Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris Hates Women (Cosplayers)
Everyone knows women can’t be nerds. If it were up to men like Harris, women would have to take an exam proving their cred before graciously being allowed entrance to conventions.
There is a saying about biting the hand that feeds you. Tony Harris, two-time Eisner Award winner and veteran comic book illustrator, obviously hasn’t heard of it. In a rant post to his Facebook page on Monday, November 12 (below), Harris launches into a tirade against women cosplayers.
While it should be shocking that a person in the industry would go out of their way to alienate and slut-shame half the human population, it isn’t. So let’s break down Mr. Harris’ argument and figure out what he’s trying to say.
“I appreciate a pretty Gal as much as the next Hetero Male. Sometimes I even go in for some racy type stuff ( keeping the comments PG for my Ladies sake) but dammit, dammit, dammit I am so sick and tired of the whole COSPLAY-Chiks. I know a few who are actually pretty cool-and BIG Shocker, love and read Comics.So as in all things, they are the exception to the rule. Heres the statement I wanna make, based on THE RULE: “Hey! Quasi-Pretty-NOT-Hot-Girl, you are more pathetic than the REAL Nerds, who YOU secretly think are REALLY PATHETIC.”
Women at cons, especially women in costume, are there for the pleasure of men. From the completely covered gender-bent Doctor Who to the “racy” stuff like Powergirl, ladies exist only as eye candy and potential wank material for the men. The hotter you are, the less likely we are to believe that you read comics or even know anything beyond how to giggle and twirl your hair. Regardless of level of “hotness” assigned to you by the men, you will never be pretty enough to respect. Our own confidence issues tell us you secretly hate us, so we will preemptively hate you back, cutting you down to size and making sure you know your place.
You are willing to become almost completely Naked in public, and yer either skinny( Well, some or most of you, THINK you are ) or you have Big Boobies. Notice I didnt say GREAT Boobies? You are what I refer to as “CON-HOT”. Well not by my estimation, but according to a LOT of average Comic Book Fans who either RARELY speak to, or NEVER speak to girls. Some Virgins, ALL unconfident when it comes to girls, and the ONE thing they all have in common? The are being preyed on by YOU. You have this really awful need for attention, for people to tell you your pretty, or Hot, and the thought of guys pleasuring themselves to the memory of you hanging on them with your glossy open lips, promising them the Moon and the Stars of pleasure, just makes your head vibrate.
Ladies, you are clearly here only for our amusement but we loathe you for it, you whores. How dare you expose your skin to portray a character? We know you’re all secretly sirens and not human at all, living for the moment when you can force men to objectify you and use your memory later that night back in a lonely hotel room. How are men supposed to resist your allure? Self-control? The onus is on you to make us behave; we are not responsible for how we view you. What other reason would you have for cosplaying, if not to cock tease? Not love of character, not the fun of being able to dress up, and certainly not because you WANT to. No, you’re attention seekers reveling in the role we have given you while we hate you for making us do it.
[…]YOU DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT COMICS, BEYOND WHATEVER GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH YOU DID TO GET REF ON THE MOST MAINSTREAM CHARACTER WITH THE MOST REVEALING COSTUME EVER. And also, if ANY of these guys that you hang on tried to talk to you out of that Con? You wouldnt give them the fucking time of day. Shut up you damned liar, no you would not. Lying, Liar Face. Yer not Comics. Your just the thing that all the Comic Book, AND mainstream press flock to at Cons. And the real reason for the Con, and the damned costumes yer parading around in? That would be Comic Book Artists, and Comic Book Writers who make all that shit up.
Women, you are not welcome here. If you don’t have encyclopedic knowledge of the character you are playing, it doesn’t matter if you spent four months putting it together, it doesn’t matter if you’re just having fun and learning more about the culture, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been a fan for two minutes or two decades, YOU ARE NOT A REAL NERD. If you wouldn’t engage in conversation with a man who is giving off thinly veiled hostility outside of a con, it is because you are a tease. You owe us your time. If you are going to dress like a whore, you OWE US. You are not a person, you are a thing, and by God, you will speak to us or we will slut-shame you right out of our world.
