Chuck Wendig was set to launch a new Marvel Star Wars Comic, Shadow of Darth Vader, in February, but it looks like he’s already been taken off the book before the first issue hits stands. According to Wendig, he’s been removed from Shadow of Vader as of issue #4, and also another Star Wars book that hadn’t been announced yet. According to Wendig, the reason given for his removal is “Because of the negativity and vulgarity that my tweets bring. Seriously, that’s what Mark [Paniccia], the editor said. It was too much politics, too much vulgarity, too much negativity on my part.”
The tweets in question apparently refer to Wendig’s recent dust-ups with conservatives following the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, as well as a campaign of negative reviews and YouTube videos made about him, which he says is a response to his inclusion of LGBTQ characters in his Star Wars work. Wendig says that Chelsea Cain was also fired from Marvel “for political reasons,” and we can’t help but noticed that the circumstances of Wendig’s removal mirrors that of Aubrey Sitterson’s removal from IDW’s GI Joe comic before the comic even hit stands following a similar campaign against him. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn was also fired by Marvel’s parent company Disney after an alt-right campaign called for his head due to his vocal opposition to President Donald Trump, though that situation differed in that old social media posts from Gunn’s edgelord days were surfaced, containing “jokes” about controversial topics that put Disney in a difficult position.
We reached out to Marvel for comment and will follow up with an update if they respond.
UPDATE: After publication, Marvel contacted us with a “no comment.”
Below, read Wendig’s full statement, as posted to Twitter.
So, here’s a thing that has happened – I just got fired from Marvel. Taken off issues 4 and 5 of SHADOW OF VADER, and taken off an as-yet-unannounced SW book.
This might be a long thread, so apologies in advance.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
To rewind a little bit, when SW: AFTERMATH came out, I assume most know but maybe you don’t, I put some ahh, elements in there (LGBT characters) that were not received well by a certain subset of fandom.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
I was literally at a midnight release of the book, and when I got done, there were already a pile of one-star reviews piling up – which seemed strange, obviously. And scary, too. I didn't understand what was happening at the time.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
I also started receiving TONS of harassment – harassment that has gone on for years, harassment that has required me to contact local police and warn them of SWATting attempts, harassment across all corners of the Internet, here, FB, Reddit, YouTube.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
(Christ, for an extra special treat go search for my name and check out the YouTube videos if you want an eye-opening glimpse.)
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
And privately, I was told by folks inside LFL that there was no worry here, that they valued that I spoke out both speaking up for myself and for STAR WARS, which has always honestly been a progressive brand and company.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
After I did HYPERION with Marvel, they hired me then to write the TFA adaptation, which meant I got to work with some wonderful folks – @hantos and @cracksh0t – on a project that was tricky, because it ended up being more a translation of the movie than an adaptation.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
Still, I thought things were good, and I hoped to do more work with Marvel or SW or a combo of the two someday – comics isn’t really my “thing,” per se, but I felt like I was getting a handle on it.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
Well, it was creepy.
And I’d seen other signs of people being… fired for political reasons, or folks like @ChelseaCain who was yanked around and was also the subject of considerable nastiness.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
Today I got the call. I’m fired. Because of the negativity and vulgarity that my tweets bring. Seriously, that’s what Mark, the editor said. It was too much politics, too much vulgarity, too much negativity on my part.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
Which, of course, is their decision to make. I’m not their boss. (And, turns out, they’re not the boss of me, either. Har har.)
(I joke because otherwise, I cry.)
— 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
And it seems odd to be mad that I’m 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
(All that being said, a lot of wonderful people still work inside those institutions and storyworlds, and I hope you’ll continue to support them and the stories they’re telling.)
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
P.S. Vote in November like your life depends on it. Because it just might.
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 12, 2018
About Jude Terror
A prophecy says that in the comic book industry's darkest days, a hero will come to lead the people through a plague of overpriced floppies, incentive variant covers, #1 issue reboots, and super-mega-crossover events.
Scourge of Rich Johnston, maker of puns, and seeker of the Snyder Cut, Jude Terror, sadly, is not the hero comics needs right now... but he's the one the industry deserves.