The Cartoonist Co-op (which I’m a member of) has a new anthology out – F$@K CENSORSHIP! The Anti-Censorship Comix Jam!
A WORD OF CAUTION:
If you want to engage with this anthology and the statements on it, there are content warnings. Please, ONLY engage with the anthology and the website if you are up for it. Many of the comics and works on there (including my submission) have deeply upsetting, triggering, and sometimes downright awful material. The content warnings are there to help you prepare and gauge what to engage with, if anything. PLEASE use those content warnings for your safety.
This anthology was made after itch.io started cracking down on NSFW comics, art, and other content on their website. We understand that they only did it because the payment processors (including Stripe and Mastercard) are pushing for outright porn bans. And we also understand that those companies are doing so because of demands from alt-right “women’s rights” groups out of Australia (no I’m not kidding).
That said, companies censoring work sets a dangerous precedent. Because where does the line get drawn – and who draws it? And when those lines get drawn, who gets punished?
Again, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED that there are content warnings and upsetting material on the website. All the content/trigger warnings are listed on the front page of said website. ONLY engage with it if you are a) an adult, and b) ok with engaging with the material. You DON’T have to engage with it.
(I’m also re-iterating this because I did make a submission for this anthology, and I don’t want anyone leaving comments saying that any particular piece upset them, though I will probably get those complaints anyway. I warned you. Multiple times.)
So Why Did I Participate?
Because the older I get, the more I stand firm on one thing: no censorship. End of sentence.
It’s not just a matter of artistic expression, whether that expression is for catharsis or any other emotional release. Sometimes the drive to create something – anything – is too great to keep contained. There is that. Also, those questions I mentioned are worth asking: who is doing the censorship, and why? And who benefits from the censorship? More often than not, the benefactors are people trying to silence black, brown, and queer people, especially in this particular time in the United States. To be frank, it’s more than annoying that we are silenced while fascist ideologies and their “AI art” plagiarized from actual artists are allowed prime time on national airwaves.
I participated in this project because these questions matter. And it matters to keep making art – even gross, awful, perverted, even deeply triggering work.
I’ve seen the IBM management proclamation: “Computers cannot be held accountable, therefore they cannot make management decisions.” Then someone took that and made it “computers cannot be sad or horny. Therefore they cannot make artistic decisions.” Art is a form of expression. But if the only expression we allow fits within certain parameters, that’s censorship. Art is release, catharsis, expression, and skill, all combined to make the viewer react in some way. And part of what makes it art is that human element – a human made it, and a human engages with it. Whether they feel empathy, disgust, joy, etc, what matters is that we feel something.
That’s why I participated.
That’s all for now. Be safe, and take care of yourselves.
The Co-op Comix Mixtape podcast has a new episode out now – the Read Black Comics! Special!
This episode was put together by Iris Jay, Yuki Clarke, Adam, and me, with member contributions included in the episode, and cover art by Alina Wahab. You can listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts, including Pinecast and YouTube!
If you’d like to subscribe to the RSS feed to never miss an episode, you can do so with this link. New episodes will be posting once a month.
I need to sing some praises because holy banana pants, I love StickerApp, and here’s why.
For one thing, they printed my Godzilla in Booty shorts holographic sticker. Not only did they print it, they printed it BEAUTIFULLY.
For another thing, I love the little details they put into their packaging. Pictured here is the cardstock cover that came with the stickers.
I’ve ordered from Sticker App TWICE now. While the inside is the same (and always silly), the outside features a new artist each time! This time it was TheCreativePain.
Another thing I appreciate – they bundle the stickers so well for shipping. I got, like, 60 Godzilla stickers and none of them were scuffed, torn, or otherwise damaged.
I got these stickers as part of a collaboration between StickerApp and the Cartoonist Co-op. Since I’m a member of the co-op, StickerApp got members like me a promo code to get $30 worth of stickers for free. So that’s how I got these booty-ful Godzillas this time.
Like I said, I ordered from StickerApp once before – they were my printer of choice in the original Godzilla and King Kong Crowdfundr I ran ages ago. They did a great job then, and I’m glad to see they’re still going great work!
Now, I haven’t tried any stickers besides the holographic ones. That said, StickerApp has the best prices for die-cut holographic stickers, in my opinion. If I ever need to print more, I’m going back to them, 100%.
DISCLOSURE: Memoh and I are members of the Cartoonist Co-op. Memoh put out a call asking for reviewers for their book, Dominion, volume 1. So I reached out to Memoh and they gave me an ARC (Advance Reader Copy). I’m not being paid for this review.
Before I read Dominion, volume 1, I had some vague notion of what the comic was about. I had seen some of the art before, as it’s also a webcomic on Tapas and Webtoon.
And then I picked it up, and could not put it down. Volume 1 absorbed me from start to finish with its charming character art, intrigue, and on-fire action scenes.
The story follows Desmond, a new recruit in the guard who is also a Blessed, or someone with divinely-gifted powers. (For you RPG nerds, think Paladin from D&D). He’s eager to prove himself, and not just to get out from under the thumb of his brother, who is a tradesman taking over the family business and a manipulative dick. Desmond gets dragged by his brother and father into “a trip” into the seedy part of town, going into an illegal fighting ring.
Then suddenly, an arsonist bursts into the scene, blowing the place up in flames. Who is the arsonist? Pasha, a young woman with a dark past and a bone to pick with the city’s seedy underbelly.
I’ll admit, as a reader, I struggled with the first couple of chapters, mostly because the writing edged into Jane Austen-esque interpersonal drama with the family dynamic. This kind of writing is not usually my cup of tea, but I made it through… Rewarded with the arson attack and everything that comes after. If Jane Austen levels of drama is your jam, expect a fair bit of it in this series. It’s a romance drama, and volume 1 is there to set the stage for more fireworks to come.
But back to volume 1.
Once we got to starting the murder mystery, however, that was exactly my jam.
Pasha, the arsonist, is forced by the captain of the guard to pair up with Desmond to solve the mystery behind a string of murders happening in the city.
Eventually, we meet Jaavir, aka Pasha’s friend and my new obsession. Look, I have a type when it comes to fictional characters, and that type is big, green, and taciturn with an appreciation for puns. He helps Desmond and Pasha by taking them to their first lead. And I’m going to stop the summary there because I highly recommend this comic! And I will tell you why:
It’s not just the murder mystery. Or the interpersonal drama. Or Jaavir. It’s also that Desmond is genuinely a sweet guy trying to do right in a time and place where that is very hard to do. I haven’t even touched on the world-building, which is itself detailed and intriguing in a way that I look forward to learning more about this world. Also, the world-building is paced with the plot in a fluid, natural way.
(Look, I’ve read my fair share of comics that did lore dumps out the gate, or had characters provide exposition in a canned and forced way. Dominion, by comparison, is a breath of fresh air.) The story feels like you’re dropped into a new world and you need to figure it out as you go, in a fun and character-driven way.
Dominion, volume 1 is giving some flavors of Jane Austen personal drama, some flavors of Fullmetal Alchemist (especially Captain Leddeck. Very Olivier Mira Armstrong vibes there), and some flavors of Dungeons & Dragons. I had a great time with this book! You should read it!
You can get a copy of this comic anywhere in New Zealand, with a worldwide release coming soon. Find out more (and even get a copy of your own!) by going to Memoh’s official site.
