So it’s come to my attention that the creator of avasdemon has decided to quit tumblr due to harassment from fellow tumblr users.
I love Ava’s Demon. It is beautifully drawn, well written, intriguing, and an engaging blend of sci-fi and fantasy that I find very appealing. The characters are human and complex. Each update makes me want to know more.
I have seen a lot of creators and artists forced off of tumblr by harassment. And I just have to ask – is this what we want to do to the creative people who make the stuff we love? Bully them? Threaten them? Harass them until they want to stop creating?
It is important to have a critical dialogue with the media you consume. People do need to think deeply about what they like. But I find that tumblr is so violently critical and outright cruel sometimes that this dialogue turns into straight up bullying and harassment. It’s one thing to offer criticism. It’s another thing entirely to browbeat and savage a creator to the point where they no longer want to engage with their fans.
In my opinion, tumblr needs to chill the fuck out. No piece of media is going to be absolutely flaw-free – because media is made by humans and humans have flawed views (yes, all of us). I guarantee that even your most beloved and cherished stories are problematic. So cut our creators and artists some slack, for Christ’s sakes. They’re human too.