A few hours before the ailing senator’s death, Bluewater Productions announced that the next of its “Political Power” biocomics would be of Ted Kennedy.
Love him or hate him, I’m curious how they’re going to get Kennedy’s long career — which is also invariably tied to the complicated history of his family — into the span of 23 pages. The book will be written by Brent Sprecher and illustrated by Alejandro Figueroa.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:22 am
This stuff has to stop.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Are you serious? This man should have been brought up on MANSLAUGHTER charges 30+ years ago. It’s a disgrace that this country held him up on a silver pedestal for so long
August 26th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Man… they don’t even wait for the body to get cold…
August 26th, 2009 at 8:53 am
well… that didn’t take as long as I thought it would
August 26th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Pete, if you bothered to read the FIRST SENTENCE, this was announced BEFORE Ted Kennedy died.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I am in a position to know, this book has been in production since March. It was solicited through Diamond several months ago. It was just unfortunate timing that the announcement of the book correlated with Senator Kennedy’s passing.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Wow, that’s pretty ghoulish. Yeah, it was being worked on before his death, but why was it being worked on before his death? Its not like his death is sudden or comes as a surprise; it was clear he didn’t have long to live, like, a year ago.
And Joe? I think you’re on the wrong blog.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Adam’s right. Please stop. The question here should be, who buys this crap? And why?
August 26th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Somebody’s reading and collecting these books. Just because you’re not, doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Let it go.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Jesus Christ, Bluewater… that’s pitiful cash in attempt.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I wonder if they’re going to touch on the fact that the family name was the only thing that kept him from jail before he entered politics (Mary Jo’s death happened after he entered politics btw).
August 26th, 2009 at 9:49 am
“And Joe? I think you’re on the wrong blog.”
Why would that be? A contrary political opinion?
August 26th, 2009 at 9:50 am
On the one hand, I’m pleased to see a cottage industry of political comics coming up, because it seems to me that when we say “Comics are more than superheroes and funny animals,” we should mean it and there should be product available that shows everyone the potential of comics as a communicative and educational medium.
On the other hand, trying to cram all this stuff into a 23-page floppy will create the kind of shabby work that will communicate to new readers that comics are simplistic, brainless kids’ stuff.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Bio-comics and bios in general don’t have to just be relegated to people who did good. Everyone, liberals included, know Ted Kennedy had some things to account for. History is history, good or bad.
TIM
August 26th, 2009 at 9:55 am
I think those of you who find Bluewater’s announcement “ghoulish” or waiting until the “body to get cold” are considerably off the mark. The announcement was written and submitted to the media before Kennedy’s passing. Bluewater, had no foreknowledge that the Senator was that close to death. If you choose to beleive this was not a coincidence, then that is your own opinion, albeit incorrect.
As to who buys the books. I don’t know. All I can say is that there is a market or else Bluewater would not produce and solicit these biographies. With that said, have any of you ever read any of the bio comics? Or do you sit in judgement because the product doesn’t meet your definition of the medium? I am willing to have a cordial debate.
scott
August 26th, 2009 at 10:00 am
@Mark Engblom – Yes, clearly it’s becuase he voices a contrary opinion and not at all because this blog is about COMICS and the sooner somebody starts political mudslinging, the sooner any chance of intelligent discussion of comics and sequential art drops to zero.
@Tim Seeley – That’s a great point which I fully agree with. I think a lot of people will be affronted by this because, coming into our consciousness within hours of his death, it will be assumed (by people who will almost certainly never actually READ what they’re railing against, but still…!) to be part of the greater pattern of lionizing coverage that comes out of any person’s death. Look at Michael Jackson, arguably one of the most widely reviled and mocked public figures of the last ten years.
