UPDATED: MICAH WRIGHT: "I WAS NEVER AN ARMY RANGER"

[MattBrady]

On his Delphi forum, Micah Wright has posted a confession – he never was an Army Ranger, something he had claimed since shortly after his debut as a comics writer, as well as the author of remixed Propaganda, a book which lampooned World War II-era American propaganda posters.

A version of statement had been on Wright's website since April 25th apparently, however, he opted to post it on his Delphi forum Saturday.

Wright began his statement (which has since been edited) with a recap of what he used to tout as his credentials, and then added: “Except that I was never an Army Ranger. I never served a day in a Ranger Regiment. I never went to Ranger School. The closest I ever got was Army ROTC.

“This entire Army Ranger thing is a stupid lie which has its roots back in college. When I was in the Army ROTC (and I really was, trust me), I met a lot of Rangers, and got to know some of these amazing men. They always impressed me with their inspired competence and their commitment to one another. Though I enjoyed my time in Army ROTC, I decided that eight years of military service was not for me and I left the program. That ended my involvement with the military. But once I was out of the Army ROTC program, there was a lingering impression among friends that I had been in the Regular Army.”

Wright went on to say that he began using the Army Ranger lie shortly after he began “remixing” the posters – something which brought him numerous death threats. “After posting the webpage saying that I was a former Ranger, the number of death threats dropped drastically. I still got hate mail, but it was now of a different sort, telling me that my opinion was idiotic or that I had been misled. My fellow Americans seemed to believe that if you had served in the military, this gave you leeway to say what you felt... but if you were NOT a veteran, God forbid you should think opposite of what everyone else thought. Did any of that justify my lie? No. But it made it easier to tell. Too easy.”

According to his post, Wright felt the hoax/lie had gotten out of control when he spoke with the Washington Post last year, adding lie upon lie, heaping (he thought) obvious falsehoods so high that surely, a reporter, or at least a fact checker from the Post would notice them.

They didn’t.

“A day later, the article ran,” Wright posted. “My outrageous lies were printed verbatim. They'd dedicated two full pages to a ridiculous hoax which could have been exposed with a half hour's work. My beliefs in the veracity of the corporate media had been shaken previously, but now they were shattered. I couldn't figure it out. How had this happened? I stared at the paper in shock. Then I realized that the Washington Post had only done what they normally do: run whatever anyone in a uniform or position of authority told them to.

“It certainly wasn't unprecedented. After all, Governor George W. Bush had done the same thing in 2000 when running for president. Questions arose and were quickly squashed about his military service. Even today, Bush still hasn't released all of his military records but NO ONE in the media is crying out for them. It's no wonder that my much smaller-scale hoax worked! Of course, this doesn't excuse my hoax... but it certainly motivated it.

“Within hours of seeing print, the edges of the hoax began to unravel. I received two separate emails from real Rangers and Special Forces soldiers. They had seen right through me. No matter how much research you do, you can't fool an expert, and in this case the experts weren't fooled for a second. Web pages sprung up overnight: Micah Wright is a Big Fat Liar. "Yes," I thought, "I am." Outraged Rangers started phoning the Washington Post. We haven't heard of this guy. His photo isn't familiar, who the hell is he? The Post, chagrined, began "investigating" after the fact... by calling ME and asking if I was telling the truth.

“On the face of it, it was an easy story to disprove. A simple Freedom of Information Act request would turn up no records of me having an active duty military career. Was sending that piece of paper too hard for anyone in the corporate media to do? No wonder huge corporations get away with Enron-sized ripoffs. No wonder Jayson Blair was able to get away with making up the news. No wonder that 55% of Americans still think that Saddam Hussein carried out the 9/11 attacks. The media was sleeping on the job. The Jayson Blair story exploded at the New York Times in April of 2003--the story about "Ranger Micah" ran in the Washington Post on July 6th, 2003. It wasn't like they had no idea that there was a problem or that they should check their sources. Why were they so asleep at the switch?”

