Donny Cates is Marvel Comics’ new wunderkind. Taking Venom and Thanos and making those titles sell again, he’s all set to do the same with Guardians Of The Galaxy. With an affinity for Marvel Comics from the nineties, some folk have claimed him for the #Comicsgate, the activist group that wants comics to go back a couple of decades to when they were kids.
Buddy Harvey got me a signed Donny cates comics ghost rider #1. It’s awesome going go good on the wall. Got a big bag aof comics also #MoveTheNeedle #ComicsGate #comicsdown #savecomics pic.twitter.com/j2PtyKAHVT
— ComicsDown! 🐻(Cody Scott) (@agddoorscody) July 11, 2018
They are also not fans of politics in comic books, or rather recognising politics in comics that they couldn’t recognise in the comics they read as kids. And they are against people being hired for what they see as superficial surface qualities rather than talent when this has never, ever happened.
Death of the Inhumans #2: Donny Cates nails it again and this is the most I’ve ever cared about the Inhumans. And I’m only 2 issues in. And I love this new villain. #comics #comicbooks #comicsgate #movetheneedle #marvel #inhumans #deathoftheinhumans #vox #blackbolt pic.twitter.com/g441NVnoXq
— Talking Pulp – Rob DMC (@TalkingPulp) August 14, 2018
Donny is a prince. More pros should be like him. I’m turning my 100% Marvel boycott into a 99% Marvel boycott to make an exception for his books.
— Thor Odinson (@Thor_Odinson) November 23, 2018
And rather than addressing problems with distribution, price points, the draw of other media for both readers and creators, a monopolistic distribution market and the decline of print, deciding that it’s all down to whether Thor is a woman for a bit or not, wanting comics to become insular, only serving an existing audience rather than trying to find new readers to replace the ones dying off.
It’s basically a throwback movement to when superhero comics were mostly white, male and straight, and exceptions were created ‘organically’ rather than being ‘forced’ into stories. Or rather that’s how they read them at the time. Wilfully choosing not to realise that superhero comic books have always done what comic books are doing now, they just never noticed it when they were children. Probably because they were children. Whether that was Spider-Man Vs Antifa, Squirrel Girl with some really funky artwork or the X-Men being rebooted to appeal to a new demographic who weren’t even reading Marvel comics at the time.
This has seen many repeatedly harassed and the likes of Aubrey Sitterson and Chuck Wendig fired off the comics they were working on.
Donny Cates, like most comic creators, had stayed silent on the matter. But the other day, he got into an argument with some Venom fan who doesn’t like Donny’s take on the character.
@Doncates seriously. When is your run over? When can we give Venom back to someone who doesn’t suck again? Or is at least not so far out of touch with the character that Klyntar would be closer than his own head up his ass.
— Ravyn (@sar_k9) December 27, 2018
Seeing as no one else has the stones, let me thank you for voicing this opinion. A pity Donny didn’t take it the way he should have but he never does so…🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/P7XI1ggcjt
— LilacShark 🏳️🌈 (@Lilac_Shark) December 27, 2018
And to this, Donny reacted. And he quote tweeted the following.
Then why are you still here?? https://t.co/C1KBjdKPjX
— DONNY CATES (@Doncates) December 28, 2018
No one is bullying you. I genuinely hope you like the book. My friends and I have all worked very hard on it. But hey, if you don’t? That’s OKAY. We don’t need to fight. No one is making you read it, and I’m NOT going to course correct because 6 people on tumblr don’t like it. 🤷♂️ https://t.co/xquLGHFsnD
— DONNY CATES (@Doncates) December 28, 2018
Quote tweeting. Rather than only seen by people who follow both debaters, it ensures a tweet is seen by the tweeter’s entire fanbase without even the context of the rest of the thread. Donny has 22,000 followers. Lilac Shark has 49. It encourages piling on, and only goes one way. Donny replied to this,
I wanted to very quickly implore all of you to please stop sending hateful tweets and messages to @Lilac_Shark. We had a disagreement and that’s perfectly okay, but let’s try and calm down. No one should be harassed because of this.
— DONNY CATES (@Doncates) December 28, 2018
For my part in this, I apologize if I let my emotions get the better of me. It’s hard sometimes to hear negative things about something you’ve worked so hard on, but that’s no excuse for using my platform to shame someone or make them feel bullied or ganged up on.
— DONNY CATES (@Doncates) December 28, 2018
And as the Comicsgate elephant in the room has the spotlight drawn to it….
There’s so many pros who want to join #comicsgate but can’t do it publicly. pic.twitter.com/TmkJ4KddeG
— No go to Mogo (@reinoe) December 29, 2018
…responded likewise.
Nah man. I’m no ones mascot. Im not into that comicsgate thing either.
I’m sorry if it’s taken me too long to make this clear, but I’m NOT on your side. https://t.co/2BFiPfipfi
— DONNY CATES (@Doncates) December 29, 2018
And the turning was swift.
I’ll no longer be supporting the work of Donny Cates. He didn’t need to say he’s #ComicsGate, but I do expect a pro not to publicly VILLIFY their fans (And all to satisfy people attacking him). And CG ARE his fans. We’ve supported, promoted, and defended him. I’m done, though. pic.twitter.com/Yd2Hh6XqxJ
— Thor Odinson (@Thor_Odinson) December 29, 2018
You never bite the hand that feeds you. Donny Cates is gonna find that out, so is the little White Knight that wants to Cape for his will never be girlfriend. #comicsgate #WARCAMPAIGN #CutThemOff #BeHumble
— Edwin (The Ace) Acevedo (@EdwinTheAce) December 29, 2018
Thanks Donny.i can now add another creator to my boycott list. Guess I’ll be able to save some money this year!
— DaosX (@DaosX) December 29, 2018
Comicsgate stuff is people who want good comics. You’re against good comics? Have you just been accidentally making good comics all these years? Donny Cates is comicsgate, he just doesn’t know it.
— Merry Krangsmas! (@BabyKrang) December 29, 2018
Considering that some of his latest comics have been alongside the likes of Matthew Rosenberg, Tini Howard Vita Ayala and Mags Visaggio and I’d probably say he isn’t…