@zonefish – I actually have read one of them–McCain’s–and was very, very sorely disappointed. It reminded me of the “graphic novel” adaptions of the 9/11 Report that came out, which were basically just huge blocks of lifeless text combined with fairly pedestrian static images with no feeling of movement or sequence. They barely constituted comics, to me, and also didn’t give enough breathing room (in the case of the Bluewater book, not the 9/11 one) to be effectively educational.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:12 am
@Russ
That’s a very good point about non-fiction comics. They tend to be very dry/technical. I’m curious if instead of going for a textbook historical perspective, they might try for a more humanist view. Perhaps taking “defining moments/chapters” from the individual’s lives. Sure it would take quite a bit of research, but I think it would be a good way to showcase the people over the politics.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Blue water found a sales niche with these bio comics after they did Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton (and the idea was pretty much a rip off of IDWs Obama and McCain comics, and not done nearly as well). They got a lot of mainstream media exposure for those books. They followed it up with books about Barbara Walters, Oprah, Bo Obama (the dog) and others nobody cares about. They’ve also really been robbing the graveyard with comics about Kennedy (which – to be fair – was announced before his death, but we all saw the writing on the wall) and Michael Jackson. They used to have some good, fun comics. Anyone remember 10th Muse and Isis? But the publisher is too consumed with working with licensed properties and celebrities now. I think it has seriously damaged their cred. It has with me, at least. I would love to see them finally get back to superheroes.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:20 am
These is a great Idea Its way better then book which is nothing but Text and Texts
August 26th, 2009 at 10:28 am
@NeoSamurai – First of all, while it tugs at the edges of the definition, I’ll point out that MAUS is a nonfiction comic, and a biography to boot. UNDERSTANDING COMICS is nonfiction, too. in both instances, they followed a formula close or identical to the one you proposed and the books are spectacular. Harvey Pekar, the king of the comics biography, did that SDS hardcover, though, and it was pretty mediocre specifically BECAUSE it read like a textbook. I’m writing a biographical comic about a little-known pop culture figure from the ’60s right now, and I’m trying my damnedest to learn all these lessons myself before I start seeing the pages coming back and realize too late that I’ve contributed to this problem! I would certainly argue that page count is part of it–you could probably do a serviceable-but-not-great biography of SOMEBODY in 23 pages…but certainly not someone who was historically relevant, controversial or probably even just compelling.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:36 am
A moment of silence
for
Mary Jo Kopechne.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Sweet. Maybe they can show how he got away with murder.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:48 am
@Russ
I appreciate your feedback on the McCain book. Some are obviously better (or worse than others)…and just so I lay my cards on the table: I am not employed by Bluewater, I do, on occasion do some contract work for them. And I have written a bio book (Al Gore scheduled for January) When it comes out, I would welcome your opinion.
@Mitchell
Isis is still out there. #3 of the new volume just came out. To be fair Bluewater is a business in a struggling industry in a declining market, it needs to diversify so that it can afford to sustain projects like Isis, 10th Muse, etc… Therefore, as small as a company it is, it really has 3 divisions–the licensed properties, the biography lines and self-created titles.
@Neo
I’ve read the Kennedy script and it approaches his life in an even-handed manner. It does cover Chappaquiddick, it does touch on some of his personal failings. But the question remains how do you fairly encapsulate 77 years of an eventful life in 23 pages? I agree with Russ in that it runs the risk of being overly simplistic, but I will let the work speak for itself when it is published.
scott
August 26th, 2009 at 11:15 am
well, if they get warren ellis to write the manslaughter part. He’s good at writing pointless deaths of extra characters surrounding the lead that seem to have no lasting effect on the lead’s future. Or better, Kyle & Yost. And the cancer could be like a late justice, all the cells shaped like batman taking out the Penguin.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:31 am
These are stupid, and yes I took the time to make that comment because I have nothing better else to do at the moment.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:32 am
so Obama has more comics that Spider-Man does, even his dog has one ( there is a very bad joke in there I’m not sure I want to say here…maybe on my personal blog…) and the dumbest VP we’ve ever had has one and now Old Ted is getting one…
Funny, I don’t remember the late President Reagan getting any where near this kind of attention, love and respect from anyone when he passed away…
August 26th, 2009 at 11:42 am
@Russ
I nearly forgot about Maus and Understanding Comics as non-fiction. But yeah–they use non-traditional expositive (I tried to avoid the term narrative) means. Of course Maus (to include I and II) also had the benefit of close to or more than 100 pages (I don’t have my copy with me). I agree with about 23 pages it’s hard to tell someone’s life story and provoke meaning without glossing over a lot.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Human garbage: the comic book.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
@zonefish
“I am in a position to know, this book has been in production since March. It was solicited through Diamond several months ago. It was just unfortunate timing that the announcement of the book correlated with Senator Kennedy’s passing.”
Sorry, I gotta call BS on that. The book may have been in production since March, but there’s no doubt that the book’s announcement was timed specifically to take full advantage of the media coverage surrounding the late Senator’s passing.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
@Evil
Reagan’s bio issue comes out in October!
August 26th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Imight consider it if they include Chapaquidic other wise I will stay as far away from it as I can
August 26th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Seriously? Who reads comics about politicians?