Further down in the statement, Wright gives his reasoning for why he opted to come clean now, posting: “So why come clean now, you ask? Why shouldn't I continue on, seeing how far I can push it? Well, frankly, I'm sick of it. The corporate-media-hoax part of the joke isn't fun any longer, and the personal side has never been fun. I'm sick of lying to my friends, to employers, to my fans, to myself. I'm not a Ranger. I've lied to so many people about this that it's made me physically ill. I haven’t been able to sleep and I’ve just about given myself an ulcer. The phone would ring and guilt, terror and panic would grip me: is this the day that I get found out? Or is it NPR wanting to do a story on me? How long should I compound the media hoax? To lie to more people? The waiting has become too much. I'm killing the hoax and I'm stopping the lies.

"The cat's out of the bag now... I've finally told the truth. I wish I had a long time ago. In the last year dozens of real Rangers have been killed or wounded overseas--how can I keep lying in the face of that kind of dedication? When I read about the death of Pat Tillman, who sacrificed a high-paying football career in order to join the Rangers, I felt like even more of a fake and a heel. It's time it all ended: I'm not a Ranger, I was never a Ranger and I'm sorry for ever saying that I was. I apologize to every Ranger and to the families of every Ranger."

However, this too may be a statement coming through a particular lens, as Newsarama has learned that tomorrow’s Washington Post will contain a story about Wright, exposing his Ranger story as a fiction.

Click the link above for Wright's full post.

In his biography on his homepage, all mentions of Army service have been removed, with this passage added: "Micah was cloned in a labratory from the DNA of Victor Lustig, Charles Ponzi, Frank Abagnale, Henry Gondorf and Limehouse Chappie. He is an accomplished practical joker, hoaxer of the Corporate Media and a fabulous & incredible prevaricator."

UPDATE: 5.02.04 - In his column in today's Washington Post, Richard Leiby, in speaking of Wright's record wrote:

"Wright, it turns out, is a liar. He never served in the military -- and confessed that last week to his publisher, Seven Stories Press, after we insisted on evidence of his service. Pursuing a tip from real Rangers who'd never heard of Wright, we filed three Freedom of Information Act requests with separate Army commands -- and last month finally confirmed that Wright never served."

according to Leiby, Seven Stories, who published Wright's You Back the Attack! We'll Bomb Who We Want! has cancelled publication of Wright's next book, If You're Not a Terrorist, Then Stop Asking Questions, and that the publisher will remove Wright's fictional account of parachuting into Panama under fire during Operation Just Cause from all future printings of You Back the Attack!

[djcoffman]

Micah Wright = Biggest bullshitter in comics. Give it a rest man.

Like the boy that cried wolf, how can a professional publisher take anything on his website as serious. Maybe he lied about being the writer for Nickelodean cartoons, maybe he lied about doing some big animation film overseas. Dude needs to reinvent himself quick. Keep the politics out of comics dude-- the thing he can't control is how other people see him, and now with this crap, i just think it's dishonrable garbage--- screw that. I hope comic companies steer clear of this guy's bullshit stories and resumes...--- you made the bed, now lay in it.

[Justice41]

It always amazes me how liars try to justify their lies by deflecting to someone else. But unlike this Liar, Bush did serve, whether Wright wants to admit it or not,Bush served. He may not like or accept the paperwork Bush released, But who the hell is he, A Liar, to question anyone else's legitimate service. But something about this whole thing sounds like another Lie to get some controversy going.Confirm the story if you would, make sure this guy isn't just pulling legs again to promote his books.

[mac b]

to put it simply, this isn't cool.
i don't think it takes away from the propaganda remix project but this kind of misrepresentation isn't explainable or justifiable by saying george w bush did it.

[RDuarte]

Wow.

All sorts of stuff want to come out of my mouth (and onto the keyboard), but none of them seem to really grasp what I feel.

I know some people looked to Wright as a "hero" of sorts. Some hated him with a passion. Some might be indifferent.

I was a combo of all of those things. I admired his comic work. I disagreed with his politics, but shared his propaganda posters with colleagues who really liked them. I didn't really care about him (he was just another person on this earth, why should I concern myself with him...).

