I think that everyone realizes that, but to suggest that someone going “Everyone is equal!” actually means that everyone is equal in real life is bad logic.

There is still an imbalance. It’s laudable to at least attempt to be color blind, but being so color blind that you grow actual blinders is a bad thing.

Graeme, this is hardly a straw man argument at all.

I like how you take the time to passively bash Millar for the remarks that he does make, implying that are something more than they really are, yet shed no light on the fact that this writer went into a comic store and applied post-it notes all over comic books, within and without, that he didn’t pay for or intended to pay for.

As a store owner, I would have kicked his butt, literally, out of my store while simultaneously explaining the fact that Millar did more for that character in terms of recognition than any other writer has done for Northstar since his inception.

If anyone is making a straw man argument here, it’s Moore who seems to think that ALL gay characters in comics are mistreated and then decides to deface property in comic stores for his “cause”, which it seems he still completely misunderstands to this day in regards to comics.

“… while simultaneously explaining the fact that Millar did more for that character in terms of recognition than any other writer has done for Northstar since his inception.”

That distinction, such that it is, would fall to Scott Lobdell, who wrote Northstar’s (in)famous “coming out” story in Alpha Flight #106 … 15 years ago.

But the argument that, by “killing” Northstar, Millar made him a more recognizable character is kind of, I don’t know, odd, isn’t it?

You tell me, Kevin.

How is it odd?

I think calling Millar’s statement and Over-reaction is a bit of yellow journalism on the writers part.

I think he has every right to be upset that someone is judging his intentions and calling him homophobic. The post it note guy is not in Millar’s head - he doesn’t know anything about how he feels about gay people - he is just jumping on the bandwagon to get 15 minutes of fame by de-facing comic books in the name of gay rights. Next the emo people will be after Geoff Johns for killing Superboy, and the Crewcut society of America will be chasing Marv Woflman with axes and pitchforks.

to the post it note guy : How about you try positive things like talking about books at your local store that are good and support positive gay characters. How about writing letters to comic book writers that turn gay characters into after school specials (ie the Green Lantern arc with Terry the art assistant and his very special story). How about supporting stories that show gay people being as heroic as everyone else instead of always being the victims. You want an example of what should be supported - buy the Manhunter trades by Marc Andryko.

When Marvel already has a questionable history with gay characters (statements by Quesada, the handling of Rawhide Kid), you have to stop and think if you are about to do something drastic with Marvel’s most notable gay character (especially when there are so few).

Just like DC writers should stop and think before they decide to rape, cripple, torture, or kill yet another female character.

The Princess Di thing was hardly a scandal.

Oh, and Chris, Northstar was pretty prominent in Chuck Austen’s Uncanny X-Men arc. But he sucks so it doesn’t count.

“In issue 13 Milligan had planned to use Princess Diana in a storyline in X-Statix which featured her returning from the dead as a mutant superhero. News of this leaked out to the media and there followed a series of objections, most notably from the British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail. Quesada and Marvel announced that they would alter the character of Princess Diana, replacing her with a fictional pop star, Henrietta Hunter.”

That’s not a little scandalous?

To attempt to resurrect one of the most beloved and not-long-gone public figures of our lifetime to join an highly amoral, glory-seeking superhero team, get called on it and frowned on in the aforementioned icon’s country, and then back off in a last minute rewrite? Sorry, but that was possibility Marvel’s biggest public relations faux pas of their entire history in publishing.

Man, we’ve come a VERY long way since the EiC days of Jim “THERE ARE NO FAGS IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!!” Shooter and his gang of bandolero thugs running havok all over the Marvel bullpen.

Viva Fidel!

This accusation against Miller is just ridiculous.

I mean, why on earth would you accuse the man who wrote a story in which Reed Richards and Tony Start put super-heros in concentration camps of be homophobic? I don’t see any connection there at all. Its like saying just because he’s the guy who wrote, “You think this A stands for France?” its means he’s homophobic. No way.

And lets not forget that Miller killed a black character in Civil War. See, he kills minority characters equally!

God people, just because your political ideologies lean towards facism, it doesn’t mean you’re a homophobe!!

Oh wait. It probably does. Forget it.

“Mark Millar HATES giants.”

To illustrate your point.

Well, I think Millar saying in an interview “I asked if they said I could kill a certain character, and Marvel said, sure!” didn’t help.

Isn’t the goal of equality to be treated like everyone else? You’re not really being treated like everyone else if you have to be handled with kid gloves. So now every gay character has to be on the “no kill” list just because they are gay? I guess it’s back to killing only straight white males until there aren’t any left in comics.

And why is it important that every writer spell out the sexuality of a character just because they might be gay? That makes them a GAY character, not a character that happens to be gay. Making every character that is gay be defined by their sexuality is short changing their ability to be interesting characters without flouting the gay card.

Comics writers should be able to kill any character will tell a complelling story and not have to worry that someone will judge their actions, based on ridiculous assumptions that people will make about their personal beliefs. I find it amazing that people who don’t know him are calling him a homophobe and a rascist based on information taken out of context, with no knowledge of his intent. Once again the internet allows people to say awful things about a person that they wouldn’t have the guts to say to his face.

“I guess it’s back to killing only straight white males until there aren’t any left in comics.”

Luckily, there are thousands of those in comics, so that may take a while.

Spencer, when did Millar win a GLAAD award? I pay attention to those awards every year and I don’t recall THE AUTHORITY ever winning. I believe it came closest when Ellis was still writing it and that was the year STRANGERS IN PARADISE WON (followed by PEDRO & ME and GREEN LANTERN).

You’re not really being treated like everyone else if you have to be handled with kid gloves. So now every gay character has to be on the “no kill” list just because they are gay? I guess it’s back to killing only straight white males until there aren’t any left in comics.

If you want minority groups to accept an “equal” amount of negative stories you need to reach equality in positive representation first. Giving an “equal” amount of the unheroic roles (like victim) is easy.

Ooops. forgot his fictitious use of a dying Cardina,l an outraged community and a legal action against a newspaper when shouting about his gay credentials.

Was ONLY nominated.

Thanks for that link, JK. It has to suck to be Judd Winick. He ties with Millar on that award and the presenters can’t bother to spell his name right
“WINNER:(tie) The Authority (issues 28-29) - Mark Millar et al - Wildstorm/DC Comics
WINNER:(tie) Green Lantern: Hate Crime (issues 153-155) - Judd Winnick et al - DC Comics”