August 26th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
@Evil_S2003 – Are you serious? It was like a 96-hour media orgy devoted to the Greatness of The Gipper when Reagan passed. President Bush did everything short of declaring a national holiday. Maybe he didn’t have a comic book at the time, but shortly after there was Ronald Reagan: A Graphic Biography by Andrew Helfer and Joe Staton, which was released both in hardcover and as a digitally-serialized strip on slate.com (http://slate.com/features/reagan/default.html).
August 26th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
“And Joe? I think you’re on the wrong blog.”
Why would that be? A contrary political opinion?
Actually, more of a dumb and off-topic post. There are plenty of blogs and websites on the Internet to post anonymous dumb, political opinions. This one’s for you guys to post anonymous dumb, comics opinions.
But it’s too late now! Go nuts, y’all…
August 26th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
@ Esteves … if you look at the time this release was issued, you’ll see it was sent BEFORE he died. Newsarama even acknowledges that in their report. Unless Blue water has actual psychic working for them, there’s no way they could have planned this to coincide with his passing. They knew he was very sick, that much is true. And that may not win them any sympathy votes, trying to capitalize on a dying man. But the charge that they timed this to release upon his death is just absurd.
I’m not a fan of the bio comics either, but even I’m not that cynical.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
@ Esteves
Unless I am psychic (which I am not), I could not have known the Senator passed away. I wrote the release two days ago. It was released yesterday prior to any knowledge of his death. Yes, everyone knew he was gravely ill, but there was no intent to time it with the news. You can believe me, or not. This book has always been scheduled for November. It was solicited through Diamond in June and we always submit press releases about 90 days before the book hits the streets.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I think there was a negative comment about Ted Kennedy in this thread earlier than any Michael Jackson comment section had a post about him being a kid toucher.
Whatever you think of the man, all the cash-in attention he’s going to receive is more an indictment on how our society eats this crap up. I gave up on certain “news programs” because they covered the Michael Jackson death to the exclusion of the Iran election fallout and healthcare issues. But more and more “news programs” are ceding time to “tabloid journalism” in their programs because that is what sells.
I miss the days when the news divisions were run more like a public service than an entity that would do anything to get a Nielsen spike.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
There’s Caleb proving, yet again, why he’s the man!
August 26th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
“Actually, more of a dumb and off-topic post. There are plenty of blogs and websites on the Internet to post anonymous dumb, political opinions. This one’s for you guys to post anonymous dumb, comics opinions.”
Uh…right….but it’s a comic book about a highly polarizing political figure, so naturally someone may want to comment directly on the subject of said comic book. You know, kind of like when people talk about Spider-Man when he’s the subject of a comic book?
August 26th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Kennedy would not be where he is tday without the name. When he killed Mary Kopecney he should have gone to prison, As a devout Democrat, It sickens me with the reverence he’s been paid since he found out he has cancer….If I bought this book it’d only be to urinate on it…
August 26th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
zonefish, why even dignify those dopes with a response anyone who can read rather than just quickly go to the post section wouldn’t have wrote what they did some posters need to read before they spew…err…write their trash…
August 26th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
when is blue water going to stop with these political comics? personally i wouldn’t buy one
August 26th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Let. It. GO.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Dear assorted right-wing dickheads: When attempting to be morally self-righteous about the supposed failings of a recently-deceased politian you didn’t like, you may find it helps *not* to be the same wankers who’ve spent the last five years squealing for every other building in America to be named after the senile scumbag who sold arms to Iran in order to finance Nicaraguan death squads. Just an FYI.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
@Alex – Presumably, they (and other publishers) will stop after two or more of them in a row fail to sell. At the moment, there’s a market for it, whether that market includes you and me or not.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Heh.
Supposed failings.
Newsflash genius, Mary Jo Kopechne is still dead.
When a man’s concern is more for his career than his dying companion, than all those ‘dickheads’ are fully justified to call out this piece of human detritus. Hell, the man remained a unrepentant drunkard for the rest of his privileged life.
Just maybe, if a certain group of people in Massachusetts had any sense of dignity they would booted this shameless fool from office years ago.
I do find it funny that somehow feeling disgust at this type of person is so inanely partisan.
The scorn should have been unanimous…
August 26th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Next time a Ronald Reagan-like conservative icon dies, remind me to start crapping on his memory and calling him a murderer and a fascist from the moment he dies instead of politely sitting back and reserving my criticism for another day. If you people are representative of the Republican party and the conservative moment, it’s no wonder that your party is dying a slow miserable death in the thrall of social obscurity. You have NO CLASS at all.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
So…will either Aquaman or Namor be appearing?
