Ted Anderson possible let go from IDW

[deadprofile 1,122]

So, this popped up early this morning...http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/09/mlp-comic-writer-ted-anderson-possibly.html#more

By the sound of it, it seems like it's quite a sticky situation. I feel bad for Ted, although I do not fully understand the extent of the anti-bronies/fan haters involvement. It's saying Cuteosphere is a brony hater (or something), and after looking a bit, although I am not much a fan of her art style, I don't really see the problem...

 

I guess I am not too connected to the internet flame wars and such, but for it to hit someone a part of a franchise, I am not too happy about this at all. What do you guys think (and please explain what is actually happening if they know, or understand)

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

Well thank god, after the stuff he said, he had it coming.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

This thread explains it pretty thoroughly http://mlpforums.com/topic/111041-regarding-the-idw-my-little-pony-comics

[deadprofile 1,122]

I don't think Ted said the best things, but both sides seemed to lean on the extreme sides. Part of that problem is the fact that no one listens to the middle....when faced with extremism, you often respond with extremism....

 

However, this offers no excuse for what may be said....and by the sound of it, nobody won this battle, and IDW was a bit tarnished...

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I don't think Ted said the best things, but both sides seemed to lean on the extreme sides. Part of that problem is the fact that no one listens to the middle....when faced with extremism, you often respond with extremism....

As someone who leans feminist, I can say: Dragon Dicks is a terrible person and Ted should have apologized instead of trying to defend his position.

 

This shitstorm attracted a few anti-feminists, but the backlash against this was entirely reasonable.

[Jeric 46,854]

The comic may (in my mind) may be considered art, but it is first and foremost a product. If the reports are accurate, his dismissal was an appropriate response. As a manager partly responsible for decisions regarding termination of contract and staff employees, I would likely have made the same decision if my clients make complaints about questionable content.

 

His reaction basically damned him. If this is all legitimate of course.

[deadprofile 1,122]

As someone who leans feminist, I can say: Dragon Dicks is a terrible person and Ted should have apologized instead of trying to defend his position.

 

This shitstorm attracted a few anti-feminists, but the backlash against this was entirely reasonable.

 

I guess I am fairly neutral on the issue (personally such hot button topic seems frivolous to me when there are much more dangerous and real problems in the world that people tend to ignore or do not care so vehemently as is being done in this situation). I guess my stance has left me confused. I see no one in the right and everyone in the wrong....

I do understand IDW's position. Something this controversial should not be allowed to fester within their company. As someone who helped run a business, what you do outside of work does impact who you work for, especially if it gets out on the internet.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I guess I am fairly neutral on the issue (personally such hot button topic seems frivolous to me when there are much more dangerous and real problems in the world that people tend to ignore or do not care so vehemently as is being done in this situation). I guess my stance has left me confused. I see no one in the right and everyone in the wrong....

I do understand IDW's position. Something this controversial should not be allowed to fester within their company. As someone who helped run a business, what you do outside of work does impact who you work for, especially if it gets out on the internet.

Sure there are probably bigger issues in the world (there will always be a bigger issue) but Ted still did something that pissed people off for legitimate reasons.

 

Could you elaborate on how you think the people against Ted were in any way in the wrong here? Ted was associating with an extremely radical feminist who was advocating violence against men, made no effort to hide this association, and put nods to her into the official MLP comics, and then just kept saying stupider and stupider things when this came to light. Going "wtf IDW?" seems pretty reasonable.

[deadprofile 1,122]

It's just wrong that these things every happen. Again, I just see the fighting as frivolous, and by the way things sound, people freaked out over a t-shirt (the artist), to which Ted defended (in inappropriate ways), to which people responded in inappropriate ways.  That kind of fighting is wrong, no matter who is standing in the right. The fighting is not constructive, does not solve problems, and just give people bad names and make everyone angry....I understand who is in the right and wrong in terms of this controversy, but has any positive solution come out of this? Firing Tom to save face is one thing, but that damage is done, the comic is out, and people will stay angry. No body is in the right if nothing good is done, regardless of who is right.
 

I do not think IDW "overlooked" this piece in the comics, something tells me the higher ups had no idea. I would say "WTF?" but understanding how businesses work, IDW is doing the corrective thing (for them) to fire the guy, and that's really all they are going to do.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

The thing I find most sad is that Ted Anderson was easily one of the most talented writers on these comics. The two-part Trixie arc he did is still probably my favorite of the comics.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

The dude shot the finger to his fans - the people who loved his product and pretty much paid his bills - by including the OC of someone who explicitly hates them. He then followed it up by saying only men can be sexist and implying only white people can be racist.

 

I'll be withholding my sympathy this time around.

[Genepool 224]

It's a rather stupid thing, but I'm still curious if he's that JJJ/Cuteosphere/whatever person who was drawing artwork. 

 

In the end, I still feel like I'm missing something, though, to be honest, that may just be me trying to dig too hard into something when it's just too simple and plain.  I don't read the comics.  This doesn't hurt me, yet it does suck when a person endangers their career because of personal beliefs. That's why I always keep my internet style and my real life self separate. 

 

I can only ponder what will become of the comics.  Hasbro could take action, and IDW could face a stiff penalty, much to the point they shut down production of the comics.  It's doubtful that would happen since the comics bring in extra money, but I can only wonder. 

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

This doesn't hurt me, yet it does suck when a person endangers their career because of personal beliefs. That's why I always keep my internet style and my real life self separate. 

I think it has less to do with his personal beliefs as much as it does including the notoriously anti-brony OC in a comic primarily consumed by bronies. You shouldn't really do stuff like that to the fans, y'know? His reaction afterwards really didn't help his cause, but punishment was coming his way regardless. The fact he fought with the fans as opposed to apologizing for offending them is probably what did him in.

