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Tony Harris going after Cosplayers of the female type
dubbat138
Posts: 3,200
http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/comic-book-illustrator-tony-harris-hates-women-co
Now I am sure there is ladies at cons that are just there for the attention. But I bet at least 80% of the cosplayers are into comics.
Now I am sure there is ladies at cons that are just there for the attention. But I bet at least 80% of the cosplayers are into comics.
Comments
M
I think the heart of his rant is right at the end. The cosplayers are taking attention away from him.
And I've got news for Harris, I've seen guys at cons dressed in spandex that shouldn't be!
M
The Buze called him a shitheel!
So heres my follow up commentary. Tried to “engage” my detractors on Twitter. Big mistake. Not gonna backpeddle. Not one step. I tried to be clear at the beginning by saying I know there are legit Cosplayers who know the material and love it. So if you wanna gloss over that and accuse my statements as being all inclusive of Cosplay, then blow me. See, this is why I posted this HERE, on MY page. You dont like it? Leave. Dont threaten to stop buying my work, because Im sure most of you who threw that gauntlet down, never did to begin with. Good riddance. Hey all you self righteous fuck-faces out there who are spewing even MORE hatred at me, than you accused me of spewing. pfffft. Really, thats how you come at me? Once you have moved on to hate on someone else….Good Riddance. But the one thing I HAVE to address is the use of the word MISOGYNY. So I am a Misogynist? Why? Because I frown upon Posers who are sad, needy fakers who use up all my air at Cons? Sorry, while you Cos”Play” Im actually at work. Thats my office. Fuck you. I actually dont hate women, I dont fear them either. Nor do I mistrust them. I do not portray or Objectify half naked women in my work. I never have. I have always been VERY vocal about my dislike of that practice, and that my view is and has been that T&A in comics is a Pox. If you wanna come at me with accusations of Misogyny and sexism, youll be wrong. I think there are several Hundred “PRos” I could rattle off that are doing a fine job of perpetuating that crap without ANY help from me. Its not helping to further our industry. Hey haters, Im not sad, lonely, stupid, uneducated, gay, nor do I wear Assess for a Hat. Im not a Sexist, and have been very vocal about the fact that its a GOOD thing to see so many female fans at shows, and I treat them with the same kindness and respect as I do ANY male fan I meet. I guess the one mistake I made in my original post was that I excluded Men. Let me rectify that…… SOME of you MEN, are as bad as SOME of the Women Cosplayers, I talked about earlier. There. Oh and to all of you guys who are my friends, and pros who I work with, dont go and try and defend me or anything I wrote. Youll just get shit on. Thanks though. And lastly, Bleeding Cool, and Rich Johnston are Shithead, scumbags, and this isnt the first time his camp has come after me. Fuck you Rich.
I'm not saying he IS a sexist, but he went out of his way to target female CosPlayers. And what is HIS concept of posers vs real deals? Can someone know a shitload about 1 or 2 characters & not be a poser?
As a sports fan who follows Boston sports closely, I know there are a ton of pink hat fans (term refers to those people following the team since they've been winning championships, not genders), BUT they also help finance the franchise by buying apparel & attending games.
M
Most of us have zero problems with cosplay. We encourage it. Hell, the person writing these very words participates in it. Working on a Prince Vultan costume...if you've ever met me, I *AM* Brian Blessed. :)
However, there is a problem when you have a cosplayer posing for photos in front of your table, putting their purse, accoutrements, etc. on your prints, and giving you the stink-eye when you suggest they move them. You may not believe this actually happens. I can assure you it does.
It's great that you're there to be seen. Whether you're a hottie or a total boogerwolf (of either gender), I can appreciate a great costume and the work you put into it. Understand that those of us on the other side of the table put an equal amount of work (and money) in securing our tables, getting our books printed, and our prints done. We're not a place to set your stuff. Nobody wants that print you damaged setting your Coke on it, and that puts me out $5-20 depending on the print.