August 26th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
quixotic scribe, you don’t have to. Plenty of lefties did so just a day or two ago when Bob Novak passed away. I guess classlessness knows no ideology.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I wonder how they’ll address Chappaquiddick…
@quixotic scribe:
You are utterly ignorant. The left has been a most vile group when anyone on the right has died. Look at Tony Snow for example. People should be respectful on both sides, but for you to act like this is just a “right” thing just shows how utterly clueless you are about the world around you. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself on the political world before you go mouthing off next time.
August 26th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I read these comments and I’m kind of ashamed to be a comics reader.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
I think it is sad that he has passed away but wasn’t Ted Kennedy pretty much a social pariah? . Maybe this project should be shelved;, I don’t think anyone wants to read about all the sludge surrounding more of the Kennedy family’s wrong doings this close to a death in their family.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
If those who loved Mary Jo and those who VOTED for Ted after it happened can let it go, so should we.
And NO, he wasn’t a social pariah. If it wasn’t for him and what he stood for and got passed (NOT Jack & Bobby) you (in the U.S.) wouldn’t be as well off as you are right now.
LET IT GO.
Really.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Collect the comic or don’t. Cast no stone.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Hmmm, maybe they could detail his wacky adventures with his buddy Chris Dodd.
Oh, no, wait, then they’d have to get Howard Chaykin to write and draw it.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
@quixotic scribe
Hmmm, I guess we celebrate this man’s life like the left was so gracious towards Ronald Reagan when he died… no wait I seem to remember number of sites and political cartoons wecsoming him to hell. Or what they said after Jessie Helms died, or Tony Snow… Sorry, when the left has been dishing it out for years(especially these past 8 years), they should not be surprised when they get the same treatment thrown back in their face. The right’s response has been quite mild compared to typical response of the left.
As for the comic, I won’t buy it, but if makes the company money, then go for it. If there is a market for it, then it will sell, and people working there will be able to food on their tables and the company makes a profit. That is the beauty of the glorious system known as capitalism.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I think they should just replace whatever content they have planned and replace it with an illustrated adaptation of this thread. Because everyone wants to see crazy-nuts bags from both sides in comic form.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
@ Ryan: Please provide evidence for your assertions. Show me the concerted movement by the left to attack Tony Snow on the day that he died. If anything, you’re the one that’s being clueless, classless, and a typical Republican, lacking any sort of social decency whatsoever. Please educate yourself and develop some manners before going back out in public.
@ bcp: It was a veritable love fest when Reagan died and no matter how much people on the left, like myself, disliked him, we kept quiet and remained respectful. If you would like to disagree, please provide documented evidence for your assertions. The same goes for Helms and Snow. If you think that calling Kennedy a murderer on the day of his death is mild, you are nothing short of a right-wing fanatic, and it’s no wonder that your side is lost in the political wilderness. Your hatred for everything you don’t agree with has clouded your ability to perceive reality. You are a disgrace to your country and the founders of your party.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:26 am
I’m curious what issue we will see when Bo Obama gets euthanized.
And as J. Caleb Mozzocco said:
—-
Wow, that’s pretty ghoulish. Yeah, it was being worked on before his death, but why was it being worked on before his death? Its not like his death is sudden or comes as a surprise; it was clear he didn’t have long to live, like, a year ago.
—-
That’s exactly the question! Why was it being worked on before his death? They are bald-faced regarding such titles. If it wasn’t for the money and press there wouldn’t be any political comics.
Bluewater seems like a ‘typical’ comic company which aren’t paying their creators. I found this during an online search:
http://www.dave-co.com/gutterzombie/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11432&start=0&sid=34f42fbeea0ddf6cae89aea7681de665
and
http://www.dave-co.com/gutterzombie/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=12895&start=0
August 27th, 2009 at 12:50 am
“That is the beauty of the glorious system known as capitalism.”
Damn, you sound just like one of the “free market is God” people Colbert is always parodying. Only you’re serious. What the hell ever. Enjoy your tea-bagging, I guess.
“The right’s response has been quite mild compared to typical response of the left.”
You’re living in fantasy land. Newsflash: Read some of the comments from Palin’s friends on her facebook. Don’t you just love canaries in the coal mine?
“I read these comments and I’m kind of ashamed to be a comics reader.”
You and me both. And that’s my last word on the matter.
