I usually hate headcanon, but...
I like to imagine that Dan Didio installed keyloggers on every computer of every DC employee that scans for every instance of “Cassandra Cain”, “Stephanie Brown” and “more diversified character roster”. Every time someone types one of those phrases, an alarm goes off in his office and he huffs and puffs up and down the hallways screaming “WHO TYPED THAT?!”
“To answer Dan DiDio's question: There are many, many very talented women working in the industry who could infuse something very valuable into DC Comics, at a time when they probably need it the most. As a female fan, I desperately wish he would consider their aesthetics and contributions to the industry as viable options for the superhero books I want to read so badly but feel so chronically alienated by, something that honestly breaks my heart on a regular basis. And regardless of where that question is coming from -- whether he genuinely doesn't know who they are or genuinely couldn't figure out a way to fit them into the DC Universe -- I couldn't help but find the fact that he had to ask it very sad. ”
—Laura Hudson, Editor-In-Chief of ComicsAlliance.com in response to this.
(Couldn’t agree more.)
“ I started off asking him how many waffles he got and he said about ten,(I wouldn’t be shocked if he rounded down) so I said there doesn’t seem to be as much demand as it appeared. He told me “yeah, there isn’t really any ground swell support for the character”. I then asked about the planned Stephanie Brown appearance in Smallville and Didio’s reaction was “They never should have done that.” He felt pretty strongly about it, emphasising it three times. He said that first of all as Stephanie was never Nightwing, there was no reason to put her in the comic as that character and that Smallville is about Superman and not Batman, so there’s no real point in putting Stephanie in to appease a small amount of fans, and the writer of the comic. He was clearly rather annoyed about the situation, but the general feeling I got from him was that he believes only a few vocal fans actually care about the character. He pointed out the last time Stephanie was brought back because there was a groundswell of requests and it didn’t do anything, sales wise – even putting her in as Batgirl didn’t give her a bump. He said that they will be back eventually, and they are waiting for the right story. I pointed out I think the big issue with with Cassandra Cain and Stephanie is that Batman’s story arc, with the exception of Barbara Gordon coming back. seems to be the same as before the New 52. You have all four male Robins. But we’re missing a Batgirl. He said that Barbara coming back into the suit meant DC could change that, presumably meaning there was never another Batgirl after Barbara was shot.”
—From Bleeding Cool’s conversation with Co-Publisher and Douche-At-Large, Dan Didio. Seriously, fuck this guy.A Statement Of Purpose.
San Diego Comic Con was the last straw.
The DCnU has marginalized many characters, most of whom are women or people of color.
But one of the most troubling real-world aspects of the DCnU is the reduction of female creators working at DC from approximately 12% to less than 2%.
While there are a number of accounts of the events, most of which vary to some degree, it is clear that Dan DiDio asked a fan who he should have hired when told that DC should have hired more women. Jim Lee made a joke about whether a fan wanted female characters dead center or off-center on covers.
Basic business principles dictate listening to customers, especially customers who ask reasonable questions about why DC didn’t hire more women to write and draw comics.
More directly, Dan DiDio said “We want the best creators on our books, who should we have hired?” at one point during a panel.
Perhaps Pia Guerra, who won an Eisner and was part of a team that won a Harvey Award for her work on “Y: The Last Man.” Perhaps Jill Thompson or Becky Cloonan, both of whom have won Eisners and have worked on Vertigo titles. Perhaps Rutu Modan, Cathy Malkasian, Carla Speed McNeil, Lynda Barry, Eleanor Davis, Marian Churchland, Raina Telgemaier or Janet Lee, all of whom have won Eisner Awards.
In short, Dan DiDio’s claim that they want the best creators on their books is empirically and demonstrably false. When Rob Liefeld is a creator in the DCnU and Eisner Award-winning creators are not, those claims are clearly not true.
The question now is what to do about it.
I’m a parent. I’m disabled. I have a little girl who loves comics and is being told that she has no place in comics fandom, and that her gender is not welcome in creating comics, no matter how talented, recognized or highly-regarded.
This is unacceptable.
I suggest a simple process to bring attention to this issue.
1. Reduce or eliminate the number of DC titles you buy, especially if you have a pull list at a retailer.
2. Tell that retailer that you are reducing or eliminating DC titles from your list as a direct result of Dan DiDio’s and Jim Lee’s comments at Comic Con, then encourage them to write DC and let them know that the behavior of DC’s executives is costing them revenue.
