#Comics Fandom

[magpie-murder]

[benbamboozled]

All of those “and so-and-so would HATE such-and-such” posts about comic characters just read like “And your fave is NOT invited to my birthday party 😤”

[fanlore-wiki]

Featured Article: Rocket's Blast

This week’s Featured Article brings you Rocket’s Blast, a science fiction and comics fanzine published by G.B Love from 1961 to 1964. It was one of the earliest comic zines and was printed via mimeograph. The issues were released monthly and featured news about comic releases, short fiction, and collector profiles among other things.

Rocket’s Blast ran for 28 issues until it merged with The Comicollector in March 1964 to become the Rocket's Blast Comicollector or RBCC, one of the most popular adzines of the 60s and 70s.

Learn more about the history of this fanzine on Fanlore!

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We value every contribution to our shared fandom history. If you’re new to editing Fanlore or wikis in general, visit our New Visitor Portal to get started or ask us questions here!

[skillful-satu]

[sjbattleangel]

*sighs heavily*

Seriously, am I the only one here who enjoys the Batgirls solo series? Look, I know it's not perfect: some jokes don't land, the characterization isn't always 100% but no, that doesn't make it "The worst comic book ever", "Mein-Kampf-by-way-of-The-Room" or other such rubbish! It's a really good, enjoyable action romp where Cass, Steph and Babs get to let loose, kick-ass, take names and have fun. I just feel that Batgirls and any other Batfam book with Cass Cain are held to such idiotic and impossible standards all because of one-ONE horrible storyline that happened YEARS AGO! You know? Robin: One Year Later? That monstrosity where Cass is turned into a moustache-twirling, Bond baddie reject who makes together-we-can-rule-the-world villain speeches.

To this day, Cass-Cultists will continuously, pointlessly trash the Batgirls solo and Cass-starring Batfam stories all because they can never get over that horrible storyline! To Cass-Cultists: to loosely quote an animated fairy-tale queen, just...let it go already! I love Cass, adore her. I get it, you had to live through terrible stuff-the said turn-to-evil, the editorial-mandated erasure of her-but to be so obsessively bitter, angry at Robin: One Year Later to the point where you forget to have fun with comic books? (a medium based entirely around fun!) and let it defy all future Cass stories, regardless of their actual merits? *sighs*

Maybe I'm speaking as a more lax casual Cass fan here, but please, if we can memory-hole reviled stuff like Beast Machines, The Next Mutation, the worst of either Marvel's Ultimates or DC's New 52 then I'm sure we can forget Robin: One Year Later ever happened. It's that easy! Look, you have every right to like or dislike any stories, just please move on and stop being this guy:

It's just not cool. (TW: around 2:37 the annoying jerk uses a problematic term but, luckily, is called out on it.)

[reluctantscribe]

Hi, all!! I’m Stephen! If you know me from Twitter, I’m Straw Hat Stephen over there. I’m not sure how all this works, yet, but I’m in here in case something happens to my Twitter. Still wanna be able to keep up with all the internet friends!

I’m a writer! I write both original fiction & fan fiction. I’m currently writing an original horror comic! Hopefully I can talk about that more, soon.

’m into many, many fandoms! And I’m currently reading Robert Kirkman’s “Invincible,” so prepare for me to be INSUFFERABLE!

[paulsebert]

With that said I do believe there have been instances in which I and my friends have engaged in some rather ugly fandom. My online persona first arose in the late 90s/early 00's during the heyday of Television Without Pity, an now mostly extinct fanfiction sub-genre called MSTings, and the writings of the late Chris Hyatte For those who don't remember him I consider Hyatt one of the internet’s great cautionary tales. During the waning days of the wrestling boom fans call “The Monday Night War” Hyatte was a genuine rock star of what we called The Internet Wrestling Community. (Now we just call them wrestling fans.) His fly by the seat of his pants style was truly hilarious and paved the way for a generation of wrestling writers. Alas Hyatt proved to be his own worst enemy as the guy had no off switch. His tendency at lashing out at wrestling personalities (most notably former WCW and current AEW commentator Tony Shiavone)  and other fans like fellow Scott Keith resulted in him flaming out quickly. He was granted chance after chance burning bridges every time. At the time of his death in 2020 he had about 440 followers on Twitter which is two less than I have now. I was one of the last people to follow him in any capacity.

