I had literally just finished reading Howard Chaykin’s “Hey Kids! Comics” when I went online and saw the news. If you’re not familiar it’s about the life of three golden age comic illustrators and the supporting cast if industry characters around them.
It matters because the series highlights the soul-crushing nature of of the industry, the back-biting, the venom, the whims of the marketplace that seem determined to crush the spirit and love for art and storytelling. It’s as dark a narrative as I’ve ever read.
Then I open my YouTube to see if there’s a Kayfabe episode with Prince Howard only to see the news. The world comes pouring in. Comics aren’t fake—real life is fake.
I stopped drawing comics when i convinced myself at 16 I couldn’t do it. Ed and Jim reminded me that one doesn’t simply abandon the things they love be they drawing, writing, music, sports, whatever. They put dreams back in my head that i thought lost forever. Every time i pick up a pen it’s a prayer of thanks to Eddie P.
Yeah…my drawing hand is weak and i sold my drafting table 30 years ago. I’m starting with the writing. Definitely a labor of love.
Which brings me back to “Hey Kids! Comics!” A major theme of the story is the shift from million dollar industry to cottage industry and back again-ish. When I put Ed’s death in there as the coda, it’s depressingly absurd how vile an industry based on ‘love’ actually operates.
The constant attention seeking with financial incentives has sucked the air from the room. All the action is at the fringes.
“I was murdered by Internet bullies. Massive amounts of them."
Sadly true. He was a victim of the anonymous mob mentality the Internet creates. I doubt his life and career would have ended as quickly in the pre-Internet era.
We live in strange times indeed. No going back to some era before the internet. Totally different dynamic. Before the internet as we know it now (flooded with social media) you really had the opportunity to contemplate, sleep on challenging issues you had to face. No instant reactions required. Live to fight another day! Yes, live beyond the moment.
Great article. I been a year since his death and I’m still resentful and angry at the industry. But it hit differently for me because at one point I was in the industry as an aspiring comic book writer and knew people at marvel and dc. But the shit I have seen and experienced made me feel sick and this was my breaking point. The industry has no accountability and to this day I feel like the industry has not gotten better because of it. It taking a dark path that is more sinister. I tried to warn people in the industry about this and I was laughed out of the room and was called horrific things and was blackmailed. Turns out I was right. In a way I’m still grieving not just because of ed but what this industry and comics/nerd fandom has become. I was in denial for a couple of months trying to follow the marching orders to recapture that feeling but that feeling is now gone. Then that denial turned into rage. So much in fact that I was at nycc last year and was going to the comics beat panel to give them a pice of my mind but I did not had the guts to pull the trigger on the industry I once loved. Someone told me while I was there that the industry is hurting and I can name a couple of reasons why but the point is that my love of comics and the medium died when ed passed. They wanted likeme gone so they got there wish but soon the question will be what did it cost? The industry is mortally and creatively bankrupt. But I don’t want to stoop down to there level. I’m still thinking about that jack Kirby quote saying that “comics will break your heart.” And one year ago that’s what happened. Symbolically the last comic I’ll ever get/read will be switchblade shorties. It’s a lot to process but this was an amazing article. As two face would say “ either you die here or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” And that’s why I feel about the industry and nerdom as a whole they became what they despise the most.
His death hit me pretty hard and I felt hollow for a couple of weeks. I didn't know Ed at all, just some of his work and Kayfabe, and I was struck by how much his death impacted me, someone I didn't know. My wife even had to get to bottom of why I was so down after a few days, and recounting everything to her pissed me off and broke my heart again. I still go back from time to time to watch the channel and catch up on episodes I missed, but not as often. I'm waiting for my copy of Switchblade Shorties and I don't know if I'll ever be able to actually read it.
Thanks for speaking out Nandor. Like you say, few in the industry were willing to do so and those that did have been on the receiving end of venom from the same bullies who brought Ed’s life to a tragic end, just for being reasonable and well adjusted.
Thankfully his legacy will live on forever and it’s up to his fans to keep that alive and well.
In my bedroom, reading his note, contemplating this man who used his last moments in such a public, mean-spirited way, unable to grasp the damage he dealt in so doing, but trying to anyway, too drained to sympathize but relating to him anyway, and wanting to die— deciding that for me, to respect this man or his legacy would be to accept suicide as an option, and to turn my empathy away from those he needlessly made suffer.
I had literally just finished reading Howard Chaykin’s “Hey Kids! Comics” when I went online and saw the news. If you’re not familiar it’s about the life of three golden age comic illustrators and the supporting cast if industry characters around them.
