Anyone who values freedom of expression is horrified by the terrorist attacks on the offices of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Early reports indicate that ten of the magazine’s staffers were killed, including editor Stephane Charbonnier. Two police officers were also killed on the scene.
The magazine has a long history of publishing sharp satirical work that no doubt shocks and offends many readers. The magazine has published material mocking the Pope, Jesus Christ and French political figures, among others. In 2011 their website was hacked and their offices firebombed after publication of an issue ‘guest edited’ by Muhammad. The magazine remained committed to publishing material some might find offensive or inflammatory.
Some reports say the attackers identified themselves as being affiliated with Al Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate and were heard saying, “We have avenged the prophet.”
After the 2011 firebomb attack, French prime minister Francois Fillon called freedom of expression “an inalienable right in our democracy” and that “all attacks on the freedom of the press must be condemned with the greatest firmness.”
That commitment — in France and anywhere else — should not waver in the face of today’s brutality. The National Coalition Against Censorship and many other organizations committed to the fundamental value of free expression condemn these hideous and barbaric attacks, which represent a chilling and extreme assault on freedom of speech. The failure to stand up for free expression emboldens those who seek to attack and undermine it.
“List in formation. Endorsers as of 1/7/15.”
American Booksellers Association
American Booksellers for Free Expression
American Civil Liberties Union
American Library Association
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
Association of American Publishers
Association of American University Presses
Center for Democracy & Technology
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
DKT Liberty Project
FirstAmendment.com/Walters Law Group
Freedom to Read Foundation
Free Expression Policy Project
Liberty Coalition
Media Law Resource Center
National Coalition Against Censorship
People For the American Way
Project Censored/Media Freedom Foundation
Student Press Law Center
Tully Center for Free Expression
Woodhull Sexual Freedom Foundation
A newspaper is not a weapon of war.
Gérard Biard, editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine. (via guardian)
January 7
“Giving Medication To Your Dog at 6am While Your Wife Sleeps” could be the name of a terrible self-help book, I suspect, as well as a description of what I’ve been up to (and up for) for the last couple of mornings. Such an activity is a lesson in restraint and patience, as you first have to prepare the medication — grind it up into powder, then essentially hide it in what you hope will be a delicious foodstuff that he will eat — and then try to get him to eat it. Which, at 6am, is harder than you might think.
In many ways, that’s understandable; imagine someone woke you up at 6am and tried to feed you, after all. Your first impulse might also be “What? What’s that? Maybe I’ll try a little b — no, no, no. I’m not hungry. Let me run to the other side of the bed. No, wait, let me try again. Hmm. Maybe. What if I just take it in my mouth and spit it out? No, that’s no good. Don’t want it. Wait wait wait. Maybe I do. Nope. Actually, maybe.”
He does, in fact, eventually realize that this isn’t a dream and he is getting a delicious treat while it’s pitch black outside, and I eventually get to go to work for the day, safe in the knowledge that the first of his three medication deliveries for the day has been successfully delivered.
What were your 2014 High Points and, if you feel like sharing, Low Points?
Hrm. High points are actually harder to identify than low points, to be honest: I liked some work I did, and I made more money with it than the year before, which was nice enough. Launching the Wait, What Patreon and people being excited and generous was a thrill, especially hitting the $500 mark right at the very end of the year. Other than that, uh… making it through, I guess…?
In terms of low points, Kate’s brother died in a hit-and-run early in the year, which colored a lot of what followed in big ways and small. I was a lot more hermit-like than I would’ve wanted to have been, for reasons that didn’t really consist of more than “I wasn’t up to being social,” which is shitty. A couple of big work things fell through for reasons that left me feeling very down on particular people that really depressed me (or, in one case, left me feeling very angry, but powerless to do anything about it). Friends had bad times that I couldn’t help with.
It wasn’t a banner year, by any means. I wasn’t being sarcastic or funny when I said I’d be glad to see the back of 2014 on the podcast. It was a fucker of a year, all told.
Have you ever seen the 1960s show The Prisoner? If so, what’d you think? I can’t believe I’ve never asked you this before.
Moody and I marathoned it a few years ago. I love it fiercely, and one of my life goals is to organize a Village flash mob.
I knew you’d like it. Now I’m all curious if you’ve seen “If…” and “O Lucky Man,” which always go along with “The Prisoner” in my head (Especially “If…”)
FMK: Uncanny X-Men, New X-Men, Astonishing X-Men
NAMELESS Cover Process
My last process post on Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s Pax Americana went over pretty well, so let’s try that again, shall we?
For the cover to the first issue of Nameless, the new Image comic by Grant, Chris Burnham, and me, the concept was to reference the iconic scene of astronauts…
Just great stuff.
Based on Philip K. Dick’s Hugo Award-winning 1962 alternative history, The Man in the High Castle considers the question of what would have happened if the Allied Powers had lost World War II. Almost 20 years after that loss, the United States and much of the world has now been split between Japan and Germany, the major hegemonic states. But the tension between these two powers is mounting, and this stress is playing out in the western U.S. Through a collection of characters in various states of posing (spies, sellers of falsified goods, others with secret identities), The Man in the High Castle provides an intriguing tale about life and history as it relates to authentic and manufactured reality. The hour-long dramatic pilot stars Alexa Davalos (Mob City) as Juliana Crain, Luke Kleintank (Pretty Little Liars) as Joe Blake, Rupert Evans (The Village) as Frank Frink, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat Legacy) as Tagomi, Joel De La Fuente (Hemlock Grove) as Inspector Kido, Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour) as John Smith and DJ Qualls (Z Nation) as Ed McCarthy. The pilot was directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary, Heroes) and written by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), both serving as Executive Producers. Also executive producing are Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and David W. Zucker (The Good Wife), with co-executive producer Jordan Sheehan of Scott Free Productions (The Good Wife, The Andromeda Strain), and Executive Producers Stewart Mackinnon and Christian Baute of Headline Pictures (The Invisible Woman). In addition, Isa Dick Hackett will executive produce and Kalen Egan will co-executive produce on behalf of Electric Shepherd (The Adjustment Bureau). Christopher Tricarico (May in the Summer) is also Executive Producer.
And this will be available on my Internet next week, you say?
(It’s one of the next round of Amazon pilots, available Jan. 15.)