other Laras all wore khakis, combat boots, grey tanks, had a bow and did some blood makeup. I think we were all pretty excited. We were taking pictures in the booth and then we moved out towards the walkway so that people walking by could see a group of Lara Crofts. We took more pictures and then this guy comes up and asks if he could ask a few questions. His partner had a more professional looking camera and so I think all of us just shrugged and said ok.” Wizemann had been interviewed in the past and said everything seemed normal. That is, until the interviewer asked his first question, “How does it feel to be at a convention where none of the men could please you?
PAX East Tomb Raider Video Game Cosplay Harassment Story | The Mary Sue
We interviewed one of the cosplayers and got a statement from PAX.