We all read/heard it said in Spider-Man:
"With great power comes great responsibility"

I started a subject in the Debate & Discussion folder about the latest cover from The New Yorker that seems to be getting attention:




So poses the question(s). From an American standpoint and even here in DD, there is a great deal of freedom (within legal means) to draw or write whatever anyone wants to for expression. Many of us may do it for shock value or for just the love of the craft.

Because many of us are not syndicated and thus, are not entirely part of the mainstream and do not have to have follow 'corporate' constraints, should some responsibility still be considered for the products we put out even in this community? It should be interesting to hear what many of you who do satire have to say to this (MARINE...are you out there?)

What do you believe constitutes responsible comic creating? Can such a thing exist in the webcomic world? Does it depend on the genre?

This cover is very bad taste, badly done too. To make an illustration of that quality a cover image... they're mad :)

Actually, what it depicts dumbfounds me. It's not satire unless you give it the proper pointers, signposts. having "NEW YORK TIMES" as the title just isn't enough. This would only validly be satire in the state it's in if it was hung in a gallery.

All forms of communication carry a lot of power with them. ALL forms.

It's not just that "with power comes responsibility", it's also: "With freedom comes responsibility".

ozoneocean
It's not just that "with power comes responsibility", it's also: "With freedom comes responsibility".

Well put Oz - Yet The New Yorker cover artists have made a standard of satirical covers like this throughout its history. This one takes the cake.

I don't know, it just had me thinking about all artists and creators of comics too. Would we be much different in comparison to the artist that drew that cover?

Great art - bad representation?

Should we be responsible for our work? Yes. Should we get in trouble for making something crude, violent, racist, sexist, lewd, vulgar, gorey and/or tasteless? No, while the government controls what we may put on the air or advertise through the streets it does not FULLY control the opinions of every civilian. Like it or not THEY are the ones that decide what sucks and what doesn't suck. They are the ones who judge what is horrible, good or demeaning. Considering that the populants of the world are mostly idiots, our status of judging what's good and what's bad is pretty fucked up (hence why commercials call such movies like "Epic Movie" and "Meet the Spartans" funny, or why that Japanese cell phone commercial with the monkey was considered racist ).

So yeah, really we should just blow responsibility out of the water and completely ignore it because in the end, we aren't the ones who judge our work.

Of course we are responsible for what we do. Just like for any action we do, there are consequences, both good and bad. Usually bad.

I mean, I personally found that cover to be quite distasteful, and I think the artist should have shown more tact, but then, I don't believe he should have been prevented from doing it (although the New Yorker should have shown more sense than to use it). If people want to do things like this, then that is their decision. They must be prepared for whatever backlash comes, or whatever public opinion says.

We should be able to decide for ourselves where the line is, and then decide whether or not to cross it. Should we be stopped from crossing it? No. But should we think long and hard before we cross it? Yes.

In the end, I believe it will be up to the creators to decide where they want to take something, and the rest of the world will decide if or how far they crossed the line.

Here's the thing with webcomics...

Ask yourself how much of the real you do you want on your work?

If you are going to only have your online persona and stick with it than there is little harm you can do to yourself online in terms of free speech.

Now if you put your real name on your work it's a different story.

Say you put your real name attached to your work such as your copyright/by ...you know many link sites ask for author names...onlinecomics.net asks for em. Your webcomic would probably be the first thing to come up in a google name search.

People..., employers, co-workers, your students if you're a teacher can google your real name and find your webcomic. You can get fired if they find something that isn't what the heads think is appropriate.

For example, I think artists that make seemingly fun and cute mature comics such as yaoi can be such fools if they attach their real name to it. It might be cool when you're 16 but darn when you try to find a real line of work later that can cripple you.

My real name is on my work ^_^
My employers know about my comic... Actually, my last few have.

My online persona is me :)

ozoneocean
My real name is on my work ^_^
My employers know about my comic... Actually, my last few have.

My online persona is me :)

lol I guess it depends on what kind of work you are in.

In art education, it's better to have the cleanest slate possible.

JillyFoo
lol I guess it depends on what kind of work you are in.

In art education, it's better to have the cleanest slate possible.

I'm with JillyFoo. We live in times where even employers can GOOGLE you for references - it helps to be somewhat 'clean' about what you're putting out there. Especially if you're an educator.