August 27th, 2009 at 4:30 am
Oh, and obsessing over a single drunk-driving accident from forty years ago works better if you’re not the same people who react to any suggestion that the crimes, lies and illegal actions of the folks who ran America for the last eight years should actually be investigated by clutching their pearls, falling back on the fainting couch and gasping ‘Oh, but that’s all in the *past*!’
August 27th, 2009 at 5:43 am
@JKC – The best comment made anywhere on this thread. You win.
@BCP – “A number of sites?” I can remember exactly one guy–Ted Rall–who did a “welcome to hell” riff on Reagan and got crucified for it by any number of people and pundits from the left, right and center. The so-called “liberal media” dedicated HOURS and HOURS of coverage to the wonder and glory of Reagan and almost completely glossed over the controversial elements of his persona. Kennedy’s getting his ass kissed for the most part, but at least the words “troubled” and “divisive” are appearing all over the place.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:20 am
quixotic, to quote Barney Frank, what planet are you from? (Barney mainly operates on Uranus, btw)?
Leftist don’t even WAIT until you’re dead, such as when Juliana Malveaux, on the radio, stated that she hoped Clarence Thomas’ wife served him lots of pork products so he’d die early from heart disease “like so many black men.”
And your characterization of Reagan’s death is an out and out lie. Thankfully, in these internet times, it’s easy enough to check this stuff. Go google Reagan’s death and see how many entries, on blogs, message boards, etc., you see where they talk about how glad they are he died (AOL alone had tens of thousands of them, as vitriolic as anything you’ll ever see). But please, don’t let easily-verified facts get in the way of your opinions…
Don’t buy the lie. Those “kind-hearted, open-minded” leftists are quite often about as compassionate as Pol Pot.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Hey, while Ted may have been an irresponsible, drunken, womanizing sot, and his policies may have helped create a permanent underclass in this country, there’s one thing you have to say for him: given the timing of his death, which works PERFECTLY to try to guilt us into accepting Obama’s health care scam, Ted really knew how to take one for the team!
August 27th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I’ll say this again, since the post where I said it previously seems to have disappeared.
If you don’t believe the left was glad Reagan died, and said so countless times, just google “Reagan” and “glad he’s dead” and see how many entries you find (and bear in mind, given how searches work, that’s a tiny FRACTION of the total number).
Don’t let easily-verified facts get in the way of your opinions, though…
August 27th, 2009 at 8:25 am
@ JKC: You people have called Obama everything from a fascist to a socialist to a Marxist (even though many of those are contradictory terms), so please don’t lecture me about how “leftists” attack those on the right when they’re still alive. People on the right have said every hateful thing they can think of, including that they hope Obama gets assassinated, and going so far as to bring loaded weapons to presidential events. In fact, just yesterday, Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas (R) said that the GOP needed a “great white hope” to beat Obama, so to top it off, you’re racists too. Oh wait, we already knew that because you opposed the Civil Right Act in the 1960s and starting humming a song entitled “Barack, the Magic Negro” during Democratic primary designed to “Uncle Tom” the president.
Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh praised himself for being right that Kennedy would die before the passage of healthcare reform (and how nice of you to blatantly plagiarize Limbaugh’s inappropriate joke about Barney Frank’s sexuality; you obviously lack the ability to think for yourself). A conservative commentator on twitter named Andrew Breitbart called Kennedy a “pile of human excrement” and “a big ass M-F’er” among other things. Talk about class and decency.
Check out the politico article if you don’t believe me:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26475.html
Here’s the douchebag’s twitter page (and he wraps himself in the flag, just like the rest of you hypocrits):
http://twitter.com/andrewbreitbart
I love how you excuse this kind of conduct by blaming the other side. The party of personal responsibility has become the party of “you did it first” (even though that notion in and of itself is untrue). A Google of Reagan’s death produces no document that proves your accusation of “leftist” hate against Reagan on the day of his death. If you would like to argue otherwise, feel free to produce the links.
I’m amazed at how you right-wing kooks just come out in droves to spew your vitriol as soon as a big name liberal dies. Exactly what part of conservatism is compassionate when you spit on a man before he’s even buried in the ground? Where I come from, we call that cowardice.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:32 am
quixotic scribe
Look up Tony Snow then. There was lots of hate about him.
Here is one
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102×3392237
People were saying they were happy Tony Snow Died.
As for attacking people whent hey were alive. People compared Bush to Hitler. So again lets not pretend anyone has the moral high ground here.
I remember when Jack E. Robinson ran against Kennedy. Robinson was in a drunk driving accident that left a woman dead. A Kennedy suporter said “A man who drinks and rives and leaves the scene of an accident should not be able to run for Senate.” Did not see what was wrong with that statement.
