What I Can And Cannot Do

I've been recently asked why I don't just publish "Goodbye To Comics" uncensored and with all the names. The person who asked me has been in this industry a long time, and can really answer his own question. Would doing such a thing result in perhaps a little more justice for women? Maybe.

Or maybe the wagons would just pull in just a little more tighter. And maybe the bulk of the comic book media would just "happen" not to run the story. And maybe I'll get a bunch of emails asking how I could do something like that to "such nice people" -- and ask me to retract everything. You know, just like when I committed the cardinal sin of even mentioning the "DC Insider" on my blog.

And maybe someone would just "happen" to beat me into a coma. People get stabbed to death over bus transfer tickets. How about a high-profile three-part expose illustrating how someone is a sexist creep who used his power to ruin people's careers? When I first reported the harassment, a colleague told me that the person in question wanted to punch me in the face. Maybe it will be even more awesome now.

And who will stand by me, outside of close friends? When it gets that personal? In an industry this small? Who in this industry would want to publish it as a memoir? What website, other than personal blogs, would want to host it, or even cover the story? Newsarama?

What organization would protect me? Friends of Lulu? I have enough on my plate getting this newsletter and the Christmas cards out. Now I gotta go protect myself too?

What happened to me was very, very terrible, and I don't want to see it happen to anyone else.

But I have one family member who was just born, and another who is very ill with cancer. I have a dinner on Friday in front of a bunch of women that I have to prepare a speech for. I have one script to edit, and one to write. And coordinate and come up with content for a newsletter. All by the next two weeks. That's not counting my day job, or the two whole screens of email from the last day-and-a-half that I have to deal with.

Let me educate, protect, and empower. Let me accept what I cannot change. Let me keep the door open to any woman who needs help.

I may never change Warner Bros or DC Comics. But the topic of my speaking engagement on Friday is, "Women Working In A Traditionally Male Field."

Let me focus on what I can do.