kozy and dan kitchens ([info]kozyndan) wrote,
2005-10-25 17:33:00
  • Mood: busy
  • Music: Jamie Lidell is God.

SWINDLED

A good friend of mine is working as an AD on Shepard Fairey's magazine, SWINDLE. THis friend asked me if kozy and I would like to do a comic strip for the magazine. Now, bear in mind that kozy and I have never done a comic strip before, but people have ALWAYS asked us when we would. So we decided, why not? Let's give it a try. We have always had ideas in mind for comics - even have them written down and planned out, but never got around to producing them. So we did it. We had to do two pages for SWINDLE and decided to make a separate strip for each page. We finished the first one and sent it to our friend who loved it. He showed it to his boss. His boss quickly noted that it needed to be changed. The characters must be covered up so as not to give the impression that they were nude.

detail
a large image of the whole strip

Kozy and I were shocked. SWINDLE was going to censor our comic strip because of one tiny cartoony image depicting non sexual nudity? This is Shepard's magazine, right? Why? I was IMing with my friend who was in turn communicating with his boss.
His boss' response:

im really sorry but i cant help it. im happy to talk to them if you want. i know its a 1% chance it would offend a national advertiser we are going after but its not worth the chance. we dont haev teh revenue to back it up


So we told our friend:

look - you guys aren't paying us for this, and we have little time or need to be in this magazine, so he can talk all he wants, but we aren't going to change it.

Our friend was on our side and told his boss:
they don't want to run it edited, they will take it to another magazine
i dont understand though roger, last issue we ran a 6 page story about a neo nazi punk band, and now we cant run a half of a drawing of a cartoon dick?"

so jew/black haters are cool, but dan's cartoon schlong is controversial???

To which he got silence. I thought my friend made a good point. I think it is kind of sad, and also telling of the venomous forces at work in this "Christian" country. A land where hate and death and violence are ok, even celebrated, but a little nudity is evil. Obviously SWINDLE is not the root of the problem. I do understand their view point. A magazine is a business venture after all. We were just surprised that we had to make our first censorship stand with a magazine with a pedigree like SWINDLE's. I guess I never realized how far the grasp of the Christian Right could reach. Boiled down in a nutshell (because i don't really feel like going into a lengthy tirade and ensuing debate about the polarization of our country): Christian Right groups boycott advertisers who advertise with any entity that has anything the Christian groups deem offensive. So advertisers are running scared, thus tying the hands of TV networks, magazines and the like. i just never imagined this chain would reach a magazine like SWIINDLE. Sigh.

In the end we had to pull the comic strip completely and will not be doing another for them.

Some notes:

Showed the strip to Eric Nakamura of Giant Robot, to get his thoughts. He didn't see what the big deal was an d said we could run it in GR if we'd like. (Maybe we will)

Shepard Fairey himself was not around, and not in on the conversation, so I cannot say what his views might have been on the subject.

I have no ill will towards SWINDLE and understands the decision, but I am a bit disappointed with their lack of spine.

The comic strip itself is not great probably, seeing as how we've never made one before. i think perhaps it may not make sense to anyone besides kozy and I, but take it from me - if you WERE kozy or me - the strip is HI-larious!

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[info]yachiru

October 26 2005, 00:45:27 UTC 6 years ago

Forget the schlong, the leghair is seriously freaky. o_0

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:19:51 UTC 6 years ago

Hey! What do you have against my leg hair? I'll have you know it feels very manly! ;)

[info]theparadox

October 26 2005, 00:47:25 UTC 6 years ago

haha what the hell
it's so funny!

[info]jizosh

October 26 2005, 00:48:40 UTC 6 years ago

I guess it's a little less surprising considering Obey is now a successful fashion line. *shrug*

Jamie Lidell is indeed a God. Multiply is certainly in my top5 for this year.

[info]like_poison

October 26 2005, 00:57:37 UTC 6 years ago

that whole situation sucks :(

and i think the comic is really great and cute. i totally relate(to Kozy, not to you!)that is pretty much exactly what happens between my bf and i every other day!

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:10:29 UTC 6 years ago

We wanted to do a whole comic series that bascially just takes place in our bed, or at least in our house. I guess it is sort of about what happens when two people are so comfortable with eachother that all pretense of propriety goes out the window and the normal means of communication are no longer neccessary - when we think of some of the things we do when just laying around together - it's pretty damn strange if we step back and look at the scenes from the outside.

[info]saru850

October 26 2005, 01:08:48 UTC 6 years ago

it means we will have to work harder to keep the revolution alive.. it just sucks that the revolution keeps being bought out by big money.

i salute yours n kozy's decision~ kompai

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:12:28 UTC 6 years ago

The revolution is being one by Christian nutjobs... and our government has seen to it that we are all so poorly educated that we fail to realize it.

[info]saru850

6 years ago

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[info]jaspamaster

6 years ago

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[info]hellovoltage

October 26 2005, 01:15:22 UTC 6 years ago

adorable strip. she could have plucked more and wrote something in kanji on your head :)

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:22:18 UTC 6 years ago

hah hah yes. or given me a unibrow perhaps? Then the strip would make too much sense though. Our comics are not really supposed to make too much sense, just as our life doesn't...