I have the same argument with parents and their kids. If the kid starts tossing stuff around at the table, and the parent seems to think it's cute, I remind them that prints are $5 each, and they quickly get their child in tow. This is rare, but it does happen.
I've seen some of the impromptu photo-sessions of cosplayers at Emerald City Comic Con, but most of what I saw were generally at the prompting of the people with the cameras who would urge the cosplayers to stop and pose for them, and the cosplayer would simply go along and give the photographer what they were asking for. I find Harris' comments about the con being his office to be more than a bit presumptuous: his studio is his office; the con is a marketplace where everybody has come to meet, play, and trade, and that includes the cosplayers. Harris has no special claim here, save for his table space, and if the immediate area there is getting clogged then a simple 'move along please' is all that's required and is usually responded to with good grace by the 'offending' parties.
Really stupid thing to rant about.
"I hate the CosPlay faction at cons. They can clog aisles with their clunky costumes and impromptu photo ops. There are times CosPlayers will pass my table, get asked for photos, than completely block my table. Some have even placed their comics, accessories, or food/beverages on my table & products without asking, sometimes even damaging my products."
Now you (or I) might not completely agree with the rant, but Harris wouldn't have been targeting gender, looks, nerd cred, AND provide a perspective from the other side of the table.
M
I'm just sick to death of this "real fan" crap, anyway. You just know that all of the idiot would-be alpha sub-primates who perpetuate it were picked on as kids and now are going to "make them all pay!!!" or something. You wanna be a supervillain, go and have yourself an origin, pal. If not, then sit down, shut up, and accept that people (even - GASP! - women) are occasionally going to like the same things you do and that you have no say in any of it. Plenty of room for everyone (at all ages, genders, and levels of fandom) in what comedian/podcaster Jackie Kashian calls "the Dork Forest." Fandom is not a right, it's not even a privilege... it's just fun. So long as the way in which you indulge isn't legitimately harmful to anyone, I say let 'em wave their freak flags high!
I Hate to think of what this guy would do if you accidentally bumped into him in the hallway or spilled his drink at the bar... would he take a baseball bat to your knees or pull a gun?
... and I love the "if you want to stop buying my work good go ahead, i dont care and dont want you". Ok. then were both happy. done and done.
Is there a certain level of attention-seeking in costuming? Of course. You want people to notice. You want them to appreciate the work you've put into it. Doesn't that go for the production of anything that anyone puts out publicly, though? And, yeah, that includes the art that Mr. Harris produces.
Are there costumers that have no real interest in comics and do it *just* for the attention? Absolutely, but painting everyone (or even the majority) of costumers in that light is small-minded.
And, on that same thought, maybe Mr. Harris is missing the fact that costuming (as in, costuming itself), as a hobby, may be the central "geek" focus of an attendee at a con. I go to a con, and I'm a comic fan. Another person goes because they love manga or anime. Still another maybe is only into gaming. If these are each legitimate geek reasons to attend a con, then why can't costuming be one as well? News for Mr. Harris - the big cons have already recognized this, evidenced by holding actual panels on costuming.
This sorta thing irritates me to no end. Like the venom spewed by a lot of folks when Twilight fans came to the Comic Con, I don't see the need to denigrate another person's fandom choices.
Finally, as a male comic book fan, I'd like to thank Mr. Harris for spouting off and reinforcing the stereotypical idea of a male comic geek. I'm so glad that he, as a person within the industry, believes that we, the fans, are a sad and pathetic group who cannot speak to females, lacking confidence and social graces, and completely lacking in self-control.
Congratulations, Mr. Harris - it has been a while since seeing a particular creator's name on a book has led me to avoid buying the book, but you have earned that.
Douchebag.
We tend to wear our fandoms on our sleeves, and resent anyone we feel hasn't "paid their dues" to get to our lofty platform.
Stupid, I know...