Almost immediately after Orson Scott Card was announced as the writer for a new digital Superman series, comic-book fans outraged at the author’s Lex Luthor-level hatred of gays have been calling on DC Comics to banish him to the Phantom Zone.
Now comes word that Chris Sprouse, the artist on the upcoming Adventures of Superman story from Card and Aaron Johnson, has left the book.
“It took a lot of thought to come to this conclusion, but I’ve decided to step back as the artist on this story,” Sprouse said in a statement today. “The media surrounding this story reached the point where it took away from the actual work, and that’s something I wasn’t comfortable with. My relationship with DC Comics remains as strong as ever and I look forward to my next project with them.”
We kind of wish Sprouse had said it was Card’s bigotry that was taking away from the work, not “the media surrounding this story.” But if this get’s DC closer to canning the Ender’s Game scribe, so much the better.
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For now, though, DC is still committed to the project—Card’s story has been pushed back and a different story will take its slot in the lineup. “Chris is a hugely talented artist, and we’re excited to work with him on his next DC Comics project,” said a spokesperson. “In the meantime, we will re-solicit the story at a later date when a new artist is hired.”
An anthology series offering 10-page stories with the Man of Steel, Adventures of Superman is scheduled to launch online April 29. A print edition follows in May.
hephaestion
I would never work with an anti-gay bigot like Orson Scott Card either.
Caliban
Unfortunately, Sprouse never said “I don’t won’t to work with someone like Orson Scott Card.” What he said was the issue had become such a distraction so he pulled out of the project.
Not the same thing at all.
Both Sprouse and DC Comics have been pretty mealy-mouthed about Card, and in light of how offensive Card’s words and work really ARE that’s pretty piss-poor, IMO.
Dakotahgeo
Fire the homophobic bastard and hire Mr. Sprouse back immediately. Superman said so!
2eo
Someone who I won’t name has agreed to put the entire digital release comic up without DRM before its release on sale if they go ahead with Card.
I won’t name this person because they will lose their job, but I completely support it and have offered to host the content personally should Card’s work be released.
DarkZephyr
Seeing as how DC comics made the original Green Lantern a gay man in Earth 2, I am surprised that they support Card so ferociously. I don’t believe that they are homophobic at all. At least I didn’t think that they were. Its not so clear now, I guess.