But in my gut, there is just something WRONG with lying about military service. Maybe it's because my dad was military or maybe it's because I know so many military service men and women. I just find that offensive.

Oh well. I know this discussion will turn political by the third post (with conservatives bashing Wright and liberals bashing Bush and everything turning into a yadda, yadda, yadda scenario). I guess I just wanted to say what I thought when I read the article (since its too early for me to really mull over how I feel about this):

Wow.

[Justice41]

But Bush didn't do anything wrong.Just because the bias of some keeps them from accepting the truth doen't mean the other Guy Lied. But Who can trust anything a Liar says anyways. At least now we know where all the Hate for Bush comes from. This guys got issues. He's now become the Jason Blair of comics.

[Charles RB]

Well, THAT'S shot his credibility to buggery.

It also raises interesting questions about the news outlets that interviewed him and never fact-checked.

[BillReed]

Um...so?

[RDuarte]

Wel, it didn't take long. I told my wife about this and she brought up something that galvanized my feelings about this situation.

Pat Tillman.

Pat was a Ranger and a "Real American Hero." When he died in Afghanistan, he put a spotlight on the Rangers. I'm sure the light was too bright for Wright.

Say what you will about anyone else who HAS lied, you THINK has lied, or who has been ACCUSED of lying.

IT'S ALL IRRELEVANT.

Micah Wright lied and has been caught. And he didn't lie about something trivial. He lied about being a Ranger when many soldiers are putting their lives on the line FOR REAL.

I could go on and on about something like this, but my anger is clouding my judgement and will soon lace my posts with profanities. Its best just to leave it with:

I'm pissed.

[Justice41]

Breath Deeply Bud, breath deeply. I think all this is just some ploy to sell his book, otherwise why mention the book? I smell a big, fat, New York, Sewer Rat.

[Brian Jacks]

It's hard to pick out the stupidest part of his saga.

[RDuarte]

Originally posted by BillReed
Um...so?

Wright has been very political (in his comic work and in real life). He has defended his position (and probably gained notoriety and more work) based on the fact that he was a Ranger, and thus, someone who knew what he was talking about.

Now it turns out his defense is a lie.

[keith champagne]

no respect for this clown whatsoever. Get some counseling, moron.

[Aaron Calimeri]

I have pretty much lost all respect for Micah Wright now.

When I first read about Stormwatch: Team Achilles, I thought it was cool that he was a former Army Ranger, and that contributed to me picking up the first issue.

Now, I'm glad that I dropped the series.

I feel sorry for the other creators on Stormwatch, since it is now cancelled.

Honestly, I don't want to slam him too badly, because it's not like he killed anyone or anything. But what he did was pretty low.

Micah, I hope you can turn things around and regain respect. I still think you are a pretty good writer.

[thesimianmenace]

calm down, people! this is all just a ploy to sell his new book. Wright actually is an army ranger. how do i know? i served in the army rangers with Wright. just like i served in the french military with Joan of Arc in 1429.

thesimianmenace

[KyleV]

He has defended his position (and probably gained notoriety and more work) based on the fact that he was a Ranger, and thus, someone who knew what he was talking about.

No.

This is what is interesting about the story. Wright was outspoken on his views BEFORE he ever made such a claim. As he even mentioned, certain people only began to give his arguments the benefit of the doubt once he said he was a Ranger.

He never used the lie as a basis for his opinions -- he never said "I believe this because I was a Ranger."

But it's astounding to me that people would give his ideas more weight if he WERE a Ranger -- why? He wasn't making tactical arguments about warfare or combat. He wasn't giving the inside skinny on Ranger training practices. He was making informed opinions given as much information as any other American - including Rangers - would have.

The fact that people think you have to be willing to die and/or kill for your country to have a valid opinion is unreal.

[collide]

I've been reading Stormwatch TA from the begining, and this is the first time I've heard "Micah Ian Wright" and "army ranger" in the same breath, so I can't really say I'm outraged or I've lost all respect for the guy. Maybe it's just that I can seperate the man from his work, so I'm not gonna stop reading the stormwatch book until it ends.

