r/valiant • u/Stunning-Computer125 • 19d ago
From Mauro Mantella´s Fecebook
"I want to offer my most sincere apologies. I know I made a mistake, but at no point did I intend to spread a message of hate.I’m fully aware that many people are upset with me, and I understand why. And although it may sound foolish, the truth is I screw this up.When I wrote the script in Spanish, I wasn’t fully convinced by the line in that panel. So, when I translated it into English, I changed it a bit… but now I realize that was a huge mistake. I borrowed a common phrase used by haters and tried to adapt it to the fictional world of vampires I was building. But now I see that it was understood in a completely different way. Maybe my subconscious betrayed me when I tried to make a sharp comment, but please believe me: I was always referring to this fictional world where vampires force their children into eternal life without their consent.In fact —still within the fictional context of the story I wrote— there will be consequences for this in issue #2.Once again, I sincerely apologize, but I want to be honest in saying that I only used the phrase within a very specific narrative context, and under no circumstances did I intend to attack the LGBTQI+ community.I’ve also been asked about some of the things I’ve reposted in the past, especially regarding conspiracy theories. And yes, I do enjoy conspiracy theories. They fuel my stories. I often search for that kind of material because I find it fascinating and inspiring, but that doesn’t mean I support them. I’m not promoting those ideas — it’s simply something that entertains me and sparks my creativity, which is why I use it in my writing. I tend to have a very sharp, ironic and acid sense of humor, and I see now that this has caused problems. Because of that, I commit to being more careful and serious about what I share and write.In all the stories I’ve written, there has always been a humanist, conciliatory approach — one that focuses on people, not on conflict or on judging anyone.As for my political views, I have always been on the left. In my country, Everyone who knows me is aware of that. That’s why it’s truly painful to be accused of being far-right, when in reality I’ve always stood on the opposite side of that ideology throughout my entire life.I have no right-wing political inclinations, nor do I support fascism, or any form of totalitarianism or dictatorship. I do not follow or align myself with any political movement or entity of that kind, and everyone who knows me is well aware of my stance on this.In Argentina, I have written stories entirely in support of the victims of our civic-military dictatorship of the 1970s, and I am a devoted admirer of Héctor G. Oesterheld, creator of El Eternauta and a political activist who was disappeared during that time — along with his daughters — because of his beliefs.I enjoy creating stories that spark thought, doubt, and reflection, but it was never — never — my intention to suggest or promote any ideology. I believe doubt is healthy; I constantly question my own beliefs, my prejudices, and my views as I encounter new information.I feel very sad and ashamed to be in the middle of this situation, and I acknowledge my mistake. This has been a lesson for me, and I will do everything I can to make amends.I sincerely ask for your understanding."
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u/azul360 18d ago
Yeah gotta admit I think I'm good on reading any new Valiant stuff if these are the type of people they are going to hire. The actual audacity to say this load of crap when his social media is literally just all right wing crap and anti-trans stuff. Oh well guess we see what happens.
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u/DrTee 19d ago edited 19d ago
James Tynion IV is interested in conspiracy theories, having written two different series focused on both (Blue Book and Department of Truth.) Yet he managed not to retweet and spread hateful conspiracies in the process.
Also claiming you took some anti trans messaging and tried to use it to be anti vampire with no underlining meaning is laughable. Imagine doing the same with anti-semitic hate speech. Would that suddenly be cool too? No fucking clearly not, no one with the IQ higher than a tomato would think that makes sense.
This doesn't feel genuine, this feels like someone who knows he fucked up and is hoping to play the hapless idiot to get out of the consequences.
Also on his Fb page it appears wife beater and professional shithead Jon Del Arroz is supporting him, not a good look.
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u/ThrawnCaedusL 19d ago
I mean, the example you used of anti-Semitic speech is used all the time. Most takes on Illuminati type organizations play it using anti-Semitic conspiracy based language.
In general, I don’t like this policing of words. Using words extremist pundits use today in your sci-fi story (especially considering, if this is the same Bloodshot as I’ve read in the past, he has more than a little jaded boomer in him) is standard and not bad.
The one thing that gives me pause is that in this apology, the writer did not actually go as far as to say they support trans rights and the validity of trans people. I don’t know the politics of their country, but unless there is legitimate legal reason to be vague, that lack of clarity feels wrong.
