Author: VD

The SAGA is underway

Will Caligan is already hard at work on SAGA OF THE SWAN KNIGHT. He thought some of you might be interested in having a look at his concept of Gil, the Swan Knight’s Son.

Some people have been asking about when they’re going to start receiving their Alt-Hero rewards. Links to download the first two digital editions will be going out in March, probably closer to the end than to the beginning. Alt-Hero #1 and Avalon #1 are both illustrated and inked, and are being colored now. Please understand that these are MAJOR undertakings, the work will not be done overnight, and we are actually making remarkably fast progress on them. I will continue to keep all the backers updated through the Arkhaven mailing list.

The reason we are releasing other comics such as Right Ho, Jeeves #1 and Quantum Mortis: A Man Disrupted #1 first is because we need to test both the digital and print processes before we publish anything from the campaign. Remember, we have never done ANY of this before. As for Dark Legion Comics, keep in mind that those publications are already-completed projects that are being brought to us for publishing. For example, all 300+ pages of Rebel Dead Revenge are already complete; we will publish the first of the two graphic novels in print when we publish the digital edition of Issue #5.

Baa-aaa-aaa, warned the conservative

Kurt Schlichter sternly warns liberals for the 37,479,842nd time that they are now treading DANGEROUSLY near to some very thin ice. Again.

Do you liberals really want new rules allowing violence and terrorism?

Do you liberals really want new rules allowing denormalizing your political opponents?

Do you liberals really want new rules allowing dehumanizing your political opponents?

You may think you do now, but trust me, you really don’t.

Take heed: You are going to hate the new rules.

There is a way out, a way that is obvious to anyone of good faith and common sense, and since it’s always a leftist attacking Republicans, the Democrat leadership needs to lead the way. The way out is to join together with the President and other conservatives and unequivocally reject violence and terror.

Not obliquely.

Not with clichés.

No with a smirk and a wink.

Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and all the other key Democrat leaders must stand on a stage beside Donald Trump and Don Jr. and say, without qualification that this is unacceptable and wrong.

The “dire warning” column is a longtime staple for conservative columnists. I’ve been hearing conservatives issuing dire warnings to liberals about the dreadful consequences of their actions for nearly 40 years now.  And do you know what I have concluded as a result? Conservatives are not going to do anything at all to resist liberal or government violence, ever. They never have.

They didn’t resist when their children were bused. They didn’t resist when their schools were secularized. They didn’t resist when their country was invaded by 130 million foreigners. They didn’t resist when their churches were converged. They didn’t resist when their right to carry cash was restricted. They didn’t resist when their rights to speech were removed. They didn’t resist when their wives left them and divorce-raped them. They didn’t resist when their children were kidnapped by judicial fiat.

I no longer believe they will resist even when their guns are confiscated or when their religion is outlawed. What evidence do we have that conservatives will do anything at all except complain about liberals, vote for do-nothing Republicans, and carefully distance themselves from anyone who looks even remotely possible of actually doing anything?

I’m not saying that no one will ever resist gun confiscations. But I am entirely confident that no one who calls himself a conservative will. Conservatives are tough-talking cowards who simply will not disobey whatever they are told by an authority figure is the law. And liberals figured this out a long time ago. That’s why they targeted all of the positions of perceived authority. That’s why they have to hide their smiles every time someone like Kurt Schlichter waxes dramatic and solemnly warns them… again. Why would anyone expect them to heed yet another dire warning, when every single previous warning has proved to be an empty one?

The last conservative will be still be shaking his finger and warning the cannibals that they had better watch out if they don’t change their ways or else while he is being thrown into the boiling cookpot.

Coming soon to a theater near you

Arkhaven movies. Why? Because now that it has seen its comic sales decline on the strength of its commitment to diversity, Marvel is doubling down and is going to make a stronger commitment to diversity in its movies:

Feige acknowledged that not having to think about diversity and representation is something that easy to take for granted that all cinematic heroes look like him ie: a white male.

“It’s something that’s easy to take for granted, growing up in the United States as a white male, that my cinematic heroes look like me,” said Feige. “I never thought they looked exactly like me, because I’m not a big athletic hero, but they do. It’s something that over the course of these ten years, having a certain amount of power over what type of movies are made and what type of actors we hire, I want everybody to have that feeling. We don’t take it for granted that people want to see themselves reflected in our heroes and our characters. That’s been the case in the comics for years, and, finally, that’s the case in the movies, and will only continue from here.”