This is one of those things that sounds horrible no matter what the explanation, no matter what his reasons are for the lie, no matter how justified it may be, he's gonna come off like a douchebag just the same. This is pretty unfortumate cuz i largely agreed with his politics, and now any and all arguments he'll make will hold no weight. I guess this is a lesson to everyone that you shouldn't make shit up concerning the military.

[Nerby727]

I think what is most revolting about the whole situation is while yes, he did come clean, he still tried to foist the blame on the media's believing him. As a running joke that is one thing, but when a major newspaper interviews you, you don't lie to them and expect them to see through it. He obviously wanted to get recognition for something he didn't do, and then supposedly got weak in the knees when "experts" found him out. And even then he didn't come clean. Any self respecting person would have given up when they saw the article, called the Post and tell them to retract it. But no, he runs with it. This is ridiculous. I'm not defending the newspapers either. If things went down like he said, that isn't on the up and up either. And I agree, the timing on this is a little too convenient don't you think?

[Cartoon Jay]

Jesus, what an asshole.

I'm opposed to the Iraq war but I don't make shit up to bolster my position and I don't pretend I have any special knolwedge. This kind of absurd behavior completely undercuts his political message. After all, fabricating information is what got us into this mess in the first place.

[Michael P]

Originally posted by djcoffman
Micah Wright = Biggest bullshitter in comics. Give it a rest man.

Like the boy that cried wolf, how can a professional publisher take anything on his website as serious. Maybe he lied about being the writer for Nickelodean cartoons, maybe he lied about doing some big animation film overseas.

So instead of assuming everything he says is true, they should now assume everything he says is untrue? Not to defend what he did (it's indefensible), but that seems to be a reaction too far in the other direction. If anything, the moral people should take away is "don't automatically believe or disbelieve, but do some independent checking." Which is a good philosophy in any situation.

[Charles RB]

Originally posted by KyleV
he never said "I believe this because I was a Ranger."

He did. When Newsarama last interviewed him, he said his political views came from being in the US army when it was sent to Panama. And then he used "personal experiences" of post-war Panama later on.

[Chris1]

Wow, I'm used to coming to this site to gripe about variant covers or awful writing but this is actually a pretty serious issue. Yes, nobody died because of this lie and it doesn't compare to the shit that Jason Blair or USA Today's Jack Kelley put people through by making stuff up but you can't just go around making stuff up and call it "a hoax".

If he felt as strongly about his political views, which I by the way totally disagree with, he should've backed them up with facts, not B.S. Personally, whether or not he was a ranger wouldn't change my opinion of his political views but when it comes to defending the country, these guys are the best of the best and it seems really wrong to just try to latch onto some of their honor in order to deter a couple of nasty e-mails.

[Charles RB]

Originally posted by Michael P
So instead of assuming everything he says is true, they should now assume everything he says is untrue?

It certainly brings into question his overall credibility.

[beetle1million]

I rarely feel the need to post.

I don't like posting here. I don't like getting wrapped up in a lot of the juvenile behavior that comes of it. Which I can, as easily as anyone else. And it's usually not worth it, because someone else has usually posted anything I can add to a debate. So I don't post.

But today. For the record:

I still love Micah Ian Wright as much as I ever did.

I'm sad that this turned out to be a lie. I'm sad that he lied. But I'll get over it. He's probably caused himself more trouble than he's caused anyone else. I still like his work, and I still like a lot of what he says.

And for the record, before you crap all over a guy, I just want everyone to stop and wonder about lies they've told on a large scale. Ever cheated on somebody? Ever stayed in the closet for way too long? Ever told a tiny lie, and watched it roll out of control? That second one, that's mine, though I've never cheated on anybody. And I think everyone's done the third thing. If you say otherwise, then you're definitely a liar, big time.

You're all entitled to your opinions, and they're probably valid. But I hope I'm not the last one to express a little bit of sympathy for a guy who clearly is intelligent, who just did something dumb and got himself in over his head.

[Charles RB]

Originally posted by beetle1million
I just want everyone to stop and wonder about lies they've told on a large scale.

Lemme think, have I ever told a lie on the same level as Micah's?

Nope.