Separating Art From Artist

How Something With Controversial Creators Are Still Applicable

Name any creator with a skeleton in the closet or a belief they had that doesn’t fit in with today’s culture. I highlight H.P. Lovecraft, an admitted racist and antisemite despite being married to a Jewish woman at one point. For more modern examples there’s Chuck Dixon, a talented comic writer who co-created the Batman villain Bane and ally Spoiler who while more subtle than Lovecraft is anti-queer. Or more controversially, OnlyFans relations with “adult content” to any sympathetic trying to sell NFTs. While some people are appreciating certain subjects from these creators, not everyone is willing to touch anything related to them for their controversies.

But that’s the question isn’t it? Can art be separated from artists? Does it need to be highly applicable, does it need to be devoid of passion and vice, no therapy or empathy, just mind numbing entertainment? I certainly don’t know the answer.

Can Art Separate From Artist?

People all over the internet debate whether content can be separated from its creator. Can anyone bring up Spider-Man’s iconic cover of his first appearance without separating him from Steve Ditko? Because Ditko has put in his objectivist beliefs that made Peter Parker look like a real jerk.

I can’t even separate the first appearance of DC’s The Hawk and The Dove without it being an example of Ditko’s vanity and influence screwing over a collaboration. Let’s also not forget Mr. A, the embodiment of Ditko’s idea of a true hero; while some people see him as aspirational others like famous Comic ranter Alan Moore see this as supporting a sociopath. And this is the same guy who called Ditko Spider-Man’s one true artist. But maybe this is because Ditko was one of the best artists to showcase the dynamic movements of the wall-crawler.

Which really brings up the question of whether art can be separated from artist. Spider-Man’s co-creator Stan Lee put his heart and soul into one issue where it recounted his doubts on continuing his comics career in Spider-Man No More. To this day it serves as one of the defining pieces of the character Peter Parker and Stan as a creator. And this was long after Ditko left the title, pushing away some of Ditko’s influence in the process. I need to bring up that Stan had a few vices of his own: product placement, trying to save face from outrage through blame, potentially suckering his co-creators out of credit and royalties.

Passion and Vanity Projects

Here’s where I have to highlight passion projects, vanity projects, and the vague line between them. Passions are moments of inspiration that can be captured and shared with others, sometimes at the expense of burning out. Vanity projects in the meantime are ego driven and are infamous for trying to undercut supporting roles or constructive criticisms, yet people seem to enjoy how terrible they can get. With how one tends to succeed over the other, the distinctions should be obvious; but that’s not always the case.

Back on H.P. Lovecraft, some of his writing alludes to racist remarks to certain people of color. One of those happens to be in the Reanimator, a title that while Lovecraft didn’t care too much about, gets constant revisions and updates. Then there’s Call of Cthulhu which is so famous that its title character is everywhere. Naturally it was only famous long after Lovecraft was dead and practically penniless, enough to be revisited to point out the racist and antisemitic elements. Yet people still connect with this story despite Lovecraft’s moral and financial failings.

Applicability Is Key… Right?

Let’s approach Cthulhu with applicability in mind. One person managed to tell the same story Lovecraft did while avoiding the racist connotations. Why? Because at its core, Call of Cthulhu addressed fears of the unknown. Some people are still afraid to travel out of their comfort zones and speak to other people.

It’s Not Just Power Fantasies

While we’re on the subject, one of Lovecraft’s associates Robert E. Howard has similar themes. For some, Howard’s most famous creation Conan looks like the Ultimate Alpha Male. He constantly wanders from one place to another, drinking, and laying about with any woman (with her consent). I should note that Howard himself had a ripped bod from manual labor and took pride in his work so maybe he put a little bit of himself into his writing. Maybe some people see a little bit of themselves in the Cimmerian, destined for Greater Things and whatnot. But one thing that even leftists like about Conan, its sharing Conan and Howard’s frustrations with civilization. Howard’s hometown industrializing didn’t really improve the writer’s life, in fact it was kind of a nuisance to him. Even Conan’s reign as a king can feel like work and not a job. And I need to note, some phrases in Howard’s script are racist in today’s world. Yet people still want Conan around.

Ideological Overlap

Now let’s look at another popular title, the X-Men. Fans of movies, TV, and comics have likely heard of the Mutant Metaphor. For many this is shorthand for anyone under racial, sexual, gender, class, or religious oppression. But for others especially with the inclusion of registration, the metaphor is applicable enough to include gun rights.

But now, let me go into a creator named Doug TenNapel. TenNapel is a very talented writer known for his comedic storytelling and his religious ties. It’s one of the reasons he was able to work on a more recent Veggie Tales show… that wasn’t as well received as the original or the show that succeeded TenNapel’s. But he’s also anti-queer, speaking about it in passive-aggressive way. Not to mention he deals in NFTs. So what does that make his other creations Earthworm Jim and Catscratch?