Feige just did something that a lot of people are incapable of doing; he acknowledge how easy it is to forget about diversity and representation when they don’t effect you. He “checked his privilege” to use a term that’s been overused and misunderstood. It’s the same with racism or homophobia or any other form of prejudice; just because it doesn’t personally effect you doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. The fact that Feige can acknowledge that sometimes he forgets is important because that is the first step to being truly aware.

I look forward to my first conversation several years from now with a well-established cinematic figure who is duly horrified by my near-complete lack of interest in, or knowledge of, film history, techniques, directors, producers, screenwriters, traditions, and culture.

Q: “How can you possibly expect to be successful when you don’t know or care about the industry?”

A: One word: “diversity”.

And by soon, I mean five years instead of never.

The real revenge of the nerds

Sexual harassment is what happens when a Gamma finally makes good in life:

Research over decades on thousands of men shows that those who harass or assault women often have a combination of two distinct sets of personality characteristics, and that these then become amplified by power, says Neil Malamuth, a professor of psychology and communication at the University of California, Los Angeles. Psychologists call these “hostile masculinity” and “impersonal sexuality.”

Men with “hostile masculinity” find power over women to be a sexual turn-on. They feel anger at being rejected by a woman. This is something that researchers believe probably happened to them a lot when they were young. They justify their aggression and are often narcissists.

Men with “impersonal sexuality” prefer sex without intimacy or a close connection, which often leads them to seek promiscuous sex or multiple partners. Often, but not always, this type of person has had a difficult home environment as a child, with abuse or violence, or they had some anti-social tendencies as adolescents….

“It’s not automatic; it’s not that power corrupts,” says UCLA’s Dr. Malamuth. “It’s a certain type of man who uses his power in this way.”

Dr. Malamuth says he has new, unpublished research that shows that men who are aggressive toward women are more likely to look for or create a situation where women are more vulnerable. So it’s no coincidence that they are the ones who seek out power—especially over young, beautiful women, who were the ones who tended to reject them when they were young. Then their natural aggression makes them more likely to achieve it.

“The bad behavior is a defense against being powerless,” says Dr. Kilmartin, of University of Mary Washington.

Narcissism, anger, frequent rejection by women, difficult childhoods, and anti-social tendencies. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The social scientists are still trying to spin this and blame it on more conservative and traditional men, of course.

Men who harass or assault women also tend to have sexist attitudes, such as an opposition to gender equality or a favoring of traditional roles for women, says John Pryor, a distinguished professor of psychology emeritus at Illinois State University.

But as we’ve seen, this simply isn’t true. Again and again and again, we’re seeing that the pattern of sexual harassment is based on male socio-sexuality, not ideology. The combination of childhood trauma, unattractiveness, low social rank, and intelligence with later-in-life success that provides power over others is a severely toxic one. Sexual harassment is what the actual revenge of the nerds looks like. Remember that even in the movie of that name, the gamma nerd “who thinks about sex all the time” seduces the cheerleader under the false pretense of being a literal Alpha.

Gammas never handle power well, whether they become the head of state, the head of a film studio, or just the manager of the sales department.

A Typewriter for the Legion

1920s Chicago, where the criminal underworld is more than just vice, racketeering, and bootlegging.

Emilio Enzo and his associates have just emerged victorious out of a brutal territory dispute with The Skarface and his gang, the Chicago Outfit. Amidst the conflict, Emilio and his group have discovered just how entrenched the criminal underworld is in the occult and supernatural. Using hidden pathways to our world, forces of pure evil have worked in secret to maintain their stronghold on Chicago. Now they are back to take revenge on the one man willing to challenge their reign by stealing the soul of his girlfriend, Katherine “Kat” Allen.

While visiting an old shop full of oddities, Emilio comes across a centuries old ribbon for a typewriter with a strange backstory. After bringing the ribbon home and spooling it into his machine, it begins to communicate with Emilio at night.

What link does the original owner of this ribbon have to the disappearance of Kat? Who is Remì Geroux? Emilio Enzo will see just how far he will have to go into the unknown to get back the soul of his lost love. 1920s Prohibition era Chicago collides with the bizarre in this debut graphic novel from Brandon Fiadino.

