From Newsarama:
NRAMA: ....How about the Heroes for Hire #13? This has caused some controversy of its own, with some people likening it to a very unsavory recurring element in some more adult-themed manga?
JQ: This one I can answer to. First, I think people are reading way too much into that cover than was ever intended. I heard terms such as “tentacle rape” being thrown around when that in no way is what’s happening, nor does it happen in the book. Those tentacles are the arms of the Brood who appears in the issue and is a major story point, the Brood have tentacles, sorry about that.
Secondly, the concept for that cover, soup to nuts came from a female artist. Thirdly, not being a deep follower of manga, I have no idea what recurring theme people are referring to or concerned with. While I appreciate the sentiment and the feelings that some may have about this, I honestly feel that there is way too much being read into this cover.
Also, HFH is a book that features two strong, lead female protagonist who kick major ass; somehow folks have forgotten to focus on that.
NRAMA: Well, you correctly identified the “unsavory” element we were referring to…just one of those absurd phrases (though it exists).
Now, I should be upset that Joe
1) blames all this mess on someone else (a woman no less) instead of, acknowledging his role as editor in chief
2) implies that since a woman made the cover, it's a-ok
3) acts as if the fact that two of the women cringing on the cover are "two, strong lead female protagonist who kick major ass" makes it all better, rather than worse
And trust me I am.
But you know what really pisses me off the most? That it's apparently so important that he turn a blind eye the to sexism his company promotes that he is willing to insult every person who works for him or buys his products in order to do it. Yes, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but not when the cigar is dripping white gooey fluid all over the nearly naked breasts of a group of women that show a remarkable similarity to terrified porn stars. The only way that people could be reading too much into this cover is if you argue that comics are not capable of anything remotely resembling allusion, metaphor, euphemism, inference, symbolism, puns, tone, or style. Which, quite frankly, is insulting to the artists and writers and fans that convinced me to give Marvel money in the first place.
Plus, the editor in chief of one of the two major publishers of american comics must be excessively undedicated to his work if he has never heard of "tentacle rape" before. How else, besides being barely aware that there are companies other than Marvel or DC selling comics in America, can you explain the fact that he has managed to stay completely ignorant of something that is just a google search away?
3 comments:
I still can't get over the fact that this guy is an artist.
Granted, he's got talent and I'd vastly prefer to see him as a Marvel artist than the Editor-in-Chief, but honestly, how the fuck does he manage to tell a visual story but not be able to read one?
Because he is able to - when he wants to. When it comes to stuff like this he's just he's lying, and he knows most everyone will let him get away with it.
The part that really boggles my mind is that he's not even a very good liar and so many people let him get away with it.
Quesada has always annoyed me :\ He shows up in interviews all over the place (like documentaries on comics) and he never has nething rly to add except implying how great he is. >.>;;
It IS horrible that he's sacrificing the artist just to protect himself. :\ What exactly IS his job then?
He completely ignored the real question which is, does he think this cover is appropriate and does he take responsibility for the fallout as it's HIS job to approve these things?
Joe Quesada seems to love the credit he gets for his job title but not want the responsibility that goes with it. :\
Post a Comment