 

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I can only ponder what will become of the comics.  Hasbro could take action, and IDW could face a stiff penalty, much to the point they shut down production of the comics.  It's doubtful that would happen since the comics bring in extra money, but I can only wonder. 

It's pretty unlikely. IDW has gotten rid of their bad-element and this was something that could easily slip by the notice of the editors. Up until this scandal hit, probably the only person at IDW who would have been familiar with Dragon Dicks and recognize her OC was Ted Anderson himself. Plus IDW has been making good comics this whole time.

[SanityNotIncluded 335]

I don't usually side with the whole anti-SJW pitchfork brigade, but I'm honestly glad for what happened here. Whilst I don't think Ted's reply was as bad as people are making out (it has some semi-decent points buried under a really heavy handed approach), at the end of the day, including her OC was way out of line. I mean, all politics aside, I really don't think that the show staff should include anyone's OC in the first place unless it serves an actual purpose like with that Make a Wish Foundation kid for an example.

[Commissar Alexer 763]

I have no pity towards him.

 

He had decided to include it and now he must live with the consequences.

[deadprofile 1,122]

I think it has less to do with his personal beliefs as much as it does including the notoriously anti-brony OC in a comic primarily consumed by bronies. You shouldn't really do stuff like that to the fans, y'know? His reaction afterwards really didn't help his cause, but punishment was coming his way regardless. The fact he fought with the fans as opposed to apologizing for offending them is probably what did him in.

 

What I really don't understand with the anti-brony...is that what defines this person as an anti-brony? Her (i think it's a her) tumblr is very rebel like (skulls, and "cute" gore..an oxymoron I know) and very feminist with some LGBT elements, but the actual pony stuff (at least with the real characters) seem cute, but her OC's seem like rock rebels. Maybe they have a deeper meaning I am unaware of...but I looked at quite a few pages....What is Cuteosphere's story with the brony community?

It's a rather stupid thing, but I'm still curious if he's that JJJ/Cuteosphere/whatever person who was drawing artwork. 

 

In the end, I still feel like I'm missing something, though, to be honest, that may just be me trying to dig too hard into something when it's just too simple and plain.  I don't read the comics.  This doesn't hurt me, yet it does suck when a person endangers their career because of personal beliefs. That's why I always keep my internet style and my real life self separate. 

 

I can only ponder what will become of the comics.  Hasbro could take action, and IDW could face a stiff penalty, much to the point they shut down production of the comics.  It's doubtful that would happen since the comics bring in extra money, but I can only wonder. 

 I do not believe anything will happen to the comics. This issue is more or less, an adult internet issue. The biggest buyers are the kids, who for their age, do not and should not know what is going with this controversy. I am sure some parents will freak out...but I do not believe it will cause the cancellation of the comics.

 

See and that's the thing...The story is so simple and plain, I was extremely confused of this sudden distraught within the brony community...I learned about it this morning....I just read the comic this morning (got it last night) and didn't notice a thing....of course I read it fast, but when I get home, I will check out the source of the problem....

 

The other thing I am wondering, if Cuteosphere is very radical feminist, and by the sound of it of what Tom said, he is in the opposite camp. Why the team up?

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Whilst I don't think Ted's reply was as bad as people are making out (it has some semi-decent points buried under a really heavy handed approach)

The main thing was that Ted Anderson picked the worst possible time to try defend his kooky political beliefs. He clearly doesn't understand the concept of 'picking your battles'.

 

In an alternate world where he actually handled this gracefully, he would have said something like 

 

"I am sorry I included a reference to such a polarizing figure in the comics. It was completely inappropriate. From now on I promise to keep my politics out of the comics I write for IDW."

 

And after that he would have just kept his mouth shut till things settled down.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

I'm honestly not surprised. FiM is first and foremost a money making machine. Ted had become a liability due to this extreme political views, and then even more so by including those views in a company product. If I were a manager I would have canned him as well, he presents to great a risk to the profitability of the comics now thanks to his involvement of radical feminists in company products. And that isn't even going into the terrible PR he gave the the company indirectly thanks to the way he defended his beliefs I am not at all surprised he was canned.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

What I really don't understand with the anti-brony...is that what defines this person as an anti-brony? Her (i think it's a her) tumblr is very rebel like (skulls, and "cute" gore..an oxymoron I know) and very feminist with some LGBT elements, but the actual pony stuff (at least with the real characters) seem cute, but her OC's seem like rock rebels. Maybe they have a deeper meaning I am unaware of...but I looked at quite a few pages....What is Cuteosphere's story with the brony community?

A lot of self identifying anti-bronies are fans of the show, but dislike the fandom because of things like clop art.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Andaasonsan

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

One thing I wonder is if Ted has actually been let go could he sue IDW (and maybe Hasbro?) for violation of rights to free speech?

 

Either way, this could get ugly real soon...

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

One thing I wonder is if Ted has actually been let go could he sue IDW (and maybe Hasbro?) for violation of rights to free speech?

 

Either way, this could get ugly real soon...

Considering that neither Hasbro nor IDW are government entities and he'd been hired to write a comic to represent their property: no.

[The Coffee Pony 1,390]

One thing I wonder is if Ted has actually been let go could he sue IDW (and maybe Hasbro?) for violation of rights to free speech?

 

Either way, this could get ugly real soon...

 

He has no case. Free Speech only guarantees that you won't get arrested for your opinions.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

Considering that neither Hasbro nor IDW are government entities and he'd been hired to write a comic to represent their property: no.

 

 

He has no case. Free Speech only guarantees that you won't get arrested for your opinions.

 

Fair enough. Wasn't aware of that myself.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Fair enough. Wasn't aware of that myself.

Yeah it's a very important difference that seems to come up with greater frequency in recent years. Most likely because of the growth of new media formats.