A 32 page comic is not enough to go into their histories.
August 27th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Oh and if you can’t find anything about Reagan then do some more work
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102×604894
August 27th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Blue water = propaganda
August 27th, 2009 at 11:00 am
@bcp: Jesse Helms was an unreconstructed racist, and the world is better off without him.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Nice try at avoidance, quixotic, but you didn’t address my point. You said that the folks on the left don’t act this way when someone dies. I pointed out to you that you can easily Google “Reagan” and “glad he’s dead” and find thousands of matches (some of with, hopefully, say “I’m NOT glad he’s dead” but if you read through the list, it quickly becomes obvious that most of them are happy that he passed). I have proven you wrong, quixotic. You can keep sputtering and attempting obfuscation, or you can be a man (or woman) about it and admit that you mispoke.
And did you speak about against all this when Mr. Reagan was cursed after his death, or do you only think it’s a shame when one of “your guys” croaks?
Regarding Obama and comparisons to Hitler, again, easy to prove your being a hypocrite. Google “Bush” and “Hitler” and check out the million-plus hits you get. Trust me, they’re not regarding the pubic area of Eva Braun (take a minute to actually skim through them; they’re mostly negative comments about Bush comparing him to Der Fuhrer).
But then, I’m sure your answer to that would be “It’s OK when WE do it!”
And you want to talk death threats? Your side actually wrote books and made movies about assassinating Bush! And again, ten seconds of googling will show you numerous photos with people carrying “death to Bush” signs.
Give it up. You’re wrong, and you’re a hypocrite.
Give it up.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Cæu Zokul what exactly are they teaching you in your country about what Ted Kennedy did? I’m trying to be nice, but he was not a very popular figure here in the states. I’m afraid you may be the victim of some revisionist account of history. Except for the extreme far liberal left you would be hard pressed to find someone who believes Ted left behind a shining legacy. I think sadly his life story will be repeated as a cautionary tale of what not to do in American politics and if no one can respect you as a person your politics will be hallow.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:34 am
@ bbiii: Democratic Underground is hardly the liberal center of the web. If you’d like to condemn mainstream Democrats for attacking Tony Snow on the day of his death, I’d prefer to see something more concrete and representative. In addition, I saw a lot of posts on that website denouncing such comments as being made in poor taste, so you’re basically blaming the majority for the actions of a small, hateful minority, most of whom were denounced by mainstream Democrats to begin with? That’s some argument. Liberals exercise restraint when it comes to the deaths of those we disagree with, while conservatives celebrate. There is a huge difference there that you don’t seem to recognize.
Here are some comments on that site that you ignored:
For Tony Snow
-Let’s not start this people. We’re better than that.
-And I agree. No death is worth applauding. None.
-Nah. It’s not a joyous day here. Nor should it be.
-Tony Snow was a mouthpiece, and all he did was spread the propaganda for the cause he believed in, just like we do. He should have lived long enough to see his children grow up.
-I hate a@$$holes. And that includes liberal @$$holes that mock conservative deaths. I don’t want to be like them.
-It is pitiful behavior to do that. I would expect better from good people.
-A lot of idiots over at fark.com are celebrating Mr. Snow’s passing. Different ones also jumped for joy at Ted Kennedy’s recent scare. Hell even the freepers weren’t that bad. Just because we disagree with the message doesn’t mean we should take joy in the death of the messenger.
And for Reagan:
-End of an era. He suffered a long time. From a humananitarian/ spiritual point of view, I hope he’s at peace with a bit more understanding of it all.
-I know feelings are mixed here in DU, but even as a staunch opponent of Reagan and his party, I think it is always proper to give the dead their due … Reagan, for all his faults, was a human being, and I shall not wallow in hatred within my OWN core for reasons of ego and self gratification ….Fare Well, Dutch, and may you find understanding of WHY a liberal heart is a loving heart …
-While I never agreed with all his politics, it has to be said that he (along with Pope John Paul II and Gorbachev) did much to end the Cold War and Communism. On balance, Ronald Reagan was a good man and a decent President. I’d certainly trade Dubya for Reagan. Reagan was (before the alzheimer’s) more articulate, more intelligent, and by far a better speaker — and a more moral man.
-RIP regardless
-My he rest in peace and my sympathies to his family and close friends.
-I am not trying to defend Reagan. I detested his Presidency, but I don’t want to smear even him on the day of his death.
