Written by 
Imagine you are a writer on a Marvel comic book that can’t even sell 17,000 copies in its second month of release. Now imagine what would happen if you logged onto your social media account and mocked “liberal black people” while flippantly telling them to “eat a bag of d***s” if they were offended by your work.
Question: How long do you think you would last before Human Resources said you were fired?
Answer: It’s a trick question — Marvel does not hire openly conservative writers. If you are David F. Walker of the basement-dwelling Nighthawk (16,522 copies sold in June), however, you can insult “conservative white people,” instruct them to “eat a bag of d***s,” and then get rewarded with an Avengers title: Occupy Avengers.
Bleeding Cool reported Monday:
Occupy Avengers, a new Marvel Avengers comic from David Walker and Gabriel Walta, is hoping to be rather political. And certainly seems to be spinning out of events in Civil War II. Rather visibly.
Because someone who some people thought wouldn’t be there, is there. Up front and central.
Here is an uncomfortable truth: Marvel’s editors think so little of black people that they refuse to let go of an author whose atrocious online behavior and anemic sales would get anyone else terminated in a heartbeat. Emasculated white men within the former “House of Ideas” look the other way when a black writer embarrassingly manages to comport himself like Hooper X from Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy.
You can almost hear Mr. Walker’s internal monologue: “Black rage! I kill any white folks I lay my motherf***king eyes on!”
I seldom make predictions, but it seems safe to say that any buzz Occupy Avengers will last about as long as Occupy Wall Street. It’s hard to sell comic books to white people when you spend obscene amounts of creative energy trying to portray them as “the white devil.”
Where do you think Occupy Avengers will bottom out? Let me know in the comments section below.
If you have never seen “Hooper X” in action, then make sure to check him out in the embedded YouTube video. It still holds up after almost 20 years.
Exit Question: How come liberal black guys can make homophobic cracks like “eat a bag of d***s” with impunity? Someone needs to ask activist-writers Dan Slott and Nick Spencer, or Editor Tom Brevoort, why Mr. Walker is exempt from the few rules governing the rest of Marvel’s staff.
Douglas Ernst Blog 
You have to be kidding, please tell me this is satire. Occupy Avengers….putting things in public like that….Marvel really does not want a printing division anymore.
How can any company allow things like this to happen? Marvel needs to clean house.
“You have to be kidding, please tell me this is satire. Occupy Avengers…putting things in public like that… Marvel really does not want a printing division anymore.”
It’s very real, Captain Frugal. Very real indeed. 🙂
I can’t wait for X-Men: Mutant Lives Matter, and Human Torch: Feel The Bern.
The best part of Hooper was that he was in on the joke. He played the angry black man because it got him attention and sales from the easily intimidated liberal white people. I don’t think Walker is anywhere as smart…
No wonder Disney separated Marvel Movies from the Comics. Can we just say that the comics arm is now only an IP generator and nothing more? I doubt we will ever see any of these ideas/storylines show up in any movie/tv property.
“The best part of Hooper was that he was in on the joke. He played the angry black man because it got him attention and sales from the easily intimidated liberal white people. I don’t think Walker is anywhere as smart…”
Heh. I was just talking to my wife about that. I added that it’s funny to compare how Mr. Walker portrays himself online with his actual appearance. The online tough guy isn’t so tough in real life.
I’m tempted to agree with SirKev that the comics arm of Marvel is just an IP generator, but as he said, it’s doubtful we’ll ever see any of these new ideas/storylines/remixed characters showing up in any movie/tv property. That point considered, should we really even go so far as to say they are generating IPs? That feels like giving them too much credit.
All I’ll say is follow the links
http://comicbook.com/2016/07/13/marvel-to-kill-an-a-list-avenger-in-civil-war-ii/
“All I’ll say is follow the links.”
I guarantee you that Tom Brevoort is lying with this quote:
“For all the people who seem really excited about Riri Williams, who’s going to take on the role of Iron Man, there were letters over the course of the week, which all said, ‘I am a long-time reader, I’m 50-something years old, why are you destroying all the characters that I love? I can’t find a character that looks like me anymore. But the fact is you still don’t have to throw a dart to find a white male character in our publishing line,” — Tom Brevoort.
I would be willing to bet big money that 99 percent or more of those readers said nothing — nothing — about not having readers “look like me” (i.e., white). I am positive they said, “Why are you destroying the characters I love?” That is undeniable. However, the other part is something Tom added to make people look like racists, bigots, etc.
