So, John Byrne… I wouldn’t know where to begin without rupturing something, but I will happily point you to this elegant summary at Postmodern Barney. Well said, Dorian.
One thing to add: I know it’s pretty much time for me to go home when someone accuses their critics of being politically correct. It’s not impossible for the term to be used as a legitimate criticism, but, in my on-line experience, that rarely happens. Usually, it translates to mean that, “Oh, damn, someone was actually paying attention to my bullshit, so I’d better try and deflect their attention from indications of racism/homophobia/sexism/etc., because I probably didn’t really mean it but fear I’d look stupider by just retracting it.” Or, worse still, “I totally did mean to come off as racist/homophobic/sexist/etc., but I think I can avoid copping to that by claiming that my critics are stifling my freedom of expression instead of just correctly identifying me as a total dick.”
Okay, moving on. Pardon my language.
At Highway 62, Matt offers a timely warning:
“Reading interviews with your favorite creators may indeed be hazardous to thin skins and the fan base’s sense of entitlement. Be cautious when consuming said interviews.”
At The Low Road, Ed Cunard looks at the other side of the equation, i.e. the gossamer epidermis of the creator:
“Any valid criticism leveled at [a creator] was waived away with two stock answers: ‘Keep buying it – it will all make sense after a few issues’ (translation: you aren’t smart enough to decipher my brilliance), and ‘You just aren’t giving it a chance because [insert excuse]’ (translation: you obviously don’t like this sort of thing, so why should I explain it to you?).”
One shares space with Dormammu. One shares a name with my favorite cruise line. Don’t make me choose!