Dixon vs DC: Round One

[drice6900]

Wow! Looks like Chuck Dixon is a bit hot...

 

Dixon leaves DC in a huff

 

Chuck Dixon: ‘I did not quit’

June 16th, 2008

Author Kevin Melrose

 

Despite the chorus of “no comment” that followed the announcement last week of Chuck Dixon’s abrupt departure from DC Comics, the writer is still commenting.

 

And although Dixon never mentions him by name, a lot of his remarks seem to point to Dan DiDio, DC’s senior vice president-executive editor.

 

Dixon posted late Friday on his message board “just to counter some nonsense I’ve seen ‘reported’ on other sites”:

 

 

I did not quit.

I do not believe it had anything to do with politics.

My involvement with Robin ends with issue 174.

I think my BATO run is over with #10.

My Booster two-parter will still be appearing.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Storming Paradise continues on schedule.

For those keep score, yes, I was way ahead on both of my monthlies. Down the road perhaps I’ll offer those scripts and you folks can help out Books for Soldiers as you so generously have before.

 

 

(Storming Paradise is Dixon and Butch Guice’s six-issue Wildstorm miniseries set during in World War II. The first issue debuts next month.)

 

Dixon also appeared in the comments section of a post at Comics Should Be Good that questions DC editorial’s handling of Final Crisis, Countdown, Death of the New Gods, Robin, and Batman and the Outsiders.

 

Dixon, writer of Robin and Batman and the Outsiders, steps in to say:

 

 

Don’t blame my editors.

 

DC, currently, is run from the top down in a way that makes Jim Shooter’s aegis at Marvel look like a hippie commune.

 

 

He follows that a little later with:

 

 

Shooter was very dictatorial with strict rules for writing and drawing superheroes.

 

The difference between his reign at Marvel and the current one at DC is that Shooter was successful at raising circulation and longterm planning.

 

 

And then, when another commenter asks, “Taking a shot at Warners? At Levitz? At DiDio?,” Dixon clarifies:

 

Not at Paul.

 

Warners? The geniuses who merged with a company that was billions in the red? Trust me, most days they don’t even KNOW they own a comic company much less take an interest in running it.

 

 

On the Shooter front—

 

 

Though I saw Shooter in full fledge psychotic editorial rage a couple of times, he did provide leadership at Marvel and didn’t change the company’s direction five times in one day. And the company climbed out of the red and became vital again under his stewardship. I disagreed with many of his ideas when it came to continuity but he was at least consistant and you knew where you stood. And merit was rewarded back then. If you sold well and handed the stuff in on time you’d never go without work.

 

 

And finally (as of this morning, at least):

 

 

I’ve worked under tyrants and I can say that I’d prefer to work under a talented, knowledgeable tyrant with a successful plan than a directionless gladhander with a ouija board any day of the week.

 

 

[Zonker]

I had high hopes for Didio several years ago. The run-up to Infinite Crisis was pretty intriguing, and the One Year Later restarts showed promise, with the top talent hired for the Superman & Batman books. But in practice the One Year Later stuff was horribly executed. I think DC's few successes in the last few years have been due to Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison, working despite "the plan" from the head office. (or at least under the radar)

[dudeman5000]

Holy smokes Chuck! Way to stick to your guns and get your feelings out there. Unfortunately it has gotten him fired. He should have posted under a shill account named "Grant Morrison" .

 

Chris

[jordanscott]

He should have posted under a shill account named "Grant Morrison" .

 

Chris

 

 

Well I'm glad he's open about his experiences Interested to see if Captain Ouija has anything in the way of a response.

[General Zod]

Phew, between Dan Dido and Joe Quesada, where's the good EICs?

[jordanscott]

Phew, between Dan Dido and Joe Quesada, where's the good EICs?