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As reported at Bleeding Cool, Frank Cho has stepped down as variant cover artist on Wonder Woman only 6 issues in to a 24 issue run. The reason? WW writer Greg Rucka didn’t want Cho drawing sexy times covers:

All the problem lies with Greg Rucka.
EVERYONE loves my Wonder Woman covers and wants me to stay. Greg Rucka is the ONLY one who has any problem with covers. Greg Rucka has been trying to alter and censor my artwork since day one.

Greg Rucka thought my Wonder Woman #3 cover was vulgar and showed too much skin, and has been spearheading censorship, which is baffling since my Wonder Woman image is on model and shows the same amount of skin as the interior art, and it’s a VARIANT COVER and he should have no editorial control over it. (But he does. WTF?!!!)
I tried to play nice, not rock the boat and do my best on the covers, but Greg’s weird political agenda against me and my art has made that job impossible. Wonder Woman was the ONLY reason I came over to DC Comics.

To DC’s credit, especially [Art Director] Mark Chiarello, they have been very accommodating. But they are caught between a rock and a hard place.

I just wanted to be left alone and do my Wonder Woman variant covers in peace. But Greg Rucka is in a hostile power trip and causing unnecessary friction over variant covers.

 


Here’s an example of a pre and post-Rucka cover, and as you can see the difference is small…but significant.

Cho’s statement is pretty petulant even for an artist known for juvenile stunts and constant clowning. He had another slam at Rucka on his FB page before he thought better of it. (I forgot to screen cap or copy it because it’s a little hectic here. No matter.)

UPDATE: Oh someone did.

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When I first read this my first thought was “And I would have gotten away from it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids!”

Cho’s defenders on FB are invoking censorship, SJWs and “Feminazis” — a sure sign of the high moral ground.

Cho’s Wonder Woman covers are beautiful, no question, and he draws great women, no question. I’ve often thought that the outrage over Cho’s paid commissions was misplaced, as they are not controlled by Marvel or DC and it’s a free country. However, this is a PAID gig, one Rucka and his artists Nicola Scott and Liam Sharp already made a stand over, by demanding to move the book from Eddie Berganza’s office to Mark Doyle’s office. Cho’s covers obviously appeal to one faction of DC – the long standing admirers of mild, well-executed cheesecake as exemplified by DC Bombshell, Ame-Comi Girls and so on. However, Rucka seems to be aiming his Wonder Woman run at a more contemporary and diverse audience, and cheesecake is not necessarily the way to reach that audience.

And yes, yes these were variant covers. They still speak to the main purpose of the book and who it’s aimed at. Picking Cho for a variant run was a bold choice but one that was doomed to backfire almost from the git go.

Also of note, Cho quit, he was NOT fired. This was his choice to stand up for his artistic vision, and I doubt we’ll ever see any shortage of beautifully drawn cheesecake tits and ass shots from him. Those who want that material from him will be able to get it, no problem. And if you have the money you can commission a drawing of Wonder Woman doing whatever you want. He’ll never want for money, as he makes a fortune doing commissions, and I’m sure he’ll get some other, more appropriate work lined up. So please, don’t cry for Cho. Instead of trying to work within the author’s vision of the book, he insisted on doing it his own way, and stormed off when he wasn’t allowed to.

62 COMMENTS

  1. This stinks because Cho’s swole Diana actually looks badass, but he presents himself publicly as such a douchebag, it’s not hard to imagine his account is quite one-sided. It’s also hard to imagine Rucka as needlessly needling a cover artist over nonsense .

  2. They should get Brian Bolland back on WW covers. Nobody and I mean NO BODY ever has or ever will draw Wonder Woman with as much power, grace, class and wit like Brian Bolland.

  3. That’s a complete failure of art direction. Why hire a cheesecake illustrator if you wanted to do something more progressive? That’s like saying you want a sensible family car and buying a motorcycle instead.

    That being said, i’m sure Rucka through gas on the fire behind the scenes as well, per his style. Drama follows him like a shadow.

  4. I’m just SO fucking sure Greg Rucka is at total fault for you being an insufferable little twat, Frank Cho, you pot-stirring jack ass.

  5. I was less than impressed with his variant WW covers that I’ve seen, to be honest. Diana’s upper body and head seem smallish compared to her lower body, and she just looks odd. And that third cover pose is a bit too much cheesecake for the character. I’m sure Cho’s fans are disappointed, but I’ve been sticking with the regular covers which have been lovely.

