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Letter to DC Comics - Byrne'ing Bridges

He,he,he...

Normally, I try to avoid reposts. I do so for a number of reasons... One, because I like to think I am a better writer and can continuously create new topics. Two, when I repost... It proves the above to be untrue and the truth hurts this Geek.

However, this time it is different... It would seem that John Byrne is on the counter-attack... He is angry about various online sites printing untruths about his personal racial outlook. So, in an attempt to annoy Mr. Byrne even further (and burn even more of my "break into comics" bridge) I repost for you... My letter to DC Comics written last year...

FROM:
Aaron Duran
Geek in the City
Portland, OR

TO:
Dan Didio
VP-Executive Editor, DC Comics
1700 Broadway
New York, NY 10019

SUBJECT: Byrne’ing Bridges

Mr. Didio,

By now I am certain that this is old news to you, the comments having been made on September 21st, 2004. That being said, I thought I would reprint what was said by one John Byrne just in case you where somehow not privy to them:

"Personal prejudice: Hispanic and Latino women with blond hair look like hookers to me, no matter how clean or "cute" they are.

He was, of course, speaking of the casting of Jessica Alba in the upcoming film The Fantastic Four. Like all people in this nation, Byrne is entitled to his opinion and I do not begrudge him for speaking his mind, no matter how insulting and wrong I may find his comments to be. One of the things that makes this country great is that people can say what they wish no matter how infuriating their comments may be. However, to coin a phrase made popular by your Marvelous competition, “with great power come great responsibility.” When someone makes a comment such as Byrne’s he or she must be prepared for the backlash. Sadly, I have seen little to none with the exception of some well written commentaries on various blogs; with Byrne himself deleting comments from his site that he finds insulting. Irony is not a strong enough word.

Should Byrne be forced to issue a public apology? That is not my place to say, only John can decide if his comments were in poor taste and so should apologize for them. Should he take them back, claim that he didn’t intend to word his comments in such a way? Again, that is his call, although I feel the excuse of “not what I intended” is indeed just that, an excuse. People often mean exactly what they say and taking back a comment is just a convenient way of apologizing without actually accepting responsibility for one's comments.

As a personal choice, I will no longer be supporting any of the work that Byrne creates. I know that we are told to separate the art from the artist and often I am able to do this. However, knowing such insulting thoughts help make up the artist that is John Byrne makes his work all the more unreadable. I feel I should, in all fairness, point out that I am not nor have I ever been the biggest fan of John Byrne. While he has done a great deal to add to the credibility of comics as a viable art form, I find his choice to reset characters and histories to fit his narrow vision unacceptable.

This leads me to the point of this letter.

I have heard rumors that DC intends to hire Byrne to pen a re-launch of the Spectre* once the dust settles on Infinite Crisis. Having been bored to tears with his short run on the Justice League and the poorly conceived Doom Patrol, I am surprised that DC would even consider him to headline yet another title. I understand the concept of using a big and very well known name to run a book, but allowing Byrne to (inevitably) destroy all the threads created in Crisis will be a true shame.

My desire to not see Byrne behind the Spectre also stems from his comments made on September 21st. A few personal web sites of your writers and artists seem to be very vocal in their disgust on Byrne’s comments, while on your own company board they are terribly and sadly silent. In fact, as a whole DC Comics has been relatively quiet on the whole issue. Why are artists like Micah Wright fired for lying about their past in the military while comments such as Byrne’s go by completely and utterly unknown? Mind you, I am not defending what Mr. Wright did as acceptable. The simple fact is this, had I as an employee, made either comment I would quickly find myself in the Human Resources office collecting my final check with a note of “please do not come back”. And yet, Byrne stands tall and unmarked in his ivory tower at 1700 Broadway.

DC has made some great strides lately in the stories they tell, the consistency of stories and art during that past year to two has been exceptional. After years of being little more than a place for Warner Brothers to get easy merchandising money, DC Comics is finally taking some creative control of their properties on the small and large screen. I can say without hesitation that I am a bigger fan of DC then I have been in a good long while. And yet, your silence on the issue of Byrne’s continued employment without so much as an explanation troubles me.

Mr. Didio, you can not continue to wave awards earned by writers like Judd Winick and Gail Simone for the social commentary within their work while simultaneously working with an artist who calls blond haired Mexicans hookers.

Sincerely,
Aaron Duran - Fan

* Okay, this letter is showing its age... Byrne is not behind the new Spectre book (and the book is well written and drawn, by the way). He is taking over on the new Atom... Dang, I like The Atom too...