sounds to me like you're missing out on some great stories because of a word

your loss
 

what bothers me is when people tend to preach freedom of speech, bend over backwards for it, fight for it.. ..because thats our right, we'll defend works that are offensive, degrading, violent.. because its art, right? we do that till we find something that offends us.. then we're furious, we think it should be banned should be illegal. ..i'm not saying your a hypocrite.. but your gripe reminds me of a problem i have with many of my fellow liberals (especially writer friends). freedom of speech (for better or worse) is a freedom.. if we want it we have to take the bad with the good.
ennis is a fellow that taps on all strings of the offensive, it just seems like one string hit you. i'd say get over it.. but then again after reading this i dont have much interest in the buy pile or your other columns so im just as guilty (but that might be because you thought Brian Azzarello's Batman run was "brilliant.") ..after that crap i dropped the book..yuk
 

Well, fun fact: I never said anybody should be "banned," I never said anything should be "illegal." I said "I'm not gonna be a part of this."

Why are so many people getting all kinds of out-of-left-field other interpretations of this? *Hannibal sighs*
 

Left field? You said that no white writer should ever be allowed to use it, even if they're trying to write a character that would realistically use the term. Even if they are trying to use it to establish characters as being despicable. Like Buscemi's character in Reservoir Dogs: in a movie where we actually are meant to semi-root for at least one criminal, it is his "what are we...a bunch of n***ers" that really sets him as one of the unlikable in the bunch.

You said that you're not going to buy this book because a white writer had a character use it. Given your position on your barber, friends, and even fiancee, it would seem you'd gladly purchase the book if it were written by Priest (as a talented black writer suitable for this discussion).

My position? No one should use the word. But since people do use the word, there is going to be the occasion where having the word come out of a character's mouth roots them further into reality.
 

You said that no white writer should ever be allowed to use it, even if they're trying to write a character that would realistically use the term.

I didn't say that.

I said that it was wrong here, and that this character would not realistically have used it.

You said that you're not going to buy this book because a white writer had a character use it.

I didn't say that.

I said I wasn't gonna buy this book because it's not good from a story perspective. I said I wasn't gonna read this anymore because I'm sick of the writer's shock tactics.

Given your position on your barber, friends, and even fiancee, it would seem you'd gladly purchase the book if it were written by Priest (as a talented black writer suitable for this discussion).

I would have none of the story concerns about this if Priest wrote it, but it's not as complex nor as nuanced as his work by a huge margin.
 

perhaps it is b/c there is a difference between what is written and what people comprehend. ;) ymmv
 

While i agree with some of your argument and respect your opinion, as a black reader of "the boys", I had absolutely no problem with his use of the word N*GG*R in the context that it was used. Clearly he was attempting to be ironic with the large Russian guy trying to speak westerly. In this instance its actually funny to me and certainly not a reason to stop reading his work or publicly denounce his books just because you didn't get it or feel somehow that you need to be insulted for "us". Believe me If Garth meant it as a racial slur, we would have been all over it. I look froward to reading your column on CBR.

///WAR4RGED look me up on myspace
 

So wait... You hear it from your barber, your friends and the woman who loves you.... But you're upset that a British writer trying to emulate the American street slang in his stories has the N-Word in his story? And more, you're willing to cut certain white writers a break, but not others?

Weird.

And if you are thinking Garth is polluting the minds of Americans everywhere, shouldn't you shred your Ennis collection? He's a rather good writer. So whomever you sell the Ennis books to could come to love his work too. They might end up your arch enemy! I've seen it happen in comicbooks...
 

that's interesting ... I do not cut black people any slack when using that word. it's the most idiotic word a black person can use to reference another black person. it's like they do not care about the civil rights movement or care about the people who had to be called that name out of hate. I do not allow anyone I date or anyone around me to use that word ..... I quickly challenge them on it or I stop being around them. I had a boyfriend who knew to never use that word in my presence if he wanted to continue to date me.... I think the people who continue to use this word are ignorant . they have no idea why they shouldn't. and are usually not very articulate . good for you hannibal... I hate that word and I am very passionate about this topic .
 

I think you are empowering the word negatively by attaching this pejorative meaning to it, I also think that the immediate reaction to that word as an offense is also as much as a bigot reaction as it is to immediately use it as an insult.