HOT ON
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darrens8 4 months agoIt’s such an unfair thing to say, it’s obvious girls will dress as female characters more likely than male, and nearly every female character wears revealing and skimpy outfits, so of course they’re going to look that way! I don’t know what kind of sausage fest Tony is trying to turn comic cons into, but that’s definitely not a con I want to go to, haha.
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melissay4 5 months agoWhoa! We got a badass over here! i would try and see your point of view, but i cant shove my head up my ass. Listen bub, Yes. There are SOME girls who cosplay at cons for “attention”. but as a cosplayer lady myself for the past 5 years, I never did it for the attention you’re calling out us on. A vast majority of us do it because we have fun doing it and it shows our appreciation for the series. We arent there for you “pleasures”. Youre a sexist jerk who cant accept that the cosplay ladies are hotter than your illustrations!
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- abnerdwightfr added Feet Don't Fail Me Now to the mix about 6 months ago
- Harrold the Flying Sheep thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF
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jadeangel2757 7 months agofirst off, i am an educated female all for women’s equal rights (equal, not superior) so spare me your bullshit about “slut shaming” or “you don’t understand because you’re not a vagina”. women need to calm the fuck down about other people’s feelings regarding pretty much anything that can be construed as negative towards women. let’s think about this for a second. does he have a point? is he allowed to feel irritation over those he considers to be fake? what is wrong with a person who dislikes a woman who goes to a convention strictly to get attention from men they consider to be easier to impress (i’d be offended, were I said men) by showing off their bodies? (he explicitly states there are exceptions to the rule)? jesus christ. in the words of dave chapelle, if you don’t want to be generalized as someone who “whores herself out” then don’t wear a goddamn whore’s uniform. or at least stop fucking bitching about it because i don’t want to hear it, no one else wants to hear it excepting the women who want to justify their behavior and have the whole goddamn world be okay with it. god if you want attention, go do something productive, like volunteer at a free clinic, write an amazing song, or make an elaborate costume showcasing your skills that doesn’t have two holes for your tits to hang out. or you know, just shut the fuck up and come to terms with the fact that not everyone has to love you. /endrant
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Beyond Dimensions 7 months agoI can taste the internalized misogyny from over here. You Mad, Bro? U Mad.
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zachl10 7 months agoWho died and made village idiot Tony Harris the arbiter on who gets to wear what at conventions? Here’s a novel idea for conventions: you hang out with your friends and wear what you like and talk about comic books all you want, and they can hang out with their friends and wear what they like and talk about what they like, even if they never talk about comic books at all BECAUSE THEY’RE JUST NOT THAT INTERESTED IN COMIC BOOKS, which is perfectly okay, and before you know it, everyone is having fun. As Wil Wheaton says, “Don’t be a douche!” Or in your case, “Stop being a douche!”
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PineappleCake 7 months ago
I don’t understand why cosplay isn’t considered an acceptably nerdy hobby all on its own. So what if a person who enjoys making elaborate costumes doesn’t also enjoy reading comic books? I enjoy making costumes for my friend’s theater troupe, and no one cares that I haven’t read Shakespeare since high school English class.
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tonyk11 7 months ago
sorry to say but he has a point. its like on any mmo. tons of girls play, but the only ones you know of make it painfully obvious for the attention that they know theyll get. ask female WoW players about it outside of their house and theyll look at you like you are a burn victim.
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- ginalaviem thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is LOL
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CliftonQuest 7 months agoBottom line, ALL cosplayers like something about their chosen characters enough to put together their costumes and display them. And that is all that matters. As someone else said on the subject: at the worst, the absolute worst, they are finding enjoyment in a different aspect of something you like. No one should be vilified for that, especially not based on the imaginary, unsubstantiated ulterior motives he casts on these people who he knows absolutely zero about. Overshadowed by his view of female cosplayers is the fact that his view of the “average Comic Book Fan” is equally insulting. The average fan is apparently a male, socially awkward virgin who rarely or never speaks to girls and needs protection from these evil, vile jezebels.