In that environment started writing comic reviews for Comics Nexus and Spider-Fan. I attained a great bit of a following for my reviews of Daniel Way's Venom, a book that I still consider one of the all-time hilariously bad comics of the era. Years later I met Daniel Way at a comic convention after he had largely redeemed his reputation with a successful run on Deadpool. As a young writer Way was in a position by Marvel management where almost ANY writer was doomed to fail. Basically Marvel signed him to write a new Venom comic only to be informed he couldn't use Eddie Brock. Way set out to write a horror comic inspired by The Thing only to be informed that it was going to be part of a PG-rated comics line aimed at Manga readers. When the series became the highest selling book in the fledgling Tsunami line by sheer virtue of being the first solo Venom comic released in several years Marvel asked him to shoehorn Wolverine (and subsequent guest stars) into the story at which point Way was like “sure why not.”  

Flash forward a decade later. Once again “angry reviewers” are in vogue as The Nostalgia Critic is at peak popularity as is Red Letter Media's Mr. Plinkett character. Even CinemaSins hadn't devolved into the complete clickbait that it is today. Marvel comics debuts a book called Avengers Arena which teenage heroes from several previous books: Avengers Academy, Sentinel, and Runaways were first to duel to the death by Arcade who very abruptly went from Marvel's most fun villains to least fun villains. It was a shameless Hunger Games cash-in that was one of the most thoroughly unpleasant comics I've ever read.  I started blogging on Tumblr as a way of venting and it brought me a bit of catharsis.

However with a decade of hindsight I realize that I was probably too hard on writer Dennis Hopeless. Remember Hopeless’ original pitch for the book was a new version of Excalibur consisting of teenagers mentored by Captain Britain. It simply wasn't the book he had wanted to write but the book Marvel editorial wanted. He was in a lose/lose situation. It was only a run on Spider-Woman that was generally well regarded and a WWE tie-in Comic that was much better than the actual WWE television product that I really appreciated how talented he was. Like Way before him he was just a guy doing a job in a lose-lose situation.

I stopped doing my “Worst Comics of the 2010s'' series around the time that Marvel's Secret Empire event came out. The story was largely the victim of terrible and I mean TERRIBLE timing. The people involved didn’t predict the rise of Donald Trump and just how quickly everything would go to shit. In 2015 “dude what if Captain America was like the absolute worst” villain must have seemed like a can't miss idea. In 2016 it was a heart-breaking reminder of the country's wounded psyche and in its promotion of the event Marvel basically left writer Nick Spencer to be hung out to dry. While I find Spencer's body of work to be staggeringly uneven, he was ultimately just another work for hire talent in over his head.  With the benefit of hindsight I would have handled things a lot differently. 

With years of hindsight I probably would have voiced my views differently. It's tempting to blame the current abysmal state of comics discussion on the endless cycle of corporate reboots and gimmicks or reprehensible movements like “Comics Gate” but the roots are much deeper. In fact in some ways it might have been worse. Over on his blog Mark Evanier talked about how Mark Robbins became one of the most controversial Batman artists of his day simply because he didn't draw like Neal Adams. As hard as it might be to believe there was a generation of comics fans who called Jack Kirby “Jack the Hack” because they didn't like his later works like Machine Man and The Eternals. Then you have the whole sad backlash to Ron Marz and the H.E.A.T fan movement. 

It is too tempting to write creators off without looking at their whole body of work. Steve Englehart is simultaneously one of the most important comic creators of his era AND the writer of the hilariously clueless New Guardians. I dislike many of the comics Brian Michael Bendis has written but I respect the importance of Ultimate Spider-Man and still look back fondly on his Daredevil run. Howard Mackie who became fandom's shorthand for “Hack” because of his Spider-Man runs recently made a comeback of sorts for Marvel on a Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider-Mini series and having read the first two issues it's a lot of fun! I'm rooting for him.