[info]awkwardscilence

October 26 2005, 01:17:23 UTC 6 years ago

This strip rules!

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:32:40 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks! We had fun trying to make a comic strip.

[info]khy

October 26 2005, 01:18:12 UTC 6 years ago

surprised you didn't sneeze when she pulled those hair out. i always sneeze when i pull out my nose hair. yea....

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:20:26 UTC 6 years ago

nah - i am usually tearing up from the pain actually...

[info]grza

6 years ago

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[info]turkishb

October 26 2005, 01:21:41 UTC 6 years ago

i get more & more scared for art in the us by the day. i don't like to be proscriptive, but shit, ever since the whole fbi targeting pornography as a new priority thing. i posted about that here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/turkishb/119421.html

the saddest thing to me is that it's essentially a question of erasing the privilege of adulthood to have autonomy. the government is making us all children, and worse, all children of christ...

i loved the comic, by the way, looking forward to the next

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:28:33 UTC 6 years ago

I agree - and thanks for being the first to really make a thoughtful comment about the real issue at hand in this post. I am in agreement. It should be fairly obvious what is really happening in this country, but the majority of the population is too dumbed down by lack of proper education to really understand how badly they are being used and manipulated by our government and the religious forces they conspire with.

In all honesty the religious aspect is just a tool - a great method of of getting people to do what they are told, to take and take from them and still keep them placated. The ultimate goal of course is to erase the middle class completely - to have only the super rich, and super poor who are powerless. Religion and the degradation of our public education system are the chosen methods...

I like the concept though that we are all being made into children of Christ - he will be our shepard leading us straight to damnation.

[info]turkishb

6 years ago

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[info]kozyndan

6 years ago

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[info]muneatsacow

October 26 2005, 01:25:08 UTC 6 years ago

tats a sweet strip! Its apalling and weird how a conversation about this stip would involve christian right groups. but yeah. it does all end up there.

[info]johno

October 26 2005, 01:32:44 UTC 6 years ago

I love the opening panel. Just a couple cuddling who happen not to wearing much. ;)

Leg hair - fine.
Male nudity - fine.
Femail nudity - *great* {grin}
  (I notice no complaints about that.)
Story - is kinda slice of life fine.

but...

Why is she lining up the plucked hairs on his forhead?

.
.
.

Also something that may have crossed the line, is the fact that he is holding himself.

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 01:40:05 UTC 6 years ago

The point of the comic is that we, as a long-time couple, are comfortable enough with eahcother that we are not afraid to do things that are totally absurd and senseless. Putting nose hairs on his forehead is something drawn from our own life experience.

I am not sure if kozy actually intended to make it look as though the man is holding himself, i think rather his hand is just next to or over his genitals. That being said - it was not the cruxt of the debate. The editor of the magazine wanted clothing put on the characters: "we cant show anything...we cant give teh impression that it is there..." is what my friend relayed to me from the editor.

[info]embryo_spark

October 26 2005, 02:44:10 UTC 6 years ago

the comic is definitely sweet and funny, enduringly cute.
Censor a bit of nakedness? (it's like the essence of kozyndan from what i understand)... as a young 'un i'd say video games depicting war, and (like grand theft auto) have potentionally more impact on (young) psyches than nakedness. Sheesh. it's like being advertised not very healthy food and knowing it's 'bad' for you, but you eat it anyways because it's the easy choice...

anyhow, one day i'll find a dan to pick hairs from haha


[info]thisexplosion

October 26 2005, 03:02:06 UTC 6 years ago

hahahaha. that is so cute. too bad....

[info]thisexplosion

October 26 2005, 03:02:59 UTC 6 years ago

ps. do you guys want to come to vancouver in january and do a show at my store?

[info]kozyndan

6 years ago

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[info]ex_somnolen

October 26 2005, 03:18:30 UTC 6 years ago

bahaha. that's totally me and my boyfriend.

yeah. the media sucks when it comes to dealing with nudity. i couldn't have my sketch of a woman's bare back on myspace because it was too risque. wtf. it's like... look at all the trashy things you can find on that site, and i can't even have a sketch of a woman's back. :\

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 03:29:32 UTC 6 years ago

Wow - that's terrible! I can't believe that! Yes - this country has reached a sad state...

[info]ex_somnolen

6 years ago

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[info]kozyndan

6 years ago

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[info]ex_somnolen

6 years ago

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[info]18monthmission

October 26 2005, 03:20:33 UTC 6 years ago

Hmmm....I seem to be the token Christian here...but I thought the script was cool! I don't much care for the Christian right, and since I am still living in Okinawa right now, I am not all that sure what is going on in the Supreme Court, but uh...yeah I think I'll go hide under my bed with a baseball bat and await the lynching I am surely going to have (either from the Christian right for being too librals or the librals for being Christian :p so yeah I am screwed) Seriously though, the comic was funny.

