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World Building: Addressing the Stupidity, Self-Importance, and Genral Simpery
🕑 Added 2023-02-26 00:51:11 +0000 UTCMy scout master once told me, never assume malice where stupidity might suffice but at this point, I've really got to wonder. A couple of days ago I was sent the following video of #Comicsgate leading voice, Ethan Van Sciver.
The Comic That Almost Broke Ethan Van Sciver - YouTube
As most of you will already know, I've had a tumultuous and difficult relationship with the group and have done everything humanly possible to go my own way while remaining friendly and polite. I genuinely wish the vast majority of the creators in their space success and truthfully, honestly, just wish to be free to do my work and enjoy the last years of my life in peace.
I won't lie and claim that there are not some things that still leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I've been privy to a lot of hostile and unprofessional behavior and behind the scenes shenanigans that I'd rather not be, and I've made the mistake of forming prior friendships and caring about people that were not only not really my friends but had actual hostile intentions towards me.
I'm not the best person at navigating social politics, I am direct, I do not like to play games and I find most modern internet power dynamics rather petty, cruel, and vindictive. My point being, I have done everything within my power to distance myself from these people, especially Ethan Van Sciver who has repeatedly tried to drive me to self-harm, and compelled other people to do the same by rewarding them with his attention and access to his platform when they do.
Vinnie and the team have told me to ignore it, and I know they're right. I should, but I cannot help but express how truly difficult it has been for me to make a recovery, care for my family, and operate as a publisher in this space while Ethan encourages mentally ill lunatics to stalk my home, dox me, and show up at my home to assault me. Which, whether he knows it or not, he is encouraging people to do, and I do believe he is fully aware of it.
To reiterate, people have swatted me (on multiple instances), I have had child services called, the women's shelter have been contacted to inform them that I beat and abuse my wife and she is in danger, the RSPCA (animal control) have been called to my home on multiple occasions, my family have had photoshopped pornography of me sent to them via social media, people have tried to locate the school my eldest daughter goes to, and worse. All in an active attempt to destroy my life, and all in the name of gaining clout in #ComicsGate.
The cost of ever doing business in this space or being associated with these people has been so high that I cannot express how stressed and sick it has made me or how much of a strain it has put on my relationships with my wife, my children, and my family. Sleepless nights, my family in fear of hired vandals and saboteurs, and the constant anxiety of knowing that no matter how much I cry out for sanity, help, or someone to speak to the courage of their convictions, no matter what evidence I provide, I will be treated like an aggressor, the cause of any attack, a liar, or a delusional lunatic; when honestly I have only ever had the best of intentions.
So, you're probably thinking... when all is said and done, why should I care if ComicsGate and a bunch of my former peers sit around calling my work derivative and garbage?
Well, with the deletion of my YouTube Channel, I have seceded as much ground as I can give. I have destroyed my entire old video library baring those that are in the hands of my attorney, and the lies and propaganda continues -- and will likely endlessly continue.
As they say, "It's bait."
But, I won't be returning or making huge blogs like this often or likely at all again, honestly. The thing that frustrates me the most through all of this, is that my work is not receiving honest and fair criticism and my efforts and work is going unseen.
Let's get into the meat of this...
In the aforementioned video (and just prior to it), Ethan makes a number of glaring mistakes and heinously overestimates his significance or importance to me and my work. Believing that "Vangloria" and DVS Communications are references to him and his platform; misrepresenting events and themes, twisting them to imply that my work is somehow commentary on the ComicsGate movement and our past interactions. This is not and has never been the case.
And while it is entirely possible, given the coincidences and prior disagreements that he could think that fairly, I do not believe it is the case. Rather, I believe this is an active and direct attempt to malign me to "Bait me" into coming onto his stream so he can bring on a bunch of youtubers and they can dogpile me in an effort to break the last of my will and make me kill myself.
I am far beyond the point of believing that any of this is, just for laughs, or just a joke as the cruelty and abuse I've experienced over the last half a decade goes far beyond the realm of sanity.
Until I hear the leaders of the community condemn the doxing, stalking, and abuses I have faced I cannot believe otherwise. Until I hear my critics say something like "We don't like Liam but we know he pays his teams and don't really believe he is a serial rapist, an abuser, or should have his kids and animals taken from him" then as far as I am concerned (and as so far as my therapist advises me), they are complicit in encouraging others to continue to take these actions against me in my life and best avoided at all costs.
More to the point, if this is all just a big misunderstanding where they thought I was throwing the first punch, it's important to look into the world building of Xenotype and just how much thought and planning I put into each of my projects.
For those of you who have been keeping up with Xenotype, you will know that the Planet Orhm is a world controlled by a global conspiracy called Black Diamond. What may not be immediately obvious, and I do apologize for any spoilers here, is that the organization has developed systems of control that prey upon the cardinal vices of man to keep them entrapped within their web. Without saying too much more, if you break out your map from Kakashi: Murder Dolls, you will see each of the nations is named after one of the cardinal sins listed on Evagrui's list.