I want people to know that I am monitoring the situation closely. I understand the concern but I also do not want to cut anyone off unless I absolutely have to. I am content to focus on my own conduct before pointing at others.  For now I simply ask fans to treat comic creators like human beings and wish to lead by example. I'm not against a little well placed anger or even a tiny  bit mean-spirited humor but I'm just going to be more careful in how I wield it. I haven't written much about comics as of late due to my work/life schedule BUT when I get around to it I'm going to try to be a lot more respectful in my own writing. I simply ask others to do the same.

[daydreamerdrew]

excerpt from American Comics: A History by Jeremy Dauber

[wynsvre]

hi this is a comic about me please be nice

[pinkiemachine]

I made a thing….

[t00thpasteface]

literally so embarrassing to have someone go "i don't go here" or "what's this from?" on my art and it's a rarepair/crackship that is in no way representative of the source material... and i have to be like. well you see, the rest of the restaurant's menu is not like this. i'm doing my own thing eating black olives right out of the can in the back-of-house. whether or not you want me to throw you a can, you have to understand that's not what they serve out front

[sylvies-kablooie]

i do unironically think the best artists of our generation are posting to get 20 notes and 3 reblogs btw. that fanfic with like 45 kudos is some of the best stuff ever written. those OCs you carry around have some of the richest backstories and worldbuilding someone has ever seen. please do not think that reaching only a few people when you post means your art isn't worth celebrating.

[yeehawpim]

a comic about fix-it fanfics

[skillful-satu]

Mmm, sketches...

[sjbattleangel]

*Takes a deep breath*

   Oh boy, this is gonna big one.

   I love-scratch that-adore Cassandra Cain. Ever since I discovered her solo series and her fantastic debut in the “No Man’s Land” storyline (Thank you, Linkara!) I have just fallen in love with her. Her unbreakable moral compass, compassion, dry sense of humour and reckless bravery has endeared me to her so much.  And yes, I do enjoy James Tynion’s controversial reimaging of her as “Orphan” along with Scott Snyder, Bryan Hill and Joshua Williamson’s take on her. Heck, I’m really digging the fun new “Batgirls” series by Becky Cloonan and Micheal Conrad. Of course, they have imperfections-such not getting Cass’s character 100%  right at times-but overall, they are enjoyable, memorable experiences.

So yes, I love Cass...

...but I hate her toxic fandom.

Now before anyone gets kittens over this, let me explain myself: There are plenty of amazing Cass fans who form a positive, welcoming fanbase-be it all of the talented fan-artists, fan-writers, etc.- and they are among the most creative, friendliest people I’ve ever met. However, I’m speaking about another Cass fanbase, one which happens to be the most pettiest, vindictive and unpleasable fanbase I have ever witnessed, to the point that they almost make H.E.A.T (Hal’s Emerald Action Team) look like saints! 

How? Why?

It’s quite simple, it begins with “Robin: One Year Later” after “Infinite Crisis”. In this story, Cassandra is suddenly turned into an over-the-top villain who makes grandiose monologues, kills without mercy and leads The League Of Assassins. Plus, she speaks fluent Navajo. (No, I’m not making that up.)  This storyline broke those fans, so much that they now see the character of Cass as “Ruined forever.” Even worse, whenever new Cass storyline comes out-be it Tynion’s “Batman/Detective comics” or the new “Batgirls” ongoing-they will hold it impossible, unreachable standards and declare it “Irredeemable garbage” that “destroys her even more”, regardless of the stories’ qualities.

   Despite one or two exceptions, they are NEVER, EVER pleased.

   You know what’s really annoying is the constant accusations of the writers “ruining her”, “infantilizing her”, “ or “having her job.” ect.