Heck, Marvel is so stupid that it even killed off War Machine, who is the logical choice to replace Tony if he is ever out of commission. I would read an Iron Man comic with Rhodey taking up the mantle for a year. I have no desire to read Riri Williams based on the six or so panels we’ve seen of her over eleven issues. We’re supposed to just be excited because Bendis said she’s probably smarter than Tony. Sure thing, Bendis. Whatever you say. Or not.
It goes further into what happened after here:
http://www.newsarama.com/30096-civil-war-ii-3-who-died-who-did-the-deed-spoilers.html
“It goes further into what happened after here…”
The moral compass of your average Marvel writer is so haywire that heroes battling heroes is the best they can do. They don’t even really know how to differentiate good from evil, so they just pit heroes against each other to save them a lot of introspection and study. It’s really quite sad.
(In tears laughing emoji) at the idea Tom Brevoort added the part about, “I can’t find a character who looks like me anymore,” in order to slime fans who aren’t fond of the remixed characters as racists, bigots etc. That would be just too perfect a display of the hypocrisy inherent to the liberal/PC agenda, seeing as how one of the biggest points in their reasoning for creating the more diverse cast was the idea that people need their hero to be the same color/race/sexuality etc. as they are in order to identify with them.
I wonder if the first issue will be about Howard the Duck protesting the Marvel offices for what they put Steve Gerber through. Nah, that’d be too clever for Walker or anyone else at the “House of Ideas.”
“If conservative white people are upset by Nighthawk…”
Um. Did ANYBODY hear or even know about Nighthawk?
*looks at image* Is this supposed to be some kind of Trump/tea party jab?
*sigh* Ok, as the “original viral poster” on that, let me explain this one more time: It’s NOT that the comics took a potshot at the tea party. It’s that CAPTAIN AMERICA took a potshot the the tea party. Emphasis on “america”, the country founded because a bunch of people started protesting about taxes. Have liberals become so disconnected that we have to go over the basics of offending personally vs offending artistic ideals and philosophy? Or is this just the consequence of what CS Lewis warned us in the Abolition of Man to the point that things are so personalized, people can literally not imagine or think of anything outside themselves? Let me put it another way then: Captain America didn’t offend me as an American, it offended me as a writer.
Nighthawk? Doesn’t offend me except in the vague, “I see no reason to buy it” sort of way. Mr Author, I don’t care about it or you.
Yeah, my first thought was “Wait a sec, Nightwing is DC… oh, wait.,,”
I can’t wait for all of the memes when they make a panel of Hawkeye taking a dump on a police car.
“I can’t wait for all of the memes when they make a panel of Hawkeye taking a dump on a police car.”
Zing!
Remember yesterday when that commenter said that now Marvel is doing something astoundingly hostile and stupid every single day? Well, here ya go.
“Remember yesterday when that commenter said that now Marvel is doing something astoundingly hostile and stupid every single day? Well, here ya go.”
Meanwhile, guys like Graeme McMillan are asking: “Genuine question: How best to de-escalate tension between fans and pros on comics Twitter?”
Well, not telling me to “eat a bag of d***s” when I question an editorial decision would be a good start.
“Well, not telling me to “eat a bag of d***s” when I question an editorial decision would be a good start.”
That, and people like McMillan need to stop sucking up to the writers when they fly off the handle and call them out on their lack of professionalism. I doubt that’ll happen, because the reporters don’t want to lose their access to their creators. If Walker worked a normal job, he’d be fired. End of story. If he were white and said something like that about black people, he’d be fired, no questions asked.
And I’ve also noticed that sites like CBR, Newsarama and Comics Alliance have all given the low-selling Nighthawk rave reviews. Wonder why that is? Probably afraid of being called “racist.”
When will people learn? Politics and comics do not mix! Marvel need to stop this politics to sell comics strategy. No one wants to see Marvel turn into Archie comics (I miss the old style Archie).
The only time politics in comic “would ever work” would be some sort of serious biopic in graphic novel form that addresses the intellectual challenges of political office (and the whole “both sides of the argument thing”).
“When will people learn? Politics and comics do not mix! Marvel need to stop this politics to sell comics strategy. No one wants to see Marvel turn into Archie comics (I miss the old style Archie).”
I don’t think Marvel is going to learn until the financial pain is simply too much to bear. If they just stuck to writing about broad philosophical ideas that were inclined to resonate with liberals (e.g., the original Star Trek series), then they would be fine. Unfortunately, they opt instead for gutter politics. It’s weird and sad and shameful all rolled into one.
I think this is a desperate attempt by Marvel to boost sales through controversy. The idea is to get haters to spread the message about the book so that the intended audience would learn about it and buy it.
“I think this is a desperate attempt by Marvel to boost sales through controversy. The idea is to get haters to spread the message about the book so that the intended audience would learn about it and buy it.”