  6. How is that cover any worse than the swimsuit costume WW has had for the past 43 years? That costume was OK to use on children’s merchandise but that Cho cover is over the line? I’m sorry but Rucka is way out of line on this. Dropping the book until Rucka and his censorship are gone.

  7. I think you’ve addressed it perfectly here.

    Cho delivers incredible work, but he also likes to draw attention to himself, test boundaries, and court outrage. It sounds as though Rucka has a very specific voice in the editorial direction of this book, especially with it changing offices. I’m sure no small part of that is the movie being on the way and DC (for the moment) trusting him as a chaperone for their IP. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he established a specific, early stance on Cho’s art.

    (Also, not for nothing, Rucka recently described Nicola Scott like so: “She’s got no tolerance for it, she won’t put up with it, and if she don’t like it she’s gonna fix it or somebody’s gonna know why.” Who knows what really occurred behind the scenes – perhaps Scott wasn’t pleased with Cho’s version of Diana, either.)

  8. I had really liked Cho’s first variant cover of Wonder Woman, I thought perhaps he moved past his “outrage” garbage. I am heavily disappointed that he didn’t.

    Fantastic artist but perhaps a little too insulated from the real world of consequences. This isn’t censorship. It’s a job. He doesn’t like it and appears to have stepped away from it so that’s that. Lots of brilliant artists out there who would jump at the chance he’s decided to toss. I think everyone involved in this will survive. Just a hunch.

    His slamming of Rucka and his supposed agenda against him but coddling of DC’s art editor smacks heavily of pandering. Rock and a hard place? Nah, no such thing. It’s a business. Perhaps some of that outrage is misplaced just a smidgeon.

    I do have that variant, though. I intended to get the others. I probably won’t now since what I hoped didn’t come to pass in terms of Cho’s attitude. Really such a waste. He’s incredibly talented.

  9. It’s just another edtirorial mess from DC. Apparently, the direction of this book wasn’t clear for everyone in a position to make a choice, be it the choice of a cover artist or a scripter.
    Oh, and the argument -it’s only a variant- doesn’t work anymore. We now know there are at LEAST 10% of people buying comic sonly for their variant covers.
    Oh, and I had to search hard to see any big difference beetween the two covers shown.

  10. Seriously? Frank walked from a steady paying featured cover gig over his artistic integrity in drawing panly lines? Please.

    And then of course made sure we all know why too.

    Whatever. You can’t blame Rucka over being a primadonna unwilling to work with the editorial guidelines. Bitch all you like frank but at least own your BS,

  11. There is a lot of speculation in this article and in these comments. I don’t know what interpersonal politics determine who works on WW covers but I do know that not one of you knows Greg or Frank well enough to get the truth from either. This is op-ed gossip at its finest. It’s ok if you don’t like either one of them, but to pretend anyone here knows what’s happening is insane.

    Happy shit-talking.

  12. Either spec. Wonder Woman u dear her armor wears a “two-piece” (top only and no bottoms) or a one piece unitard (aka “swimsuit” / “panties”). I’ve been under the impression that she has bottoms that are external wear (I.e. not “panties”).

    Rucka’s version is actually worse — it draws attention by hacking up needlessly a complete picture — suggesting that Wonder Woman may even be nude under the armor, much less panties or swimsuit/external wear.

    Either Cho is on spec. and therefore not at fault and DC should have stood up for their spec. to the other team members.

    Or Cho was out of spec., and so should have expected editing to remove the offending (technical offense not matter of taste).

    I don’t know if Rucka is right and therefore Wonder Woman goes commando or exhibitionist with panties showing. Or if Cho is right and there’s nothing wrong with her unitard / external wear bottoms.

    But clearly its been long enough since last time a DC editor snatched drama from the jaws of triviality, so one had to do something.

  13. DC knew full well what Frank’s style was when they hired him. It’s absolutely ridiculous for them to hassle him when he was approaching the work as a professional.
    As shown by his commissions that’s where he gets carried away, not on the covers.
    This is the same sort of thing that has driven other artists away from designing for DC. Adam Hughes jumped through hoops designing statues and busts until he finally gave up too.