The word in and of it's self is not insulting, the word is an adjective derived from the latin word niger for black. It's only had the insulting and pejorative connotation after it's use by the people in power during the American time of slavery.

the idea that it means, ignorant, or subhuman, has also been given to it by those same ihuman owners of people, and their "bigot scholars".

In other countries the translated word does not hold the same meaning,impact, or efficiency in starting a heated discussion, in fact it is still used as an adjective for the dark color.
Considering the idiosyncrasy of the word, it is my deduction that the proliferation of the disparaging nature of this word, and the separatist debate that goes on, will only divide us further and permeate and keep a constant tension between the opposing sides. Basically, it will keep us divided, and fighting, which distracts us from anything more important than the meaning and use of a word. Like our Economy, human rights violations around the world, war, our environment and other things infinitely more important that semantics.

Now, I used the word with my friends ironically, not as an insult, some of my friends with which I use it are in fact black, or of African American descent, however ignorantly politically correct you prefer me to be.
which contradicts your theory of people that use it being inarticulate, because as far as I'm concerned I have more than the necessary dexterity in the English Language to not consider my self inarticulate.

I'm just saying. ya'mean?!
 

Interesting set of responses to this one. Before I get started, thanks to all who read the original column (which I may not have linked before) and who took time to comment here. Let's go ...

Jake: Yours was the most cogent and smartest of a string of short negative responses, so I approved yours.

That said, I don't feel there's any shortage of good stories to read. The last few years in particular have been a treasure trove of quality content, and I've been overwhelmed by my fortune at living in such a creatively fertile time -- even as I'm inundated with dreck like Superman/Batman and the latest X-crossover. To go back to the old TV show, "the world don't move to the beat of just one drum/ what might be right for you may not be right for some." I just state my opinion on websites, otherwise, it's no different from anybody else. This is something I need to do for myself and my own ability to work in this arena, and I'm sorry if other people can't appreciate that.

Commander Impervious: If I was a state sponsored super hero from the Soviet Union, I can't imagine a context in which the usage of that word would make sense. It's not a part of their cultural lexicon, it's not even a word in their language. Moreover, he was dealing with a group of people who were French, Belgian and then British. While the British did (and do) suffer under the use of the word, it's not globally considered a part of their cultural lexicon in the way it is for people from the United States. So if I were gonna allow the concept of irony, it still wouldn't add up from a perspective of craft. It's bad writing. Bad writing is annoying, bad writing with racial slurs is unacceptable, and I won't have a part of it, and anybody who considers that so much of a problem that it becomes an issue with me, well, they are welcome to not read my work. Perhaps some state sponsored Soviet super heroes can come tell me exactly why I'm wrong on this point, but that contingent has remained notoriously silent.

Roger: So wait... You hear it from your barber, your friends and the woman who loves you.... But you're upset that a British writer trying to emulate the American street slang in his stories has the N-Word in his story? And more, you're willing to cut certain white writers a break, but not others?

Weird.

I'm not "willing" to hear it at all. I've said something to all of them and left no room for misinterpretation my hatred for the term. I'm also not willing to cut anybody "a break" even when used in a sense that's logical for the character, even myself.

I am, however, not willing to strap them all into Dr. Venom's Brain Wave Scanner and reprogram the lot of 'em. I can only actively control my behavior and my work -- in this case my column. I may loathe the behavior of some people, but I'm old enough to know that I'm not gonna change the way anybody behaves. Anybody but myself, so this is the line I draw.

And if you are thinking Garth is polluting the minds of Americans everywhere, shouldn't you shred your Ennis collection? He's a rather good writer. So whomever you sell the Ennis books to could come to love his work too. They might end up your arch enemy! I've seen it happen in comicbooks...

Good point. Into the shredder they go. Hadn't thought about that.

Got Milk/Crystal: We're in complete agreement for once? Wow. That alone makes it worthwhile! >8^p

Off to make more money ...
 

Interesting post. While I don't agree with you 100%, I have to say, you explained your point of view clearly and to-the-point, and what you said makes a lot of sense. If something makes you uncomfortable, obviously you should not keep reading it. And, for the record, I think "Hannibal Tabu" is a very cool name.
 