My name is attached to everything I do on the internet. I don't put anything out there that I'm ashamed to be associated with, and I have no desire to separate "professional" Vickie from "personal" Vickie. There's just one me, and I'm proud of every facet of myself. -- Frankly, I was somewhat taken aback when I learned that my preacher had found and read my comic, but after that initial "that's ... weird" moment, I felt like it was a compliment that he had taken an interest in my work.

I believe that people should just be true to themselves. Present what you want. Stay within your chosen limits. Just because no one else is limiting you doesn't mean you don't have your own limits.

If you're really worried about your private endeavors, artwork, literary ventures, etc. affecting your career, maybe you're in the wrong line of work.

JillyFoo
lol I guess it depends on what kind of work you are in.

In art education, it's better to have the cleanest slate possible.

Well I was teaching digital animation for a while... And my comic was one of the reasons I got the job, -apart from my qualifications and experience etc. :)

I'm with Used books here.

My comic tends to open doors for me, not close them ^__^

Steely Gaze
Of course we are responsible for what we do. Just like for any action we do, there are consequences

I think that nails it. In a society where free speech is prized, we shouldn't feel obliged to restrict what we say (or draw) in our comics. At the same time, we should be aware that if we do say (or draw) something stupid or insensitive, then other people have every right to call us on it.

Personally, I think it was done on purpose to get more readers. From what I've heard, the New Yorker is supposed to be suited for a more upper class, high society, exceptionally cultured audience. This probably has hurt them with some people who think it's nothing more than "Stuffy". A publicity stunt like this, with all the American news programs talking about it (I still wonder why they had nothing else to talk about) will certainly gain them some free advertising.

A few months back, an Australian magazine called Zoo Weekly, which is basically a testosterone driven rag, offered a controversial competition where you could actually win a divorce. Apparently the sales increased after this scandal.

I can kind of see both sides of this.

I have the same attitude as Vickie. I put my name and my wife's name on the credits of Due East. My job knows I do webcomics and has no problem with it. I draw on my job while doing tech support over the phone.

However, for those who are more experimental and push the envelope on certain subjects, it may not be wise to use your real name. The internet is eternal and things from 10 years ago can come back to haunt you today or tomorrow. If you don't think your boss or future boss will approve of your stuff, don't sign your real name to it or don't put it on the web. It's that simple, as far as I'm concerned.

usedbooks
My name is attached to everything I do on the internet. I don't put anything out there that I'm ashamed to be associated with, and I have no desire to separate "professional" Vickie from "personal" Vickie. There's just one me, and I'm proud of every facet of myself. -- Frankly, I was somewhat taken aback when I learned that my preacher had found and read my comic, but after that initial "that's ... weird" moment, I felt like it was a compliment that he had taken an interest in my work.

I believe that people should just be true to themselves. Present what you want. Stay within your chosen limits. Just because no one else is limiting you doesn't mean you don't have your own limits.

If you're really worried about your private endeavors, artwork, literary ventures, etc. affecting your career, maybe you're in the wrong line of work.

first of all that cover is satire about the image people have about Obama we live in such a polarizing world that we can't even recognize it's not insulting Obama but the people who still think he's a muslim or that he's going to destroy America anymore than some other leaders. stop being stupid people and grow up! Context always matters in art!

An independent comic creator should be responsible to himself and his audience. If you're making a book a book for families then the book should be accessible to all in terms of content. If you want to make pornographic story then it should cater to audience of that stuff. The only thing I think an author needs to really be aware as far of taste is what would be appropriate for that comic.

As long as it doesnt call for violence against a target group, the right to freedom of expression is a GOD-GIVEN RIGHT.

I guess I didn't quite mean don't copyright it. When I print my comics I have my real name next to the copyright. I just don't like to put my real name all over online.

I'm thinking like to have a pen name if you will. The works that... well they say "your grandma will approve", can have your real name on it, but the mature/risky comics can have a pen name. Just like writing authors do.

I guess the art teaching I'm taking about is American K-12 public/private school. It's very competitive to get a job and the people hiring really try to look for any red flag to bump you off the list. If anything I want to someday teach in an Elementary school.

kyupol
As long as it doesnt call for violence against a target group, the right to freedom of expression is a GOD-GIVEN RIGHT.

then why are most religions against asking questions about itself?