Dwayne McDuffie fired from JLA for "revealing too much"

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2009/05/28/dwayne-mcduffie-fired-from...

This is just sad on a lot of levels...this man was a major force in making the JLA cartoon the great thing it was...

...I hope to see a lot more McDuffie in the Marvel U. in the near future.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Batmatt Beyond said:

Hmmm...based on McDuffie's comments at Newsarama, it sounds like he's been fired from just the comic, not from working for the company.

You're right...I've changed the title of this thread...

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Batmatt Beyond said:

I think his most inflammatory comment was posted elsewhere when a fan asked him if he enjoyed writing the comic and he replied "No."

Yeah -- I think that might've been the straw. Better to hedge a little there -- "some days I do, some days i don't." Less honest, apparently, but more diplomatic.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Rob Staeger said:

Batmatt Beyond said:

I think his most inflammatory comment was posted elsewhere when a fan asked him if he enjoyed writing the comic and he replied "No."

Yeah -- I think that might've been the straw. Better to hedge a little there -- "some days I do, some days i don't." Less honest, apparently, but more diplomatic.

I don't think that was the straw; I think it was the fact of all of those individual comments collected in one place, revealing the sausage-making.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Well, certainly, that's a big part of it. But I think the "No" affects the tenor of those comments -- not only are we seeing the sausage being made, but we're learning the sausage maker doesn't like it and doesn't enjoy making it.

[Rich Lane]

In any event, I'm sorry to see him go. This is the first time I can remember in several years that the JLA is having a multi issue story that's not part of a crossover.

[Terence Stewart]

Sometimes I wish the 'net had never been invented - being made privy to all that background knowledge by 'disgruntled' Pros destroys the actual reading pleasure I get from comics. I've had a lot of issues with McDuffie's JLA, but even when I start to enjoy it I get pulled back down to earth by what I read on message boards. I read McDuffie's comments on the DC JLA Board, and to be honest, if you say on the company's own message board that you don't enjoy your job, then it won't really come as much of a surprise when you are let go.

[Rich Lane]

Terence Stewart said:

Sometimes I wish the 'net had never been invented - being made privy to all that background knowledge by 'disgruntled' Pros destroys the actual reading pleasure I get from comics. I've had a lot of issues with McDuffie's JLA, but even when I start to enjoy it I get pulled back down to earth by what I read on message boards. I read McDuffie's comments on the DC JLA Board, and to be honest, if you say on the company's own message board that you don't enjoy your job, then it won't really come as much of a surprise when you are let go.

No snarkiness intended, but the best way to solve that problem is not to read it. I don't mind a few things here and there (like this thread, for instance), but that's the main reason I avoid stuff like Lying in the Gutters and such.

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

Batmatt Beyond said:

I read pretty much all of his comments on the DC board's JLA thread. His comments were insightful, but didn't seem to reveal anything too inflammatory about the creative process. He simply acknowledged that he didn't have much creative control over Justice League of America, but he knew that was part and parcel of writing the title.

That's how it looked to me, too, although I was still surprised at the frankness. I'm not even interested in JLA, but I thought it was a fascinating look at the "creative process" on the DC Universe books.

[Batmatt Beyond]

Rich Lane said:

Terence Stewart said:

Sometimes I wish the 'net had never been invented - being made privy to all that background knowledge by 'disgruntled' Pros destroys the actual reading pleasure I get from comics. I've had a lot of issues with McDuffie's JLA, but even when I start to enjoy it I get pulled back down to earth by what I read on message boards. I read McDuffie's comments on the DC JLA Board, and to be honest, if you say on the company's own message board that you don't enjoy your job, then it won't really come as much of a surprise when you are let go.

No snarkiness intended, but the best way to solve that problem is not to read it. I don't mind a few things here and there (like this thread, for instance), but that's the main reason I avoid stuff like Lying in the Gutters and such.

Johnston published his final Lying in the Gutters on Monday, so there goes one outlet for getting the skinny on the creative process.

You know, the fact that McDuffie was sharing details about the creative process on the DC boards for a couple of years might just confirm that DC editorial isn't paying any attention to the chatter on their own site.

[Rich Lane]

Batmatt Beyond said:

You know, the fact that McDuffie was sharing details about the creative process on the DC boards for a couple of years might just confirm that DC editorial isn't paying any attention to the chatter on their own site.

That's precisely the type of thing I was referring to earlier. If the boundaries are never really established, it's unfair to chastise someone for going beyond them.

[Terence Stewart]

Rich Lane "No snarkiness intended"

None taken. I understand what you are saying, but despite my wishful thinking that the 'net had never been invented, I do sometimes enjoy dipping into message boards (which is where I read Dwayne's comments initially, not on Lying In The Gutters), but I think a line sometimes has to be drawn between pro and fan interaction.

Sometimes the presence of a pro on a message board can stifle criticism, sometimes a fun discourse can be had, but when pros are particularly candid about company politics it can suck all the joy out of what should essentially be a fun hobby. As I said, I was just getting to start enjoying JLA (I'm quite happy with McDuffie's 'Cap's Kookie Quartet" - that was when The Avengers actually became interesting), but it became very difficult to seperate the actual comic from the insider knowledge I'd become privy to.

Back in the day, I would never have known all that stuff (unless I came across some gossip in a fanzine), and would probably have enjoyed the book more being blissfully unaware.

[John Dunbar]

I really respect McDuffie for being honest and saying "No, I don't enjoy writing the book", as he could have given a vague, non-committal answer to that question. I read the interview and he didn't come across as bitter or petty or a prima donna at all; he came into the job knowing he had to work within the confines of the DCU, but obviously having the rug yanked from under you all the time got old after a while.

It is sad. The guy is a huge talent and obviously "gets" the Justice League. I won't pretend to be an expert on the day-to-day of the creative process, but it seems he was micromanaged when he should have been given free reign to write what he wanted. DC should have taken a page from Marvel and let all these intrusions be stand-alone minis - and let Dwayne McDuffie tell the stories he wanted to tell.