I find Ennis overrated, frankly. Preacher was pretty decent whenever it wasn't the Arseface "oi, let's do something to make the squares squirm" show (and for the record, Roger, he's Irish, not British), but give Ennis some slack and he'd rather give us puerile shock-value crap like Fury instead of the tight work he did on Hellblazer.

Anyway, as far as i'm concerned, you can stop reading anything you want for whatever reason you deem. I dropped YtLM when BKV capped off the wack "crazy dominatrix" arc with the killer chicks in burqas; i think he took a good idea and sadly started going bananas with the "OMG how would women cope" by expanding on all the ways he misunderstands women.

How do you feel about Chris Rock's "i love black people but i hate n*s" routine?
 

How do you feel about Chris Rock's "i love black people but i hate n*s" routine?

Largely embarrassed. "I'm not saying I condone it ... but I understand ..."
 

I can respect the fact that this book isn't for you. That said, I tend to disagree with you on your whole analysis for a number of reasons. Yes, the boys have a ton of shock value in it. But it's in some ways a necessary part of the story. One of the major themes so far in the series is that the people we worship and idolize are just as big if not bigger screw ups than we are. It exaggerates that point very well. Outside of that, throw all the profanity out of the window, it still will be about people that dig up dirt on some of most famous people on the planet. In this case, superheroes.

It reminds me in a lot of sense like Warren Ellis' work. Warren has showcased in both his prose and comics some of the darkest things in human nature I've ever read. Garth in many ways is doing the same here. This is a series about exposing some of the dirtiest secrets about some of the most powerful people on the planet. Of course you're going to see things like this all the time. That doesn't mean there aren't other moments in the series as well. Annie and Hughie's meeting for example. To say it's just theatrics for the sake of theatrics is in my opinion disingenuous. You're entitled to your opinion, but in my view I think you miss the point.

Which leads us to the n word. Two things: A lot of people use it. And not all of them imply an african american when they do. The fact you had a white guy calling another white guy could very easily refer to the second use. When I lived in Detroit I knew of people who used to use it on themselves. And they weren't referring to an african american, but rather the whole concept of slaving away. Which isn't quite the same thing.

But even if they were referring it towards the african american, like it or not we live in a world where people say things like that all the time. The word is nothing new in literature either. It's in very famous plays, novels and other things as well.

The Boys is not a kids book. Nor does it pretend to be. It hits hard in some ways and that's the intent. There's been slurs with homosexuality, and many other kinds of jokes just like it in this series. Because like it or not, in the muckiest of places even in the good ol USA, people still think that way. And it'd be less than honest in a series that showcases all kinds of dirt and manure about people who are idolized there'd be anything less.

That's my opinion of course.

JP
 

Now that's the way to have some discourse! Here we go ...

There's very little "digging" involved. The "investigative" component of the work is brushed over in such speedy strokes that it barely even registers. So I'd refute your claim that it's a core element of the series.

I've heard Ennis called a poor man's Warren Ellis, since the sheer data processing abilities of Ellis are so staggering. That said, I appreciate some similarities in their work, but Ellis would not have needed this to shock. He's much more creative.

Perhaps you're right, and I'm missing the point. Perhaps there's a value in bandying about the most hurtful term in human language as a joke, since hey, there's so few Black people reading comics ... I'm sorry, if the ADL can't take a joke, neither can I. They respond much more vigorously than I ever have to even perceived slights, even accidental slights, and people have learned to be careful screwing with that area of discourse. I want nothing more and nothing less.

Your argument about a lot of people using the word seems like the old "if your friend jumped off a bridge" argument my parents did. Lots of people, statistically, kill people. Should I? Lots of people, statistically, drive drunk. So? The fact that a large number of people do something doesn't make it all right, and the record sales for a single mom named Britney Spears proves that. I never claimed it was new, I just claimed that I was done with Ennis for his usages of it.

Hitting hard can be done -- as Ennis did with his Unknown Soldier, with his first Punisher run and so on -- without idiotic frat boy shock value. If this is his work, under his name and under his auspices, it says a lot about him as a creator.

But I respect that you see things differently, and I'm sure there's a significant amount of people in the industry -- including those who hire Ennis -- who agree. But it's not gonna happen in my column, and it's not gonna happen with me.

