SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT!

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

I don't think it's an ideal situation for comicbook contributors to air their "dirty laundry" in public - and it's with a certain reluctance that I do so now.  As some of you will already know, a certain person and myself had a disagreement over on the pages of his blog, which became quite heated.  I feel that my participation in the uglier aspects of this argument were in direct response to needlessly sarcastic and impertinent remarks by him.  My present comments are only prompted by his insistence on entering into legend (on the guidelines of his blog and various posts) his prejudiced, provocative and inaccurate interpretation of the nature of - and the motivation behind - my responses to him.

Anyone who follows his blog will be aware that our disagreement was over a newspaper article about the negative influence (if any) that some comics may have on some readers.  Things were probably hotter than they should've been - on both sides.  He felt I was being "aggressive" and "abusive" - I felt I was being "assertive" and "defensive" in the face of my viewpoint being misrepresented, and scorn being heaped upon my intellect and intelligence for daring to have an opinion different to his own.  (And perhaps that's exactly how he felt.)

Anyone reading the discussion on his blog should be aware that my initial comments weren't prompted solely by his most recent airing of the subject, but also on comments he made in a previous entry pertaining to the matter.  Did we merely misunderstand the tone the other was adopting, not seeing the intended good humour behind each "verbal" joust?  And did this lead to both of us becoming too defensive in the face of what we imagined to be barbed attacks on ourselves?  Perhaps.

The irony is that, on the particular subject under discussion, we're not too far removed on the matter.  Perhaps we both need to brush up on our communication skills - but it would be a great start if he learned to respond to what someone is actually saying - not what he thinks they're saying.  (Or what he wants them to be saying.)

Also, in dismissing his own disdain for those he presumptuously assumes to hold a different opinion to him (2,900,000 newspaper readers for a start) as a mere "silly generalization" - while emotively describing my assertive replies to his supercilious remarks as "aggressive", "abusive", "disproportionate" and "relentless", "ad hominem attacks" - he hardly reveals a balanced or objective mindset on his part.  Bagging and tagging my comments in this way will no doubt influence some into viewing them as exactly that, and to interpret them detached from the context of a spirited discussion of which he set the tone and could have ended at any time.

Unfortunately, I have been left with an extremely low opinion of this individual after our 'discussion'.  However, you live and learn, eh?