We get most of our mainstream comics news at The Outhouse, which despite being a little rough with the personal jokes, still has a jaundiced and often hilarious view of comics publishing that’s closer to the truth than many would suspect. However in a recent spate of comics news site turnovers, The Outhouse is losing it’s editor in chief, Christian Hoffer, who’s moving on, after creating thigns such s the “Has DC Done Something Stupid Today” countdown clock. Although he cites the usual—life changes, less time—it’s clear that the snarky tone of the Outhouse also took its toll:
I think online discourse is a weird, wonderful thing. Sometimes, though, I think people get too caught up with being assholes to each other and too concerned trying to win online battles to really feel compassion and empathy to one another. I think that compassion is something that the world needs a lot more of, and that’s something that I need to be better about online. When you start tossing out words like “hate” on such a regular basis, you become filled with it. And I think a life filled with hate isn’t a very good one to live. With me, the snarkiness on here is supposed to be goofy and a way to make a point. But I’m not sure if our readers always get that, and I know the folks who “hate” us sure don’t. But hey, negativity begets negativity, so what should I expect other than half-jokes that some randos on the East Coast want to see me dead?
Hoffer has been a good friend to the Beat—I think we considered each other sister sites—and I’ll definitely miss him and hope he sticks around. Jude Terror will be staying on.
As mentioned above, the attrition in comics sites has been fearsome of late. Lucas Siegel left Newsarama last fall; Matthew Meylikhov left Multiversity in January; Andy Khouri hung it up at Comics Alliance just days after and eventually made his way to DC. All of the sites seem to be moving on, but comics journalism burns you out pretty quick unless you’re nuts.
Or maybe Hoffer is taking a job with DC too? Now that would be AWESOME.
Yeah, I find myself increasingly burnt-out on snark and more inclined to appreciate earnestness. Trying to practice that myself, though it isn’t always easy.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gotten a lot of laughs from a lot of sarcastic bastards over the years. But I think that’s almost the point — it’s everywhere, and finding someone who ISN’T jaundiced can be a real breath of fresh air.
It would be more than awesome to see the creator of “Has DC Done Something Stupid Today” counter land a job there. Don’t see it happening, but it would be awesome.
Oh look, yet another of the people who’ve devoted themselves to directly contributing to making internet discourse a toxic swamp has received a tiny bit of splash back and decided to high-mindedly run away and leave everyone else to deal with the cesspool they’ve created.
Fuck him. I hope he drowns in a vat of his own shit, and someone uploads footage of it to youtube for everyone to laugh at.
BREAKING: Man Upset That Internet Discourse is Toxic Swamp Wishes Person “Would Drown in Vat of Shit”
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