Good talk, though.
 

Dear Hannibal(awesome name by the way),
I'm an avid reader of your column everyweek and while much of the time i dont agree with your buy bile and read pile i look in every week to get your recommendations.
I felt compelled to come to your myspace and read what you had to say on the latest issue of the boys.
Your reasons for hating the slur are sound and well founded although I personally don't get it. I'm guessing its mainly down to the fact I'm a white person from scotland with little or no exposure to its meanings. I dont come accross the word frequently unless its in a song or a movie or something. I do understand its connotations and i'm worldly enough to realize its not pc in any shape or form. There was a example of innapropriate use on this years Big Brother here in the UK where a snobby upity white girl used the word in a conversation with one of the other housemates, who was black. She swore blind that she new nothing of its historical meanings etc but was evicted from the show immediately. To me its just a word that some people, normally rappers, use. I dont use it as I feel that its inapropriate of me to do so in any context but i don't get why, well I do, but i dont (thats the point though, right?). I do feel that as a word it has been glorified by the media to a point where I've seen and heard kids no older than 5 or 6 using it to interact with each other(these are little white kids by the way). Maybe ennis is the same, he's seen it or heard it in a glorifying media way. I'm not sticking up for him in any way though.
Ennis' writing has always been about shocking the reader, whether it be with disturbing violence or outrageous antics. surely though that is his choice. If he is making a fool of himslef then let him.
I personally enjoy his shocking writing although I will admit that panel did make me stop for a second. I took it as a ill placed homage to the Rush Hour movies, but your view on it is entirly down to you.
I've been turned down for jobs based on my appearance(I'm a large bald man, that some people find intimidating). Its not right but it happens, just makes finding a job with people who don't judge you based on appearance more rewarding.

I'm rambling now, guess all I'm saying is that I respect your views and agree with all aspect of your statements. I think its about time that the word was just erased from all cultures, or at least educate the world to its meaning both historically and its place, if any, in modern society. If everyone had a full understanding af how it affects everyone else then maybe Garth and all others who use it the term flippantly would stop and think before they act.

Now I have a tendancy to open my mouth and offend people, usually the wife as i dont think before I speak, so I apolagise in advance if any of my words above are deemed insensative as this was not my intention. This subject is not an easy one to talk about without appearing offensive to someone.

So until next weeks colum.
 

Obviously you're welcome to do what you please, and I can't blame you too much for your reaction to a racial slur, but as a black man who is very familiar with Ennis' work, he has proven himself time and again as a believer in equal opportunity, and "interracial" coupling and gay rights, and freedom of religion, etc. His violence and humor can sometimes be over the top, but it's way too reactionary to take such offense that you would want to sell your collection.

You mention only the first twelve issues of his Punisher run, for example, but it's throughout his whole Punisher "era" where he's delved very deeply into the kind of subjects that he's now taking the piss out of in The Boys. I wonder how much of a fan you really were to begin with.

I admit, The Boys sucks hard and I haven't bought an issue since 3, but that's just him going nuts. Don't take it so personally. Read 303 or Punisher MAX or 7 Brothers or Chronicles of Wormwood. You'll get to know him a lot better through those works.
 

ooc: hey I'm sorry if this is repeated... If this needs to be approved then forgive the multiple postings.

It's really uncomfortable for me to have this conversation for this very issue challenges me in my mind. My background: 40 year old Midwest person transplanted to Southern California. Fourth Generation Eastern European decent. I never refer to any of my friends as "my black friend". The only time I do refer to them as such, is if it's relevant to the discussion. ( Example: "I have a black friend who has blue eyes "when talking about genetics) But I do have my stupid moments of racist instinct ** READ AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MESSAGE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ME****

A word is not powerful. The combination of words are powerful. Language can change the course of history. What is important...and VERY important are the ideas behind those sentences.

Blazing Saddles is one of the funniest movies in history and it's FILLED with racist humor. It was mocking racism by using it's language. Dave Chapelle was hilarious because he was pointing out the flaws and foibles of everyone. He stopped because he felt his message was being misinterpreted by people. Brave man and a true artist for him to reevaluate what he was doing.

