In what I believe is a first — or at least something that happens rather sparingly — DC Comics has actually issued an apology for one of their actions.
Following statements made by suicide-prevention organizations that went live on USA Today, DC has issued a public apology in regards to the decision to make a contest for fans to draw one of their top female characters in a state of mental disarray and contemplating suicide. Writer Jimmy Palmiotti was first to address the scene and put it into context the decision, which many fans had already responded to negatively, but DC released the following statement on The Huffington Post:
The purpose of the talent search was to allow new artists an opportunity to draw a single page of a 20-page story. True to the nature of the character, the entire story is cartoony and over-the-top in tone, as Harley Quinn breaks the 4th Wall and satirizes the very scenes she appears in,” the statement read. “DC Entertainment sincerely apologizes to anyone who may have found the page synopsis offensive and for not clearly providing the entire context of the scene within the full scope of the story.
I guess it is worth noting that DC is responding not to fan ire but in response to the statements made by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Psychiatric Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which made much bigger headlines for much bigger publications. For comparison, there is not apology to fans upset about the company’s controversial statements on marriage which led to the exit of two creators from one of their more popular and diverse titles.
It is also worth noting that the contest is still running and there has been no changes to the material. So there’s that. But they’re sorry.
I’m reminded of something very particular here:
