Last week, an argument over the interpretation of sight lines on a comic book cover broke out. The kind of things artistic scholars have debated for centuries saw the artist Dan Panosian, enter that discussion to defend his work from allegations of sexism.
But it was the intervention of his friend and colleague, popular comic book writer Frank Tieri of the likes of Ziggy Pig, Old Lady Harley, and plenty of Deadpool, Wolverine and Batman that ramped it up a couple of notches. He told Dan,
Dan, you've done absolutely nothing wrong here. You defended your work and you did so in a professional and respectful manner like you always do. And for the record, I don't think there's anything wrong with your cover, either
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) March 7, 2019
What Frank said, 100%.
— Simon Bowland (@SimonBowland) March 7, 2019
And then Marc-Oliver Frisch, who used to write occasionally snarky sales analysis columns for The Beat and riled a few people up the wrong way, as a result, started responding. And, with a seeming history between them, it got nasty, fast.
Why, it must be Shitheel Thursday at Team Comics Central. https://t.co/cwDD8ppgIv
— Marc-Oliver Frisch (@knallkultur) 7 March 2019
This, by the way, is the Tweet by Mr. Tieri's professional and respectful peer who vanity-searched for his name and, little did he know, ended up finding some criticism on one of his drawings. https://t.co/YZvWKO9bpA
— Marc-Oliver Frisch (@knallkultur) 7 March 2019
Hey, I'll happily find out how to tell you to go f-ck yourself in German if that'll make you feel better.
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) 7 March 2019
You must have digged really deep for an insult that's not misogynist, I'll give you credit for that.
— Marc-Oliver Frisch (@knallkultur) 7 March 2019
Whatever the f-ck that's supposed to mean. Anyway, douchebag… No one's heard from you in like a decade and we were all very cool with that so you can kindly go back to being completely irrelevant wherever the fck you were. Thanks!
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) 7 March 2019
It really warms my heart that there's a bunch of assholes on the other side of the Atlantic who are still pissed at me for what I wrote 10 years ago.
— Marc-Oliver Frisch (@knallkultur) 7 March 2019
And by the way, you psuedo intellectual piece of shit, whenever you grow balls big enough to call me an asshole to my face, you let me know. We can do it at a con or in a parking lot but I'm either way, quite sure that you won't.
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) 7 March 2019
It continued but that tweet was the one that got more people worried. The 'parking lot' reference was interpreted one way.
Dude. Calm down. Think hard before writing things like these for posterity.
— Xavier Hugonet (@XavierHugonet) 9 March 2019
Here's a comics writer that's so desperate to prove his manhood and superiority over someone else that he's threatening violence. Imagine having such cowardice rooted so deep in your soul.
Don't allow this.https://t.co/dUzUFhIqUB— d a v i d. (@hermanos) 9 March 2019
And then I got brought in.
Rich Johnston got punched at an NYCC by a comics writer once. He took it on the chin and didn't snitch. But maybe in 2019 we should try harder to sweep these bad actors off the board
— d a v i d. (@hermanos) 9 March 2019
Well, yes. And, as a foreigner in the US, not knowing what I could do that wouldn't potentially affect my entry into America then or since, just took the beating, and legged it. Still feel shame about that – I blame toxic masculinity. It's not something I've talked about much but it got out, and of course I'm hardly in a position to criticise David for gossiping about me, am I?
I mean, threatening someone you know lives thousands of miles away is selling wolf tickets to me, but what do I know? Maybe this 48 year old man is really out in these Brooklyn streets, knocking out whoever crosses him like he 16 again. Bet not, though. Sounds like a pose to me
— d a v i d. (@hermanos) 9 March 2019
But then Frank repeated his offer to David Brothers, current editor at VIZ Media and previously Branding Manager at Image Comics.
Actually you don't know the history I have with the guy- a guy who started that whole exchange by attacking my friends and calling me names by the way. But either way, you can go f-ck yourself & you get you the same invite I gave him.. say it to my face, keyboard John Gotti
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) 9 March 2019
And it was suddenly a whole other thing. And critics and creators had statements to make.
Although he says "pecan" wrong and he threw my veggie pizza in the street once, @FrankTieri is a fiercely loyal friend and one of my favorite humans on the planet #TeamTieri
Also, he introduced me to @Doncates, so I owe him a lot 🖤
— 𝔐𝔢𝔤𝔞𝔫 ECCC A5 ℌ𝔲𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫 (@blackem_art) March 9, 2019
Regarding comics men demanding critics meet them face to face in a car park 🙄🙄
I was once warned that I should hope to never meet a prominent comics man on the street, after I reviewed his comic.
I knew what he *meant*.
We ALL know what these vague threats mean.
