CAPTAIN CONFEDERACY MOVES TO THE WEB

[MattBrady]

Thanks, in part, to a knee-jerk response such as this by the press to his comic, Captain Confederacy, creator Will Shetterly has opted to put the entire run of the comic series online.

The report that showed up in the California paper, The Record, related the story of a mother who was offended after accidentally buying a Captain Confederacy comic in a dollar store and giving it to her 11 year old foster son.

The comic (which saw 12 issues and two specials published under Steeldragon, and four issues published under Marvel’s Epic imprint in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s) depicts an alternate history, where the South won the Civil War, leading to a very different modern-day world with a vastly different geopolitical world order.

Jeanette Boswell, who bought the comic was more than happy to comment to The Record, saying: “I'm trying to follow the gist of this comic book. It seems to be a racial thing throughout. I really found it offensive…I'd actually like to see whoever is writing this to stop putting out this offensive material. The way they're doing this, it can really warp some young minds."

Historical note - though obviously, a little different from production values today, Captain Confederacy was a well-received book, cited for its intelligent take on an alternate history and deeply political storylines, and counted among its fans a younger Neil Gaiman.

Record writer, Yasmin Assemi, stated that Marvel was contacted, but had no comment on a creator-owned series published 14 years (one bankruptcy and two Editor-in-Chiefs ago), likewise, Assemi stated that Shetterly could not be reached for comment, but noted that he had a blog.

At his blog, Shetterly responded to the article, writing: “I came across Family finds comic book gift offensive and sent the following to the reporter:

I'm surprised that your article mentions my web site, but doesn't mention that my email address is there. If you'd sent me email, I would've happily responded.

Captain Confederacy is a science fiction story set in an alternate history in which the South seceded from the Union. The heroes are a multicultural group who ultimately overthrow the racist government. This may not have been clear to Jeanette Boswell because she bought the fourth chapter in a twelve-chapter story.

Epic Comics published the second series, which featured a black female Captain Confederacy.

Speaking to Newsarama, Shetterly said that, unfortunately, this isn’t the first time such misunderstandings have come up, thanks in no small part to those who complain first, read (and understand) later.

“In the past, I tended to ignore misunderstandings about the series; I assumed the work would speak for itself. But this article made me realize that the work isn't available to speak. I'd always wanted to revise it. This made me decide that I'd better do that now.”

The revisions Shetterly said, has nothing to do with the series’ content.

“The big changes are in the word balloons: I'm tightening the dialogue and making people's speech a little more blunt. I was awfully wordy then. I'm also deleting a few panels and pages, and adding some gray tones to Vince [Stone]'s inks.”

For Shetterly, it’s a long-term project.

“The plan from here on out is to post five pages a week, plus the occasional message about related things: comic books, alternate history, the Civil War, the South, or censorship. It'll probably take a year or more to post everything. In addition to the 16 published issues, there's a 20-page short story that was drawn for a book which was cancelled.”

The first 20 or so pages of Captain Confederacy can be found here (note – Shetterly is still working out some formatting issues).

[AForceOfOne]

I so love how the mother got offended after "accidentally" buying her 11 year old foster son the comic in a dollar store.

That right there, should if and when it ever comes up, should be an automatic no suit. Matter of fact she should be penalized for being stupid. Everyone is willing to blame everyone else but themselves. I don't care what the subject matter is or wether or not I would agree with it. Plus as the article states there is a positive outcome to the story but, again instead of taking some responsibility and doing a little research, she takes the easy way out and does what unfortuntely the majority of people do.

Next thing you know she'll be accidentally ordering playboy and letting it sit her child then become offended by it and notifying the local news at the audacity of the channel.

[Julio Diaz]

I read a lot of these when they were initially released and I think I still have some of them in my collection. Anyone who could possibly think this is a racist book obviously didn't read it. That said, it's definitely not meant for kids, who aren't mature enough to understand it.

[KingPagla]

This was a very good book that deserves reprinting. Somebody like IDW should pick it up for a trade.

[Aaron]

LOL... She "accidentally" bought him the book. Oops, that money just dropped right down out of her purse and into the clerk's hands... what a MORON.

But you know what? People are stupid; that shouldn't come as a surprise. What's inexcusable is that the reporter didn't do the necessary research to realize just HOW stupid her subject was. She should be fired.

Aaron

[jsf]

Think I agree with the comment about the reporter rather than the mother. Yeah, she should've taken a look at what the comic before buying it - or done research on it a little further - but ultimately the person who wrote the article should've done their homework on what the comic was about. It was clear from the first issue that CC was going to rebel against the CSA - and almost every issue highlighted that theme.