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- ondrea thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is LOL & Win
- Doom's Bride thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail
- Joe P. Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris...
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emilymarieh 7 months agoThe questions is, how does that effect you in a negative way? Cause if it doesn’t, it just pointless bitching.
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AdventureNeckbeard 7 months agoHow is anyone here bitching rather than just point out a fact, I say the people here thats “defending” are the ones bitching and taking all of it out of proportion.
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CliftonQuest 7 months ago
The above rant from Tony Harris is a prime example of “bitching.” It is not a rational, benign pointing out of “a fact.” What he is saying is that the majority of female cosplayers are some kind of lying predator. Sure, he makes the requisite exception for the ‘good ones’ (based on his personal definition of such), but says he only knows “a few.” At a mere glance he can apparently somehow divine not only what a woman’s entire purpose is for wearing a costume, but also knows how she conducts herself in other aspects of her life. See how this is not just a pointing out of facts? He is merely making assumptions about complete strangers and then getting really angry about the motives he imagines them to have.
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- Matt Saccaro thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is OMG
- Krutika Mallikarjuna Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... and thinks it’s Trashy, Fail & LOL
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amys47 7 months agoBut how do you know whether or not someone reads the comic/watches the movie/enjoys the artwork? He’s just assuming this, and that’s what makes him an ass. And even for those “skanks”, I daresay they wouldn’t feel the need to dress up just for attention if women were treated with a little more respect in fandom in general.
I know a self-professed “skank in spandex” who literally does it because she doesn’t feel like she’s worth anything else. -
your mom 6 months agoAnd you, cosplayer, are a slut shamer. Do you really think this misogynist asshole walks up to every female cosplayer he sees and asks her if she’s read the comic? No. Obviously not, because he says in his rant that no one speaks to these female cosplayers that “sicken” them so much. If you’re dressed up, you’re just a whore trash piece of meat that doesn’t belong at conventions in his opinion. Congrats on being brainless enough to agree. God forbid females enjoy reading comics, or enjoy things that are deemed “nerdy” and show it. Sorry if we’re not “hot” enough for you and dress up. This guy can go fuck himself. I’ve read more comics and manga then he could think up in his dizziest fucking dreams. I have a degree in theatre costuming. Ergo, I cosplay. So fuck him and the horse he rode in on. Also, if he doesn’t like revealing costumes, maybe Mr. illustrator should draw some characters with some fucking clothes on. My husband is a comic artist and could draw circles around this asshat.
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- Gameslinger thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is OMG & WTF
- Joel B. thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Ew, Trashy & Fail
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Mools 7 months ago
I don’t think his issue is with women who are comic fans, at cons, or women cos players or even women who want to sex up the characters they dress as. His anger seems more directed to the women, likely hired by someone, who are paid to dress up and get attention. Women who know nothing about comics and, as he says, possibly look down on comics and comic book readers and normally wouldn’t give them the time of day if they weren’t being paid. But his concern should be directed at publishers or the con organizers or whomever it is that hires these women to draw in WAY more public and media attention than such an event would normally get. His anger is misdirected and comes across as someone who got turned down for a date and looking for someone to blame.
