Kirkman Part Duex!
My reply to Mr.Kirkman....
From: Mxy
To: Robert Kirkman
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:17 pm
Subject: Re: Why do you do this?
Dear Mr.Kirkman,
I think there is a BIG difference between what’s happened to the male characters in the book, they haven’t had the brutal treatment that Michonne received pales in comparison. The other male characters have experience death of their loved ones (women & children) lost a hand or have been killed themselves.
Simply put I will never read about a male character being raped daily, beaten and told the only to escape was to kill themselves. It just wouldn’t be done.
They can loose a body part, have their family killed or even they die themselves. But to be slowly tortured both physically, sexually and psychologically well no that would be to gross and crossing a line.
Its not like I have some perverse interest in seeing men in this way but if its okay to show a woman going through this why isn’t it okay for a man?
That to me is hypocrisy.
I don’t mean to insult you that is not my intention. I enjoy your other books and Walking Dead (up to this point). It just seems like whenever we must give credence for a woman being strong or having a dark secret she has to be raped (just see Squadron Supreme). It’s becoming a disturbing trend not to mention a cliché.
I don’t want to be one of those fans who is close minded and can not perceive that he is wrong. Because I am ready to admit that I am wrong but as time has gone on more and more women in comics are victims or rape or torture. Why is this? As I said before why is it okay to show a woman being raped but not a man?
Isn’t that sexist?
Maybe it’s unfair to say that because I am only reading the trades so I'm not caught up (although I do expect Michonne to survive to get some kind of twisted revenge on her captor) but I think my point still stands.
Sincerely,
David Arroyo
To which he replied (and quite quickly, I may add)
Inbox :: Message
From: Robert Kirkman
To: Mxy
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:09 pm
Subject: Re: Why do you do this? Quote message
Michonne's revenge is more brutal than what was done to her. That's coming up.
Maybe in those other books, those writers were weirdos who can't have women be strong characters and have to break them down by having them raped.
That's not the case here.
Until someone can convince me that something like this WOULDN'T happen if the situation were REAL, I see nothing wrong with what happened. You're reacting the way you SHOULD react to it. You're disgusted. It was a disgusting act that should be repulsive. I wasn't glorifying it or doing it because I hate women.
And I SERIOUSLY doubt I'll make it to issue 50 without a man being raped. That's just the kind of fucked up world these readers are stuck in.
Maybe I should have had a man get raped first. Then when nobody said anything, and later they got all up in arms over a woman being raped, I COULD call people out on it.
No hard feelings or anything, I've just gotten a couple messages like yours already when the issues came out and I'm a bit sick of defending it. I mean, like I say, the scene enraging people is GOOD... you should care about the characters and hate that bad things happen to them... but I didn't do anything wrong by having a woman get raped.
-Robert
From: Mxy
To: Robert Kirkman
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:17 pm
Subject: Re: Why do you do this?
Dear Mr.Kirkman,
I think there is a BIG difference between what’s happened to the male characters in the book, they haven’t had the brutal treatment that Michonne received pales in comparison. The other male characters have experience death of their loved ones (women & children) lost a hand or have been killed themselves.
Simply put I will never read about a male character being raped daily, beaten and told the only to escape was to kill themselves. It just wouldn’t be done.
They can loose a body part, have their family killed or even they die themselves. But to be slowly tortured both physically, sexually and psychologically well no that would be to gross and crossing a line.
Its not like I have some perverse interest in seeing men in this way but if its okay to show a woman going through this why isn’t it okay for a man?
That to me is hypocrisy.
I don’t mean to insult you that is not my intention. I enjoy your other books and Walking Dead (up to this point). It just seems like whenever we must give credence for a woman being strong or having a dark secret she has to be raped (just see Squadron Supreme). It’s becoming a disturbing trend not to mention a cliché.
I don’t want to be one of those fans who is close minded and can not perceive that he is wrong. Because I am ready to admit that I am wrong but as time has gone on more and more women in comics are victims or rape or torture. Why is this? As I said before why is it okay to show a woman being raped but not a man?
Isn’t that sexist?
Maybe it’s unfair to say that because I am only reading the trades so I'm not caught up (although I do expect Michonne to survive to get some kind of twisted revenge on her captor) but I think my point still stands.
Sincerely,
David Arroyo
To which he replied (and quite quickly, I may add)
Inbox :: Message
From: Robert Kirkman
To: Mxy
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:09 pm
Subject: Re: Why do you do this? Quote message
Michonne's revenge is more brutal than what was done to her. That's coming up.
Maybe in those other books, those writers were weirdos who can't have women be strong characters and have to break them down by having them raped.
That's not the case here.
Until someone can convince me that something like this WOULDN'T happen if the situation were REAL, I see nothing wrong with what happened. You're reacting the way you SHOULD react to it. You're disgusted. It was a disgusting act that should be repulsive. I wasn't glorifying it or doing it because I hate women.
And I SERIOUSLY doubt I'll make it to issue 50 without a man being raped. That's just the kind of fucked up world these readers are stuck in.
Maybe I should have had a man get raped first. Then when nobody said anything, and later they got all up in arms over a woman being raped, I COULD call people out on it.
No hard feelings or anything, I've just gotten a couple messages like yours already when the issues came out and I'm a bit sick of defending it. I mean, like I say, the scene enraging people is GOOD... you should care about the characters and hate that bad things happen to them... but I didn't do anything wrong by having a woman get raped.
-Robert