Honestly, the slipshod research of the reporter is more dismaying than a mother who overreacts.

[Zemo13]

"I'd actually like to see whoever is writing this to stop putting out this offensive material," Boswell, 55, said. "The way they're doing this, it can really warp some young minds."

Yes, they should "stop putting out" a book that came out over 10 years ago.

Maybe she should also blame Santa for putting it in the stocking.

[TheFoo]

That was like the time I accidently bought my six year old brother porn. Whoops!

[KyleV]

I just e-mailed the "reporter" and asked if there'd be a follow-up article.

I'm guessing there won't be, but you'd think there should be.

[beetle1million]

Originally posted by AForceOfOne
I so love how the mother got offended after "accidentally" buying her 11 year old foster son the comic in a dollar store.

That right there, should if and when it ever comes up, should be an automatic no suit. Matter of fact she should be penalized for being stupid. Everyone is willing to blame everyone else but themselves. I don't care what the subject matter is or wether or not I would agree with it. Plus as the article states there is a positive outcome to the story but, again instead of taking some responsibility and doing a little research, she takes the easy way out and does what unfortuntely the majority of people do.

Next thing you know she'll be accidentally ordering playboy and letting it sit her child then become offended by it and notifying the local news at the audacity of the channel.

But parents are, by and large, retarded, in that they feel it's everyone else's responsibility to monitor what their children are exposed to.

[AForceOfOne]

And I think that says it all.

[jagtech13]

OK, maybe I am dense. Maybe even stupid. This wonderful, intelligent person went into a store, bought a book for her child. She did not read it first to make sure it was appropriate for the child (I do this myself whenever I buy books for my friends' children) and also didn't think much of the title CAPTAIN CONFEDERACY .

Now she is screaming bloody murder for (A) Somehow not thinking a title like Captain Confederacy might be less than she wishes her child to be reading, (B) Didn't even read it beforehand to see if there may be mature philosophies and ideas in the book not appropriate for the child, (C) Didn't even read it through to see it was NOT a racist book, just jumped to conclusions. I could make a laundry list for the reporter's mistakes and arrogances, but I don't think reporters report, only inflame so I ignore the trolls.

Seems like everyone here is being open minded on this so I won't debate the content, seems like everyone reading comic books today is shaving also (Everyone is a adult no more youngsters in the hobby). The question I have to post is this -- If someone wrote and published a comic called CAPTAIN CONFEDERACY today, would poor Matt Brady have to close down the boards from the nuclear bitching about a tittle before it even came out?

[Julio Diaz]

Jagtech's got a point.

The book is getting a pass because most fans that have been around for awhile know it as a critically acclaimed book from the '80s. It's almost 20 years old. And (speaking as a newspaper editor) the reporter clearly didn't do his or her job.

But were a new book coming out with that title for the first time today, it would be a Newsarama crapfest of the kind we haven't seen since Mark Waid was temporarily fired from "Fantastic Four," well before anyone actually saw the book.

Sometimes the Internet is not a good thing.

[TroyCarter]

I'm going to throw something out there.

The mother found a book called Captain Confederacy in the dollar store and thought "if this were to end up in my six year old son's hands, I'd have grounds for a lawsuit!" She probably called the reporter from the car on the way home to give the book to her son.

Too cynical?

[markus n]

Originally posted by Julio Diaz
But were a new book coming out with that title for the first time today, it would be a Newsarama crapfest of the kind we haven't seen since Mark Waid was temporarily fired from "Fantastic Four," well before anyone actually saw the book.[/b]

I call bull$hit on that. If the book were published today, we'd get an interview with the creator outlining his ideas and probably some preview pages as well.
Absent that information there'd certainly be a lot of noise, but then again that's what you're after if you give your book a controversial title and don't explain about it. I'm sorry, but expecting people to remain all wait and see about "Captain Confederacy" or it's wholly fictional equivalent "Bud the necrophile" is a bit silly.
To make it simpler, were to boards shut down when "Liberality for all" came out? Not that I know of.

[minimalistx]

"But parents are, by and large, retarded, in that they feel it's everyone else's responsibility to monitor what their children are exposed to."

As a parent, I take full responsibility for whatever my kids see or hear. Just because you have issues with the "retards" that spawned you, don't lump me in with them.

minimalistx

[samnoir]

I'm amazed that Captain Confederacy is out of print! It was a really great series and very innovative of it's time for it's alternate universe take on politics and superheroes.

Now that The American and The One are finally back in print in one volume, hopefully once all the revisions are done, the entirety of Captain Confederacy can be printed in trade format.