So what is important here is what was Garth Ennis intention? Is it to show the stupidity of the characters? Was it to show the ridiculousness of white people using "urban slang" to be hip? I don't know because I don't know the full context of the usage in the story. I won't because the Boys as a subject and execution-does not interest or entertain me.

I do not like racist talk nor do I like words used negatively. But I cannot condone denying anyone from using language as they see fit. I will never condone forbidding the expressions of ideas, no matter how stupid they may be. Because that right must be preserved for you to react and act in a way you see fit. You rightly explained why you are no longer following an author. Good on you.

But I will ask this: Did you ever stop to think that it's your own attitude is what puts them off to you? If you believe the world is after you, and carry yourself as if you were expecting a fight....that could be setting up some serious vibes.

And as a white guy who ancestors come from the "Slavic" region...(Guess where the name slave comes from, eh?) From a country that has been occupied since the middle ages - we had nothing to do with the slave trade except as victims. And no race, nation or religion holds a monopoly on atrocities. Events before, during and after colonialism and the crusades have shown that the only requirement for inhumane treatment is that one person was different in some sort of way from another group.

So the fact that you cut "black" people slack for using the word but not "white" people means you subscribe to the the Us vs Them mentality which is the true poison to tolerance.


*********ABOUT THE AUTHOR: AKA WHITE WHINE VINTAGE 1967****************
I've seen racism from all sides. I've been told by a Nation of Islam follower that I was "less" because I was white. "After all a photocopy gets lighter and more inferior with each generation", he said seriously. I've walked home from a date with a girl and had a bunch of redneck scream "F* that N* for us" Needless to say, due to my inexperience at handling such an event and shock into silence.-our relationship didn't progress much father. I even was witness to an event at a Denny's and I've never gone back to that one again.

I do have my moments of racism: I have flashes of illogical anger at mixed couple strangers, though I have no problem with my good friends who are in mixed relationships. I prefer to be in a relationship with a woman of a different race-though I exclude no one. And being from the Midwest-I've had friends who were racist, though I tried to counter them and teach them differently. Yet I trade "racist" jokes with my all my different friends from all walks of life. The only time I get upset is when I know that the joke comes from hate than humor.

So there you go-I'm a bundle of contradiction
 

Your position seems reasonable, but I'd like to understand it better:

Would you feel differently if the word was being used in context that made it clear it was wrong? For example: if the heroes were fighting a group of neo-Nazi's who are murderers, rapists AND used the N-word would that be okay, or at least better?

What degree of responsibility do you feel I as a reader have to determine the race of an artist before I accept/reject their use of the N-word? If I see a comic book containing the N-word should I boycott it unless/until I know the writer is Black, read it unless/until I know the writer is not Black, or make an active effort to determine the writer's race? Does the context affect this?
 

While I have always been a huge fan of the Punisher...as well as Garth Ennis from way back in the John Constantine days...I don't feel racial epithets have any place in comics...they have enough people saying those kinda things in everyday life...this is just my opinion. Good to meet you.
Rik
 

Well I was pissed off at Bill Willingham for his use of human politics incorrectly in Fables, making Bigby look like a supporter of an evil regime. I got over it though. Most folks, including him are just ignorant about some things.

I think if you're going to write a story with black characters raised on gangsta rap in America and you want to use that word (I'm not allowed to say being white), then you'd better make it convincing. At no point should I question the illusion you're creating or you've lost me. I love the Boondocks, but if they didn't do it right, or were sloppy or inconsistent in the writing I wouldn't like it. But then again even if they didn't use the slurs and the story wasn't tight I wouldn't read it either.

But I wouldn't chuck out the baby with the bathwater. I love Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer, and I would never throw that out even if he came out as a fascist zionist racist. I'd still like that story. I can care about the fiction and separate it from my like or dislike of the author as a person.

Cheers,
r.
 

On the one hand, I do agree that Garth overdoes the swearing and repititve perjoratives. On the other hand, there are people like that and Garth is dealing with some of the scum of society in books like this.

As for whether someone who isn't of a specific racial type can write characters of another racial type and have them speak different to how he would normally speak, of course he can. To say otherwise is to just stifle creativity and restrict writing to very very specific censorious lines. Can white people write black people? Of course they can just like the reverse. As for the genocide argument, that's just overstating to the point of being ridiculous.
 

