James Hudnall interviews Steve Bissette in this 2 1/2 hour podcast:

http://thehud.com/2012/08/hudcast-14-steven-bissette/



I haven't listened to it myself yet. That's a pretty hefty chunk of listening there. But I bet it will be worth it. Bissette also commented:

There's obviously *some* animosity still held.



Implying you believe BW is a bad thing. Good to know. Okay, so let's connect the dots. What do you think about Joe Kubert's willing participation in this project? Do you have any information as to why he decided to be a part of it?

StePHen.

Can't wait to listen to this. Steve always gives a great interview.

Bissette didn't finish the Puma Blues story. When Sim didn't offer the Cerebus phone books to distributors, one of them (I forget which) wrote him a nasty letter saying that in retaliation they weren't going to carry The Puma Blues. Sim printed the letter and replied with "DO YOUR FUCKING WORST" and telling them to drop Cerebus, too.

I don't know what more happened after that.

You clearly haven't a clue what happened before, DURING, or "after that," either.

I would greatly appreciate it if you'd quit trying or pretending to speak with any authority about me, my career, my history, my opinions, my work, or my circles.

You've made abundantly clear your contempt for me and my work, and that of my mentor; I am weighing in for the courtesy of those still visiting comicon.com seeking conversation and information, and for the record.

I'm then signing off for good and always.

Anything said about me, rather than BY me, on this board should be taken with (ahem) a bucket of salt.

No wonder every pro in the field has abandoned comicon boards—it's toxic hereabouts.
_____

I completed not one but TWO stories for the PUMA BLUES benefit issue; the specifics are here, where they've been since April 2009 (and elsewhere in print, earlier, if anyone cared to look):

http://srbissette.com/?p=3668

I also wrote an intro for one of the collected PUMA BLUES trades; I completed everything ever asked of me, or commissioned from me, by/for Stephen Murphy and Michael Zulli at PUMA BLUES, and my support of their work, their efforts, and their stand (in the Diamond/distribution debacles) was absolute. If you won't take my word for it, contact Murphy and/or Zulli, and/or check the published record.

If anyone cares to know what actually happened with Dave Sim, PUMA BLUES, and the Diamond debacle, the full story is on my weekly blog MYRANT in a multi-part essay, spring of 2009; I also covered much of it in detail in this series: June+ 2009 multipart (nine installments) essay on the origins of TABOO, beginning with http://srbissette.com/?p=4467

And: http://srbissette.com/?p=8540 —as part of the multi-chapter overview of the DC Ratings Debacle (that series of essays ran all through the spring of 2010).

If anyone cares to know anything about me, my background, my career, or history, visit my weekly (daily it was, 2005-Jan. 2012) blog at http://srbissette.com

Even you, Allen.

Maybe you'd learn something.
_____

As I said earlier, I won't be baited into a conversation about BEFORE WATCHMEN with you, Mr. Montgomery.

I appreciate your stance on the matter, but you've frankly no concept of my own opinion on WATCHMEN, BEFORE WATCHMEN, or what I know of the matter. I certainly can't divine the thoughts or reasons of other freelancers involved with either project, then or now, nor is it my place to do so in a public forum. As Alan himself worked with many characters and properties over the years that were the creations of others, nothing is simple or "as it seems," and it must be said sometime that all parties involved in WATCHMEN had at least three decades to sort things out to some other conclusion than that which presently exists. That didn't happen; the DC dynasty that WATCHMEN was created under simply no longer exists; and corporations do what they do with what the perceive as their property when they see no reason to not do whatever they do, unfair as you or I may consider that to be.

My history with Alan is personal, professional, and unfortunately for the most part quite past history (by Alan's decision, not mine), though I've honored Alan plenty in the past and no doubt will again. I've also stood up for his rights, publicly and behind closed doors, more times than even he knows, and always will. I've discussed a small portion of that chapter in my and our lives publicly elsewhere (see "Mr. Moore and Me" in PORTRAIT OF AN EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, for instance); there is far, far more I'll never discuss publicly.

As for BW and the rest: Suffice to say we all have to live with the contracts we sign, and with the terms we've agreed to, and with what's done with those contracts and our work. I do. Alan does. All of us who work in the industry, or have, must.

However, if I do discuss the BW matter elsewhere with mature adults outside of my classroom (where I have and continue to discuss such matters with my students and peers), you may find it online in time. But most likely not.

But surely not here.

And surely not with you.

I hope we one day meet face-to-face and can have a civil conversation.

Sadly, you've made it abundantly obvious we can't do so here, and you've no one to blame for that but yourself.

Farewell.

Thanks for posting this Peter.

You didn't finish the Puma Blues story in that interview. Sorry if I don't follow your every utterance to know if you ever told the whole story somewhere else. Get over yourself.



Have I? No, not if one knows how to read. The only thing I have contempt for is blind adherence to Political Correctness.



"Toxic." Uncontrollable by you, you mean. Yeah, it's so much nicer to be able to respond to only what you want to respond to and not allow any dissent (Wertham, Hitler, BushJr...). But by all means just leave and then email your buddies how you'd like to shoot me.



I don't want a conversation about BW. It's evil, along with everyone involved in it. I would just like to know why Joe Kubert decided to be a part of that.



Jealousy, clearly.


Theoretical disdain over the legalities, with regard to your own interests.


Which is why I'm asking.



Oh, so I could potentially get the answers to my questions for only thirty-five thousand dollars.



If I find the information I want, or anything related to it, I will bring it here.



Being civil is not the same as fawning, which is what you want. If I ask questions you don't want to answer, just don't answer them. Don't tell me that I'm wrong for asking them. That's just wasting everyone's time. On top of not being very civil.



I can also blame Joe Kubert, for his having contributed to Before Watchmen.

Was this picture taken in 2007? Good Lord, James Sturm has aged horribly. I last saw him in Savannah in 2001 and he still had a full head of black hair.

Pretending to speak with authority about things of which he's ignorant is pretty much what Allen does around here. It's like asking a fish not to swim or a turkey not to gobble.

Mike

Or asking Mike not to resort to ad hominem attacks.




Also, asking questions is the exact opposite of speaking authoritatively. Just so you know.