I actually didn't realize that a sequel was published under Epic. Has anyone read the second series? How was it? I wasn't sure there was a place that the story could have gone to after the initial run.
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[astronato]

This seems really interesting. I'll be reading the web updates but it would be good if someone reprinted this.

Would this comic have been out in 1986? I remember a friend recommending an alternate history "what if the south had won the civil war" comic back then but I can't remember if it was this or not.

[scott h]

ya know, even if this were a comic espousing that blacks sghould still be slaves or some other such tripe, it would still have a right to exist and be sold. i see this as more of a bash and attack against comics. that they are just for kids etc...

there are THOUSANDS of books out there that deal with similar historical fiction (Harry Turtledove?) and even MORE that deal with actual rascist stuff. like it or not, if i want to , i can go buy a copy of mein kampf. and noone would say a damn word about it, to my face anyway. what if this lady would have picked up a few paperbacks without looking at them and put em in a stocking and one of em was mein kampf? would she say that that kind of thing shouldnt be created and the author should be held accountable?

of course not. shed be laughed out of town. but if someone used comics, a legitimate artform, to retell mein kampf, well....get out the pitchforks and torches. this is a free speech and comics stigma issue.

and newspapers wonder why their readerships are down up to 40% in some places. because of tripe like this. not reporting just muck raking.

"i dont have a real story to do so ill just attack comics>" what an imbecile.

[j2lepew]

It is amazing how people cannot be more careful when picking up a book (or even game or CD) for a child. If I had a child, I would make very sure, the content of the item were suitable. Buying something "accidentally" is absurd. Of course, I wonder what would happen if she had "accidentally" bought a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Yet, if she did, she probably wouldn't understand the usage of the "n-word" used so many times.

Small minds = small common sense = small intellect

[AForceOfOne]

Originally posted by minimalistx
"But parents are, by and large, retarded, in that they feel it's everyone else's responsibility to monitor what their children are exposed to."

As a parent, I take full responsibility for whatever my kids see or hear. Just because you have issues with the "retards" that spawned you, don't lump me in with them.

minimalistx

Yes YOU would. I would. Many other people would. But unfortuntely, while retards isn't a good word to use, many parents are oblivious to most things their children do and, again, blame others for their own stupidity. I think what some are reporting is dead on. Many reporters and editors, and I've been told this, do "light" pieces as filler. It happens with movies and anything under the sun.

The thing to do is if a reporter gives an email address (most don't) is to call them on it in a respectable, fact filled way. Maybe one day they'll get the hint.

[MattBrady]

Originally posted by jagtech13
If someone wrote and published a comic called CAPTAIN CONFEDERACY today, would poor Matt Brady have to close down the boards from the nuclear bitching about a tittle before it even came out?

I do believe you're unfamiliar with the comic titled Liberality for All that we covered here a while back?

hooo-boy.

MattB

[CoolJerk]

I'm amazed that this was considered "news" covered by a "newspaper." And I'm a newspaper journalist.

I'm also amazed that somehow this woman figured that she needed to call the Record and complain.

[Edward J Cunningham]

Originally posted by jagtech13


If someone wrote and published a comic called CAPTAIN CONFEDERACY today, would poor Matt Brady have to close down the boards from the nuclear bitching about a tittle before it even came out?

Actually, I was wondering if Matt Brady was any relation to the famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady...

Eddie Cunningham

[markus n]

Originally posted by j2lepew
Overall, we see that this is one woman who should have never been allowed to breed.

I find that a bit harsh. Her first mistake was assuming all comics are for kids and like the morning shows. That's shortsighted, but understandable. Purchasing something she knew little about (possibly unaware of her ignorance) is a tad more stupid and not checking the item before she bought it/took it home certainly is stupid, but it's not so outrageously stupid that it couldn't happen to most people on a busy and stressful day.
Calling the paper about it is admittedly a sign of considerable detachment from reality, but possibly her initial point was that the comic in question should have been more clearly labelled and/or in a specialised section (again, slightly unrealistic for a dollar store, but still). Perhaps she has the misguided notion that comics have to be for kids. If so, that would again be stupid, but no more so than lots of other people running around with expectations on how the world ought to be and getting upset when they encounter evidence that it isn't.
Personally, I think she called the paper to vent and the "journalist" got her to deliver enough quotes to justify running a story about a 20 year old comic. Which in turn feeds the reporter on a slow news day. Honestly there are so many things wrong with serious coverage of serious events (he said-she said being foremost) that I can't get worked up over some crap in the online edition of a third-rate paper.