I don’t know, man. The whole “Occupy” movement fizzled out awhile ago. I think most people who would normally be inclined to “hate” are really just laughing at Marvel at this point. DC tried the whole Occupy-themed book experiment in 2013 with Gail Simone’s “The Movement” and it spectacularly bombed. Marvel is four years late to a party that tanked.
I don’t know, man. The whole “Occupy” movement fizzled out awhile ago. I think most people who would normally be inclined to “hate” are really just laughing at Marvel at this point. DC tried the whole Occupy-themed book experiment in 2013 with Gail Simone’s “The Movement” and it spectacularly bombed. Marvel is four years late to a party that tanked.
I think it’s more the generalized idea of courting controversy. Get haters to act as word of mouth, then ride the wave to high sales.
“I think it’s more the generalized idea of courting controversy. Get haters to act as word of mouth, then ride the wave to high sales.”
True, although imagine the controversy that would erupt if they (gasp!) hired an openly conservative writer. I guess not all controversies are created equal. 😉
True, although imagine the controversy that would erupt if they (gasp!) hired an openly conservative writer.
You’d get howls of rage that reverberate from Tallahassee to Tokyo. 🙂
Politics can work in comics if they are skillful and represent logical views from each side. Currently Marvel had neither the desire or skill to write with any level of respectability.
So, are the Avengers going to protest 1 per-centers like Stan Lee and Frank Buckley?
Comics have /always/ been political. I see no reason why it’s bad that some people are sick of injustice. It’s real. It’s hard. It’s what white people need. So f*** anyone who thinks this is an inappropriate comic. I saw an Argentine boy on the cover and that was all it took for me to know that someone cared about brown people as well as black people. Don’t tell me how it’s disrespectful. Respect is a s*** point of the past. I quote León Ferrari, “Art is not beauty or novelty; art is effectiveness and disruption.” We want an end to white supremacy. We all fight how we do. So I agree. Eat a bag of d***s.
“Comics have /always/ been political. I see no reason why it’s bad that some people are sick of injustice. It’s real. It’s hard. It’s what white people need. So f*** anyone who thinks this is an inappropriate comic. I saw an Argentine boy on the cover and that was all it took for me to know that someone cared about brown people as well as black people. Don’t tell me how it’s disrespectful. Respect is a s*** point of the past. I quote León Ferrari, “Art is not beauty or novelty; art is effectiveness and disruption.” We want an end to white supremacy. We all fight how we do. So I agree. Eat a bag of d***s.”
Thanks for commenting, B. Azar. Your “contribution” to the discussion is quite telling. I edited the profanity and personal attacks this time around, but if you cannot act like a mature adult then you will be banned. Unlike Marvel, I have the exact same standards for minorities as I do for white people.
“Respect is a s*** point of the past.”
Again, telling. You demand respect while denying it to others. I’m sure that you’re a real joy to have in the workplace…
To start, I’m a 14 year old girl so, I’ll let you mull over that as you please.
You stand for “equality” (I use this very loosely). What minorities need is equity. You can figure out the difference I’m sure.
Please, explain to me the problem in an attack against injustice. Holding the “same” standards for both white and minorities (I won’t even get into that piece) also means /everyone/ can fight for justice not just white men. You’re not an amazing saint of a person for this “All Lives Matter” propaganda. Systemic oppression is held in place because people, like you, try to censor or disappear (if you’ve studied any Latin history you know what I mean) the people who try to break it.
Somos las nietas de las brujas que no podía quemar.
“To start, I’m a 14 year old girl so, I’ll let you mull over that as you please.”
There’s not much to mull over, although on some level your age explains the way you handled yourself right off the bat.
Word of advice: If your knee-jerk reaction to people who disagree with you on complex issues is to go off in expletive-laced tirades while telling them to “eat a bag of d***s,” then you’re going to have a hard time in the workplace as an adult.
“You stand for “equality” (I use this very loosely). What minorities need is equity. You can figure out the difference I’m sure.”
I’m sure that you’re a smart young lady, which means you’re also smart enough to know how cute it is to be talked down to by a kid who still depends on mom and dad for the bulk of her everyday needs.
You know next to nothing about my life story, and yet you act as if you know all. I suppose your internal monologue goes something like, “White privilege…white privilege…white privilege…success.” That is a great way to allow yourself to dehumanize and demonize political opponents, but in the long-run you’re really doing yourself an intellectual disservice.
