FIGHT BACK: An Ode Against the Cyber-bullies

by Gary Walters

As many of you undoubtedly know, I was recently involved in an Internet Flame War on a certain website that shall remain nameless. As the thread was closed on that site and I found myself undeservedly BANNED from the unnammed site in question... I feel I must make my final response here, in my, column.

First, I should say and demonstrate what happened that caused where we are to take place. I'm still pretty angry about this so my emotional why typing is REAL. This all started a month ago in a thread called "Worst Comic Book?". People were posting their ideas (both right and wrong about what they felt were the best and worst. I was going to correct a poster named ROBOTMONKEY5000, who irroneusly claimed that the "100% Awesome" Millennial Giants crossover in Superman was "tripe" (or some other british phrase), when I saw it. And I was shook to the core.

Someone, and by someone I mean a complete a$$hole sh!tbrain trying to hide their true name and motivations behind the fake user-name "Artesian", had cyberlinked to my articles here on YMsB on my forthcoming comic book called "Even Steven" with the words "Well, this would have to the worst comic book... if it ever got published." I stood there, shooken, just staring at my computer screen, unable to even stand. I had never encountered such hatred and jealousy online before.

And so it began. I will reprint the first exchange below for historical and legal purposes.

DARKAVENGER: I think your wrong. I'd read that.

Artesian: Come on, no one would read that.

DARKAVENGER: Maybe you shouldn't cast stones when you live in glass houses.

Artesian: I live in an apartment.

DARKAVENGER: all the more reason to respect the work of a comic book creator. Its easy to do, hiding behind a fake screen name.

Artesian: First of all, my name is "Art" as in "Arthur", Secondly, "Hello, pot? This is the dark avenging Kettle."

DARKAVENGER: Well, "Art". My name is Darren. that's where the 'DAR" or DARKAVENGER comes from.

ROBOTMONKEY5000: OMG. I did a search on mister 14 posts here and guess what? The vast majority were spams to the very column you linked to.

Artesian:"Darren", eh? Gary "Darren" Walters, perhaps?

What an asshole! I couldn't believe this guy! Acting all superior and! I just knew at that moment that this guy hated creativity and was just there for one reason only. He's one of those Internet vultures and predators who wait for blood and then strike, attacking anyone. And this time, that anyone, that anyone being attacked, it was me, this time.

So, I fought back that night after consulting my attorney, who advised me on stopping cyberbullies.

DARKAVENGER: There are laws against cyber-stlaking and you just broke them. PLease PM me you're address, you'll be hearing from my attorney.

Artesian: Are you joking? And it's "your" not "you're", stupid.

DARKAVENGER: Your stupid.

PandaPants: Come on now, Gary, it is Gary, right? Art's allowed to have his opinion. If he doesn't like your comic, what do you care?

DARKAVENGER: Oh, I see, so it's an Internet Dogpile now, is it? He's allowed to not LIKE whatever he wants, he's not allowed to spread lies about my comic and defame my character with his assassinations of it.

It was then soon after that exchange that I realized what was actually going on. That there were not actually a bunch of people out there that hated my comic book idea. It was just one person, logging in again and again as different logins, trying to tear down my dream and hurt my economic situation Artesian, PandaPants, JimmyThang, Poking Turtle, Millie teh Model, ROBOTMONKEY5000, and Mike the Hutt were all one person. One evil snivelling person.

My ex-artist on Even Steven that I fired, Wesley Gellar. And he wasn't that clever. It was easy to figure it out from the following exchange the following day:

JimmyThang: I think he might be retarded.

Poking Turtle: If you guys want a good supernatural comic, you should check out [ NAME REMOVED ] at [ WEBLINK URL REFERRAL REMOVED ] by Josh Hanlon and Wesley Gellar. It looks pretty good.

PandaPants: That's not too shabby, thanks for the link.

DARKAVENGER: YOU SON FO A BITCH! I KNEW IT WA YOU! I STILL AHVE YOUR ADDRESS SUCKHEAD! MY LAWYER WILL BE IN TOUCH. YOU WILL BE SUED FOR DEFEMATION FO CHARCTER AND STEALING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY!

PandaPants: Dude. [ NAME REMOVED ] is nothing like "Even Steven." For one thing, [ NAME REMOVED ] seems to make sense from that web preview.

DARKAVENGER: WHATEVER WESLEY. YOU WILL HEAR FROM MY LAWYER. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. YOUR ALL INTERNET EMOTIONAL TERRORISTS! JUST LIKE CAPTAIN AMERICA IN CIVIL WAR!

Later on I accidentally called a Mod a "sh!t stain" and I was banned. But in reality, I was banned for telling the truth. The mods must have known that all those accounts were Wesley, and they just let it happen.

Wesley needs to realize though that I'm on to him and am aware that he is trying to attack and undermine Even Steven in fits of woman-like jealousy and rage.

Sorry, Wesley, I mean "Artesian", you won't be drawing Even Steven. And your not getting paid anythign either. You were employed by Walters Comics Limited LLC as an intern, and you know it. You need to get over it. I have a way better artist now, anyway.

I also had my lawyer send him the following letter, posted here for legal purposes:

Wesley Gellar, I am contacting you on behalf of my client, Gary Michael Walters. It has come to his attention, and the attention of this legal department that you have been using the Internet to make disparaging comments about his intellectual property work, Even Steven. By posing as multiple people on multiple web sites, you are devaluing the property and causing Mr. Walters mental and physical anguish. You must cease and desist all Internet web attacks on Mr. Walters and Walters Comics Limited LLC. Failure to do so will result in swift, costly legal action against you in the form of a legal case in a court of law. Which might result in jail time. Sincerely, Hamilton Merlingperlot, Attorney of Law

After that, I didn't hear from Wesley again. So there's a lesson here: Always remember to fight back against these kinds of people. You can win! Bullies hide behind computer screen, but if you shine the light of truth on them, they scatter like rats in a strong wind.

Remember: Never let someone else make it so that you cannot live your dreams to take flight!

Next time... More big announcements about the upcoming GOOD comic-smash Even Steven!

And read Volume 2, Issue 4 of The Tricks of Turning Pro



Read Gary's column about losing his artist.



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