Over on his message board, Harlan Ellison went into a rather odd and lengthy rant against Tom Spurgeon and David Welsh, for, apparently, reporting on the latest developments in his ongoing lawsuit against Fantagraphics. Tom has put up the post verbatim and without commentary:
“The Comics Reporter” is a website run by Tom Spurgeon. Tom Spurgeon edited the Groth/Fantagraphics book which forms a part of my lawsuit, which has NOTHING to do with First Amendment rights, and Spurgeon/Groth/Thompson know it. Whaddaya think, perhaps not the most objective site to find information on this litigation? Groth hires Spurgeon (and probably Welsh, whoever he is); Welsh reinterprets the CBLDF refusal to aid Groth, or to go anywhere near what is basically a civil suit between antagonists, both of whom work in the field; Spurgeon promotes it on his Groth aka Tokyo Rose bill-o’reilly-style website. Res ipsa loquitor, the thing speaks for itself. Do the linking of sausages here. They have used that “my right to be a malevolent prick is being Constitutionally impeded” smoke-screen boogeyman over and over and over for at least thirty years in attempts to ward off due retribution for their ongoing bad acts against those far and wide who, if they dare to raise a squawk about being treated unfairly or meanspiritedly or evilly, derogatorily, libelously, slanderously, are instantly cast by Groth & Co. as Evil Tools of the Bad Guy Apparat.
It goes on from there. The folks at the Comics Journal Message Board have some interesting thoughts on the subject, especially R. Fiore. (for some reason the TCJ site won’t load up on my home computer, so just click on the link and head to page eight).
Meanwhile, Johanna has some thoughts on recent events, as well as the usual tasty links. Some good comments too.
February 17th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Harlan Ellison may be right. I still don’t grasp the entirety of these events, yet I’ve been subjected to them often throughout my daily web surfings. What I mean to say though is Harlan Ellison *may* be right, but he makes an ASS of himself. If he wants to look like the GOOD guy he should maybe act a little (for lack of a better term) gooder. A modecum of composure might help win him some sentiment, but when I read posts rant on like that I just can’t help but think “stop your whining already!” Which as I’ve twice admitted, he could *easily* be in the right. I have no idea. But maybe I’d be more willing to side with his David v. Goliath case if he’d stop acting like a spoiled 12-year old nancy-boy who just got his soother taken away.