All right, some new comments here (thanks for writing, everybody), so let's broaden our minds ...

Neil: I'm guessing its mainly down to the fact I'm a white person from scotland with little or no exposure to its meanings.

That doesn't seem too far fetched a supposition. The affect of a certain word on my South African friend is very different than its effect on me, because I'd never heard it before seeing some stuff he was working on, but he called it the equivalent term. In the course of reading people's messages here, I've learned that there's a slur against Australians which I'd never heard of. Those words would affect those people strongly, this one affects me.

I do feel that as a word it has been glorified by the media to a point where I've seen and heard kids no older than 5 or 6 using it to interact with each other(these are little white kids by the way). Maybe ennis is the same, he's seen it or heard it in a glorifying media way. I'm not sticking up for him in any way though.

... which, in part, is my beef. Comics readers are predominantly a white audience. if one of the industry's biggest names is using this term willy nilly, they feel more comfortable saying it. Then one of 'em says it to me at a convention, I punch him in the throat, and all of a sudden I'm the bad guy. I don't need that kind of drama in my life.

Ennis' writing has always been about shocking the reader, whether it be with disturbing violence or outrageous antics. surely though that is his choice. If he is making a fool of himslef then let him.

I'm happy to. Please note I'm not telling anybody else to not buy his stuff. I'm not calling for boycotts, nor am I telling companies not to hire him. I'm saying one thing: I'm done. I have no control of anything outside of my own sphere of behavior, and that's the only thing I'm talking about changing.

I personally enjoy his shocking writing although I will admit that panel did make me stop for a second. I took it as a ill placed homage to the Rush Hour movies, but your view on it is entirly down to you

Only saw the first one, and barely remember it. Sorry. Obscure homages can work, but when the writer blinds somebody with anger first, they might be hard to catch.

Cynic Magazine: Are people saying I should have seen these Rush Hour films with more attention? I don't remember them as being that interesting ... anyhoo, yeah, if that's what he wants to do ...

Brandon: Obviously you're welcome to do what you please, and I can't blame you too much for your reaction to a racial slur, but as a black man who is very familiar with Ennis' work, he has proven himself time and again as a believer in equal opportunity, and "interracial" coupling and gay rights, and freedom of religion, etc.

Well, that's all well and fine. But if you tell me that somebody who's essentially punching me in the face is a big supporter of reparations and hugging kids and rescuing kittens from trees, it doesn't change the fact that he's punching me in the face. I don't like getting punched in the face. I'm not going to be punched in the face anymore. Simple as that. If the punch misses your face, fantastic for you. I have no desire to change anybody's behavior but my own (well, maybe not "desire" but I know I have virtually no ability to change behavior ...).

You mention only the first twelve issues of his Punisher run, for example, but it's throughout his whole Punisher "era" where he's delved very deeply into the kind of subjects that he's now taking the piss out of in The Boys. I wonder how much of a fan you really were to begin with.

I don't recall saying I was a "fan" -- I read books and review them for money. I read his Punisher run until it stopped being entertaining to me.

Read 303 or Punisher MAX or 7 Brothers or Chronicles of Wormwood. You'll get to know him a lot better through those works.

With the exception of 7 Brothers I've read all of that. I know all I want to know. I don't find it worth it.

Lukecash: So what is important here is what was Garth Ennis intention? Is it to show the stupidity of the characters? Was it to show the ridiculousness of white people using "urban slang" to be hip? I don't know because I don't know the full context of the usage in the story. I won't because the Boys as a subject and execution-does not interest or entertain me.

Well, I haven't developed telepathy (yet ...) so I can't say what his intention was. However, in the words of my college psych professor, behavior is all I can substantively judge, and his behavior is essentially punching me in the face. I know there can be many differences between "intent" and "impact," but the only one I find that matters here is that I can know one and I can't know the other. Therefore I have no interest in what I can't know, because it doesn't change what I do know.

I do not like racist talk nor do I like words used negatively. But I cannot condone denying anyone from using language as they see fit.

I don't feel like I'm denying anybody from using language in any way they see fit. I'm denying myself the suffering of enduring it. I'm changing the channel. The fact that the channel in question is also the main reviews column for a comics web site, well, that's what it is.

