No Hatchet To Bury
Having a very very late start today. I was up late, and then slept in until 11am and had a bunch of running around to do. Last night it seemed my cough had returned a good bit, so I’m dosing myself with Mucinex to hopefully kick it all out of me for good. Two weeks of being sick is annoying as all get out….
Yesterday was of course a very odd day, waking up to the news that something I created might be headed for television screens. Beyond that we had some weird family drama going on outside of our immediate family that was bothering my wife and I—– About the HBN thing, it probably goes without saying that I’ve had mixed feelings about it. It was comforting to know it seems to be in good hands with IM Global who have some good things going on. I guess they had something to do with Religilous??, and I’m a big Bill Maher fan. I guess my brain is just tired of thinking about Platinum Studios and how weird things have been this year. I hear that they’ve talked to everyone else but me–
So since I know nothing, I’m only left to deduce and ponder–
Someone suggested to me that “maybe now is the perfect time to bury the hatchet!”- If there’s a hatchet to be buried, I sure can’t find it around here, it must be resting in someones office in West Hollywood. This is all business to me, and I don’t take any of it personally, I just try to handle my side of things as well as possible. Sometimes that can be very hard when you’re in a spot where money you were counting on contractually doesn’t show up on time (especially in this whacked year of an economy) , and nobody at the top can tell you when it’s coming or how. I learned a valuable lesson there for sure.
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I think the only thing I ever take personally are stupid comments or opinions on the matter directed directly at me or my character. It’s easy to ignore anonymous turds online, but when it’s someone attaching their name and face to it, it becomes much harder for me to ignore, especially on a day like yesterday. Scott Kurtz (webcomicdom’s greatest douchebag) decided he HAD to chime in with his bloviated opinion over on Fleen.:
The sad thing is, despite all the contracts in the world, DJ will more than likely never see dime one from anything that TV show generates.
Ever.
like, ever.
By Scott Kurtz
Like, EVER, Scott? Like, REALLY-REALLY? — It’s no secret that from the very beginning of Platinum Studios and Comic Book Challenge that Scott just flat out does not like Platinum Studios. Then he didn’t like me because he says I “aided” them in some plot to… huhwhat??- In that thread he accuses me of running “everywhere” with interviews and trying to make it look like I’m involved in the TV deal. The fact is, I did 2 small interviews yesterday, one with my old friend Jen Contino of the PULSE (she’s a Pittsburgher! kinda!) and Gary Tyrell at Fleen. – And the fact is I had about 10 other “requests” from a range of reporters from Superhero Movie film sites to comic book podcasts asking me to come on and interview that I politely turned down, because I figured people can quote me from those 2 interviews and my blog here if they really want to know what I think. If nobody had asked, I wouldn’t say anything at all.
A fellow on Twitter messaged me to tell me “Scott Kurtz is the Bill Oreilly of webcomics” – and that made me feel a lot better and laugh off some steam. But yeah, here’s a guy that clearly doesn’t have his own house in order bloviating about other people. A guy who can’t let his weird grudges against cartoonists like Tim Buckley, Me, or places like Platinum go. He’s tried to put himself on a pedestal as an “expert” or innovative leader of webcomics- but I think it’s irresponsible then to spout a negative opinion that’s not based on any facts whatsoever. I’ve become a fan of the “golden rule”- If you hate something, don’t do it too. To that point, I think it’s ironic that Scott Kurtz use to criticize me for running around everywhere defending platinum as it’s “cheerleader”, and now it seems like Scott can’t help but comment
But yeah, Bill Oreilly does that all the time too! He’s a “know it all” And yeah, he’s successful and has an audience, he has a store that he plugs all the time and he sells doormats and books and blah blah blah- Oreilly regularly feuds with Keith Olbermann or MSNBC on his platform, and yes, he has great ratings. None of that erases the fact that he’s a giant asshole, and the same goes for Scott Kurtz. I actually find this comparison fascinatingly funny now.
I have a set of good friends who end up giving me advice and making me bite my lip, and I often do! I suspect Mr. Kurtz has these friends as well who give him similar advice but he chooses not to listen. The problem with me commenting on any of this at all is the friends who use to tell me to ignore Scott’s snarkyness are now the same people who email me and say “PS, Scott Kurtz is a Douche.” — Thanks guys!!!
I’m sure there’s a whole bunch of people reading these things and enjoying the hell out of drama in webcomics because it’s been a long time since the heavyweights went at it. It’s all very, very silly. I only hope I come off as a little less douchier or assholish.
The truth is, I have no hatchet for Scott Kurtz either. I actually wish him well as a human being and wish he’d just focus like a laser beam on his own business and stop worrying so much about mine. That would be the professional thing to do.
2 comments2 Comments so far
“I actually wish him well as a human being and wish he’d just focus like a laser beam on his own business….”
I wonder sometimes if that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s created an image for himself–he wants everyone to see him as some sort of Champion Of The Webcomics Underdog. The big-time, friendly artist whose generosity and benevolence makes him willing to share his wisdom with those not yet at his level.
Those who hang on his every word waiting for his Judgment From On High need to be appeased every now and then, and he must deliver. The image he’s created for himself must be maintained.
He needs to be talked about. He needs to be noticed. He needs attention paid to him as often as possible. Of course, I’m doing that for him now, but in the hopes that his patterns will be a little more visible to everyone watching.
He’s not really a webcomic artist anymore. He’s an attention-seeking armchair quarterback who happens to draw a comic in his spare time. Kind of like how Aerosmith used to describe themselves as a bunch of druggies who happened to have a music-making habit.
I hope someone in his camp (because guys like Kurtz alway need to have a “camp”) has noticed this, and has talked to him privately about it. I hope they tell him, “Look, Scott, why don’t you just draw the comic? That’s why we like you!”
Then again, maybe they don’t like him for that. Maybe they enjoy the endless internet drama–hell, the man can’t even tell a good fart joke. If that’s the case, then I feel sorry for Scott.
I just read about this on Drunk Duck and dropped by to get your view. I’ve always been impressed with your talent, but I’m more impressed with your character at the moment. You’re a good guy. Keep on that track.