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u/Joshatron121 19d ago
My issue is the first point of the person you're replying to. I think using charged wording (in a careful way) can be useful, however it depends which side of the argument that charged wording falls on. Is it the bad guys using that charged wording and that being called out as harmful, then cool you're probably fine. And doing research to find out that information is also valid. However, there is literally 0 reason to retweet that stuff and give it a platform. Save it locally if you really have to, but I can think of no line of logic where it makes sense to give a platform to those ideologies because you're doing research.
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u/ThrawnCaedusL 19d ago
Fair, if you want him fired for his tweets, I don’t have a problem with that. But calling for a writer to be fired over some dialogue that really does fit the character and situation because it uses the language of modern politics is not something I support.
I’m currently reading through Ursula K Le Guin’s Earthsea series, and there are some things said (even by protagonist and mentor figure women, especially in Tehanu and her short stories) that if the quote was just dropped on the internet, people today would think she is one of the most misogynistic authors alive.
Writing a thing in fiction does not equal supporting it in reality.
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u/Fair-Face4903 19d ago
Don't believe him, or Valiant's excuse.
This man is a professional translator and knew what he was writing.
Valiant Editorial let this through with no problems.
This is in no way shape or form an error.
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19d ago
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u/Joshatron121 19d ago
So, I feel like his apology is mostly a good one. However, it really doesn't stand up to a logical pass when it comes to the past tweets. Like sure, I can respect and understand using charged wording from real life stuff like that in your books to make points about those things. That isn't what was done here, it was done in support of the anti-trans movement, not against it. And what's worse - there is literally 0 reason for anyone to ever repost that stuff to their feed except to spread their message. Even if he was doing research into those movements and such (which seems like a great way to get yourself pulled into believing those conspiracies tbh) you would at BEST save them locally. There would be 0 reason to post them back to your feed unless you wanted to share them with other people following you. That's where his whole logic falls apart for me. He also never says he supports trans people and their rights, that's a red flag to me.
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u/Fair-Face4903 19d ago
The problem with your theory is that he's just taken a bad anti-trans people existing argument and changed 1 word.
That's not a mistake, that's intent.
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u/DilbertHigh 18d ago
It is a very JK Rowling way to write in some ways. If the tweets didn't exist it would be easier to trust him. I am curious to see where he takes it next though. If he turns it around then maybe he was honest. But, this really is too on the nose. It is impossible to look past and not see what he originally intended, since the trans stand in characters are clearly "bad" in the story.
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u/BipolarPrime 19d ago
That’s your opinion. Hell, I’m not even saying you’re wrong, but I’m open minded enough not to convict immediately. Especially when his explanation makes sense. Which, to me, it does. And as I’ve said, editorial is the bigger concern. Whoever was responsible for not catching that will probably be out of a job.
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u/Fair-Face4903 19d ago
But The writer who wrote the anti-trans comments into the comic who has a self-admitted and proven history of posting such things on their twitter is A-OK in your book?
I bet you think Elon was just throwing his heart to the crowd, eh?
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u/BipolarPrime 19d ago
First, don’t be a dick. This has nothing to do with Musk, asshat. I’m trying to have a dialogue.
Second, I stay away from nearly all social media besides Reddit because “Newsflash!” Just because you see something on social media doesn’t mean your opinion about it is factual or news. I think social media is bad because anything can be twisted to fit a persons narrative. You think it’s great because in your worldview it exposes all the bad people.
In today’s world, someone who needs social media to promote themselves and their work is surely not going to post their deepest darkest secrets there. There’s always a different reason. I don’t know this guy and can’t speak for what’s in his heart (and neither can anyone else), but if he really felt how he does, in an industry like this, don’t you think he would keep those opinions to an anonymous alt account? I do, unless he’s an idiot.
So, I will wait for all evidence to come out and not just jump on the lynching bandwagon, thank you.
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18d ago
Seems weird to hold out for "all the evidence", ignore a good chunk of it, and call someone an asshat for telling you about it. But hey, at least you're keeping an open mind about an outspoken transphobe
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u/BipolarPrime 18d ago
I didn’t ignore anything. I don’t read social media. That’s not news to me. Jesus. My kid would be one of the people he’s condemning. They’re trans. But I’m not teaching them to react to a mob of people baying for blood. I’m teaching them to think for themselves, look for facts that either support or contradict what is being said and then, only then, make up your mind. That’s how I live as well. I don’t care what social media says. Truth will out. If he’s guilty of being transphobic? Then he’s an asshole. If he’s not? Then I’m not one of the people jumping to conclusions.