But I will ask this: Did you ever stop to think that it's your own attitude is what puts them off to you? If you believe the world is after you, and carry yourself as if you were expecting a fight....that could be setting up some serious vibes.

*Hannibal chuckles* Or you could look at what Spider Jerusalem said: "A paranoid is a person who's in possession of all of the facts." Suffice it to say that we could sit here an analyze the minutiae of my behavior in a number of situations and it wouldn't do a thing to change the racial slur sitting on comic book shelves across the country (and probably a number of other countries). Nice attempt at repurposing the discussion, though.

So the fact that you cut "black" people slack for using the word but not "white" people means you subscribe to the the Us vs Them mentality which is the true poison to tolerance.

My father had a saying that's become popular with a lot of people I met subsequently: "two wrongs don't make it right, but it damned sure makes it even." Black people are carrying a struggle that's very different from virtually anybody outside of the now-extinct Tasmanians or the aboriginal peoples of north America. I'm gonna stick to my guns on that one.

John: Ennis has said in interviews that if people don't like what he's writing the best way to tell him is to stop buying his books and its a sentimant I agree with, so in theory I support your decision. However since Garth's Marvel Max Punisher is my favourite book being published at the moment its not a decision I'll be joining you in.

I've got no beef with that. We can agree to disagree. You buy, I don't (although in my case, I also don't read or review). At the end of the day, everybody's happy with the choice they made.

James: Your position seems reasonable, but I'd like to understand it better:

All right.

Would you feel differently if the word was being used in context that made it clear it was wrong? For example: if the heroes were fighting a group of neo-Nazi's who are murderers, rapists AND used the N-word would that be okay, or at least better?

Probably.

In my second novel, there's a white supremacist character as a major dramatic foil. He uses the term, with hate and vitriol. However, because I hate the term, I bleep out letters in it. Because I have *control* over what happens, it being my book. Personal choice again. So he gets to use it, and be true to his voice, and I don't have to see the word. Everybody wins.

What degree of responsibility do you feel I as a reader have to determine the race of an artist before I accept/reject their use of the N-word?

You as a reader? I feel I have no right to try and legislate your behavior that way. However, my normal stance is reject first and consider later.

If I see a comic book containing the N-word should I boycott it unless/until I know the writer is Black, read it unless/until I know the writer is not Black, or make an active effort to determine the writer's race? Does the context affect this?

Context is most important, race of writer is secondary. For example, I believe I remember the word being in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird and I wasn't mad because it made sense. It was clear where everybody stood and the people using it were, essentially, true to their voice. Drunken former state sponsored Soviet super heroes? Yeah, no. Not having it.

I think if you're going to write a story with black characters raised on gangsta rap in America and you want to use that word (I'm not allowed to say being white), then you'd better make it convincing. At no point should I question the illusion you're creating or you've lost me. I love the Boondocks, but if they didn't do it right, or were sloppy or inconsistent in the writing I wouldn't like it. But then again even if they didn't use the slurs and the story wasn't tight I wouldn't read it either.

I concur. Fun fact: the word is used more on the animated series than ever, ever was used in the print versions. Also, most of the people who were considered instrumental in making the show have left for Dave Chapelle-esque reasons. Or so they've told me.

Alex: I like your column.

Thanks!

Drop the title though if it offends you...thus the power of the consumer. And write an angry letter, to let your opinion be heard...

Done and done. Sort of. I don't need to address people to get stuff off my chest. I don't think that sort of thing matters.

but i would keep an open mind towards other titles written by Ennis (what about the Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears series).

It bored me to tears, pardon the pun.

I don't need to get punched in the face anymore to learn how to avoid somebody who's throwing haymakers.

I like your column, and I would like to read what you think about other Ennis titles among others.

Well, sorry to say I won't be able to satisfy that desire, as this blog and the comments herein are all I'll ever have to say about the man's work for what i consider the foreseeable future.

Good talk, all.
 

