I Write Letters: DC Comics Edition, Part Wev

[CN: descriptions of public sexual harassment, rape culture, workplace sexism]

To: The Dudes In Charge at DC Comics

From: Aphra Behn Associate Professor of Historical Ladybusiness

Re: Are you fucking kidding me

Hey dudes. I just had a chance to read comic book writer Alex de Campi's post about Wonder Woman, her work on Sensation Comics, and the way things are at DC these days.

1. So ya canceled Sensation Comics. It's not like it was an innovative book that won critical praise or anything! It was obviously a terrible idea to give creators the freedom to tell stories about the Amazing Amazon in any of her incarnations. And what were you thinking giving Wondy fans a great alternative to your frankly anti-feminist New 52 incarnation of the character (you know--the one where the Amazons are murderous rapists and Diana just another by-blow of Zeus?)

2. Annnd you're also shutting down the special projects office because some dude has his knickers in a knot?

Sensation is edited in a special projects/digital office, an office which is sadly under-utilized in the internal turf wars of DC and faces shutdown/restructuring as a senior male staff member finds it unnecessary… despite the plaudits its books (including Sensation) have achieved.

I'm sure this is a brilliant move, somewhere on the infinite earths. Just not this one!

3. Annnnd also you've put Wonder Woman under the Superman office, an office which employs NO WOMEN. Yes, this bodes super(!) well for the future of the original feminist comic book character.

4. Annnnnnnnnd ALSO also the reason that office has no women in it is because you're coddling multiple SEXUAL HARASSERS?

The reason, I’ve been told by several people who work or used to work at DC, is because one of the most senior editors is a sexual harasser with multiple incidents on his HR file. I don’t use “alleged” here because at least one incident (grabbing a woman’s breasts) happened publicly at a corporate social gathering with multiple witnesses. There was also something about sticking his tongue down an artist’s girlfriend’s throat when the artist was in the bathroom. Again, public gathering.

It is not known to me whether the no-chicks-in-Supes-office diktat is the preference of the harasser, or whether it’s the HR department crossing its fingers and hoping to Jesus they don’t get hit with a liability lawsuit so big it’s visible from space. This guy was kept in the move to Burbank despite his record – allegedly because he has blackmail on one of DC’s most senior staff members.

So let's review: you're shutting down the office that's provided the only glimmers of a feminist-friendly Wonder Woman comic, because some dudes don't see the point, and you're putting the main title under the supervision of a goddamn sexual harasser who has chased all the women out of his office?

And so I repeat the subject line: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

Di Campi is brave as hell to write this piece, considering she's pretty much guaranteed to be blackballed by DC (and possibly Marvel, which she calls out as well) for her honesty. Shakers, I encourage you to read the whole thing. Because this, so this:

Diversity isn’t a fad senior management can get away with giving lip-service to. You can’t celebrate black culture and not employ black people. You can’t hold up female heroes while coddling male harassers. WE SEE YOU.

We see you, indeed.

P.S. Also, DC guys? If you're really having such a problem hiring women in senior management, my offer is still open.