I love the Strange Planet cartoons, but just FYI the author, Nathan Pyle, is unapologetically pro-life, publicly engages in some really harmful rhetoric surrounding women's reproductive rights, and refuses to listen to scientifically irrefutable facts regarding abortion, just because he and his wife are Christian. He says they vote Democrat anyways because they're "troubled by what the republican party has become." But somehow I really really doubt that. I wouldn't be surprised if they supported the dismantling of Roe v. Wade under the guise of freedom of religious beliefs. The odds of them believing in the separation of church and state while simultaneously attending events like the March for Life are slim to none.

[–] Neferic@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I welcome your take. I am very pro choice and not religious. That said I still that the comics have value. To my knowledge he doesn't espouse these views in the comics and I think that is enough of a separation to be ok. Similarly it's ok to still like Dilbert comics or listen to John Lennon.

[–] Obi@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

Sometimes you have to separate the art from the artist, lest you will cut yourself off from valuable work (when it doesn't try to shove these views on you).

[–] PagingDoctorLove@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I'm not sure I'd assign any intrinsic value to the comics, though I do enjoy them. But yes, there are many artists whose work I still enjoy despite knowing they're a shitty person.

I just don't think it's a great idea to then give these artists tacit support by creating a Reddit/Tumblr/Lemmy community solely for them.

I made the first comment after seeing someone else in this thread refer people to a community for this artist. He doesn't need the ego boost. Let him fade into obscurity along with every other misogynist who hides behind religion (as if that weren't, in and of itself, an immediate "tell.") Let his name pop up in the occasional comment section only for people to go "who?"

I don't even know if he's still making these comics, but he definitely still has an online presence that he has previously used to advocate for the removal of women's rights. Let that be his legacy. Start a community devoted to figuring out how a sentient festering anal polyp could ever possibly create something so cute and innocent.

The comics will live on without him.

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