We’re very pleased to announce that Dark Legion Comics has signed Brandon Fiardino’s Chicago Typewriter: The Red Ribbon. A digital release is anticipated in March, followed by a print release in April. It was the basis for the 2017 Korean movie of the same name.

Florida school shooting

Current death toll is at 17:

Seventeen people were shot to death and several others wounded Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in a horrific episode of school violence that ended with the arrest of a former student…. Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said 17 people were killed, including both students and adults, with two killed outside the school, one in the street, 12 inside the school and two dying from their wounds at the hospital.

The suspect was identified as Nikolas Cruz, 19, a former student. He used an AR-15 rifle and multiple magazines, the sheriff said. Investigators have begun analyzing Cruz’s social media accounts, which the sheriff said contained material that was “very, very disturbing.”

The media will focus on the AR-15, of course. But the more significant questions is: what mind-altering drugs was he on?

PLEASE SHUT UP, they begged

Although SJWs are trying to characterize DC Entertainment’s new social media guidelines as a means of reining in Ethan Van Sciver, the reality is that DC is belatedly attempting to muzzle its SJWs before they do any more damage to the brand:

Dear DC Talent Community –

The comic book industry is a very special creative community dedicated to telling epic and legendary stories of action, heroism and intrigue with a rich and diverse portfolio of characters. Both DC’s employees, as well as its extended family of freelance talent, contribute to our success and are direct reflections of our company, characters and comics.

As such, DC expects that its employees and freelance talent community maintain a high level of professionalism as well as reasonable and respectful behavior when engaging in online activities. Comments that may be considered defamatory, libelous, discriminatory, harassing, hateful, or that incite violence are unacceptable and may result in civil or criminal action.

In addition, comments that may be considered insulting, cruel, rude, crass and mean spirited are against company policy and guidelines. We ask, and expect, that you will help to create an online environment that is inclusive, supportive and safe.

Below you will find the most current version of the company’s social media guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact DC Talent Relations department so that we can be of assistance.

DC Entertainment Social Media Guidelines for Talent

This policy has been developed to empower DC Talent to participate in social media activities, represent their creative endeavors well and share their passion for DC’s characters, stories and brands. We recognize the vital importance of online social communities and this policy reflects our commitment to the best possible use of social media. Below are DC’s recommended guidelines when partaking in social media.

Stay positive when you post and we also recommend that you avoid negative comments in this very public forum.

You may want to refrain from engaging with individuals who may be speaking negatively about you, other talent, DC, our fans and the comics industry as this is a no-win situation.

If there has been a personal threat to you or those around you then in addition to alerting DC, please involve the proper law enforcement authorities.

Use good judgment when posting, reposting and liking comments, photos and videos as these may have unintended consequences.

Talent should take special care when using social media to ensure that comments and postings made by you are not associated with DC.

Under all circumstances, please indicate that you do work for DC, but that your comments are your own and do not reflect those of the company.

The internet is permanent regardless of “privacy settings” or other limits you may try to place on your posting. Think before you post, comment, retweet or like something.

Do not reveal plot points, storylines or launch timing — including photos or video of in-progress assets, artwork, story outlines, scripts, panels, announcement details, etc. without coordinating with DC Publicity. Members of the press may follow you on social media, and your posts can — and probably will — become news.

Don’t break news on social media. If you have any questions on what you can or can’t post on any platform, DC Publicity or Talent Relations departments are available to assist.

If you’d like to share DC news on your social pages, we recommend sharing news from DCComics.com, DCE-sanctioned social media pages and other news widely reported on credible news outlets.

If you are contacted by members of the press or asked to participate in an interview about your work for DC, please coordinate this with the DC Publicity department so that news can be rolled out in an orchestrated fashion and elevated on DC digital and social channels as well.

And finally, we recognize that there can be a dark side to social media and to that end if you feel that you are being harassed or bullied through social media channels because of your work for DC or your association with us, please feel free to contact the DC Talent Relations department so that we can be of assistance.

Needless to say, it won’t work. The Comics-SJWs are already trying to play the victim and absurdly wringing their hands about “a chilling affect” on free speech… as if there is anyone on the planet outside of North Korea who hates genuinely free speech more than they do.