   Firstly, while Cass does loose a few fights here and there, what matters is that she gets back up again and never gives up whether it’s as lead or supporting character. So as far as I can tell, she isn’t “jobbing” for anyone.  “But the writers hate her and want to destroy her so they have her job-” No, Cass losing a few fights doesn’t mean the writers hate her nor do they want to destroy her. She’s still presented as a vital member of the BatFam through her resilence and determination. As for “jobbing”, Inigo Montoya, speak my feelings:

  Also, remember, Cass lost plenty of times in her solo series yet none of these fans accused her creators or other writers of “having her job” or “ruining her.” Hypocritical double standards much?

   And no, just because Cass isn’t the centre character in “Batman” books or made the leader of the Batgirls doesn’t mean she’s being “turned into a submissive doormat”. When she is portrayed as being a bit more savy, snarky and light-hearted-as in the case of “Batgirls” or “Urban Legends, she is in no way being “infantilized for the sake of white women” but being shown to have a more playful side to her personality as a unique individual. 

   Tynion doesn’t hate Cass, Snyder doesn’t hate Cass, Hill doesn’t hate Cass, Williamson doesn’t hate Cass. Cloonan and Conrad do not hate Cass. If they hate the character so much then why are they using her in their stories then? As an important member of the BatFam even? 

   Another thing I really cannot stand is when these toxic fans mis-blame writers like Tynion for any misgivings they had for his work on “Batman” such as turning Cass into “Orphan”, thinking DC let him do whatever he wanted with complete freedom. I’m sorry but this is wrong. I’m going to go on limb here and guess here but from the writing and his respect for the character, Tynion wanted to make Cass Batgirl again but editorial at the time wouldn’t allow him, so he was forced to reimagine her as a completely new character with a brand new origin story. Yes, this is a different Cass but what matters is that the spirit of pre-Flashpoint Cass still lives through her.

   And there is the whole “Tournament arc” ballyhoo started by certain site users who I will not name. I just want to get it out that Williamson didn’t “steal Cass’s tournament arc”, he didn’t “spit in the face of her fans”, but most of all-yes, this is a real claim- he doesn’t “support Eugenics!” These are just flat-out lies spread out by these users, salty over Cass not being put in the centre of the universe.

   Then there is the whole idiotic controversy over Greg Weisman changing Cass’s origin story for “Young Justice: Outsiders” where it is Lady Shiva who trains her from birth to be a killer, takes her voice away by cutting out her vocal cords. Even more, it is Cass who was (accidently) responsible for Barbara's crippling. So while Weisman made a few changes to Cass and her origin story, no, he didn’t set out to “demonize Asian women” nor did he try to “hurt Cass”. Like any other creator, he wanted to bring a new twist to familiar character in order to tell a compelling story. Whether it worked is completely up to the viewer.  I can’t believe I must stress this enough but Weisman is not a “bigoted hack.” Tynion is not a “bigoted hack.” Snyder is not a “bigoted hack.” Hill is not a “bigoted hack.” Williamson is not a “bigoted hack.” Cloonan and Conrad are not “bigoted hacks.” They are normal people like you and me, who slip up and make mistakes. Sure they don’t always create successful works but they try their best and never set out to upset or hurt anyone.     

   Look, we have come a long, long way since “Robin: One Year Later”, sure the road had been bumpy, haphazard even, but Cass is now in a better place. She has gotten good stories, is in a family that loves and cares for her and, most of all, is Batgirl again. How cool is that? Yet these toxic fans can never pleased! It’s always the same-old “Jobbing” here, “Infantilizing” there, “Ruined forever” everywhere! no matter how hard DC Comics creators try to please them, it’s always “Not good enough”, followed by personal attacks on the creators themselves to flat-out DEATH THREATS. All because of one bad storyline that happened years ago! They can never move on, never be happy with anything. This hateful entitlement has just grown into negativity for negativity's sake. Don’t they realize this ends up sending a message to DC Comics? And that message is:  “Bringing Cass back was a mistake if her fans will never be pleased.”

To quote “King Of The Hill's” Peggy Hill:     

 “They don’t know what they want...only what they DON’T want.”  

  I’m sorry. I love Cass and I will continue to love her but this is just so negative and depressing. I can’t take it anymore. I want nothing to do with these angry, entitled, “no-fun-allowed” jerks anymore.  

  I’m done.