Yeah, I’m Dead to Marvel. Trust Me.

September 21, 2018 10:52 AM

She stresses how many “lovely” colleagues at Marvel, including her editor Wil Moss, expressed shock and compassion after both Mockingbird and Vision’s cancellations. “I don’t think that it was part of some kind of like, sexist conspiracy,” she says. “I think it was some really smart, funny, friendly boys in a room making a decision and it never occurred to them that this was important, or that these kinds of comics needed a place.”

Chelsea Cain talks about Marvel, the comics freelancer life and the lack of support she received after being targeted by rightwing assholes. Note that Marvel's editor in chief used to pretend to be Japanese in order to get jobs reserved for actual freelancers rather than editorial staff.
posted by MartinWisse (17 comments total)

Her Mockingbird was sooo good, I feel cheated out of what her Vision could have been.
posted by signal at 11:17 AM on September 21, 2018 [4 favorites]

I didn't read her Vision, but I always looked forward to her Mockingbird. It really felt like a breath of fresh air.
posted by sardonyx at 11:28 AM on September 21, 2018

Cebulski previously

Boy, it's good to see how shitty the industry is for most of the people actually making comics getting press, though. Can't wait for Maneaters.

Anyone with more insight into the comics industry care to speculate on how much say Ike has in the editorial direction of Marvel comics?
posted by Berreggnog at 11:34 AM on September 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Didn’t know anything about this, but I know that article makes me want to get everything she’s made ever. Has anyone read her thrillers?
posted by OmieWise at 12:01 PM on September 21, 2018

I loved Mockingbird, and I am so, so excited for Man-Eaters. I've already pre-ordered the issues with the special-edition glitter covers. Thanks, Image Comics!
posted by alynnk at 12:08 PM on September 21, 2018

Three weeks after Cain left Twitter, Donald Trump was elected president.

Thanks, Cain.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:35 PM on September 21, 2018 [5 favorites]

I am STILL mad about the cancellation of Mockingbird. The last issue never even showed up in my local shop so I could never get it.

STILL MAD.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:32 PM on September 21, 2018

the whole industry is fucked, so long as Diamond forces the sales metrics on the 3-month pre order. critically acclaimed books will continue to get cancelled, there is weak feedback between books people like and what editorial thinks will sell.

why isn't that movie money going to break free from the diamond distributor?
posted by eustatic at 4:08 PM on September 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

It might have persuaded her to quit comics altogether and go back to writing thrillers; she’d written eight of those and had never endured such vitriol.

fucking nerds
posted by Sauce Trough at 4:30 PM on September 21, 2018 [5 favorites]

I only discovered her a few days ago. I was rooting around some GG website to brush up on 'comicsgate' and scrolled past a list of covers of the comics that they find incredibly offensive and the Mockingbird one transfixed me immediately, and now her entire output are en route to my house.
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 5:45 PM on September 21, 2018 [5 favorites]

why isn't that movie money going to break free from the diamond distributor?

Marvel tried it. It didn't work so well.

Digital distribution seems to be doing better, but then you don't get to see the bat-a-wang.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:54 PM on September 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

They tried it in the 90s but Marvel and DC are now owned by major media conglomerates. They could buy Diamond for pocket change.
posted by Merus at 10:00 PM on September 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Man-Eaters sounds pretty great.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:19 AM on September 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I was just reading about the freelancers who recreated and promoted Captain Marvel. As freelancers, they'll get nothing from the upcoming movie, even though it appears to be based off their creation.
posted by eye of newt at 10:35 AM on September 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Huh, looks like grad school - and fever reading the politics megathread back when - kept this off my radar. And now I'm halfway through Mockingbird Vol 1 with Man Eaters on preorder. Tablet comic books are my new jam?
posted by avalonian at 11:42 AM on September 22, 2018

Good article on Comicsgate here. The name post-dates the Mockingbird business but it's clearly the same bunch of assholes.
posted by Artw at 4:57 PM on September 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Chelsea Cain Talks Cats, Comics, Corgis, and “Man-Eaters”
posted by Artw at 4:58 PM on September 22, 2018 [1 favorite]