  14. I would point out that in the example displayed, the inking and coloring really crapped up the art. If you hadn’t compared it to the line art, I would not have known it was Cho. He is better off selling his stuff to those who want to see his style.

  15. Reading his Facebook page of the announcement and the comments that followed gives a rather sickening look into the mentality of Cho and kind of fanbase he’s cultivated.

    Here’s a fun game,

    Count the number of times someone called Rucka a “cuck”, They delude themselves into thinking Cho was “chased off” when all it took was a tiny editorial decision to crop his cover to get this supposed professional to quit. None of them actually understand the word “censorship”.

    DC took away lil’ Frankie’s panty shot and he took his ball and went home.

    Frank Cho is the midway point on a gradient scale between early Masamune Shirow and current Masamune Shirow*.

    Cho is a perfect example of a narcissistic artist that won critical acclaim for a long time and suddenly finds the climate of his field changed. He can’t handle criticism. He’s a tone deaf, above average Rule34 artist that just cannot fathom women as anything but cheap eye candy. Everyone who disagrees or wants more from comics is an “sjw” full of “faux outrage”. That he is perfectly content to continue baiting long after most have forgotten.

    He hates being criticized, so he hides behind easy words like “outrage” and “censorship” to give weight to what is otherwise entitled whining and trolling.

    The idiot went on a USA hating rant when he was suspended from Facebook for posting porn. It’s no surprise that he quits over “censorship” from his own bosses. Take your art to Zenescope where they bank on that shit. Stop pretending it belongs everywhere.

  16. Why is every self-righteous asshole such an idiot when it comes to the First Amendment?

    You ar NOT being censored, Cho – the government has not stepped in and forced you to do anything. None of your freedoms have been infringed in anyway, not even your artist’s integrity (not that I am claiming you actually have any to begin with).

    You were paid to do a job. The person paying you asked you to make a very small change and instead you ranted online like a spoiled child and stormed off.

    Grow the fuck up, you incredible douchebag.

  17. Anybody ever notice that Frank Cho’s males often have bigger tits than the girls he draws? Wild! Must have something to do with the American diet…

  18. Anybody ever notice that Frank Cho’s male fans often have bigger tits than the girls he draws? Wild! Must have something to do with the American diet…

  19. Okay… This is some of the most puerile diva nonsense I’ve born witness to in some time, and half my professional life involves working on stage.

    No artist works in isolation when they agree to work in collaboration. This is no different from a director telling me “Please put your shirt on when you sing ‘The Ballad of Booth.'” Sorry, no room for rock stars, *especially* for a bloody variant cover artist. I look forward to Jenny Frison’s work in his stead.

  20. Looking at those images… I don’t blame him for being a little disgruntled. NONE of those images to me look over the top or vulgar. In the third set of images… the finished product was put off center so that her behind wouldn’t show.

    Reallly??? When I look at the original image I don’t even see “cheesecake”…. and I didn’t think twice about her behind.

    What people are missing is WHY suddenly such an image is “too much”. It stems from a bunch of people whining about Spider-Woman’s butt (and yes…. that image was very in your face.. but so what?? It was a variant. Or whining about Batgirl crying because of the Joker.. Now what to we end up with? Ridiculous over sensitivity (at least in my eyes).

    For those who say “good riddance” (regarding Cho). That is too bad you think that.. there is a much bigger issue that is at play. and is that the root of things. Doesn’t matter if you like Cho or not (personally, I dont know the guy or know much about him… however, I don’t see how he is a “crybaby” because he leaves a situation in which his work is criticized for reasons he thinks are ridiculous. After looking at the “before and after”.. I have to agree. I see no cheesecake. I see nothing over the top.)

    What I DO see though… is a rumor that he is replaced by a female. That could mean nothing at all…. or… it could actual be very relevant.

    (I really am boggled that some people actually think that image is “too much”! wow!)

  21. So the guy that made WW a neck-snapping murderer is now the last line of defense for the character’s integrity? HA! Only in comics…

    By they way, take a look at the covers during Rucka’s previous run as writer. In particular, issues 218-220. Talk about a hypocrite.

  22. I am disappointed with the Beat’s article on this item. It comes across to me as a thinly veiled dig at Frank as an artist/person. None of us know the exact particulars of what went down but instead of keeping to the facts it turns into attack Frank over anything and everything you don’t like about his work.

    Frank is I am sure putting his spin on it but if he feels his artistic vision is being censored or that he is being unfairly targeted by the books creative team then he has the right to do what he did and step down.

    I was looking forward to Rucka’s latest take on Wonder Woman with Nikola and will still read the book to see if it holds up to my expectation. I love Lazarus and absolutely loved Queen and Country so this lets a little wind out of my sails on picking this up at the store next week. I would like to believe this isn’t as petty as it sounds so far but either way DC editorial should have stepped up and quietly found a way to make this work out or to keep it from being a PR incident.

  23. And the attacks I am referring to are in the thread not the article as I didn’t make that clear. I still feel the article is slanted but it is not an open attack like comments are.

  24. It’s like the writer of a franchise movie exercising control over a trailer, I’m with Cho on this one. Those drawings don’t even qualify as “cheesecake.”

  25. This was a doomed relationship to start with. I don’t know what they were thinking putting Frank Cho on this book.

    Disappointed he went on a rant.

    I love the creative team on Wonder Woman and will continue to buy the book..

    Final thought: You are putting a cover on a book with art and story and colors by someone else. To expect them to have no say is maybe the current practice and why we have so many nonsensical covers. But logically they should have a say, your cover is the first thing people see and reflects on them.

  26. I’m sorry but I don’t see anything wrong with those Frank Cho covers. From what I’ve read he has a lot of love for Wonder Woman. Liberty Meadows is based on Linda Carter. I already got my Greg Rucka fix on WW. I was hoping this would lead to some Cho interior work.
    Rucka also cried when when Morrison got the Earth One gig. He took his toys and went home.

  27. To everyone commenting on previous covers to Rucka’s work, it’s possible he had a different take or didn’t have as much input on the direction of the book then. He’s obviously the big dog on this version.

    Cho does what Cho does very well, and many people enjoy it, but it is not appropriate for every book or every audience.

    Also, we don’t know what went down but we do know what Frank told Bleeding Cool. That is fair game to discuss.

  28. You see, this is where being a casual fan helps – I don’t know either Rucka’s or Cho’s work and am simply a long time fan of Wonder Woman. I don’t know the history of either person so all I have to go on is Rucka’s reputation (sounds like I’ve missed some great work) and Cho’s snotty blog post (sounds like a crybaby to me). Also, being a gay man, I wasn’t blinded by the ‘hotness’ of the images and yes, I immediately saw her underpanties. Do I think underpanties are right for WW? Nope. Do I find the images offensive? Nope. Am I a prude? 20 years in the adult industry would say no. These are great drawings but maybe for another character where readers and the creative team feel it’s in character to treat her like a prostitute or a Kardashian. Nothing wrong with either, by the way, but that’s not WW. I’m saddened to hear that WW has become a “neck snapping warrior’. but I feel that a ‘neck snapping warrior’ is closer to her true character than “an ass serving hooker” (although neither is the WW I love but then, few of DC’s current characters – maybe Wally West- have much connection to their previous pre Nu52 incarnations. But, as it’s a business and ‘grim and gritty’ still sell 30 years after Dark Knight Returns, I guess I just have to shrug and enjoy other comics.

    Bottom line, as many have pointed out, Cho received money to produce covers. His covers were not in line with editorial guidelines. You can argue that the guidelines weren’t specific enough (but really, do you have to say ‘hey how about no panties?:”) and that Cho wasn’t the right fit to begin with (artistically or temperamentally, it seems) but DC controls the character and it’s DC who makes the decisions (and it seems that in this case, DC handed the management of the character to Rucka who rightfully exercised editorial guidance).

    Finally, I hope that everyone would please look up the definition of ‘censorship’. Cho’s First Amendment rights have not been violated. Again, he is an artist hired to a job and when he accepted the job, he accepted the guidelines. If you can’t do that, fare thee well and create your own art/character/guidelines.

  29. Wonder Woman was originally desinged as an Irving Klaw type bombshell.

    Cho draws her in simple pin-up fashion. But virtually 90% of all superhero covers are cheesecake or beefecake pin-ups.

    I just see this as an excuse for people to rag on Frank Cho.

  30. Not with artwork but I had to put up with something like this for years. I would turn in a project, my boss would say fine and then two days later it would get bounced back with the most penny–ante things marked for changes. In my case it was because someone slightly higher up the food chain had it in for my boss and they could not actually throw stuff out without a reason but they could keep sending it back for revision in an attempt to make it look like we were sending out substandard work I think.. I wish I had been in the position to tell them to shove it but I just had to grin and bear it.

