This is almost two weeks old now, but it looks like the Ed Kramer legal tussle continues its back-and-forth. Reading this article, it's hard not to come away with some hope that momentum has been lost from the Kramer side -- at least the legal maneuvers are described in a way they seem more like rote moves than a fevered battle being pitched. Perhaps that's reading too much into it.
Kramer's ability to fight the charges against him are being financed by his stake in Dragon*Con, the longtime Atlanta convention for which he was once a key mover and shaker. This is still the best overall article on the matter.
A move by professionals to get other professionals and fans to stop supporting Dragon*Con because this legal scrum is where the money is going has a couple of interesting side elements. A first is that there hasn't been a conviction yet, and for some people that's the important issue above and beyond the nature of any allegations; a second is that some people have decided to see this as an attack on Dragon*Con as some sort of endorsing agency for the things that Kramer is alleged to have done and that a) this isn't fair, b) the convention can't break ties with Kramer without legal repercussions and have tried to do so, c) the convention is a positive for a lot of people.
The idea that there must be someone to blame is an intriguing outgrowth of comics culture, although one has to wonder if that isn't beside the point in this case. I would think whether or not you're furious at Dragon*Con or if your heart breaks for their predicament, just not wanting to be involved in the legal clusterfuck that's developed -- out of distaste for someone abusing the system, or because the implications of his alleged crimes are monstrous -- might be enough righteous motivation for folks to divest themselves of any involvement with that show, or, really, any comics show where this developed.
Update: It looks like Heidi MacDonald also updated on this story this morning, with video.
Kramer's ability to fight the charges against him are being financed by his stake in Dragon*Con, the longtime Atlanta convention for which he was once a key mover and shaker. This is still the best overall article on the matter.
A move by professionals to get other professionals and fans to stop supporting Dragon*Con because this legal scrum is where the money is going has a couple of interesting side elements. A first is that there hasn't been a conviction yet, and for some people that's the important issue above and beyond the nature of any allegations; a second is that some people have decided to see this as an attack on Dragon*Con as some sort of endorsing agency for the things that Kramer is alleged to have done and that a) this isn't fair, b) the convention can't break ties with Kramer without legal repercussions and have tried to do so, c) the convention is a positive for a lot of people.
The idea that there must be someone to blame is an intriguing outgrowth of comics culture, although one has to wonder if that isn't beside the point in this case. I would think whether or not you're furious at Dragon*Con or if your heart breaks for their predicament, just not wanting to be involved in the legal clusterfuck that's developed -- out of distaste for someone abusing the system, or because the implications of his alleged crimes are monstrous -- might be enough righteous motivation for folks to divest themselves of any involvement with that show, or, really, any comics show where this developed.
Update: It looks like Heidi MacDonald also updated on this story this morning, with video.