Mockingbird writer Chelsea Cain, the bestselling author of Heartsick and other thrillers, deleted her Twitter account today after receiving abusive tweets yesterday.

In a now vanished series of tweets (one screencapped above) Cain noted that she was getting harassing tweets, presumably over the above Mockingbird cover and her work there in general. It’s possible that she was targeted from 4chan or Reddit as well. After saying she was considering pulling the plug…she did just that.

This ignited a firestorm of support on Twitter as well.

Looks like Chelsea Cain’s Twitter account is gone. If so, congratulations, assholes, you just made the world a little worse. — Kurt Busiek Resists (@KurtBusiek) October 26, 2016

@ChelseaCain Sorry to her you have had to deal with such pointless negativity. I create comics & have a shop. Our customers love your work! — TAG!art is on Patreon (@TAGartwork) October 26, 2016

(con't) all this idiotic reaction to #Mockingbird did was make me want to read more @ChelseaCain comics. Keep 'em coming Cain ! — john siuntres (@johnwordballoon) October 26, 2016

If you have a problem with @ChelseaCain, you have a problem with me. Don't fuck with my friends. Ever. — David F Walker (@DavidWalker1201) October 26, 2016

And @ChelseaCain, I have been on that block. Many, maybe most of us have. But I hope you are not done making comics better. — Gail Simone (@GailSimone) October 26, 2016

I remember every male creator who stuck up for me when I was getting hassled starting out. That's a list of people I cherish. https://t.co/pH0rhKBaFq — Gail Simone (@GailSimone) October 26, 2016

Important message to girls supporting douchebags in power who hate women. Fawning will not protect you. They WILL turn on you, eventually. — Gail Simone (@GailSimone) October 26, 2016

I have seen too many talented women quit comics because they felt it was no longer worth the downside. — Gail Simone (@GailSimone) October 26, 2016

But it was all too late.

Nice going, douchebags.

As I noted only this morning, Twitter’s toxic swamp of harassment is their own doing. As Tom Spurgeon aptly called it, “fan crud” is something all public figures face but the specific hate towards women in comics is focused and, sadly, backed up and tolerated by the heritage of an industry that didn’t think women belonged in it for 40 years.

Frankly, an obscene amount of you "comics pros" help fan the flames of this kind of harassment. With all your finger pointing & name calling — Jason Latour (@jasonlatour) October 26, 2016

While the voices of comics activists have been loud all morning, and comics pros have been supportive, I’ve yet to see Marvel’s official account speak out. I imagine as a corporate entity it takes time to put together a statement about a matter like this. Axel Alonso retweeted Nick Spencer:

https://twitter.com/nickspencer/status/791363327557406720

Meanwhile Tom Brevoort, the co-editor on the book, has been tweeting the usual promotional pieces.

Unfortunately, Brian Bendis did tweet and it was the following:



Sure harassment exists everywhere, but Cain has been writing novels and year and this is the first time she’s had to face this kind of abuse. Denying her experience and insights as a pro from another field coming in to comics was dismissive and foolish.

UPDATE: Axel Alonso tweeted the following soon after the above was written:

I stand w/ Chelsea Cain, condemn online harassment, and think the MU, and the industry, benefits & grows from diverse creators & characters. — axel alonso (@axelalonsomarv) October 26, 2016

And a #standwithchelseacain hashtag was trending for quite a while and is still gaining steam. I doubt this is going to calm down any time soon.

I guess everyone feels a little burnt on social media at the mo, but the harassment problem isn’t a woman’s problem, it’s a MAN’S problem. The good men of comics and everywhere need to make it clear they do not support or tolerate hate, abuse and misogyny. This isn’t a borderline case. It’s clear, indisputable harassment. And that should not be part of the “comics conversation.”

The abuse against women in comics is equally clear and indisputable, and the abuse against women of color is even worse. And so on down the line. It’s toxic and inexcusable.

At least one comics journalist is not taking it sitting down.

https://twitter.com/thalestral/status/791213338483130368

There is more to come, sadly. And the damage has been done.

OH PS: I rate this a full 9 Dumpster fires!