  31. It seems as though WW’s costume is overdue for a redesign as well. Why is a character who is in constant action wearing a skirt where we can even see so much skin or her panties?

    In comics in general It always blows my mind that any female character that can fly or likes to do any high kicks would choose a skirt. Whether there’s tights beneath it or not. Just seems impractical and fuelling for the drooling misogynists.

    Not sure how that’s Cho’s fault. He’s known for drawing “Apes and Babes.” That’s what he promotes, that’s what he claims to want to draw, that’s what he puts out there. That’s what he’s going to want to do if you hire him, and it’s what he’s going to get angry about if you don’t let him do it. Seems like the problem came before Cho at the hiring level and this could have been avoided without making any party look bad.

  32. Spencer,

    For what it’s worth, Wonder Woman just got that skirt as a part of a new redesign to (presumably) line up with next year’s film.

  33. Looks like another clash between “traditional” comic people in the DC editorial/marketing dept vs. “progressive” talent working on the books. Not unlike the Batgirl/Joker cover. I have a feeling it won’t be the last.

  34. As an artist, I can attest to the frustration that comes with someone nitpicking things. (I once went through eleven redraws of a face for a client before they casually decided they preferred the face in the fifth pencil drawing, causing me to have to erase the face another time and redraw the fifth version. Then the guy stiffed me on the drawing.) In this particular instance, I’m siding with Cho, based on past experience. When it comes to drawing, you have to be able to enjoy what you’re doing. Frank went to DC because he wanted to work on Wonder Woman. I haven’t seen anything in the first three covers that was offensive. If anything, Cho’s Wonder Woman covers have been the most powerful and muscular renditions I’ve ever seen of her.
    As to the third cover, I’m not seeing anything sexual at all about this scene. It’s a classic action shot of Wonder Woman deflecting bullets with her bracelets, which we’ve seen throughout her career. It’s a defining pose and action for her. Theoretically, as Rucka has not issued a statement as to whether this is the offending part of the cover but it’s what was cropped out, Wonder Woman’s bloomers were showing. (Note, they’re not panties, as DC established a very solid rule that any heroines wearing a skirt as part of their outfit would be wearing bloomer shorts, not panties, underneath, as a way of ensuring no chance of upskirt shots of their character’s undergarments.) As Cho pointed out, these were not edited out of the interior art of the book, so why did this particular image cause such distress to Rucka if not for some sort of animosity? (Again, this is a theory, as Rucka has not shared his side of the story.) To be honest, if you were to edit out the bloomer lines, then there would be more skin exposed, and the suggestion that either Wonder Woman is wearing a thong (a highly sexual undergarment) or is going commando under that skirt. Either option highly sexualizes the character, far more so than a pair of bloomers would. For someone who is trying to keep the character from being “cheesecake,” willingly cropping those bloomers out seems to defeat the purpose. (Unless, perhaps, Rucka wanted it to be more cheesecake, and that’s where the issue between the two was coming from since Cho’s work on these covers has been the furthest from cheesecake I’ve ever seen him do.)
    As for the responses I’ve seen, including the article in question, both sides have been pretty obtuse.
    To the commenters who say, “We don’t want that type of cover because it would attract male readers who are attracted to that sort of art” I have to say, how do you expect those male readers to potentially change after reading how a strong, dynamic female character is supposed to be written if they are never exposed to that writing? Perhaps you’re just looking for an excuse to be sexist yourselves and not feel guilty about doing so. (As an artist and writer, I have actively looked for examples where feminists will point out where characters were written right. Very, very rarely, will a series be pushed to the forefront as a good example. (I am hesitant to list those examples, out of fear that those books will suddenly be attacked for being too open to male readers.) If you want things to change, then give praise to the titles and talent who get things right.
    To the guys who are screaming “Social Justice Warriors” and such, you realize that you’re being a “Social Justice Warrior” yourself, right? SJW isn’t limited to one gender, ethic background, etc. If you really want to make a difference, then voice your arguments in ways that are constructive. List the reasons why you don’t see the criticism with respect and care to showcase that maybe not every guy sees things that way. Name calling isn’t the way to get someone to see your point of view.
    As for this article, I came across it on my Facebook feed, and it was the first I’d heard of Frank leaving the book. I’ll concede the point that there are a few places where Frank gets a bit over the top. Your quote is indeed just Frank’s side of things, and it’s obvious that he’s pretty livid. I will also state that Cho’s crossed lines more than a few times with his reactions to outrage over his work. (His endorsement of a very openly hostile toward females editorial site just because they were backing his “outrage” covers left me shaking my head in disappointment.) Your article shows so much open hostility that you lose your objectivity and reason. I get that you don’t respect him as an artist or person, but you completely ignore that Cho decided that it was best to leave a hostile work environment. An environment which, according to him, was created by one person in particular. If it had been a female artist leaving because of a writer nitpicking and being openly hostile toward her, would you be ranting about her personal character or would you be supporting her decision? My answer hasn’t changed in that scenario, regardless of whether I liked the work of that artist.
    As Gail Simone, pointed out, we only have Frank’s comments to go on. We don’t know Rucka’s side, nor will any of us likely know them well enough to get the full story from either of them. The only response I’ve seen from Rucka is a tweet, “My accessibility is a choice, not your right.” Perhaps Rucka didn’t like Cho, and refused to discuss the book or stories with him so the covers could more accurately reflect the story. Perhaps it was a show of support for Cho deciding to leave the book. It could just be Rucka saying, “I’m not going to post anything about this situation, and you don’t have a right to demand that I post about it.” Cho’s not working on the book anymore, and that’s a shame as I’ve liked what I’ve seen of his work on it thus far, but I respect his decision to leave a bad situation. It’s obvious that they weren’t a good creative match. Hopefully the new artist will have a better working relationship with Rucka.

