A Marvel comics writer for the Star Wars comic books and extended universe has been fired, allegedly because of “uncivil” tweets.
Chuck Wendig said via Twitter that he was let go after posting a number of explicit tweets attacking Republicans and the GOP over the confirmation of Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Wendig claimed in his tweets that “It was too much politics, too much vulgarity, too much negativity on my part.” He later blamed Comicsgate, a campaign by artist Ethan Van Sciver to allegedly stop so-called social justice warriors from injecting liberal activism into stories. Critics of the movement have called it harassment.
Marvel has confirmed in published reports that Wendig is no longer with the company, but declined to state the reason.
To conclude: this is really quite chilling. And it breaks my heart. I am very sad, and worried for the country I live in, and the world, and for creative people all around. Courage to you all.
I have a dire fear this is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
I know it hands Comicsgate a big win. It will embolden them. But they won — Im out of Marvel and, I guess for now, at least, out of any kind of Star Wars. Do your victory lap, I guess. (Just please leave me out of it.)
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
And it seems odd to be mad that Im mad about politics when – well, look around. Climate change, kids in cages, sexual harassers at the topmost tiers of power, and so on. A call for civility as the PA GOP candidate threatens Tom Wolf with a golf cleat stomping. I dunno, man.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
But it does set a troubling precedent. One weve seen already – James Gunn, Jessica White, and so on – of folks fired because they riled up the wasps nest of asterisk-gate.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
If they honestly feel that my presence will damage the book, I don't want that. I want the book to shine, and artists like Juanan Ramirez and Greg Smallwood to do their amazing thing. Artists like that are gods in my mind, so I'm happy to not distract from their literal magic.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
My understanding over this call was that this was a Marvel decision, not an LFL decision, but I cant really confirm that. The editor said he had made the call. He seemed genuinely upset at my tweets and profanity, so maybe that's accurate. And again, that's his right to do so.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
Which, of course, is their decision to make. Im not their boss. (And, turns out, theyre not the boss of me, either. Har har.)
(I joke because otherwise, I cry.)
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
Basically, because I was not civil.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
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