“Please, explain to me the problem in an attack against injustice. Holding the ‘same’ standards for both white and minorities (I won’t even get into that piece) also means /everyone/ can fight for justice not just white men. You’re not an amazing saint of a person for this ‘All Lives Matter’ propaganda. Systemic oppression is held in place because people, like you, try to censor or disappear (if you’ve studied any Latin history you know what I mean) the people who try to break it.”
For all that “systemic oppression,” millions upon millions of minorities from all over the world keep flocking here. Weird! Maybe they’re all masochists.
I do hope you have fun continuing your blog for 30 something white men. I will continue to write for justice. Use your words as you want.
Again. Somos las nietas de las brujas que no podía quemar.
“I do hope you have fun continuing your blog for 30 something white men. I will continue to write for justice. Use your words as you want.”
My WordPress statistics are calling. They say you have no idea what you’re talking about in terms of the demographics of my blog. I just told them that blind partisans never let facts get in the way of ideology.
“Again. Somos las nietas de las brujas que no podía quemar.”
Translation: “I’m sticking it to you in Spanish…because Spanish! Because you’re whiteracistbigothomophobe! Now excuse me while I listen to the latest incarnation of Rage Against the Machine!”
Like I said, you’re not really doing yourself any favors in terms of personal growth.
Talking to you has been mildly amusing, like listening to Bulls on Parade. “Rally around the B. Azar…with a pocket full of shells!”
B. Azar: Did you mean Latin AMERICAN history? Further, why do you mention Argentina when its population is overwhelmingly comprised of those of European descent? Or, based on your name, is it that you’re a member of that country’s Arabic 10%?
And, although I am a huge fan of Argentina’s Soda Stereo and their hit song “La Ciudad de la Furia” about los desaparecidos, your comparison to the actions of a 1970s far-right military junta to the contemporary United States is inherently laughable. Walker’s image of the US really does not represent the reality.
“And, although I am a huge fan of Argentina’s Soda Stereo and their hit song “La Ciudad de la Furia” about los desaparecidos, your comparison to the actions of a 1970s far-right military junta to the contemporary United States is inherently laughable. Walker’s image of the US really does not represent the reality.”
What’s that I hear, Hube? That would be the so sound of crickets chirping. I’m sure that running up against someone who would gladly talk about Argentina’s history was rather unexpected by B. Azar. 🙂
What’s going on here, Hube? I thought everyone who agrees with me must only speak English! Why…why…it’s almost like individuals of all races and nationalities might reasonably disagree with B. Azar’s worldview. Strange. 😉
Using profanity and personal attacks doesn’t make you sound smarter. It makes you sound like an angry loon.
Just to be clear, I was referring to that troll you were dealing with earlier.
“Just to be clear, I was referring to that troll you were dealing with earlier.”
Haha. No problem, man. I know you were talking to the teenager who has the world all figured out. 😉
“Haha. No problem, man. I know you were talking to the teenager who has the world all figured out.😉”
Funny how they always think they have everything figured out. That kind of mindset is a recipe for disaster. A lot of these know-it-all Millennials aren’t going to last for very long in the workplace. If you tell your boss to “eat a bag of d***s,” you will be fired. Plain and simple.
It also seems like these Tumblr kiddies copy-paste SJW talking points and regurgitate it as their own opinion. It had all the requisite cliches: “white supremacy,” “systemic racism,” “30-something white men.” These people are going to be in for a shock when they go out into the real world. Unfortunately, though, it seems like corporations and politicians are increasingly bending over backwards to accommodate these clowns.
As an aspiring writer myself, I look at the way these comic book writers act online and use it as an example of how not to act. I want to come across as a professional, not as a foul-mouthed, angry loon like many of these comic writers are.
Take a look at who the Perlmutters are supporting for President:
http://deadline.com/2016/07/donald-trump-mike-pence-vp-pick-official-marvel-ike-perlmutter-gop-cnn-fox-news-1201787628/#comment-list-wrapper
Makes you wonder against whom, exactly, are the Marvel publishing peeps protesting? Are they really making obscene gestures against the big boss?
“Take a look at who the Perlmutters are supporting for President…”
Follow the money.
“Not a lot of the Republican elite were among those donors but among the casino owners and real estate developers was Laura Perlmutter, the spouse of Marvel Entertainment main man Ike Perlmutter.”