— thal (@thalestral) March 9, 2019
Here's what I know: @FrankTieri is about as loyal a friend as there is, in comics or out. He's earned every inch of his career in this biz with great work, and he has a huge heart. If you know him, if you know anything about him at all, you know that.
— Your Friend, Cully Hamner (@CullyHamner) 9 March 2019
Standing offer to make fun of Frank Tieri, his terrible comics, and his life choices straight to his smirking face. In the parking lot, per his suggestion, because everyone knows that's where the most civilized conversation takes place
— Kim O'Connor (@shallowbrigade) 9 March 2019
You know those friends you have that no matter what kind of madness is happening in your life- they always have your back? Frank Tieri is one of those guys.
— Jimmy Palmiotti (@jpalmiotti) 9 March 2019
Claire is a thoughtful, kind, and talented critic who brought up a very reasonable and completely valid critique of a cover which I agree didn't fit the comic, and now Frank Tieri is threatening to punch people. Grow the f-ck up all of you children.
— Rosie Knight (@RosieMarx) March 9, 2019
Not sure what happened, but even if he's a Yankees fan, @FrankTieri is a good man. Spent a lot of time with him this past weekend and he's one of the good ones. So, I'm #TeamTieri
— chris eliopoulos (@ChrisEliopoulos) March 9, 2019
Imagine if dudes in comics put half as much energy into supporting marginalized creators when they get harassed as they do defending Frank Tieri from ::checks notes:: having his own inflammatory comments read back to him
— Nick Hanover (@Nick_Hanover) 9 March 2019
@FrankTieri is a stand up guy. One of my favorite people to get drunk with at shows. Like others are already saying, super honest and loyal. 💪
— Sean Gordon Murphy (@Sean_G_Murphy) March 9, 2019
Fascinating to watch comics men close ranks so quickly round Frank Tieri. We're seeing in real time the agenda which protected people like Eddie Berganza for years
— 🔥 Steve Morris 🔥 (@stevewmorris) March 9, 2019
@FrankTieri is one the kindest, most fiercely loyal people I've ever met. I can't tell you how many times he's been a supportive shoulder for me and for anyone else who needs him.
He also introduced me to @blackem_art so I will forever get that dudes back.
— DONNY CATES (@Doncates) March 9, 2019
Oh, come the f-ck ON, fellow comics pros.
Look, Frank Tieri may be a nice guy in general, for all I know – everyone is more than their worst tweet, yadda yadda yadda. And I understand wanting to defend your pal.
But what Tieri tweeted is indefensible. Period. pic.twitter.com/Z4a0cLezVK
— Barry Makes Comics (@barrydeutsch) 9 March 2019
Life is too short for aggressive Twitter battles. Regarding my friend @franktieri – he's old skool and if you come at him aggressively- or anyone for that matter- be prepared for some of the same. I learned it's best to pause and ultimately walk away from negativity.
— Dan Panosian (@urbanbarbarian) March 9, 2019
So now that he's blocking me, how would I let Frank Tieri know if I decided to take him up on his repeated offer to do me bodily harm? These dudes are so confusing! pic.twitter.com/bZirnd9vH1
— Marc-Oliver Frisch (@knallkultur) 8 March 2019
Although there was a different take…
A remake of 3 O'Clock High, but set at a comic convention and starring Frank Tieri as Buddy Revell. pic.twitter.com/HUPUNarDtk
— Jude Terror (@judeterror) March 9, 2019
…not helping, Jude.
Somebody tell Frank Tieri, I heard 1.5 million bats have challenged him to a fight in the parking lot in Austin, TX tonight. Is he man enough to show up and be carried away by a horde of angry bats? Or is he just a keyboard warrior? https://t.co/UW7dVPH6fB
— Jude Terror (@judeterror) March 9, 2019
Since writing this up last night, Frank Tieri has deleted his tweets and has issued Bleeding Cool with the following statement, which will be posted on his social media. He says,
Sometimes combining personal stress and the negativity of the internet can cause even the best of us to overreact and to say things that are not normally in our nature or that represent how we behave in our daily lives. And unfortunately, that's what I got caught up in the other day. I overreacted in trying to defend myself and a friend against what I regarded as numerous personal attacks. I regret my choice of words and, in retrospect, I certainly see how they can be taken literally. Just to be clear, although my rhetoric was heated in the moment, I in no way meant a literal statement of violence or threat upon anyone, either online or in person. Regardless of my intent, though, the end result was unprofessional of me and wrong. Apologies to those involved, the fans and my friends in the industry who have always supported me… this won't be happening again.
Maybe it's worth, in future, taking care where the lines you draw are pointing to.
Alternate timeline. pic.twitter.com/NZFDGBN8sP
— Heidi MacDonald (@Comixace) 10 March 2019
The prophecy has been fulfilled
— 🔥 Steve Morris 🔥 (@stevewmorris) 10 March 2019