3. Write an actual letter - not an email or tweet, although such things will also raise attention to the issue - to Time Warner about the behavior of DC’s executives. While DC is apparently not responsive to concerns, Time Warner is a publicly traded company which must answer to shareholders and which is significantly more sensitive to even the appearance of gender bias in hiring. If you currently hold Time Warner stock, note that in the letter.
The question then becomes what to ask for to address this issue. I’m looking for thoughts there. I’m also hoping that other people will help with this Tumblr account because my physical ability is usually limited due to my disabilities.
I’m not an organizer and I’m not a crusader. I’m just a disabled guy with a little girl, and I’m mad that something that both I and my little girl love seems determined to exclude her. I may not be able to stand up that well or stand up for that long, but I’m sure as hell not going to stand for this.
DC Comics contact information - tell them how you feel about Dan Didio's recent behavior
I don’t have as many followers as some of you so please reblog this and add any information I’ve missed. We talk about the recent issues with DC a lot amongst ourselves but real change only happens when we make our grievances known. So let’s do this. It isn’t enough to tumbl or tweet or facebook complaints so let DC know how you feel about Dan Didio verbally bullying a fan at San Diego Comic into silence when said fan questioned DC’s lack of women creators. If this is how Didio sees fit to behave in a public sphere, then he clearly isn’t fit to act as a representative of DC Comics nor is he fit to serve as one of the company’s publishers. Let DC know that.
DC’s main offices are located at:
Suite 400
1700 Broadway
New York, NY 10019 - 5914
Their main telephone number is 212-636-5400
Here’s the DC masthead with a few people who might be good contacts. Diane Nelson is the President, so she’s the big cheese but hell, I’d send a dozen, nay, a hundred letters to every single person on that list, until they fired Didio just so they wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore.That is how strongly I feel about this.
If you can’t send a letter to DC, here’s their online submission form and contact page. I doubt a single letter will do much good since the editorial staff might ignore any unfavorable submissions but if they get enough letters about Didio’s behavior, it might raise enough eyebrows to matter. At the very least, they’ll see that these things matter and that people care and that ultimately, Didio’s negative publicity can have a very real impact on their bottom line.
I am legitimately vexed with how Dan DiDio is treating the fandom and his readers that aren’t white dudes aged 18-34 that complain en masse about the treatment of characters (specifically Stephanie and Cassandra).
He’s ignoring complaints that are primarily coming from people of color and young women and acting as though they don’t exist. Because we don’t exist to him. All he cares about is the Silver Age of comics (never mind that he’s erased or allowed the changes of characters that are as old as the Golden age) and the white dudes that are currently reading comics.
No one else matters.
The thing is. Morrison and DiDio haven’t just killed Damian Wayne with this stunt, they’ve killed the entire Robin legacy. All this speculation about who will be the next Robin. I’ll be surprised if there’s ever another hero named Robin. If Batman ever has another official partner.
When Jason died, Bruce - quite rightly - decided he would never take another Robin. That it was wrong to put a minor child, whose care and protection were his responsibility, in harm’s way like that. It took plucky Tim to convince him otherwise.
After Stephanie - who wasn’t Robin at the time she died - Batman felt a bit vindicated. He had tried to convince her to leave the vigilante life and she wouldn’t listen. Tim went back to being Robin because he at least was trained and experienced… (*ahem* which is all bullshit, but you know, *DC logic*)
Damian Wayne was raised to be an assassin from birth. When Bruce took him along on patrol, he was endangering others, not this child. But now even Damian is dead.
I don’t think I can back a Batman that ever takes another Robin under his wing. Not after this.
And that, ladies and gentlefans, is exactly what DiDio wants.
He hates the Batfam. He hates all sidekicks and legacies, especially Robin, which is both. He wants Batman alone and grimdark for all eternity. So he’s only too happy to sign on to a crossover event that breaks up the family, and a two year story arc that kills off the one individual who isn’t old enough to leave of their own free will. Dick goes off to Chicago to pursue a career as Nightwing where the word “bat” won’t even be mentioned for months at a time. Barbara won’t speak to him. Jason has a team that goes into space. Tim - never a Robin anyway - has a team on a boat that will go all over the world. And Damian is dead.
Death of the Family. R.I.P Robin.
More Didio on the crisis
Yesterday I posted Dan Didio’ comment on the Crisis no longer being history in the new 52. Here’s more.
*thanks Jason Biggs!
