Remember this little nugget of joy I wrote?...

Well, it seems you guys had something to say about that. Here are one or two typical responses (sans e-mail addresses):

Harsh words indeed. But I realized upon reading these replies that my original statement was just as crass, just as blunt, and just as undescriptive (in my defense, I didn't call anyone a dipshit or a retard). I then decided to clarify my statements, so as to not further contribute to the ignorant, angry responses I was getting. Here is my response...

Once upon a time, I read a little sprite comic called "That's My Sonic!" I found it to be a fairly decent sprite comic. Sure, the jokes were a bit juvenile, and the writing needed some work, but I saw the potential to grow. I had the feeling that, if I would just wait a bit, Psyguy (the author) would improve his skills, and TMS would improve along with him. So I kept coming back.

Eventually, he decided to end the comic's long run, saying he did so because of his general distaste of sprite comics. On this point I enthusiastically agree; drawn characters have the ability to convey much wider ranges of emotion, and drawing one's comics gives it a certain unique quality lost by being the 1000th Final Fantasy or Megaman comic around. So while I was sad to see the sprites go, I applauded his principles.

Unfortunately, when I came back to see his drawn works, I was disappointed to see that beyond the artwork, nothing had been improved. He still went on with his poop and boob jokes. A bit disappointing, but I still hung around, certain that he would better his writing skills.

[It should be noted at this point that one thing in particular had already altered my perception on the kind of person that Psyguy is. When he ended the sprite comic run, he took down his entire collection of sprite sheets. This effectively flipped off his entire community of sprite fans, who actively contributed to his library with sprite customizations, and used his sprites for their own projects. Though I never personally used the sprites (since they focused on Sonic the Hedgehog, and my domain is in the world of NES), I didn't appreciate this gesture.]

But then, in a very strange twist, he brought back the sprites. What he had originally declared to be opposed to, he had now brought back without any real explanation. And now he's drawing them again, but with the addition of "Items On High", a sprite comic with the same tired jokes. At this point I had figured out what the deal was: Psyguy was tailoring his comic to garner votes on top lists. It seems almost as if the entire purpose of his site was to increase its own popularity. I realize that other comics (including my own) are on top lists, which serve the sole purpose of increasing their own popularity, but most of use actually have some substance on our sites. We create comics because we have a story to tell, or a joke to tell, or we do it as a living. We don't make comics to stroke our own egos. At least, I would hope we don't.

See, I make comics because I like to make comics. I've been making Zelda Comic for about 18 months now, and I've fallen in love with the characters and the story. More than once, I've considered ending the story (usually when I get fed up with the limited versatility of sprites in general), but I realize that wouldn't be fair to the readers, who've faithfully followed the story for some time. And it wouldn't be fair to me for the same reasons.

I cannot respect a man like Psyguy, a man with no moral grounds, a man with no regard for others. What he does goes against everything I stand for. So sometimes I gotta let it out, and sometimes doing so can appear to be calloused and unwarranted. If it seemed that way, I do apologize.

So if you don't want to read my comic anymore on account of principle, I understand completely. That's why I don't read TMS.

Thank you for taking the time to read that. I don't normally make a habit of making direct attacks on others, but when someone so blatantly opposes my own moral standing, I have no choice but to oppose it. And when people hate mail me on account of it, I have to oppose that too. I hope you all come out of this a little more informed, and a little more understanding of my opinions. Please also note that they are but opinions (based on fact as they are), and I understand that you have opinions as well. If I've said anything you take moral opposition to, feel free to e-mail me (mario at zeldacomic dot net). Speak, for your voice will be heard.

Also, I understand that many of the things I said were based on my own viewpoint, which may admittedly be somewhat skewed. If someone else knows the facts better than I, let me know, and I will adjust my statement accordingly. I do not wish to be guilty of inaccurate information.

~Mario Panighetti, November 12th, 2003 [ http://zeldacomic.net ]