-My sympathies to his family, especially Nancy who has had to bear a great burden over the last ten years and has advocated for stem-cell research as a result of an experience over which she and her husband had no power.
The calls for civility were even stronger on sites like Dailykos, Huffington Post, Think Progress, and Firedoglake. Posters who refused to be civil were banned. Now compare those comments above to the ones found here coming from your side. No civility, no restraint, no compassion.
Also, the main blogger reserved his opinions about Snow and Reagan, whereas on RedState, Instapundit, and a number of mainstream conservative blogs, including the comments section at Politico, Republicans came out of the woodwork just to bash Kennedy, not even offering condolences to his family. You guys are really unbelievable.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:58 am
OKAY ALL.
I was willing to let an animated discussion go on for a bit, but I’ve had to delete a couple of really bad pending comments in the past couple of hours. If you want to debate Kennedy’s massive legacy of legislation vs. his more tortured personal history, that’s fine as long as you keep it civil.
We don’t want direct personal isults or attacks, streams of swearing, and other assorted nastiness. I’m sure that you can all police yourselves from this point. Thanks.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I took half a minute and did your work for you. Here are just the “death to Bush” signs I googled up in thirty seconds (and these are American citizens, not a hostile foreign government). So, please, tell us why this is OK…
http://www.zombietime.com/us_out_of_iraq_now_sf_3-18-2007/IMG_2393.JPG
http://i30.tinypic.com/1rev41.jpg
http://www.spacehijackers.co.uk/html/projects/bush/bush.jpg
http://www.inminds.co.uk/stopbush-3222-20nov03.jpg
http://www.zombietime.com/us_out_of_iraq_now_sf_3-18-2007/IMG_2416.JPG
http://maaadddog.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/kill_bush.jpg
http://www.gamersjar.com/images/bush-kill-game1.jpg
There are TONS more out there.
There’s nothing uncivil about the truth.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
@ JKC: You obviously love to toot your own horn, and yet you did so when you failed to provide any substantive links to back up your argument. How do you reconcile those two things? Such arrogance with an argument based solely on your opinion. Amazing. Again, show me an example of a MAINSTREAM Democrat that hailed the death of Reagan. Oh, wait, you can’t.
I’ve always said that people should be respectful when anyone dies, whether you disagreed with them or not when they were alive. I said it when Reagan died, and I’m saying it again now. I even said that about Michael Jackson. Go check out Talk@ if you don’t believe me. Thanks for trying to accuse me hypocrisy though. Just to let you know, you failed.
Who said anything about comparing Bush or Obama to Hitler? I said you brought guns to Obama events and threatened to kill him (which your side has). You’re obviously projecting in the worst way here. Some indy filmmaker makes a movie about the repercussions of a Bush assassination and you blame liberals everywhere, is that it? That argument is extremely disingenuous, but it is one that only someone like you would make. There is a difference between making a mock assassination documentary and actually going out and advocating that the “tree of liberty” is due to be “watered with the blood of tyrants,” whether you want to see it or not. I don’t claim that my side is completely innocent when it comes to protesting policies we disagree with, because we’re not. The difference is that we protest torture, war, and illegality, whereas you protest healthcare reform and saving the economy. Also, not that this has anything to do with our conversation, but how exactly is Obama (a biracial male) Hitler and a Marxist, again? You might want to rethink that one a bit considering that Hitler and the Nazis hated Marxism (not to mention blacks), if you cared about the facts, that is.
Thanks for addressing things that I never said and points that I never made, and failing to actually talk about the things I posted. It’s always easier for your side to blame the other side, which is what you do best. I also find it interesting how you conveniently ignore your own sins by attacking the other side for theirs, in lieu of engaging in introspective analysis. Your party never takes responsibility for its actions. You just keep hating and attacking, even when it comes to the dead. The proof is in this thread. Republicans can’t even let Ted Kennedy RIP and would rather spit on his grave than offer his family the least bit of sympathy.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
quixotic, you criticized people HERE on this site. I don’t know how to break it to you, but Newsarama is (to paraphrase you) not the conservative center of the web (or the liberal one, for that matter). But you criticized us, in THIS forum (“you people”), remember? So your argument is just one more attempt at obfuscation.
We’ve presented any number of sources, but your answer is, and will continue to be, I’m sure, “well, that doesn’t represent MAINSTREAM liberals” (again, I guess those of us here are considered mainstream conservatives). The fact is, WHATEVER source we provide, you will simply claim (A) that’s not mainstream enough, or (B) “er, well, yeah, we do it, too, but it’s for the RIGHT reasons!” Well, most everyone considers their own reasons to be right, don’t they? But of course, only YOUR standards count. Unbelievable.