I'm glad you wrote this. As one who is often accused of being black bourgois, it was good for me to hear you say this.
I do not tolerate it either. It is not okay with me for ANYONE to use it except if they mean it. If they mean it, it's still wrong, but at least they are saying what they mean. And I like to know what kind of people I'm dealing with. Honesty in speech is a great measure.
I have always had the feeling when I protest the use by fellow people of color, that I was looked at like a traitor.
I think black folk defending use of this word is all about holding on to unhealthy habits of self-abuse. Classic textbook psychology will explain this as typical of those who were abused in some way as children.
Most black people have been abused. I don't mean in the literal sense that their parents did so. But in the sense that American society abuses people of color in every way possible historically.
Therefore I see it as absolutely understandable, however I do not see it as healthy, or acceptable. That's my take on it.
I think white folk using the word is really stupid IF they mean no harm and consider themselves to not be racist. It's just dumb. Find some other words to use for whatever you're trying to accomplish. I also find it amazing how inevitably when one of these exchanges gets started, we see the white folk trying to make light of the use, but we don't recognize that we (people of color) are doing exactly the same thing in a different context. There is no light in the word. Period. That's my take.
If everyone woud consider these things then maybe only those who really mean the word as it was meant to be used would continue to use it and we could hold that up to the light and deal with it appropriately.
But this is just foolishness on all sides. Self-destructive at best. I'm with you. It is not okay.
 

Started? I think that gives KKKramer a bit more credit than he deserves, but that's the most recent big flashpoint.

That said, I agree with your stance. I can run people over with my car, but I don't. Whether or not I should, well, that's a matter of individual values judgments. >8^p
 

It's good to read this. If something offends you, drop it. If more people did this, perhaps all those big companies would actually think before releasing offensive tripe.

That said, I think it is also important to let them know why.

If the above comic lost profits, the publishers might realise that the use of the N word caused it. Or they might think that the art needs updating with something more modern and sharp and cartoony. Or they might think that obviously there aren't enough boobies. Letting them know why you're dropping it might not make a difference in the individual sense, but even the most ignorant of companies will try to keep an eye on trends.


That said, I can't see how it is necessary for even an obviously racist character to use slurs casually. I mean, there are situations where it would make sense for them to do so, but I do think that gets trumped as an excuse for using racist terms in order to appear "edgy" all too often, and even a few of the more horrifically racist, sexist and homophobic people I've met haven't used derogatory terms as casually as the media does.
 

Hey Hannibal. Longtime reader, first-time caller...

For me, use of the N word in ficition depends on two things: 1) the context in which it's used amd 2) the race of the writer.

Yeah, yeah, boo all you want, but unless you ever had the word thrown at you in a disrespectful, derogatory manner, then I really don't expect you to understand. It's that simple. You don't get it. You never will. Be grateful for that. Shut up and eat some damn mayonaisse.

And still, whether I'm offended comes down to examining the word's usage on a case-by-case basis. In the Garth Ennis case, I see where he was coming from. Big dumb Russian learned English from television and bad rap music. I'm not happy by it, but I get it. And I'm not out-and-out offended.

Same with Brian K. Vaughan, again, because of the context. I actually have to hand it to Vaughan; he's one of the few white writers in comics -- alongside Geoff Johns -- that knows how to write black characters. His "Agent 355" is a strong, secure, complex, fully-developed black character, not a stereotype or caricature. And the way Vaughan handles race issues in the book is insightful. Still not happy with the usage, but I'm okay with it.

Now, Brian Azzerello on "Cage" and "100 Bullets"? That pisses off. And don't give me that "it's a street comic" crap. Read Priest's "Black Panther: Black and White" or "The Crew"; both were street level comics that emcompassed gritty hood life without needing the N word.

And don't get me started on Chuck Austen doing his "US War Machine" run. But that Chuck Austen offends me as a writer, a person and a living organism in general.

I don't think any of them should have used the word. They didn't get much out of it and maybe did it to prove they down enough to use the word. They could use it in a proper context. They could bring a new level of reality to mainstream comics.

But I'm not a fan of any white writer using the N word in any context. As Hannibal said, it's not your word. Of the four writers mentioned, probably the only one whose comics I stopped reading was Azzerello's. Shame, too. I finally read the "Counterfifth Detective"... Damn.
 

It's a shame you decided to give-up reviewing everything Ennis recently; Dan Dare 1 was superb this week (and nothing crass whatsoever, mind you!).
 

That was Ennis? Hh.

As for Dan Dare, I think I liked it better when it was called Ministry of Space.