  35. Guys, really? This is just a variant cover, to help boost sales. You guys seem so damn happy to send these publishers to their graves with all of this bs criticism of just a variant. It’s one thing for the control on the main cover, but for an artist whose fans are in sexy females, which this one is ridiculously modest. You won’t buy the variant, but his fans might just pick up a copy for it. That’s a positive thing. Geez.

  36. “He’ll get more appropriate work lined up”? And what is more appropriate work for Frank Cho if i might ask whoever wrote this piece of op-ed article bullcrap?
    “Those who want that material from him will be able to get it, no problem.” Yeah, no shit Comicsbeat. Isn’t that exactly the whole idea behind VARIANT COVERS?!? And has anybody here actually looked at the artwork inside the book? If you have, please share with me how the depictions of WW in the interior art differs from the Cho covers (esoecially in issue #2) ir the regular ones for that matter. Cho may be difficult to work with but Rucka is too. It’s not the first time someone’s without a job because of him. So a little more objectivity and less “don’t cry for Frank Cho because he’s just a juvenile cheescake artist” would be much appreciated.

  37. I have no sympathy for Cho. He has long embraced the conservative MRA victim identity politics mantle, probably because he thought it would increase his fanbase. Cho has been using the typical conservative victim talking points (men are so persecuted nowadays!), he even borrows terms from Limbaugh, Alex Jones, Jerry Falwell, all presented in dog-whistle fashion. I keep waiting for Frank to bring “The War On Christmas” into one of his screeds. Basically, Cho was naive to believe he would only get the positives from throwing his lot in with the Whining Conservative Men faction of the country.

    I would suggest Cho move over to creator-owned books if he doesn’t like it when other people complain about how he treats his borrowed toys. Oh wait, for some reason, he used to do creator owned, but for some reason needed to give up and go the DC/Marvel work-for-hire route. Actually, I kinda wish some artists would do some Liberty Meadows commissions, test Frank’s notions of total free speech and deferring to the illustrator. Something tells me that Frank would become VERY “politically correct” in his reactions to something like that!

    Anyway, I am sure the above will OUTRAGE Frank’s fans – the 800 or so people who bought “Jungle Girl.”

  38. This is quite funny because it is two middle aged men fighting a feminist fight. One is part of the empowerment feminist philosophy where showing bra straps et al is a woman’s right of expression. The other is a proponent of not objectifying women because it is demeaning. I’ll repeat myself this fight is being fought by two middle aged men. You’ve come a long gone way, commercially speaking, baby.

  39. Frank Cho should just put this awfulness behind him and just nominate himself for an award, like he did in the old days.