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 03:40:21 UTC 6 years ago

Well - i don't think liberals (i guess i include myself in that category... perhaps) mind Christians who actually stay true to their faith. Many Liberals are deeply guided by their Christian faith. The problem is more the noisy Crhistian radicals (who are not much different than the Muslim radicals, who we call terrorists, in mind set) and their utter hypocrisy - who promote killing and hatred against all who do not agree with their particular dogma, going against all tenets of the true concept of Jesus. I may not be Christian, but I can say with all certainty that i have a better chance of getting into their Heaven than the those people.

All of which is to say - fear not Sean! Us decent intelligent people will do our best to keep you from hanging from a tree...heh heh.

[info]18monthmission

6 years ago

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[info]cro2

October 26 2005, 04:11:52 UTC 6 years ago

Ouch

This whole situation is a little surprising... Some of your work over the last year (thinking of the poster where you're being sodomized by fluffy animals) has been very uncensored... What did they think they would get?

Hope this doesn't sour you on the comics though.

PS: This is Chris from Toronto. Hello to you and Kozy!

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 04:24:45 UTC 6 years ago

Re: Ouch

I know its you Chris! Hiya man! I don't know what they were expecting, but it certainly did not sour us on comics - wwe had a blast with our first attempt at sequential art and are continuing with it (the second stupifying episode of "Indoorland" is already drawn!!!).

I did get an e-mail fromthe editor in which he explained the magazine's position more clearly:

"We all think (the comic is) amazing, but Barnes and Noble has strict rules about any nudity, cartoon or photo driven, and they are our second largest distributor. We ship them thousands of copies. If they spot it, they'll pull the magazine and charge us to poly bag each copy of the issue. Once it is poly bagged you cant open it and look through it. For a newer magazine like ours, retailing at $8.95, each being poly bagged will hurt our sales and we can't take that chance."

I completely understand how lightly they need to tread as a fledgling publication in a competitive marketplace. My anger in the situation is not directed at them (altough looking at my post it might be construed as such) as at the overall conservative bent to the mainstream culture (and the forces manipulating said culture) that is polarizing this country, tearing it apart, and fucking up the world frankly.

[info]cro2

6 years ago

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[info]kozyndan

6 years ago

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[info]noromdiam

October 26 2005, 04:11:52 UTC 6 years ago

That's really too bad. I never expected a magazine like Swindle to censor stuff, especially a drawing of a penis, I mean, lots of famous rennaisance artist have painted penises and the paintings are in places like the Met. Their loss.

By the way, I finally got back from vacation (Costa Rica!) this weekend and got the package you sent, thank you so much! Finally I have some decent art for my bedroom!

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 04:32:53 UTC 6 years ago

Well - I can't really blame them - they are closer to being in our position in this chain of censorship. They are certainly not the root of this plague that is destroying our culture.

Costa Rica!!! How was it? Will you be doing lj photo entries about your trip?

[info]noromdiam

6 years ago

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[info]kozyndan

6 years ago

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[info]azstar78

October 26 2005, 04:20:04 UTC 6 years ago

I think it is funny, really funny me and Lynn giggled at it. It hurts when they pull them... ouch as for the magazine someone will run it. Maybe in every issue of GR. I liked it.

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 04:29:33 UTC 6 years ago

Yes it does hurt indeed. I am not worried about finding someone to run it. It was fun just to make it - we have wanted to do comics for years, but have never gotten around to doing it. We have SWINDLE to thank for finally getting us off our asses and making something, so all is good.

[info]azstar78

6 years ago

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[info]catdecember

October 26 2005, 05:45:27 UTC 6 years ago

Loooovvveee the kitty cat beside kozy! :D

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 06:13:11 UTC 6 years ago

That would be our kitty, ami-chan! She LOOOVVVEESS kozy! :D

[info]catdecember

6 years ago

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[info]uncle_white

October 26 2005, 06:02:48 UTC 6 years ago

Very good comic! I hope to see more!

[info]in_spite_of_all

October 26 2005, 06:03:59 UTC 6 years ago

hahhahaha that comic strip!! why does it remind me of a certain breakfast conversation?

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 06:08:43 UTC 6 years ago

hee hee! Yup. HOW ARE YOU GUYS?? Where have you been? I guess busy... We miss you both.

[info]in_spite_of_all

6 years ago

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[info]kozyndan

6 years ago

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[info]unhappymeal

October 26 2005, 06:16:12 UTC 6 years ago

Gah. I can't believe you guys let the cat on the bed during sex. I HATE that.

[info]kozyndan

October 26 2005, 06:19:43 UTC 6 years ago

We aren't having sex in the comic strip! Sheesh.

[info]joetron2030

October 26 2005, 14:13:20 UTC 6 years ago

Man, I'm sorry to read that this all went down with Swindle (which I've never read before). But, I'm glad to see that GR might run it instead! ;-)

I thought the strip was cute. Probably because if my wife did the same to me, I would have been freaked out! Haha!

[info]lindze

October 26 2005, 14:44:23 UTC 6 years ago

I think its really cute, and i like all the japanese sound effects like "itai!", etc.
I would love to see your stuff in GR, so hey, why not. At least a mag like theirs wouldnt censor you.
but that is really dissapointing.

[info]coraje

October 27 2005, 08:29:24 UTC 6 years ago

thats a same...
and you make real good points. *nod*
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