I can go into innocent until PROVEN guilty, but you get my point. Agree or not, it’s your right.
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u/AlwaysWitty 18d ago
The point is that just because you don't read social media doesn't mean it's not there. I understand what you're trying to do, you don't want to jump to conclusions before you have sufficient evidence to accept the claim that he's being dishonest and that he's a transphobe. But you're being dismissive toward evidence that supports that claim because it comes from a source that you're not familiar with.
You don't want to jump to conclusions, and that's a fair reason to be careful, but don't let that cloud your judgement. If you have a trans child, who could genuinely be harmed by the kind of behavior this writer has exhibited, then try to understand that it's not about how quickly you jump to conclusions, it's about how long you stand by and sit on a fence while someone who may be a danger to people like your kid is given the freedom to continue their dangerous behavior.
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u/BipolarPrime 18d ago
I know what social media is, I’m not a boomer. I’ve learned to avoid it because it is rarely factual.
James Gunn had what people called horrible, misogynistic posts on his social media accounts, not realizing it was his humor (I’m not saying this is Mantellas version of humor), but it got him fired from Marvel and only rehired later. He almost had his career taken away because people were offended by things he posted that were not his actual beliefs.
So yes, I’m wary of mob mentality. Just because you say he had evil intent doesn’t mean he did. But I have open discussions with my kids about situations like these. I’m not on a fence. I’m looking for proof that isn’t social media posts. My kids may feel differently than I. And that’s fine. But we keep the lines of communication open and we all stay aware.
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18d ago
So the things that a writer does, says, and writes aren't enough proof of their outlook and intentions for you. What would even be enough proof for you?
Your kid is affected directly by this kind of rhetoric and you're this passive and willfully ignorant? Because you don't like social media, according to your posts on this social media platform? Fucking ridiculous
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u/BipolarPrime 18d ago
Funny. I called him an asshat for the Musk comment. It had no place in this discussion and was a hell of a leap.
Also, isn’t it odd, that I’m the one stressing calm and all of you “righteous” people are baying for blood?
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u/Fair-Face4903 18d ago
First, it was a fair question, I'm trying to find out how "open" your mind is.
If humanity have learned anything in the last 3 decades it's that Social Media is a window into that persons world, and the (again) PROVEN and ADMITTED pattern of behaviour shows us exactly who Mantella is.
When people tell you who they are believe them, and when they make rubbish apologies and excuses to cover it don't.
I do not believe the people who put an obvious, open, and clear Ant-Trans Dogwhistle into their comic about murdering "Vampires" did it by accident, that's like putting the 14 words in something "by mistake".
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u/subjuggulator 18d ago
Culturally, it is still very “popular” in Spanish speaking countries to be very blatantly anti-LGBTQIA/Trans/etc. So even if it was a translation error, if you anything about our cultural history with Trans people it becomes pretty clear that the author is just regurgitating very popular talking points that have been around for decades in both LAtAm and abroad.
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u/Frix_Manepaw 19d ago
He may be a prof translator but he did't translate his own script didn't he? Maybe the "obvious script change" was done by an editor or the actual project translator.
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u/Fair-Face4903 19d ago
Perhaps you should consider actually reading the weak defence before you leap to defend it?
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u/SynthErsatz 19d ago
His twitter looks like a Facebook boomer's who has a standing ban from the grocery store for screaming at the cashiers over mask mandates, and he's claiming it's all done for "entertainment"? Kinda disgusting of him to invoke the name of Héctor G. Oesterheld to try and draw a parallel to the backlash he's facing here.
Own up to it, dodging accountability isn't gonna solve shit. I would at least respect him a little bit if he just admitted to it and said he's working further to educate himself and reassess his preconceptions.
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u/DefinitionSuperb1110 19d ago
That's a whole lot of insincere rambling. My opinion is unchanged. Fire him, scrap the series.
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u/Spirit_Difficult 19d ago
Didn’t read as such to me.
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u/throwawayayay231 19d ago edited 19d ago
even then, the damage is done. if he is sincere as he says then what he wrote were VERY poor choice of words and it's ridiculous that both the editor and publisher believed it was okay to release this as it is. frankly, i still think they all should be faced with consequences as they're not doing their job right nor are they upholding valiant's values on inclusiveness.
