Legendary comic scribe Peter David has been to plenty of conventions in his time and with such events and the advent of the internet as a mode of communication bridging the gap (literally and figuratively) between comic creator and comic fan, Mr. David has taken it upon himself to pioneer a movement to establish a code of conduct for such interactions.
Published to his blog two days ago, the “Fan/Pro Bill of Rights” is already making the rounds within the comic community as it raises points and sheds light on certain events that I’m sure most people would not readily admit to, and it does so with that signature David wit and charm too.
It begins as follows:
Preamble: We, the fans and pros of www.peterdavid.net, in order to form a more perfect union of fan/pro interaction, wish to let it be known that: with conventions and the Internet providing extensive opportunities for fan/pro interaction and; with new fans not quite understanding the “rules” and social mores and expectations of conventions and thus feeling uncomfortable or uncertain of what is expected of them and; partly in response to some conventions where fans in general and female fans in particular were targeted for harassment and abuse, and; in order to fill what is perceived as a needed guide for fans and pros to know and/or understand what to expect of each other in order to minimize or eliminate misunderstandings or ill-will; it is hereby resolved that this document will serve as an attempt to fill that need by spelling out the specifics of these matters to the best of our abilities. This is being done unilaterally by an assortment of fans and pros, and all the matters addressed within this document are drawn from genuine, real-life experiences of the participants (as hard as that may be to believe in some cases.) The rights set forth herein are not intended to represent the opinions or policies of any conventions or organizations, and may be considered by some to be merely guidelines. Nevertheless, it is our intent to present a series of simple, common sense, basic rights to which all fans and pros should be entitled.
It’s a lengthy piece, but it’s well worth the read. Be sure to take some time out of your day and read up on the rest of it on Peter David’s blog.
