I have read the retailer preview of G’puss, and I did not find it too my liking at all. The first “act” is various posed “photo-referenced” shots from fashion magazines, with captions written as Sim explains that he’s been wondering what to do since Cerebus, and has settled on drawing pictures of women in a photo realistic style a la Alex Raymond, whom he spends a lot of time praising. There are also various redone Raymond panels to show how Raymond’s style eveolved, often over short periods of time. There is a middle section where Sim tries to show creating a narrative solely from photo-referenced fashion magazines would be problematic from a story standpoint, but after several pages he concludes that maybe he’s on to something, but it’s hard to tell if he’s being sarcastic or if we will see more “Glamourpuss” stories told like this in the future. I can imagine there would be, as the book is called Glamourpuss. Every woman seems to be called “Glamourpuss,” but I’m unsure if they’re supposed to be all the same character of if just every woman just fills the same roll for him: someone to trace and then make acerbic comments about how they look and dress, with an eye towards parodying how ridiculous fashion is. I can’t really defend fashion, but it’s really hard to separate Sim’s previously published thoughts on Women when your reading about him wanting to trace pictures of pretty girls and then make fun of them.

The Raymond stuff is interesting, and I’d be more entertained with information about him and other artists. Too often though the narrative swings into Sim talking about what he would want to do and the like. Instead of talking about that, why not *show* what it is you’ve decided to work on. As a retailer, I appreciate an artist and company sending out evaluation copies like this, as well as how he plans to hold the second issue for a bit so retailers who order the title can fully gauge reaction before placing orders for issue 2. I wish more companies were this interested in getting product information like this in retailers hands so we can make educated decisions. However, I and the customers I showed the book too decided to pass on it.

I think you’re right but there’s also more to it. It’s not just avoiding an artists work because you know it will anger you, it’s not financially supporting the work of someone you don’t feel should succeed by publishing ignorant and hateful rants against a group of people who have done nothing to deserve it. It’s about not supporting someone who has clearly broken from the ideals that our society lives by.

I won’t spend a dime on anything by Roman Polanski and I catch a lot of crap for it by less informed people or lazy bastards who agree what he did was wrong but like his movies too much to take a moral stand.

You’re doing the right thing by not reading his work but also by publicly expressing your opinion and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Glamourpuss might be a great book but there’s a lot of great books out there right now and no one has time to read them all. When you’re 110 and on your death bed, you won’t be saying to yourself, “damn, I should have read Glamourpuss.”

As talented as Sim is, it’s not just his odious views that are keeping me away from Glamourpuss — it’s a comic about the fashion industry, for cryin’ out loud. I’m not arrogant enough to say “who cares?” but I’m certain that, despite Sim’s talent, I sure don’t.

If someone wants to lend me a collection down the road to convince me, I might read it. But spending my own money on a fashion book when I can’t afford to pick up Conan right now? Not gonna happen.

Skott, Sims views on women don’t come out in his actual work as much as they do in the letters columns that ran in the back of Cerebus. Many of those comments have been reprinted all over the net and other creators have told stories of encounters with Sim as well. I’ve never read an issue of Cerebus but I’m familiar with his opinions on women.

It’s sort of a blend with me, in this case- I think that in this case, Sim’s political views will impact the work because of what the subject matter is. Having Dave Sim write about the fashion industry is a bit like having Orson Scott Card write about the Stonewall riots. It’s all going to end in tears, I know it.

I’m not sexist myself. Not only am I not a sexist, I speak out often about opposing institutions and actions that entrench sexism in our society. That being said, I disagree when you say you’re only “missing out on the blinding rage, disappointment, and disgust that will undoubtedly ruin any enjoyment I can get out of the story itself” You can’t know this unless you read the work, or others give you examples of these things in the work. I respect your decision to not support writers who have vocalized opinions that offend your better judgement, but I certainly think you’re missing out on a lot with that point of view. Many important historical thinkers and writers participated in some pretty despicable stuff that outweighs nonsense rants, but we still about many of these gentlemen as heroes.
Now, I’d probably only bother reading the work of pricks if it’s intellectually important to a group or movement, and in that sense I’d at least wait to see what others thought.
It sucks, but lots of really sick people have had really good ideas or created really great works. Life’s odd this way, but it’s unavoidable, it’s often the people on the verge of sanity (as demonstrated by their opinions and actions) who push forward the efforts of human thought.

Oops… “Cerebus,” not “Cerbus.”

Life’s too short to read everything. Being worried that you couldn’t fully invest in a work, whether because you would be concerned about the author’s views lurking around the corner or otherwise, seems like a valid reason to skip this one.

Yeah, it does actually qualify as a moral stand. A small one, sure…but it is.

I think it is perfectly legitimate to say that you will not purchase or support the work of someone that you have an objection to on a non-work related issue. People refused to watch POWDER because of the checkered background of the writer (I believe he sexually abused children).

What I think would suck, though, is people who have an obvious problem with Sim giving the book bad reviews more based on their bias than the work.

I’m sure Lisa has read more of Sim’s work than she might publicly state otherwise she would not be able to rail against it to the degree of detail that she does.

I find her argument specious. I read the comics I find engaging and entertaining and don’t worry about the author’s personal life or beliefs. Dave Sim has produced a lot of quality comics over the years and I’ll check out Glamourpuss. My only knowledge of his alleged views on women is from second hand sources and then only because it floats in and out of comic sites I read.

The artistic work is an object for interpretation unto itself and the author’s opinions or even his intentions when creating it have nothing to do with the work’s interpretation by a reader or it’s later decided upon meaning by the community of readers.

Still if Lisa doesn’t want to read this comic no one is going to try to force her to so I kind of wonder why she is in such mood about it. Maybe she just wanted to take another shot at Dave Sim. (In which case the article isn’t really anything but just a vendetta piece against someone with ideas antithetical to your own.)

I’m not reading Iron Man these days but I’m not going to put out an ethical statement about it or attempt to sway others on some “principled” basis. I just think it’s not enough fun for $2.99.

At its ground level though, I just don’t think Lisa’s argument holds any real merit. Ben Franklin owned slaves; will Lisa never use bifocals as a result or warm herself by an indoor stove. If you found Tesla to be reprehensible, would you reject alternating current. How far have you looked into the people that have developed all the items you use or enjoy in your life? But hey I guess being strident for coolness sake is a reward all its own.

If Glamourpuss looks good to you, buy it. If not, well pick up a classic Cary Bates Flash back issue instead and don’t have a fit about it.

And personally I’d cut Sim a break I read recently he hasn’t gotten laid in ten years. I get cranky if it has been ten days. And for those playing at home it’s only day 8 for me (I’ve been away on business for a week).

No actually not Rob S. You presume that one’s attitudes and viewpoints and personal choices don’t affect science, but it is just that your presumption.

You also assume that these inventions would have ultimately resulted without Tesla, Ben Franklin etc, but this also is a large assumption. Would mass produced cars have been invented without Henry Ford? what about lump charcoal?

How could Lisa possibly enjoy the benefits of the scientific work of a slave owner, racist, or whatever she finds offensive without constantly being reminded that those offensive qualities gave rise to the thing she is now making use of or enjoying. It’s the exact same thing.

It’s just more convenient to be an offended aesthetic moralist than a scientific one.

Finally, I had already commented on the separation of authorial intent and interpretive meaning, but I guess that’s not as easy to digest as the tired apples & oranges fallacy you decided to trot out. Superficial differences do not dismiss the underlying prinicple Fortuner put forth or its basic flaw.