Evagrius's list was translated into the Latin of Western Christianity in many writings of John Cassian, thus becoming part of the Western tradition's spiritual pietas or Catholic devotions as follows:
- Gula (gluttony)
- Luxuria/Fornicatio (lust, fornication)
- Avaritia (avarice/greed)
- Tristitia (sorrow / despair /despondency)
- Ira (wrath)
- Acedia (sloth)
- Vanagloria (vainglory)
- Superbia (pride, hubris)
Most notably, Vangloria, which is named after Vanagloria and is analogous to the United States, specifically, Hollywood and the weapon that is Propaganda, Pop Culture and Social Media.
For those of you who recall, the Tag Lines for Xenotype: Dreamcatcher was "Evolve or Die" and "There is a War for Your Mind" and this was not just plucked from the mind-vault of Alex Jones, it was a very intentional and important aspect of the setting and the underlying themes of the Xenoverse stories.
Esper, is a super psycher of tremendous power and potentiality, with abilities--that when harnessed correctly--can match and rival those of Nate Gray (X-Man) from Marvel Comics. His main enemies are a race of psionic parasites that control and direct the thoughts of the masses, clouding their vision and thoughts with carefully crafted deceptions while marching them unwittingly into the mouth of the beast and their own destruction.
The name of the nation has nothing to do with Ethan Van Sciver. Its purely coincidental.
Next, lets address DVS (Direct Video Serices) Communication as mentioned in the Bloodsport setting synopsis that was acquired from behind this paywall and unlawfully read on Ethan Van Sciver's channel without first requesting permission to broadcast it.
DVS makes its first appearance as a megacorporation in the pages of Xenotype one, with its main building appearing on the cover of the Bronze Edition that was illustrated by Ody and Toxic Manbaby of Blade Devil fame.
If you missed out or wondering, the Bronze Edition of the book was available by special order and to everyone who managed to get the book Five or more referrals, at no additional cost. A limited number will be made available on the upcoming Dinoking #1: Edge of Extinction project.
DVS Communications is a monolithic news and information network responsible for controlling a monopoly on entertainment in Vangloria. It is a satirical representation of the media and modern efforts by companies like Disney to control the airwaves and the media you consume.
Like the other megacorporations in the setting, DVS is a play on the word Devious, along with NTT (Entity) and NME (Enemy). We have several of these, all with assigned roles ranging from weapons manufacture to office supplies, to farming. They were first developed in the original incarnation of Xenotype (ref: Xenotype: The Impossible Book), written at a time before Ody's collaboration on the project or any interaction I had with Ethan Van Sciver. Developed roughly around the time he had released issue #2 of Flash: Rebirth, and long before I'd ever really noticed him in the creative space.
The upcoming Bloodsport franchise is not based on #Comicsgate and the mud-flooded country of Tristitia is definitely not based on Tristian and has nothing to do with Nerdette's Newsstand. As you can see above, it is named after Sloth; a rational that will become much more oblivious as you delve deeper into the Kakashi: Murder Dolls series.
The Demonic Frog I painted in the front of KMD1 is not based on Ethan Van Sciver and has nothing to do with ComicsGate. Rather, it is a reference to an Aboriginal Folk Legend, called The tale of Tiddalik the Frog; which is why the monstrous behemoth appears buried deep beneath the earth in an underground chamber.
Tiddalik is an indigenous dreamtime legend in Australia that was first recorded in the late 1800s. It is said that it drank all of the water in Australia and caused a flood.
In conclusion, for those of you who stuck through this... my work is often multilayered, satirical, and the names, places, and order of events are always carefully planned. While I encourage you strongly to theory craft and come up with these answers yourselves, my work is not a projection of my personal desires or fantasies; especially in the Xernoverse stories.
The only references to Ethan Van Sciver and ComicsGate in Xenotype are the following which will all be removed on future printings of the book to avoid further conflict:
1. The fictional "Superman" character that appears in the comics Felix and Clifford read is called The Human Sunbeam, an early nod to Ethan Van Sciver's youtube moniker, but still a very different character.
2. Posters and pinups on Felix's wall featuring comic art from select #ComicsGate properties.
I do my best to include common themes and human elements to my work while finding a thread of heroic inspiration, but that is where it ends.
If I ever intended to make autobiographical commentary on the recent, frankly nightmarish, events of the last (almost decade) of my life I would do so in the acclaimed and highly popular mockumentary manga series X-Roads.
I would not make subtle references that might be interpreted as jabs, but I would lampoon heavily and push the envelope while trying to give the issue the satisfying (and happy) ending that frankly it deserves. Because God knows, it'll never happen in real life.
To quote Raph "Gimmie a break!"
I hope this clears up any confusion or misunderstandings and encourages you to look deeper into my work. Xenotype: Dreamcatcher contained EIGHT single issue chapters, three high-octane battles, and a lot of secrets and world building that has yet to be uncovered.
This is Liam Gray, signing off.