  40. Goista – So I take it you would prefer the thoughts of female creators and fans, would find them more valid? I agree. Margeurite Bennett, G. Willow Wilson, and The Mary Sue are unlikely to join Cho’s “There Is Not Enough Tit-Meat in Comics!” crusade. I also think his argument that writers are given too much power in comics is pretty laughable, and likely reflective of his own writing skills.

    I just hope this hoopla isn’t preventing Cho from being enraged by the new Ghostbusters movie.

  41. I typically side with Ms Macdonald on most things she discusses here. This time however, she is wrong. The costume in this case is the same costume in the interior of the book. Rucka should have no say involving a variant cover even if there wasn’t a clear agenda involved in his protests.

    Whether you like Cho’s art or not is irrelevant. He was hired for a specific style of art to sell comics. To micromanage that into something different isn’t just wrongheaded, its idiocy. Rucka is hurting sales on his own book just to give the middle finger to someone he disagrees with for political reasons. Wow.

    DC editorial has had a reputation over the last few years of being incompetent. If this isn’t a clear reenforcement of that ideal, I don’t know what is. These really are editorial decisions and should be handled by them, the editors, not the writer. If Rucka were writing the check it would be different. Chiarello is very good at his job & should be allowed to do it.

  42. Meredith Finch had the character down perfectly, not sure why her stellar and dynamic writing wasn’t kept on. Rucka is just bringing his sleazy atheist trash, shuving it done America’s throats. He is the Harvey Milk of comic book writers.

  43. Cho should know by now that he’s not in control here. He’s just a hired gun. He is not being “censored.” He has no *right* to be published in the manner he desires. He got into a fuss and lost; the editor sided against him.

    …..and honestly, I can’t process his dedication with showing WW’s underwear anyway. He QUIT because DC didn’t show his underwear line! I see NO “significance” in what Cho sent and what DC published. The ‘edit’ on the image is not worth discussing–unless you’ve got some irrational obsession with seeing WW’s butt and underwear. DC just skooched it to the right. Is Cho arguing that the panty/butt is the essence of the image? That that is the central “point” to his visual “speech”? How old is Cho, 15?

    Cho is not looking like a victim here. He’s looking like a spoiled, spiteful child.

  44. The thing about Cho’s OUTRAGEOUS cover commissions is the way he presents them as a challenge to the status quo, and if you don’t like them, you are just being PC. That argument might work if he applied that kind of agit-prop thinking to more than just tits and ass. His “OUTRAGE!” covers are always Power Girl or Wonder Woman, “Oh no! My big bulbous tits just fell out my boob window!” But you notice he never draws Dick Grayson’s flexed bare asshole, with Batman leering at it and saying something like, “Damn! That ass looks even better than it did when I kidnapped Dick from the orphanage! I’m so glad I brought my amyl poppers!” (with an obligatory Batgirl sticking her head out and screaming “OUTRAGE!”)

  45. Cho released a statement to The Mary Sue where he claims the issue was a matter of the art department offering him “complete freedom” on the covers while unaware that Rucka had been given final say over the cover art. Cho was given his terms as a verbal contract, Rucka got his in writing.

    http://www.themarysue.com/frank-cho-wonder-woman/

    Can’t say I’m very broken up about the departure myself. Cho can turn out some good art, but it’s not hard to find dishy WW pin-ups and I’m not a fan of his online nonsense. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the Rucka/Liam/Scott run quite a bit so far and plan to stick with it.

  46. Someone said that Cho should have expected something like this, because “it’s just a business.”

    Why is that a reason not to complain of inequitable treatment?

    Ah, if only Cho’s name was “Janelle…”

  47. The new covers from the new variant cover artist are just as if not more revealing and sexual than Cho’s.

    Seriously…

  48. I love the work of both these guys, for completely different reasons. But if some-one had to go, I’m glad it was Cho. Rucka’s killing it on the new WW book.

  49. Really people? If you hire Frank Cho, you’re going to get Frank Cho! And it’s a Variant cover! It’s not like DC didn’t know that when they hired him. Either let the man do what you know he’s going to do
    (with out interference) or hire someone who’s safe and won’t chafe being under Rucka’s pc thumb!

  50. 5 years later all I can say is- every single woman he draws looks 99.9% the same. I don’t think we’ll miss out on his ‘creative vision’ when he quits gigs like these.

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