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Responding to Perry Moore

I realize this blog has gone dead since the close of ComicCon. Life
after vacation has been rather crazy, but I didn't want to leave Mr.
Moore unanswered. First I'd like to thank Perry for searching out our
blog and for taking the time to post a thoughtful response. I would
also like to apologize for the offensive opener to my previous post -
I obviously didn't expect the post to be read by its subject. Isn't
the Internet marvelous. Anyway, when it comes the the actual content
of Perry's post I want to be sure to continue the discussion at a high
intellectual level (whether or not anyone will read it). I will post a
full response as soon as I get the chance.

Side note: Rising Stars is an astounding literary and visual work,
everybody read it.

Perry Moore is Not a Gay Assh#!@

He's an assh#!@ who happens to be gay.

I attended the Tipping Point for LGBT Portrayals in Comics panel. It
was an interesting discussion with professionals in the biz who are
gay and/or have a major hand in the gay portrayals that are appearing
in comics currently. The discussion was initially heavily directed at
Greg Rucka who is writing Detective Comics (the title that DC Comics
gets its name from) which has recently been taken over by two lesbian
characters. It is the first major book to be headlined by a gay
character. Rucka made a lot of good points over the course of the
panel, whether I agree with them or not. He talked about the
mainstream comics audience (young straight males) being more receptive
to lesbian characters, and while that is a sign that there is more
work to do it is also a window through which to affect change. Rucka
also talked about his wariness to depict gay characters negatively -
as villains or flawed - because he doesn't want to give the opposition
any ammunition. This point met with some opposition, myself included,
but I see his point. I want gay characters to be treated like any
other character in a good story, but they are scarce. If most of the
gay characters we have in comics are villains what does that do to
change the perception that bigoted or ignorant people have of them?
Show me 20 sustained, featured gay good guys and I'll start giving you
villains. It is going to be hard to treat gay characters equitably -
good and bad - before being gay is irreversibly separated from the
concepts of good and evil.

To address the title of this post. Perry Moore spent much of his time
trying to convince the comic-loving audience that comics are evil to
gays and only books could possibly be seen as getting it right - or,
at least, that is how it seemed. I don't know if the man was just
offensively bad at making his point or if he was really so
dissatisfied with incremental change that he was willing to attack the
people attempting to make it. As much as I would like there to be a
monumental shift, an easy button for gay equality, there just isn't
going to be one. I appreciate Moore's sentiment, it was an integral
part of drama-con, but to say that every gay character and every gay
moment ought to be the main feature the comic that contains it is
ludicrous. Asking the authors and artists of these books to tell a
bad story for the sole purpose of ramming the gay agenda down readers'
throats is the worst possible tactic. To Moore's defense, I too am
anxious for change. It is easy to become frustrated and discouraged.
It was all too easy for me to look at Joss Whedon, who has done a
beautiful job of writing lesbian characters and ask why his only gay
character is closeted comic relief. It is hard to be excited about
incremental change, it is without comfort to accept slow progress when
all you're asking for is a chance given to everyone else you know. I
want to have heroes, I want to have role models, I want to characters
in books and film and comics, that I can look to, emulate, connect
with and be inspired by with out the nagging realization that they
aren't quite like me. My relationship with so much of culture is
experienced from behind a glass wall. I often forget it is there, but
then I collide with it all the harder.

I've got to believe it's getting better, getting better all the time...

I just got on the

I just got on the plane to Cleveland and the couple behind me stole two headsets. Wow...

GLEE

I saw the second episode of Glee. I saw it before most of the
country. This makes me better than you, feel sad.

Dylan was originally going to share in my superiority but
unfortunately he abandoned me for $5 trades. I wasn't about to
substitute spending another $100 on comics for seeing the best show
ever. Also, now - being after the fact - I can say that I
successfully bought a ton of $5 trades even after my time in the
Indigo Ballroom.

Anyway, back to Glee.

The show is incredibly well conceived and the writing is living up to
that conception. They are pumping the show full of camp and slapstick
humor, but it never feels false or forced. It is over the top, but
aware. In the same way that Buffy was able to say things about real
life by folding it into a sci-fi / fantasy world, and your parents are
able to give you medicine by hiding it in the applesauce, Glee manages
to be an honest reflection of high school life encapsulated in a
hyperbolic reality. Also, no TV show has ever been harmed by an
infusion of Broadway talent - Glee has plenty.

If you aren't already watching this, start. And try not to hate me
while you wait impatiently for the next episode to air.

Cheesy Sitcom Finale Post

Well guys, I'm sitting at the San Diego airport in a rocking chair (look at Dylan's last post) writing on my computer to say my good-byes. I'm really glad I came on this trip, it was everything I was hoping for, and then some that I wasn't. Vacations are a great time to sit back, relax, and have a panic attack on a train platform...all of which I got to accomplish! Getting to spend time in a place that was just so positively charged by almost every one of the 250,000 people here for Con. Plus, I no longer feel like the biggest nerd on the planet because I saw many people who made me look as normal as the rest of you...which isn't saying much. Thank you all for reading and I believe that we are indeed on our way to becoming THE Comic-Con blog, much thanks to Ben for putting that idea in our heads. My last thought that I have to say as I sit in this rocking chair, taking in the sun, looking out on the people flowing by: It's good to have land.

Kevin