DC guidelines to freelancers on using social media “…comments that may be considered insulting, cruel, rude, crass and mean spirited are against company policy and guidelines.”It’s been a while since I worked for DC so I guess I can still say “Fuck you, Trump!”
– David Hine

While on the surface it seems like a good step, I think it could have a chilling affect on the free speech of their employees and freelancers. Also- I’m afraid it’s just too broad. There is no mention of homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, or racism. They use catch-all phrases, but it leaves a lot open to interpretation. While obviously they can’t write an “Anti-Ethan Van Sciver policy” (and let’s be clear, Ethan is what it is in response to) I think you’ll see a lot of people who just post political stuff get swept up in this.
– Tim Hoyle

Others contacted me worried that all sorts of people could go through DC Comics creator social media history looking for anything to use against them. 
– Rich Johnston

This is why SJWs always prefer nebulous Codes of Conduct and Community Police to clear, objective guidelines that can be impartially applied. You see, the “rules” are supposed to be applied only to those who violate the Narrative, while allowing complete freedom of action to the SJWs.

Daily Meme Wars

This is the sort of thing you’re missing if you’re not signed up for the Daily Meme Wars. Think of it as a fifth daily blog post of sorts. It’s also a good way to get a regular update on the latest little stuff from Castalia House that doesn’t justify a full Book Club mailing.

Anyhow, this is the future of which the equalitarians, liberals, and progressives have dreamed for decades. It is the future they demanded. And yet, somehow, they don’t seem to be quite as happy about it as one might have thought.

Oh, that’s right. They thought they were going to be in charge, and that all those very equal minorities were going to gratefully follow their lead. It turns out that if you tell people that they are your equal, they might well believe you and decide that you have no business telling them what to do.

Treating the symptoms

The Weekly Standard wants to repair the failing institution of marriage. But not at the price of giving up feminism:

To restore marriage, people must again observe the two main conventions that used to support the institution. First, adults should not form intimate ties for very long without committing themselves in some formal way to remain together for life. That implies not having affairs and not divorcing except in unusual circumstances. Second, children should be born and brought up within marriage, meaning with parents in a committed relationship, rather than with single parents.

The problem, of course, is that these conventions run afoul of our modern fetish for “tolerance.” Marriage and the family are now seen as a private realm where nothing—government, the community, even the private opinions of fellow citizens—should be allowed to pass judgment, let alone intervene.

But marriage isn’t only a private concern. One reason lower-income society is falling apart is that the decline of marriage leaves too few adults who are willing and able to help each other. Spouses who cannot get along within the family also cannot contribute much to the wider society. They have little to offer others in the joint work of building strong communities. Government and nonprofit bodies attempt to fill the void, but even they cannot substitute for families based on strong adult commitments.

Because of the social costs of nonmarriage, “tolerance,” while laudable, should not be society’s only goal. Instead, we should be working to strike a balance between free choice and the promotion of the stable, supportive environments that create the best outcomes for both children and adults.

Any return to marriage norms, however, must take into account the feminist critique. Two generations ago, wives were often subordinate to their husbands or blindly deferred to them. Most advocates of marriage today recognize that the institution can be rebuilt only if it is done so on more egalitarian lines. Husbands and wives must be partners, without either ruling over the other. This does assume, however, that the spouses can work out differences more openly than they often did in the past.

It’s really rather striking the way that so many observers are concerned about the symptoms while determinedly clinging to the disease. It’s like watching a doctor trying to make the patient feel as comfortable as possible while refusing to give him the medicine that will cure him.

Any return to marriage norms will require rejecting feminism entirely. Destroying marriage was, and is, one of the primary goals of feminism. Destroying society and Western civilization is merely a fortuitous bonus as far as feminists are concerned.

In response to Overton

The Washington Post makes the minimum possible move rightward:

The Washington Post today announced Megan McArdle will be a columnist for the Opinions section starting March 1. In this role, McArdle will write columns with a focus on the intersection of economics, business and public policy.

“Megan offers one of the liveliest, smartest, least predictable takes on policy, politics and everything else, from the history of washing machines to essential rules for living,” said Fred Hiatt, Editorial Page editor for The Post. “We’re excited to share her perspective and her distinctive voice with our readers and to deepen our coverage of economic and financial topics.”

The sad truth is that despite her long list of columns and articles proving otherwise, McCardle really does look pretty smart in comparison to everyone else at the Post. But it is amusing to see the Left try to claw back the audiences they have lost by doing the absolute least they can possibly rationalize.

It’s not going to work. Of course, they could put Cernovich in charge of the editorial page and Milo at the helm of the Lifestyle page and I’m not sure that would be enough.