Candid post about the banning

"Matt, you have become mentally unstable and we need to ban you for it."

Nobody said that to me. They wouldn't ever be so cruel. Well, maybe Peter Paltridge would. But I truly believe that's the real reason. And it's a GOOD reason, and one I agree with 100%, and hold no ill will towards them for.

People on Dreamwidth expressed outrage over the ban letter, which admitted was basically saying my major problem was being overly unflattering to X-Men '97. That is a good reason to be outraged, and defend Matt / Fone Bone.

I'm asking you to hold your fire on my behalf because it's almost certainly not the real reason, and the real reason was SOUND, and not something they'd ever be cruel enough to say to me.

I am writer and an artist. I think I'm a GOOD writer and artist. And part of the reason I'm good IS my constant mental anguish and questioning of right and wrong. But that is NOT something that translates to a cartoon board. My current outrage at the world fits on Daily Kos. Not on Toon Zone.

I appreciate the words of support from my Dreamwidth circle more than I can say. But let me reiterate, regardless of the reason given, the banning was the right decision. I want people to understand that.

The Comic Fury banning was unjust. The Toon Zone one was not. I view both sites entirely differently. For Comic Fury I believe it is a toxic atmosphere. For Toon Zone I simply believe we are not the right fit for each other. We have different approaches and that was starting to take a real toll on me.

Edit:

Unlocking the post. However if one of my Toon Zone or Comic Fury friends says something TOO candid on my behalf the post is getting locked again for their protection from each site. This is especially true for my Comic Fury friends.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM "THE DARK CHILD SAGA: THE FALL OF F.I.S.H." (A DREAMWIDTH EXCLUSIVE)

I have been talking up how awesome and great "The Terran Wars" are gonna be, and how anxious I am to get to them. But I DO have to tell you that "The Dark Child Saga: The Fall Of F.I.S.H." is going to be a classic Un-Iverse miniseries in its own right. Technically, it is still the story I HAVE to tell to tell the story I WANT to tell. But based on the three scripts I have written (the first script is short, the second two are super long) the miniseries is a bit of a return to form to the action-packed Gilda And Meek era of "Timeline Trilogy" and "All Blood Things...".

It's actually a LOT more action-packed than those arcs, and has a ton of emotional resonance for Lance Lockjaw, a character I have struggled with over the years. But it hits the emotional sweet spot for both him and Redmond, and shows that maybe, MAYBE redemption is possible for anybody. And maybe even the most previously callous of us can learn from our mistakes.

Is it too late? Lance's role in "The Terran Wars" will reveal it most certainly is not. But the turning point of Lance turning from a F.I.S.H. Loyalist / Apologist into a genuine hero begins here.

The three parts are titled "The Age Of Fear", "The Beginning Of The End", and "The End Of Life As We Know It". And while it DOES end on a bit of a cliffhanger (that leads directly into "The Terran Wars" in the very next issue) it also feels like a satisfying wrap-up for F.I.S.H. in the way the upcoming final issue "Deep Space Swine" will not be, and the upcoming Lace Doilies finale "Death Time" won't feel like a satisfying ending for those characters either.

"The Dark Child Saga: The Fall Of F.I.S.H." is NOT the end, but it's also a LITTLE more than The Beginning Of The End. It truly will bring many things full circle with callbacks, and yes, revelations about classic Gilda And Meek issues like "Don't Logic Santa", "Skeletons", "Destiny's Prisoner", and "Warlocks: Beyond Reality". The Gilda And Meek characters outside of Redmond and Crusty the Crab do not appear, but the entire thing will be rewarding for fans of The Un-Iverse's first and most famous book.

Plus, we reveal Lance Lockjaw's origin story (or rather Lance himself relates it via dialogue to his friends) which was not something I EVER planned to tell the reader. I wanted there to be a mystery attached to both him and the Piranha, but Lance insisted he needed to come clean about his sins with his friends in order to have any HOPE of forgiveness, and then redemption. And do you know why I listened to him, despite me not liking or trusting him? Because he was right, and the miniseries, and the entire Un-Iverse, is better for it.

Are there going to be any drawbacks to watch out for? The miniseries is SO action-packed I worry my imagination is bigger than my drawing skills / capabilities. It is a total risk, and the art could look embarrassingly shoddy if I cannot detail these huge action set-pieces correctly. But I reasoned it wasn't just a risk I should take just for this story's sake. Any sort of practice I can have now for the amped up action scenes of "The Terran Wars" is something I need to be exploring. Even if the artwork of this miniseries fails my imagination (and the reader), me attempting it at ALL will not just make "The Terran Wars" better. But probably MUCH better. Even if I fail, it's a risk worth taking because it will help out in the long run. Win-win.

And if I pull a rabbit out of my hat and actually pull it off? You will be in for a treat. Here's hoping for that outcome.