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- andrem2 thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF
- lanilegend thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Win
- jesspixieb thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Trashy, Fail & WTF
- chrism57 thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Sad
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jenniferd29 7 months agoif you want to see less women showing a lot of skin, draw more women characters wearing normal clothes
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- dolphonia thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail
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jenniferh13 7 months agoTony Harris, you should be ashamed of yourself. Here’s a letter from my talented cosplayer friend.
http://sagedarkwoods.tumblr.com/post/35662891923/an-open-letter-to-tony-harris -
- Molina added I'm Not A Loser to the mix about 7 months ago
- Quinni thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail
- vanessa thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF & Fail
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joliz 7 months agoI am a woman who cosplayed for the first time ever this year at a comic con after really getting into a certain series only a month prior. It was fun to be in an accepting place and connect with other people who were fans of the same things and get to know one another. And as an adult, it was awesome to get to play pretend for a day and enjoy myself. I take serious issue with his statement and how dangerous it is towards women but I just have to point something out. I’ve always been a geek, I grew up loving things I’d get made fun of for and be completely unashamed about it. If I were to show up to a con wearing say… a shirt with batman on it, I’m automatically assumed to be a poser just for having a vagina. I couldn’t possibly be wearing it because I love Batman or spent hours of my life afterschool watching the 60s version with Adam West worshipping Eartha Kitt to reading Frank Miller in high school and be blown away. A guy can be wearing the same shirt and he automatically is accepted - no questions asked. But according to Tony (and many MANY men and women like Tony) because I’m a woman, I can’t display the same appreciation for comic-like things unless I have an encyclopedic knowledge of whatever it is I’m wearing/buying/etc. The fact that I even had to preface any of this with “I’ve always been a geek” is unfair. Long story short, people should be welcomed into the world of comics and all geek things. They should be embraced and taught about what are some of the great things and what should be avoided. Maybe I was just raised differently, but if someone else likes something I enjoy, I get excited because I get to have a shared experience with them. Anything otherwise just makes you an asshole.
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- Molly Donnelly thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Trashy
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- shanedoe thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF
- jennajaner Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris...
- Trjgul thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Win
- Rayvis thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Win
- Nick D. thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF, OMG & Trashy
- purplespider thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Ew, Trashy & Fail
- charlesr10 Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris...
- darksilhouettes thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Trashy, Fail & WTF
- crimsonl Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... and thinks it’s Fail
- jessicaf11 thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail & WTF
- sarah12 thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail
- NarcoticEscape Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris...
- Nick thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Win
- Arie Tharp Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... and thinks it’s WTF, Cute & Delightful
- short1forlife thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Trashy & Fail
- joannaj2 thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is , Trashy & Fail
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Gogo B. 7 months agoHe’s upset good looking woman have come to a place nerdy men (and maybe some insecure women) felt comfortable, and now they don’t, and thus ruining the sanctity of comicons.
Ok, fair enough, to some extent. But if you didn’t WANT to see women in those costumes why draw them like that?
It could not have been a big shocker, especially that “quirky” is the new “in” that women would see the potential of dressing up and feeling good about themselves.
The problem really is on two ends; I’ve heard of attractive women complaining that because they dress up men feel entitled to grope them and treat them as sexual objects, and comic book enthusiasts outraged that these women don’t read comic books.
Here is the simple answer:
times are changing, and if that means that more people embrace comic books than that is pretty awesome.
Ladies, you all know what you are doing is going to get you attention, and if you want to be taken seriously as a cosplayer DO YOUR RESEARCH. Don’t be poser.
Men, IT IS NEVER OK to make unwelcome advances on a woman, regardless if she is wearing the leather bikini of your most favorite illustrated lady.
Both groups need to show some fucking respect. -
- kaitlync thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Win
- alvina3 thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF
- saleemn thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail
- AHIMSAWORLD thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is Fail
- ravenp thinks Comic Book Illustrator Tony Harris... is WTF & Fail
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M R 7 months ago
I’ve got a question for all those commenting to the effect of, “These chicks only dress up for attention [which you actually don’t know but let’s roll with it for now], they don’t REALLY care about comics, and that makes them terrible, awful human beings!”
Why do you care? Seriously? Does their existence somehow diminish the source material? At least religious people who get pissed off about others not being as into their religions have the excuse that they think God will be mad and smite them; what possible reason can you have for being so virulently upset that someone who isn’t a “true fan” (as defined by you, of course) wants to walk around in a costume for a few hours? -
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