It matters because the series highlights the soul-crushing nature of of the industry, the back-biting, the venom, the whims of the marketplace that seem determined to crush the spirit and love for art and storytelling. It’s as dark a narrative as I’ve ever read.
Then I open my YouTube to see if there’s a Kayfabe episode with Prince Howard only to see the news. The world comes pouring in. Comics aren’t fake—real life is fake.
I stopped drawing comics when i convinced myself at 16 I couldn’t do it. Ed and Jim reminded me that one doesn’t simply abandon the things they love be they drawing, writing, music, sports, whatever. They put dreams back in my head that i thought lost forever. Every time i pick up a pen it’s a prayer of thanks to Eddie P.
Comics is such a tough nut to crack. It always has to be a labor of love.
Yeah…my drawing hand is weak and i sold my drafting table 30 years ago. I’m starting with the writing. Definitely a labor of love.
Which brings me back to “Hey Kids! Comics!” A major theme of the story is the shift from million dollar industry to cottage industry and back again-ish. When I put Ed’s death in there as the coda, it’s depressingly absurd how vile an industry based on ‘love’ actually operates.
The constant attention seeking with financial incentives has sucked the air from the room. All the action is at the fringes.
“I was murdered by Internet bullies. Massive amounts of them."
Sadly true. He was a victim of the anonymous mob mentality the Internet creates. I doubt his life and career would have ended as quickly in the pre-Internet era.
We live in strange times indeed. No going back to some era before the internet. Totally different dynamic. Before the internet as we know it now (flooded with social media) you really had the opportunity to contemplate, sleep on challenging issues you had to face. No instant reactions required. Live to fight another day! Yes, live beyond the moment.
Great article. I been a year since his death and I’m still resentful and angry at the industry. But it hit differently for me because at one point I was in the industry as an aspiring comic book writer and knew people at marvel and dc. But the shit I have seen and experienced made me feel sick and this was my breaking point. The industry has no accountability and to this day I feel like the industry has not gotten better because of it. It taking a dark path that is more sinister. I tried to warn people in the industry about this and I was laughed out of the room and was called horrific things and was blackmailed. Turns out I was right. In a way I’m still grieving not just because of ed but what this industry and comics/nerd fandom has become. I was in denial for a couple of months trying to follow the marching orders to recapture that feeling but that feeling is now gone. Then that denial turned into rage. So much in fact that I was at nycc last year and was going to the comics beat panel to give them a pice of my mind but I did not had the guts to pull the trigger on the industry I once loved. Someone told me while I was there that the industry is hurting and I can name a couple of reasons why but the point is that my love of comics and the medium died when ed passed. They wanted likeme gone so they got there wish but soon the question will be what did it cost? The industry is mortally and creatively bankrupt. But I don’t want to stoop down to there level. I’m still thinking about that jack Kirby quote saying that “comics will break your heart.” And one year ago that’s what happened. Symbolically the last comic I’ll ever get/read will be switchblade shorties. It’s a lot to process but this was an amazing article. As two face would say “ either you die here or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” And that’s why I feel about the industry and nerdom as a whole they became what they despise the most.
His death hit me pretty hard and I felt hollow for a couple of weeks. I didn't know Ed at all, just some of his work and Kayfabe, and I was struck by how much his death impacted me, someone I didn't know. My wife even had to get to bottom of why I was so down after a few days, and recounting everything to her pissed me off and broke my heart again. I still go back from time to time to watch the channel and catch up on episodes I missed, but not as often. I'm waiting for my copy of Switchblade Shorties and I don't know if I'll ever be able to actually read it.
The court of public opinion that is the internet is guilty until proven innocent which is a sad state of affairs.
Thanks for speaking out Nandor. Like you say, few in the industry were willing to do so and those that did have been on the receiving end of venom from the same bullies who brought Ed’s life to a tragic end, just for being reasonable and well adjusted.
Thankfully his legacy will live on forever and it’s up to his fans to keep that alive and well.
I was just scrolling through social media. Hit me like a ton of bricks.
In my bedroom, reading his note, contemplating this man who used his last moments in such a public, mean-spirited way, unable to grasp the damage he dealt in so doing, but trying to anyway, too drained to sympathize but relating to him anyway, and wanting to die— deciding that for me, to respect this man or his legacy would be to accept suicide as an option, and to turn my empathy away from those he needlessly made suffer.
Right on!