In the continuing story we first wrote about here and here, Marvel Zombies artist and all-around egotist Arthur Suydam arrived at Montreal Comiccon early and took up a whole row of tables, some of which belonged to other artists, and the comic community was pissed. In a bizarre turn of events he sort of apologized to two of the slighted artists without taking any of the blame and completely ignoring one of them, had his rep issue a statement without taking any of the blame, and now has issued a formal statement without taking any of the blame. Notice a pattern here?
His statement was issued in an email to CBR, while ignoring us and the Outhousers, the two sites that broke the story. This statement is surely not going to change anyone’s opinion of him as a person or the events that transpired on the con floor, especially as they contradict many eyewitness accounts and claims of this habitually happening at conventions the world over.
The Montreal show changed its floor plan on Thursday, the day before the show, however they didn’t send out notification and only the 5 American artists at set up time on Thursday nite knew of the table placement floor-plan change.
The next day at show-time the Canadian artists unfortunately began hearing from a singular trouble-making fan artist who wasn’t there at set up who began spreading fabrications to the artists and online that the American artists at the row-end were taking their tables (and guess who that lucky artist on the end was).
The fan artist wasn’t in the loop on Thursday and so knew nothing. This is the guy who sat across from us all weekend long at his table with no fans and no one paying him any attention while the crowds flocked to the American artist’s tables.
Then the low-I.Q. online crowds, too lazy to check facts more interested to turn simple misunderstandings into an opportunity to create some trouble jumped in.
The show promoters have since come out and corroborated these facts.
I was trying to go easy on him, but with this “apology” I draw the line. And since Twitter is actually working today (Strange, I know.), here are a couple of warranted responses to his statement from the involved parties as well as other creators, starting with Jim Zub who originally pointed out what Suydam had done in the first place.
http://t.co/ChUPsShnd2 I have no adequate response. Seriously. There’s nothing I can say that his words don’t already take care of for me.
— Jim Zub (@JimZub) July 7, 2015
You know, if I had to guess one thing about Arthur Suydam, I would say he probably has difficulty making friends. — Rachel Richey (@Rachelpeabody) July 7, 2015
It’s literally everyone else’s fault.
— Rachel Richey (@Rachelpeabody) July 7, 2015
I’m waiting for Donald Trump to tweet his approval of Arthur Suydam’s “explanation”
— Kevin Maguire (@maguirekevin) July 7, 2015
BREAKING: Arthur Suydam rebuttal plagiarized from various sources, including Shia Labeouf, Rick Rude, six year-old school kid in trouble.
— Evan Dorkin (@evandorkin) July 7, 2015
WOW. KEEP DIGGING, ASSHAT. http://t.co/0AORIWb98O
— Mark Waid (@MarkWaid) July 7, 2015
This Arthur Suydam thing is just sad now.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) July 6, 2015
Apparently Suydam doesn’t realize how small and close-knit the comic community is, and how large their collective memory is. This isn’t going to go away anytime soon, and I’m sure will haunt Suydam’s future career. Keep digging, Arthur. #TableGate