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Letters |
Roll Call |
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Novel |
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Messages |
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Fetal Positions
Yesterday Casey stopped by to drop off some artwork and steal some of my latest break-dancing moves. He also brought along a pretty damn kick-ass zine, "Angry and Literate," issue #1. He said he picked it up while hanging out in a cool DJ shop that also happens to sell Fetus-X fashion gear (The Mix Factory - check the merchandise page for address). The zine is put together by a few forward-thinking Michigan State students who contacted us a while back about running some Fetus-X comics. Down with the cause, we said "sure." Well, besides some Fetus adventure, it's got some poetry, film review, serialized fiction, a guide to burning things off the face of the Earth, hilarious instructions on what to do with an old Klan hood, and so much more. Seek it out. And continue to support independent thought and art in all its forms. Speaking of independent thought, here's a letter that's far from typical, but, hell, since when have we done anything typical? I'm identifting the writer by first name only, since I didn't bother to get his permission to publish the letter here.
Hey fellas, Well, I don't judge how successful an episode of Fetus-X is by how many people I can make burst into tears, but then again it doesn't take ESP to know that some people will be offended by our strips. You see, I recognize that some people hold viewpoints different from mine, and those people may be offended by what I believe. But for some reason those people don't seem to realize that I can be equally offended by their narrow beliefs. For example, here are four beliefs of that letter writer (Ginger) that I find particularly offensive. 1. "I thought comics were supposed to be funny. Isn't that the point?" No that is absolutely not the point. How boring would film be if every movie had to be a comedy? No action films, no horror, no drama, no science fiction, no musicals, no romance, no documentaries, just comedy, comedy, comedy. You'd hear conversations in Hollywood, "Sorry, Mr. Cameron, but your Titanic idea just isn't right for us. Perhaps you could make it a little bit more like Ace Ventura." Do all television shows have to be comedies? Do all books? Do all songs have to be poppy little novelty comedy songs? Hell no. Then why would all comics have to be funny? They don't in my world. In my world comics have a limitless, and mostly untapped, potential. As a matter of fact, one of the first comics I ever read was this huge book of comics my mother bought me when I was about four years old. It was hardbound, probably about 800 pages, and it contained nothing but Old and New Testament bible stories. It was called "The Picture Bible." I didn't then, and I don't now, find any of those comics to be particularly funny. Sure, those are some of the "greatest stories ever told," but they aren't worth much for a belly laugh. And I can think of plenty of other comics whose primary goal is not comedy. Perhaps you are familiar with Prince Valiant, Superman, Tales from the Crypt, the works of Jack Chick. Sure, Casey and I like to laugh. Sure, we're usually laughing our asses off while we make Fetus-X. But laughter is far from being our only, or even primary, goal. 2. "Since when were the comics designed to ... express hatred and disrespect for others' beliefs?" Why is it that some people find alternative viewpoints to be so threatening? Go back and read the strips (05.18.00 and 05.22.00) and then read that letter. Now, which is filled with more disrespect? Does that letter writer seem to approach Fetus-X with a respect for our viewpoints? Clearly, when she questions whether our strip belongs "anywhere at all," she is disrespecting our views and attempting to silence us. Did we attempt to silence her? Of course not. But the most interesting part may be the idea that those comics are about "others' beliefs." Guess what? They're not. They are about our beliefs. And if your religion doesn't believe that any other religious beliefs should exist, well, then I wish you the best of luck in your suicide bombing campaign. Well, at least the suicide part of it. 3. "To the authors of Fetus X, it's fine that you don't believe Jesus was sent to sacrifice his life to save us, that he endured unthinkable torture for our sake..." Oh, this is where the writer completely respects me by telling me what I believe and don't believe. Let me explain a few things I personally believe about Jesus. Jesus can obviously overcome tremendous adversity. He can handle being forced to wear a crown of thorns. He can handle being forced to march for miles while carrying a heavy wooden cross. He can handle being flogged, can handle being stabbed in the side with a spear, and, yes, he can even handle being crucified. And, to top it all off, he can take a fuckin' joke. Or don't you have that much faith in him? Next time you're reading Fetus-X and aren't sure whether to laugh, cry, are declare a holy war, ask yourself: "What would Jesus do?" 4. "But what do you gain by ridiculing ..." Now, If you "thought comics were supposed to be funny. Isn't that the point?" (see number 1, above) then I could just say that as long as some people found it to be funny then, hey, mission accomplished, right? But, no, that isn't enough - I'd like to expose people to ideas that they would never come up with, I'd like to say things that others are afraid to say, I'd like to give people feelings they've never felt, I'd like to live in a world where I'm free to make and express my own opinions, and I'd like Fetus-X to create thought and conversation outside of the confines of a one and a half inch strip of newsprint. Judging by these two letters, I'd say we've succeeded. And, as a bonus, we made some people laugh along the way. Thanks for writing in Marcel (and Ginger). Hope that helped answer your questions. Got more questions? E-mail dudes@fetusx.com. Keep your blasé fetus cool,
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