Monster? Rascist? I wouldn't throw those accusations around but I would say that a lot of people I know are put off Byrne the creative because of what they read of Byrne the person on this site. Posts you've made on this site have turned up in news items in comics press and web-sites and perhaps a lot of people have been put off by what they read in those articles. Skewed presentation from the reporters? Maybe but then when they come to this site and look around what they see isn't necesarily going to counter the image.

I first started coming to this site after one of the "Look at what John Byrne said!" dustups (I don't remember which one at this point).  Whatever was shown on the other website just screamed out-of context, to me at least, and I wanted to see what the whole story was.  To the best of my memory, it was out-of context, and the whole post was not nearly as horrible as people on the other site were making it out to be.  In the time I have spent here, mostly lurking, I have never gotten the impression that you are a racist, or even an ogre. 

However, and I say the following with as much respect as possible, you do come across as a bit of a jerk sometimes.  I believe what the people who know you personally have posted.  I have no doubt that, in person, you are pleasant, funny, whatever.  But I'm guessing that your sense of humor doesn't always translate well to posts on a message board. 

You also have a tendency to be insulting.  I've never personally felt insulted by you, but then again, we haven't really had any contact.  But if I had a nickel for every time you have called someone who disagrees with you an idiot, or an asshole, or some other variation on the theme, I would have quite a nice pile of nickels right now.

Anyone who wandered into this board with negative press about you already in mind would not find those images negated if they look at the wrong threads.  The "Bad Byrne Stories" are hardly your fault.  I agree with the poster above who attributed many of them to jealousy.  But the image you put out of yourself on this board is all on you.  And if you choose to insult, then it is poor form, in my view, to wonder "Why do people think I'm a nasty SOB?".  And I say this as someone who can be a nasty SOB. 

I don't call people idiots or assholes until they have given their absolute best effort to proving the appelation to be accurate.

David, in all fairness to Byrne, "Big Tex" Dave Farabee and he have a long history of interacting on the internet, so what looks to the casual observer as an insult "early" in the debate, was, in fact, very very late in the debate.

If that's the bloke from the Lost Girls thread then I stand corrected. You can see why people end up thinking John is a jerk though from reading the thread.

Oh, I understand.   Yes, that's the same guy.  I'm not going to say Dave is a troublemaker, but considering how many years they've been interacting on various message boards, I'd say there's a history and context.

I do hear your point - in a perfect world, Byrne would reply to everything with a rosy smile and a warm handshake... but that's not going to happen.  Too blunt sometimes?  Well, from certain points of view.   Here's the key factor - keep in mind that more often than not, the people who are spreading the "outrage" about whatever it is that Byrne has done are people who regularly spread "outrage" about Byrne, and thus, have an agneda which colors their views on the situation.  It's no surprise that you and others who read the various gossip columns and anti-Byrne boards are only shown the quotes in a light that make Byrne out to be the asshole, you know?* 

If you do the slightest ammount of digging, you find the same few names being "outraged" over and over. 

Any kook can show you just enough evidence that the moon landing was faked.  But when he also tells you that Elvis is alive, well, and working at a 7-11 in Atlanta, and so on, you start to smell a rat, and as I say, with the most minimal investigative work, you can discover the sick stalkerish obsessions of these few disturbed individuals.

*Not calling Dave F an asshole, here.  The gossip columnists, on the other hand...