Meu autor de quadrinhos favorito em ação (Alan Moore já foi pra outra camada de percepção, né), Mark Millar aproveita as baboseiras que o Frank Miller falou sobre o OccupyWallStreet para lembrar pra gente que é bom separar a obra do autor e comentar a forte reação que aconteceu depois que o autor do Cavaleiro das Trevas e de Sin City foi virtualmente linchado por boa parte de seus colegas de profissão:

It’s strange to watch your favourite writer getting strips torn off him for a couple of days.

Politically, I disagree with his analysis, but that’s besides the point. I wasn’t shocked by his comments because they’re no different from a lot of commentators I’ve seen discussing the subject. What shocked me was the vitriol against him, the big bucket of shit poured over the head by even fellow comic-book creators for saying what was on his mind.

Obviously, it’s within their rights to exercise the First Amendment as much as it was within Frank’s to make the original point. But there’s something so distasteful about that cyber-mob mentality that revolts me. It’s not just that I like the guy, that his body of work is among the best the industry has ever seen. It’s the GLEE I’m seeing from some people and, worse, the calls I’ve seen to boycott his work because his perspective on a point differs from yours and mine.

I’m reminded of the time, in the heated period leading up to the Gulf War, when over a thousand people signed a cyber-petition to have me fired from Marvel because I disagreed with the war in Iraq as a response to 9/11. Bill Jemas, quite bravely, bounced this back saying that one of the things he liked about America is that you can say what you like without fear that you’re going to lose your job. Liberalism doesn’t mean throwing guys in jail who DISAGREE with your liberalism. It means accepting that society is richer when everybody has a voice. Starting economic sanctions against a writer until they shut up and agree with you is horrific.

I dunno. I just hate a mob. I think it demeans us. I also hate a bandwagon and would urge my fellow left-wing readers to boycott Miller no less than HP Lovecraft, Steve Ditko, David Mamet or any other writer who might not share my personal philosophy, but who’s work I’m happy to have on my shelves.

Ele mesmo começou a discussão em seu fórum oficial, que continua por lá.

Tags: frank miller, liberdade de expressao, mark miller, politica