I’ll take “Crony Capitalism for $500, Alex.” 😉
I don’t think I understand your grip with Walker unless it stems from you personally being a white Conservative. To that I say why not just buy a different book? Writers are allowed to have political stances and use them in their writing I would assume you being a conservative (if you even are) wouldn’t be opposed to a book that presented what ever ideologies you oppose of as the main villain. I am an acquaintance of Walker and I think you are really looking at him in the wrong light, no he is not painting “all white men as evil or the devil” that is just ridiculous. I personally think David Walker is a great writer I LOVE Nighthawk ans I love when marvel books take on more real world issues (suck as the new captain america books and when xmen were an allegory for Civil rights). Ofcourse him being a black writer working for a major company is going to cause some issue with a few racist comic fans this has been a problem since dwayne mcduffie and I do think Walker has a right to address these “fans”. I dont think the man should be fired for his opinions hes a great writer. Just to play devils advocate and show im not just blind to all progressive writers and think marvel should hire everyone nonconservative writer I HATE BENDIS WRITING with a passion. so yeah… that.
“I don’t think I understand your grip with Walker unless it stems from you personally being a white Conservative.”
What is not to understand about the following: “Imagine you are a writer on a Marvel comic book that can’t even sell 17,000 copies in its second month of release. Now imagine what would happen if you logged onto your social media account and mocked ‘liberal black people’ while flippantly telling them to ‘eat a bag of d***s’ if they were offended by your work. Question: How long do you think you would last before Human Resources said you were fired?”
You and I both know that a white writer would be given a pink slip within an hour if he used social media to disseminate such vulgar messages to a specific group of minorities.
“To that I say why not just buy a different book? Writers are allowed to have political stances and use them in their writing I would assume you being a conservative (if you even are) wouldn’t be opposed to a book that presented what ever ideologies you oppose of as the main villain.”
There is a difference between discussing political ideas and demonizing political opponents. I would not like it if an openly conservative writer at Marvel (if one were actually employed) wrote cartoonish versions of liberal black people as villains. Would you? I am not a fan of demonizing my fellow Americans.
“I am an acquaintance of Walker and I think you are really looking at him in the wrong light, no he is not painting ‘all white men as evil or the devil’ that is just ridiculous.”
You’re right — he only says disgusting and nasty things to white people who disagree with him.
“I do think Walker has a right to address these ‘fans.’ I don’t think the man should be fired for his opinions he’s a great writer.”
When did I ever say he doesn’t have a right to address fans? I never said that. What I am saying is that there is a blatant double standard in terms of what he can get away with in terms of nasty social-media rhetoric. I am also saying that it isn’t a good business model to tell loyal Marvel customers to “eat a bag of d***s.”
“Just to play devils advocate and show im not just blind to all progressive writers and think marvel should hire everyone nonconservative writer I HATE BENDIS WRITING with a passion. so yeah… that.”
You’re not playing “Devil’s Advocate” if all you’re doing is saying that there are some writers who you dislike. All you’ve done is established is that you’re just like every other human being who ever read more than one book.
Playing Devil’s Advocate would be you actually challenging something Mr. Walker said, even though you agree with him.
I’m still waiting for Mojo to be outed as a strong independent sjw
I disagree with you and know you will not change your opinion regardless of whatever argument I make against your view, regardless of how logical it may be.
“I disagree with you and know you will not change your opinion regardless of whatever argument I make against your view, regardless of how logical it may be.”
Slow clap for the Mr. Anonymous — who does not make a single argument — but self-righteously talks about my alleged rigidness and his so-called mastery of logic. I love it! Thanks, Mr. Anonymous. You rock. It’s too bad that no one gets to hear your mysteriously awesome logic.
He sure told YOU, Mr. Ernst!
“He sure told YOU, Mr. Ernst!”
Haha. I love getting comments like that from Mr. Anonymous. I usually check my comments over breakfast, so it’s good to start the day with a laugh.
hawkeye is a very loved character, and i believe most teenage fans, activists, feminists and just everyday fraction hawkeye fans will buy and love this comic and hype it up. they want diversity and representation and that’s what this comic provides.
“hawkeye is a very loved character, and i believe most teenage fans, activists, feminists and just everyday fraction hawkeye fans will buy and love this comic and hype it up. they want diversity and representation and that’s what this comic provides.”
When I was a kid we all laughed at Hawkeye…but I guess times change. Regardless, I hope you’ll check in after six issues so we can look at the sales and discuss whether those activists/feminists are buying the book.
Doug , I have rarely enjoyed reading a comment section as I have this one . If people like B Azar are the future … We will need super heroes…
B. Azar , I am having trouble scraping the white off my skin . Should I just kill myself 🙄 ?
“Doug , I have rarely enjoyed reading a comment section as I have this one . If people like B Azar are the future … We will need super heroes…”
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Kiteboarder! This blog post was definitely a memorable one in terms of the comments it elicited from people like B Azar. Haha!
You can add B. Azar to your ever-expanding rogues gallery, Doug! Ha ha.