And don’t avoid the facts. You said: “You people have called Obama everything from a fascist to a socialist to a Marxist (even though many of those are contradictory terms), so please don’t lecture me about how “leftists” attack those on the right when they’re still alive.”
And I pointed out that not only are there countless examples of leftists out there who promoted killing Bush (I know, I know; they’re just that tiny fringe representative of nothing, unlike the tiny fringe of conservatives that mean EVERYTHING), but that there are countless examples of them comparing Bush to Hitler, which is analogous to your comment about to what people have been comparing Obama. But yeah, I know, I know: it was ok for them to make the Bush comparison, because it was true!
Pathetic.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
@ JKC: I could bring up any number of counterpoints to your arguments, particularly as it pertains to the American left’s “authorship” of the items you found by doing a Google search (hilarious), but I won’t. Arguing with you about any of these issues is pointless, seeing as how you will continue to argue your own premises and purposefully misconstrue my argument instead of actually addressing what I’ve had to say. Rather than have this devolve into a monotonous back and forth (not to mention a colossal waste of time) I’ll just make one final comment and leave you to spew your hate and vitriol, since that is what you came here to do in the first place. The simple fact of the matter is this: You, and other conservatives, felt it right to defame and attack a man on the day of his death. Regardless of whether you are liberal or conservative, it should not be done. Period. If you don’t see things that way, I truly feel sorry for you.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Oh, all right. I’ll admit, you’re on to us evil right-wingers. Yeah, not only do we hate Ted Kennedy, but we’re literally going to build a massive dance floor over his grave, and we’ll wax it with the tears of all the children we plan to slowly starve (though I don’t know who’s going to use it, given that we’re all far too uptight to dance; you saw Footloose, right?).
While I’m at it, I might as well let you in on the rest of our agenda (since you puny heroes can’t stop us!):
1. Not only are we going to force everyone in the country to be a fundamentalist Christian, but we’re going to make you all change your name to “Jesus” (luckily, in California we’re already half way there).
2. Instead of adopting any public health care plan, we’re bringing back leeching to suck the illness right out of you. This will create new jobs for both leech farmers and Monica Lewinsky.
3. We’ll even be affecting mainstream comics. Under our racist, totalitarian thumb, the new Avengers line-up will consist of the White Panther, the White Knight, the White Widow, White Goliath, White Power Man, and Captain White America(Love It Or Leave It).
August 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
What’s the rating for this book?
August 27th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Given Kennedy’s stomping grounds, it should be rated MA…
August 31st, 2009 at 12:31 am
Lying bastards: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/08/ray-harryhausen-and-bluewater-productions-part-ways/
August 31st, 2009 at 3:24 pm
There have been a lot of things said on here about Bluewater. One of my good friends writes a lot for them. She told me that she isn’t crazy about it at all. Basically, she is being forced to put all her creative energy into licence books and all the original stuff she is doing is getting the shaft. Bluewater has some amazing original titles like 10th Muse, Atlas, Isis and a new one about journalists stalking superheroes. It’s not fair that these books are getting the cold shoulder. A lot of writers and artists who have worked for Bluewater are starting to feel like pariahs in the industry. Some of them do it, simply because they have to in order to get their name out there. One penciller has used the term “taking it up the ass” all the time after he got wrapped up in a bio-book. he didn’t want to do it, but he needed the press. I guess it’s like when an actor does a film they don’t like. They need the paycheck. Now, I guess they aren’t even getting that! It really sucks for them that they got wrapped up in all this and didn’t realize it until it was too late. I hope none of you guys hold it against them. I’m sure a lot of them feel pretty shitty getting taken in to all this. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but hindsight’s twenty twenty.
There are plans by a bunch of creators who worked for Bluewater, to set up a whole new Superhero line. They do good work and hope they get the chance to show people what they can do. Although I guess Diamond isn’t doing anything with superheroes apparently. I don’t know if that’s true or not…I hope it isn’t. I like 10th Muse
Does anyone know where I can get the last issue of the new 10th Muse series that came out earlier this year?
June 26th, 2010 at 9:17 am
I noticed that the cover stock (paper) changed. I’m a long time supporter of TPBs, but you have what appeared to be so much behind-the-scenes material on this series that any wait-for-the-trade readers might miss out on this content. So pick it up folks, it’s Jimmy! and Garth! and creator-owned!–nuff said.
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