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u/DefinitionSuperb1110 19d ago
He posted a bunch of hateful crap on his socials, he was completely aware of what he was writing.
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u/PMMEBITCOINPLZ 18d ago
I don’t really buy the “Me a no speak good English, sowwy” argument if it’s delivered so eruditely.
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u/Gr0mpyGoat 18d ago
Yeah this reads as "I knew what I was doing, but I was saying it ironically so it's not hateful"
Which might be a legit (if dumb) excuse, but apparently, he's reposted a number of right-wing memes
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u/Past-Cap-1889 18d ago
If it was just using it ironically it would dumb, but paired with the reposts? Fuck that guy
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18d ago
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u/knowyourtroll 18d ago
Is this copypasta?
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u/PMMEBITCOINPLZ 18d ago
Yeah. It mentions Mike Cernovitch, who is a famous right wing hate figure in GamerGate or ComicsGate but has nothing to do with this story. Maybe some kind of bot.
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u/BipolarPrime 18d ago
It’s not cooypasta. I was in a discussion with someone and now all of their comments are gone.
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u/TheBroccoliMan_ 19d ago
Sucks that he even has to say this. And now I see all these people coming out of the woodwork to dog pile on valiant, when every other post about valiant has a handful of comments. Most of the people apparently angry about this don’t care about valiant or the plights of the lgbt community, you all just want to be part of the newest internet outrage.
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u/SynthErsatz 19d ago
Incredibly disingenuous to say that the people outraged aren't fans of Valiant, when the entire reason this is a controversy to begin with is because of the longtime hardcore Valiant fans feeling scorned by this. The only tourists I see here are the people popping up to say transphobic shit and get their shot in.
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u/striker_eureka_ 19d ago
Yeah, you can look at comment and interaction history here and on the Valiant fan Facebook group. The posts that are most outraged and calling for a boycott are both reliable and provably long-time fans.
While certainly not all Valiant fans think alike, it just cannot be surprising to anyone that the majority of this fanbase would not be okay with transphobia making it into publication. We tend to lean progressive. I mean like, come on! Livewire, Shadowman, Faith, Dr. Mirage, Punk Mumbo, Quantum, Toyo Harada... if a publisher focuses on diverse characters and inclusive stories, it's gonna attract likeminded fans. This is not new, it's just harder for some folks to ignore given the current situation.
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u/TheBroccoliMan_ 19d ago
That’s the thing, I just don’t see any transphobia in the now infamous dialogue, and I feel as if most of the people commenting on it are just seeking to be part of the outrage.
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u/striker_eureka_ 19d ago edited 19d ago
I mean this completely sincerely, not as an argument. But how much do you actually know about trans issues? Because that may be why it didn't stand out to you.
Let me offer a difference perspective. When folks are trying to be hostile and discriminate against trans people, the phrase "irrevocable damage" is often used. Specially, when making claims about trans people and the process of transitioning that are objectively false. It's a tactic meant to scare people into believing that being trans is evil and should be outlawed. But the big take away here - they do that by lying about trans people with phrases like "irrevocable damage" or "irrevocable harm".
(Seems to me that if trans people really were so bad, it wouldn't take lying to convince people of that, but anyway...)
That's why some people are so mad that it was part of the dialogue. It's very similar to a term that is extremely associated with transphobia and has been for quite a few years now.
I have a few friends and a family member who are trans. I have also seen some of them have to deal with some pretty awful discrimination, just for being different. Including having to deal with phrases like the one referenced in Bloodshot. So this is real, 100% genuine outrage of my very own making, from a long-time fan (check my comment history if you don't believe me).
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u/RazorsInTheNight82 19d ago
Guy recognizes actual political victims, maybe people can get over the themselves now. Oh who am I kidding, you'll burn him at the stake.
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u/TheFerg714 19d ago
On one hand, I really appreciate this, and it reads as genuine to me. I want to believe he's not actually a transphobe. I can imagine a scenario in which he intentionally used that charged language, but didn't necessarily intend it to be directly compared to the trans issue.
On the other hand, I really struggle to understand how it was an accident. It feels very obvious, and more importantly, editorial should have caught it.
I honestly don't know what to think at this point. I'm mostly just sad because I loved Reloaded and was looking forward to more Bloodshot action.