It Can Just Be Ironic

Comedy is not really immersive, in fact it reminds people how absurd conventional thought can be. Hero saves a princess and hooks up with her? Nope, she’s squashed by a cow launched a long time ago. No heartbreak or crises, just saying “Oh well” and going to the next thing. Because conventions shouldn’t mean a checklist for a story, people are allowed to get creative. Besides, TeNapel never pedaled his beliefs into Earthworm Jim, any Christian symbols were either accidental or played for laughs. In fact he encourages people to make their own decisions about his work. A friend of mine is a huge Earthworm Jim fan from its start as a video game, the cartoon (with hidden adult jokes), and the graphic novel remake series. Plus with a new Earthworm Jim cartoon that TenNapel has no involvement in, we’ll have to see how successful it gets.

I myself am a fan of TenNapel’s cartoon Catscratch, and grew to appreciate the man’s creativity in adapting the characters from some dour source material. Besides, TenNapel has my respect for making a trollish creator look stupid by using that creator’s methods against him. TenNapel’s not perfect and I won’t be able to get behind everything he does, but he manages to separate himself from his work enough.

Art Doesn’t Mean Artist… Except When It Does

Creative outlets can be a form of therapy. A lot of people believe that’s what helps make adult animation more distinct from its more child friendly content. But anyone who has worked on mental health treatment can know how ugly it gets when it comes to preconceptions. Let me give a personal example.

Personal Stake

I wrote this because I felt that I needed to express it all to someone. You can’t separate this from me, because it feels pretty therapeutic. While I haven’t done any sexual misconduct or subscribed to harmful ideologies, I have made poor decisions and said the wrong things to get people off my back. Sometimes I even made dumb decisions that really hurt or insulted hard working people that could’ve been rectified if I opened up to them. It doesn’t feel like there’s enough trust going around, like it’s some precious resource for people to hoard.

But I think I also need to admit I have a problem. Like so many people point out, content consumption is becoming a problem. But not only that I feel like I’m stuck in a state of arrested development.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was looking forward to catching up on my reading and some streaming. But since I work in the medical field, my employer decided to open his practice back up to help who he could. I was one of the earliest people to get back to work. While I didn’t complain, it felt like my world had even more stops. Everybody else left a job they didn’t want while trying to find something more fulfilling; but nothing changed for me. I’m still working a job with benefits and above minimum wage, but it just feels like a safety net rather than a career.

I tried to find other jobs, but because of the nature of how I had to get them through a job coach, I was turned away from them all. I’m trying my best to tough it out and be grateful for what I’ve got, but it’s hard. Don’t tell me that’s what makes me strong, because I’ve heard that way too many times for it to mean anything.

Even my other “job” at Monkeys Fighting Robots started to feel more like work; no motivations, just meandering around.

Eventually I just didn’t have it in me to try anything else. I got stuck in a routine of content consumption and not managing time right. I was able to do something similar once to catch up on content, how could I not do it again? Turns out I was just stretching time as I felt myself getting older. The only difference I made at all, trying to create a comic to break into the industry. One that if things don’t work out traditionally, maybe I could use this SubStack as a platform to build a fan base complete with actual rewards.

Real Life Hits

I have to add this bit after a video from a YouTube creator I respect, Super Eyepatch Wolf. One that really has to ask the question on whether somebody’s art can be separated from artist; because all of the efforts that go into something feel like fingerprints. Also… how much is because of fan investment? It’s one thing to consider what people put into their art, but it’s another to realize what the artist got out of it. There are a real sense of pressures that can take a lot out of someone.

It’s when I look at the late Kentaro Miura, the artist behind that video’s subject (Berserk) I was reminded of another instance, Cyborg 009: Conclusion GOD’s War. They both dealt with a concept that the original artists outlined and people close to them tried to bring to life. The only problem, some fans felt this was exploiting their nostalgia and dead creators’ ideas. Wait… isn’t this the plot of Stephen King’s Misery? So yeah… the creators tried their best to appease their fans, even at the risk of their own health.

Conclusion: Art Is Complicated

Depending on the artist and what they put into their work, art can be separated from them. But it has to be a performance that’s just to entertain people on a simple outline to throw money at, or so absurdly abstract that it can applied in multiple directions. Vanity projects meanwhile can come from bad places and personal feelings like ego and unresolved trauma. Which can be problematic as creative art can be therapeutic, with some of the most lauded content coming from people expressing their grief and concerns.

The Root Of The Problem

In this day and age where trust is more or less a highly valued source of currency, looking for excuses to guilt or shame others for slights (especially perceived ones) feels trollish. Should people who openly flaunt hurtful ideologies with no shame be celebrated; never. But should people shame everyone who expressed or has been outed for bad behaviors? Empathy can just as easily be a weapon if it’s used as moral guideline, especially when it encourages projection. I think it all depends on the situation.