Alpha Flight weekly Reading Club on the Byrne Forum

[Ryan Maxwell]

Sigh...Issue 23. Poor Walter!

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/f....asp?TID=24099

[birdygirl]

This is the issue I've been waiting for. A classic! (And the next --double-- issue, #24, is equally good.) What more can I say? Thanks for running these, Ryan.

[cmdrkoenig67]

Thanks Ryan...Does the "I was right" dance again....Whooo-Hooo!

[PWalk]

That scene where she rips his heart out still bugs the **** out of me to this day. It killed me when I first read it years back.

[Ryan Maxwell]

Walter. Box. Changes! Issue 24, it's a beast!

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/f....asp?TID=24259

(Sorry, birdygirl, I had to drop some pages with Snowbird on them. I can't post them all)

[birdygirl]

That's all right, Ryan; I understand. I missed the last two pages with Snowbird and Doug Thompson, but this was a double-sized issue, after all.

[S. Michael Simms]

The Byrne board won't let me in because my email (which I have been using for about fifteen years now without any problems) is "anonymous" - and I'm not about to go pay for a "non-anonymous" email address just so I can post on a discussion board— it's friggin' ridiculous. I guess I can add "paranoid" to Byrne's list of character flaws. Too bad, I think I would have been a pretty good contributor.

- SMS

[Ryan Maxwell]

No, that's just his way of trying to make sure you are who you say you are. Doesn't really work, based on the number of fake logins they get. I know people with Yahoo, Gmail, etc email domains just need to contact the administrator over there and they can possibly get you in.

If you think he has enough flaws to make a list, why would you want to join his board?

[S. Michael Simms]

If you think he has enough flaws to make a list, why would you want to join his board?

Because I don't think someone's character has anything to do with their level of talent. If that were true, Michael Jackson would certainly not have become the greatest pop star of all time, nor Ezra Pound the most influential poet, nor Richard Wagner perhaps the greatest composer of the late Romantic period. I could go on, but I think you get my point.

I don't think it is "cool" or on some kind of moral high ground for Mr. Byrne to dis Wikipedia the way he does simply because he doesn't agree with some of the opinions expressed in his specific entry, and the only other time I've encountered the "non-anonymous" email issue is with government and business oriented websites. It's a discussion forum, Ryan; he ought to do what every other halfway decent discussion board admin does and implement some monitors to take care of trolls rather than exclude people with valid, long-standing "anonymous" email addresses who do not wish to have to pay for their email services.

The fact is, the only people who would gladly go through the pain in the ass process of setting up a so-called non-anonymous email account just so they could post on his forum would be die-hard fans. Obviously he wants a board full of devotees willing to bend over backwards for a shot at kissing his ass. I for one have neither the time nor the inclination.

That said, if I would have been "allowed" to post on his forum I would have enjoyed taking part in the discussions and addressing his impressive body of work without making references to what I perceive to be some issues of his character; issues which, at the end of the day do not necessarily make him a "bad" person, just perhaps a mildly egotistical and moderately neurotic one— but that's not news to anyone. Just read his Wiki.

Live, love, laugh & be happy,
Smikes

[DelBubs]

I think we all have an opinion about Mr Byrne, one way or another. That said any specific conversation regarding him should really go to PM.

[S. Michael Simms]

Never mind. I had posted a rather lengthy, argumentative response, but it's not worth ruffling any feathers before I even get both feet in the door here. Obviously the subject of Byrne himself is taboo around here unless it's to praise the man, so let those who would continue to do so arbitrarily knock themselves out. I know when I've been told to shut up. I'll see you around.

- Smikes

[cmdrkoenig67]

Thanks Ryan for posting the issues.

Dana

[S. Michael Simms]

Just wanted to rehash something for a moment...

Obviously he wants a board full of devotees willing to bend over backwards for a shot at kissing his ass. I for one have neither the time nor the inclination.

Hopefully some of those who read this saw it for what it was: not a swing at Byrne fans (of which I happen to be one, regardless of my nits) or those who post at his board but rather a complaint against Byrne himself for the way he's set it up. I said that he WANTS ass kissing devotees, not that that's the only people who post there— as Ryan pointed out, even with the ridiculous "non-anonymous" email prerequisite there are still people there who are obviously not devotees.

I am fully aware that there are members here - members with whom I have had some good discussions and whom I respect as individuals at the very least in the capacity that we have similar tastes in graphic literature - who post at Byrne Robotics. My beef is not with them, it's a personal grievance against Byrne himself, and not a particularly severe one at that.

Just thought I'd clear that up before I get any more nasty-grams or a skewed reputation. Thanks.

- SMS

[HappyCanuck]

Never mind. I had posted a rather lengthy, argumentative response, but it's not worth ruffling any feathers before I even get both feet in the door here. Obviously the subject of Byrne himself is taboo around here unless it's to praise the man, so let those who would continue to do so arbitrarily knock themselves out. I know when I've been told to shut up. I'll see you around.

- Smikes

Actually, Smikes, the standing rule is that you may make comments on a creator, but at the same time, you may not diss them anymore than you can diss any member of this board. Feel free to voice your disaproval of Byrne - God knows I do - just keep it based on facts, his work, and not on the person himself. More critique of him and his work, and less libel about the man especially in conjecture.

Furthermore, from what I've seen (anyone, please feel free to correct me, but I don't believe this the case), you have not been told to "shut up", just mind your P's and Q's. As long as it remains respectful, there is no issues.

I for one fully endorse points of view that differ from the norm, and I, for one, don't think all that highly about John Byrne based off some comments I've seen him write, especially about the Flight. So, it's not a matter of kissing his ass or worshipping him, but it IS a case of respecting him as a person.

I hope this helps you out some while on this board. We - at least I - do enjoy your posts, and would like to see more input from you in the future.

[mos_def]

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