Ales Kot is the writer on Secret Avengers and Bucky Barnes: Winter Soldier for Marvel, and Zero for Image Comics.
Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads are the creative team on The Punisher. Mitch draws The Activity for Image. Nathan writes for Image.
Chris Kyle was a famed US sniper, who fought in the Iraq War, with 160 confirmed kills to his name. Shot and killed at a firing range in 2014, his life was recently turned into the movie, American Sniper based on his 2009 autobiography. Both he and his team used Marvel’s Punisher logo and the comic appears in the movie as well.
Now, we start with MItch.
I had the honor + privilege of designing the official 2015 CHRIS KYLE MEMORIAL BENEFIT patch. https://t.co/OcUNKJ3Qsh pic.twitter.com/j5yGyrmqWP
— Mitch Gerads (@MitchGerads) April 17, 2015
Ales tweeted,
The thing I like about comics creators making Chris Kyle memorial patches is that it makes it easier for me to know who I won’t work with — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
Totally agree! https://t.co/UryKzxfOun
— Mitch Gerads (@MitchGerads) April 22, 2015
1) It’s supporting sociopathic legacy (Chris Kyle) 2) It’s associating it with a character who glorifies horrifying PTSD (Punisher) — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
I want us all to know better than that — and speaking out is a part of it, instead of just holding it in and avoiding each other in public. — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
I have no problem with you as a person, @MitchGerads , but holy shit do I have a problem with your action. — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
This isn’t a public shaming, btw — not interested in that at all. What I’m interested in is dialogue and self-reflection, both things…
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
…American (and not just) society sometimes seems to be unlearning. I mean real, deep, constructive dialogue. — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
Obviously me being pissed off and indirect is not a good start but I am allergic to actions that support legacy of racist killer douchebags — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
So I guess what I’m asking is — why support something like this, @MitchGerads ? What’s your take on Chris Kyle? — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
And please don’t come at me with “Maybe it was just a job,” people — I know America’s still young and dumb but you really don’t want to…
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
…ever fucking use the Eichmann excuse. Banality of evil doesn’t make the acts themselves any less evil. — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 22, 2015
That is as close as it gets to citing Hitler in an argument that’s not about Hitler, thereby, tradiationally, closing the argument. But it was not to be. Ryan Bodenheim, artist of The Dying & The Dead, Red Mass for Mars, Secret and Halcyon for Image Comics wanted in.
@ales_kot @MitchGerads here’s a screen cap from the credits of American Sniper. Are you still working with Marvel? pic.twitter.com/UmA9Yi3nUY — Ryan Bodenheim (@RyanBodenheim) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: Yup, I am, and yup, I want to ask about it. Also, making choices about creators I will/won’t work with is much — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: easier than making choices about corporations because it’s not easy/sometimes even possible to know who…
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: …greenlit what. Which doesn’t absolve or reduce the problem, it just gets much more complex.
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: But I’m actively choosing to make the situation better, bit by bit, and what happened with the patch feels…
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: …strongly like the exact opposite of that.
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@ales_kot @MitchGerads maybe you just doing your job.
— Ryan Bodenheim (@RyanBodenheim) April 23, 2015
@ales_kot @MitchGerads you can’t see past your own hate enough to see that the patch will help wounded vets. You won’t attack marvel.. — Ryan Bodenheim (@RyanBodenheim) April 23, 2015
@ales_kot @MitchGerads comic creators should know better?…about what? Helping others? — Ryan Bodenheim (@RyanBodenheim) April 23, 2015
@ales_kot @MitchGerads comic writers should know better than to alienate themselves from artist. It's a great way to become a
— Ryan Bodenheim (@RyanBodenheim) April 23, 2015
@ales_kot @MitchGerads paperback writer who's unable to obtain cover art
— Ryan Bodenheim (@RyanBodenheim) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: I suppose you don't see the double-edged sword of helping people by promoting what it promotes?
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: So if it promoted Charles Manson, you’d be okay with it, too? — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: Yeah, so that’s where we’re different, you and I
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: You’re really trying hard but it’s not landing — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: These are two completely different things and your attempts to conflate them are not connecting. — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: I get that you want to stand up for a friend who is either unable or unwilling to stand up for himself, I’m… — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: …just intelligent enough to get the difference, and I suspect so are you.
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: And yeah, I’m not saying there’s nothing paradoxical about what I do, I’m not trying to hide it! — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: Your rap game is weak, Ryan — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@RyanBodenheim @MitchGerads: It’s clear how little you know me if you’re assuming that putting people down gets me harder (except in bed) — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
May the bridges I burn light the way.
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
The comics bro club is hilarious — yes, please, threaten me with not getting work and collaborators because I dare to speak out — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
I hope that you realize every threat, shitty look, every backstabbing attempt — it’s all fuel for me, and I ain’t stopping — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
@TresDean333 @RyanBodenheim: Oh, so that’s actually historical realism. Well, that solves me having to ask! — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
As to Nathan Edmondson? Ales tweets, without response, regarding a retweet that seems to have been removed
Hey @nathanedmondson , why did you favorite that one tweet? Was that a thinly veiled passive-aggressive thing, or you just happy to see me?
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
Following up with,
Hey @nathanedmondson is is true that you’re a raging homophobe or is that just industry lies? Serious question, pls let me know — Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
Blimey. I hope you know, this means war.
And to others: stoke the fire, don’t stay quiet. About time we made more space for people who won’t be parasites within the community.
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
Like, if you have a proof that a creator acts like a total dirtbag, there’s journalists and lawyers who would love to hear about it
— Ales Kot (@ales_kot) April 23, 2015
And retweeting,
@ales_kot or even gossip mongers like me.
— Rich Johnston (@richjohnston) April 23, 2015
