Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new nutjob!

Keith, come on down to the Gutters and we'll take care of your needs as best we can.

What in hell is a "story arch?"

Guys, as much as I disliked what he said, and as much as I think Jen's the cat's pajamas, I think this thread has kind of run its course, hasn't it? We haven't heard from the guy, maybe he's reconsidered some of his vitriol.

Gail

After reading your post, it's pretty clear that the comic industry is better off without you. Thanks for leaving.

Though I should have posted to this thread yesterday when my attention was first called to it, I ran out of time... apologies to Jen, as I'm here for her defense.

Please add my name to the chorus in support of Jen, who has given my little book nothing but solid support since even before it was printed. She's one class act, and I'd certainly grant her the benefit of any doubt, with or without a death in her family.

I'll refrain from any comment on Keith, as I think he's done enough damage to his career all by himself.

It is not true that the Pulse only cares about big publishers! Jen has been as supportive of me as she can be, and I'm just a self-publisher! She was kind enough to interview me when I was just a teenager printing my first book.

You are angry, but lashing out at Jen and the people posting here is not going to make you Right. It just makes you more Wrong. Accept that your anger is misplaced and try to make ammends, if that is still possible. Only children throw tantrums like this.

I know this thread is over and done - I got here late.

However, I wanted to add my comments to the POSITIVE BALANCE and hopefully make this infamous thread memorable for all those who support Jen and her work and NOT that other (already forgot his name) guy that was complaining.

It should go without saying that Jen is a class act, and supports ALL forms of sequential art (from zines, to webcomics, to indys and company titles, et.).

Jen, my sympathies to you and your recent loss. We are only the pride of those who raised and believed in us. Thank you Jen for your hard work.

I encourage others to give positive support and balance out the front loaded crap I had to read through.

Jimmie Robinson
Image Comics

Add my voice as well to the "Jen Support" chorus. She busts her ass for the underdog/indy creator ALL THE TIME, and has a track record seven miles long proving this! I go into the promotion of any book I put out EXPECTING no response from news services, so when I do get exposure, I'm sure as hell grateful for it. Jen has ALWAYS been one of those supporters; not because she is indebted to me in any way, but because she's a smart, respected journalist who knows her stuff.

Keith, if you're THIS freaked out at one pot-hole in your masterplan to promote your book, then pack up and go home now and save yourself a world of hurt.

The indy/self publishing market is a small enough place, and now that you have, for all intents and purposes, pissed in the punchbowl, don't wonder why you're getting flack for it...

This is a business; in any other business your conduct would have you out on the curb selling pencils from a tin cup.

And make no mistake: This IS bad publicity. No good spin here. All this talking about your book is nails in its coffin... You've made it nearly impossible to send any support your way when you act like this. You really need to re-assess if this is an industry you can work within.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!********
I don't know who the heck this Keith guy is, but I can't believe my ears!!!

How could he attempt to insult Jen (of the Pulse) that way? When I came across his post, I was shocked that he would personally attack her like that. It is uncalled for and completely unprofessional of him!!!

The worst part, was that he would dare to mock the death of her grandmother in her family. What the FU*# is he smoking???

Let's stop this BS and get real... I too am an independent publisher, and I know how hard it is and how much time is spent to get one's work out there, I know it first hand, but how can he possibly blame his drop in sales because of Jen who was attempting to help him? That is insane!!! What if she didn't have a website? Ever think of that??? What I have read on Jen's web site at the Pulse, it is CLEAR as all hell, that she is one of the few who actually give a freaking voice to us independent artists and this guy Keith should be grateful his page was on her main page of her web site for 11 days!

Before he goes blasting her like that, he should go and see that in fact she DID keep his page up in the past interview-section and in fact, even took the time to explain to him that she was dealing with a passing in her family which is none of his business anyway! Did he ever lose someone in his family? How would he feel if someone talked to him that way?

I hope that under the circumstances, he will publicly apologize to her!

How rude to publicly post such comments as he did.

In the opening of his post, I can only imagine what that reviewer, Paul (of Jazma), must feel at how Keith used his review like that.

Keith should not use his interview for his own agenda in attacking Jen on the post as he did! Paul was obviously attempting to help Keith as well with promoting his work and give him a voice too and obviously had no idea that Keith would use Paul's interview in the manor that he did.

I checked out that Paul's Jazma site and it appears that Paul has never said anything negative to my knowledge about anyone as Keith has done and this is just uncalled for of Keith.

I cannot justify why Keith would USE Paul like that and why he would go after Jen the way he did? There is no excuse for it, if he had an issue, right or wrong, he should have done it in private or brushed it off, we all get attacked on the net and I have had my fair share, but I have never lowered myself to stoop to that level... Again, It if fine if there was a misunderstanding, but give someone the benefit of the doubt for Christ's sake and don't attack the death of their grandmother!!!

Again, I think Keith is using Jen as a punching bag and that he owes her a public apology for his unnecessary attacks.

I think he forgets that she works nonstop too and has more interviews to handle than you can imagine, just look at her web site, she is one person! If Keith would think about how hard he worked on his book and now think of how hard she must work to give the proper attention to each person she interviews, and she does give a voice equally to independent artists as she does for all comics, then Keith would have cooled down and seen what she was attempting to help way above the call of duty so to speak.

Again, Had Keith Privately vented his concerns to her and given her the benefit of the doubt privately without posting it to the public in this tell-all childish way, then anyone could respect that, but he made an attempt to embarrass and humiliate her and make fun of the death in her family, when in fact, all he did was show everyone just how wrong and hurtful he could be to a decent and thoughtful person like Jen.

I hope he will make an attempt to rectify this situation for Jen's sake and out of respect to fellow hard working artists.
Respectfully,

Graig F. Weich
Overworked President and Founder of:
www.BeyondComics.TV

:sniffs around for rich johnston:

it sucks that all this happened over misunderstandings. while the consensus is that jen is great, it does start there. shooting off an email saying, "due to unforseen circumstances, your story is going to be held for release. i apologize."

at that point, klein knows whats going on and presto, no need for him to feel neglected. no need for nat to read more into his posts than was really there, then no need for klein to add a "g" to his name. there wouldnt even be a reason for people to tar and feather klein!

in my experience as a photojournalist, the best reporters let people know when their stories get delayed or worse, cancelled. that's not an attack on jen or lack of sympathy for what she was going through. its like they say at our performance evaluations, "we don't get perfect scores because none of us are perfect and we all have room to grow."