The illustrator for the new DC Comics’ “Adventures of Superman” digital anthology has backed out of the project as a result of an outpouring of public criticism over the company’s decision to hire anti-gay author, activist, and National Organization For Marriage board member Orson Scott Card to pen the story line.
Chris Sprouse
“It took a lot of thought to come to this conclusion, but I’ve decided to step back as the artist on this story,” said Sprouse, in a statement Tuesday. “The media surrounding this story reached the point where it took away from the actual work, and that’s something I wasn’t comfortable with.”
“My relationship with DC Comics remains as strong as ever and I look forward to my next project with them,” he said.
DC Comics said late Tuesday that it supports Spouse’s decision to withdraw from the project.
“Chris is a hugely talented artist, and we’re excited to work with him on his next DC Comics project. In the meantime, we will re-solicit the story at a later date when a new artist is hired,” DC Comics said, in a statement.The media firestorm first erupted last month when DC Comics announced that Card would write for their new digital “Adventures of Superman.”
A petition on the website AllOut.org has called on DC Comics to drop Card from the project — that petition has accumulated over 16,000 signatures.
USA Today reported that due to the creative change, the Card story will not appear in the first collected issue, due out May 29.
DC Comics said it is looking for a replacement illustrator for Card’s story.
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yay
Good.
Gotta give the guy kudos for making a stand.
Good for him!
Card is a Cad.
that is truly showing a moral backbone. Orson Scott Card is a reprehensible fuck
Um…and what of DC comics? Cool to let him go from Superman, but ok for other projects? How’s about standing against hate – period?
What is wrong with DC Comics? For crying out loud …
But we also have to look at another side of this. Like the comment left on the article itself: if we want to fight for our beliefs to not affect the workplace, how can we be outraged and ask that his beliefs affect his workplace? I agree, the man in a cad and deserves a lot of eye opening experiences forcibly lodged into his life, but how can we ask that he be fired for it? Idk just sayin ….
Anti LBGT is similar to being a racist. Would you hire a racist? NO.
@Nichole
who wants to hire someone who thinks that 5-10% of their fellow employees and readership should be imprisoned? why should someone that insane and intolerant be trusted in any job?
It might be a different story if Card simply was against gay marriage personally, but he is an outspoken extremist who wishes to see the entire LGBT population rounded up into prisons. in the US alone that is 20-30 million people. his views are indistinguishable from nazism.
there is a point where a company should carefully look at who they are employing, how it may affect their PR, and how it could affect their products. someone like Orson Scott Card SHOULD be unemployable. because he is fucking dangerous and out of his mind.
Perhaps I missed something in the article, but did the artist even mention LGBT rights, or having issues with Card’s views? He said he thought the controversy would take focus away from the work and he wanted to back out due to that. Doesn’t quite make him a civil rights supporter.
Actually Brus, it does. He wants to avoid the “guilt by association” that is prevalent in many industries today. By bowing out of the ‘project’, he is leaving all liability for the failure of the project with DCC and Card’s involvement, when the dust settles, he’ll be clean and can go with any project he wants.
Good for him!
Homophobia is like racism. He was wise to step down and have the job go to someone hopefully who is none of the above.
I read some of Cards SF and really liked it, until I found out he was screwing us. I will NEVER spend another dime on his books, nor read anything he writes. If DC comics persists, I will boycott their products and any movies made from them.
I won’t buy anything from Card either….He’s an a-hole in the truest sense of the word.