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SuicideGirls Banned From San Diego Comic-Con?
Read Comic-Con's response here
Packed with thousands of fans and members of the media, San Diego Comic Con is the largest comic book convention in the United States. If you have ever been a member of the media or comic book industry, then you know that obtaining a booth at San Diego International can be difficult, something the SuicideGirls know all about considering they have been on the waiting list since 2006. When Missy Suicide called SDCC organizers once again this year to request a booth for her girls at the show, she was told that her company, the SuicideGirls, had been banned from San Diego Comic Con. You might recall the SuicideGirls' appearance in Hack/Slash, when Cassie Hack became a SuicideGirl in the series published by Devils Due Comics. We caught up with Missy to find out what happened.
"We have applied for a booth for four years," says Missy Suicide, co-founder of the Suicide Girls, a website community that 'celebrates alternative beauty and alternative culture from all over the world.' "We applied for a booth since 2006, so the last four years. There are companies that were created in 2006 that have obtained booths before us. We had a booth at WonderCon this year and [the Suicide Girls] have had a significant [amount of] participation and consistent presence at San Diego Comic Con. "
== TEASER ==
Missy was shocked when she first heard that the Suicide Girls had been banned. She questioned why Comic-Con had not brought the matter to her attention sooner, but rather had waited to tell her until after she submitted a request for a booth at their upcoming show. "When I called Rod Mojika, [Comic-Con's go to guy for exhibits and sales] to ask about setting up a booth for the SuicideGirls at San Diego Comic Con, I was told that we had been banned from having a significant presence at their show." In a conversation with Mojika, Ms. Suicide was told that a member of the San Diego Comic-Con Board-of-Directors had purchased a Suicide Girls adult DVD at WonderCon and had not been carded. The same individual also stated that he had witnessed a Suicide Girl sell a DVD to a minor without requesting proper identification.
If this is true, then is this member of the Comic-Con Board of Directors essentially accusing the SuicideGirls of distributing pornographic material to a minor? And if this is indeed true, then why wasn't Missy Suicide contacted regarding the incident sooner?
In a conversation with LAWeekly, Missy stated that she instructs all of the Suicide Girls who are present at the conventions to check ID's at their booths for "anyone who looks under 30. We have a large sign up at our booth[s] that says 'You must be 18+ with ID to purchase."
When asked whether the SuicideGirls were indeed banned, Comic-Con International's Director of Marketing and Public Relations David Glanzer told the LAWeekly that no one is banned.
""No one is banned...My understanding is that SuicideGirls didn't have a booth and there is a 400+ waiting list...We got a report that they were handing out material that was not all ages appropriate. It's happened before where companies have not complied with our standards ... Does that mean that they're banned for life? No, we don't do that. Next year could be a different thing."
Glancing at Comic-Con's general terms and conditions exhibitor contract, nowhere in the contract does it explicitly state that materials sold at the convention must be "All ages appropriate." However, under article six of the contract, it does state that in order to sell adult materials, the retailer would need prior written permission of SDCC; something the SuicideGirls must have obtained in order to distribute their merchandise at Wondercon.
Missy Suicide wants the conflict resolved. "We were told the convention was already too full and that the waiting list is too long. We love Comic-Con. We love having our girls fly from Canada and across the United States to attend the show. We want to clear this up." San Diego Comic Con could not be reached for comment.
Unlucky for the people who are friends of the people who go there, because they could have had a chance to google at them.
I have nothing against the Suicide Girls, in fact I kinda like the concept.
However much the cast of Glee I don't see what they have to do with Comic-con.
" Can.....someone tell me what Suicidegirls are, exactly? I get the idea that they're pornography or something, and I read their wikipedia page but I still don't really get it. Is it porn of fictional characters or something? Why is this even at Comic-Con, if so? I'm confused. "they are alternative models. tattooed and such. and often times they dress up like fictional characters. and they are only slightly pornographic. kind of like playboy. no sex or anything, really it's just modeling.
but they have far more business at the con, than about 50 percent of the other booths which have absolutely zero to do with comics.
" @Sparda said:Oh, doesn't sound so bad." Can.....someone tell me what Suicidegirls are, exactly? I get the idea that they're pornography or something, and I read their wikipedia page but I still don't really get it. Is it porn of fictional characters or something? Why is this even at Comic-Con, if so? I'm confused. "they are alternative models. tattooed and such. and often times they dress up like fictional characters. and they are only slightly pornographic. kind of like playboy. no sex or anything, really it's just modeling. but they have far more business at the con, than about 50 percent of the other booths which have absolutely zero to do with comics. "
I guess if they really were selling DVDs to minors, that's a pretty serious offense for something like a Comic-Con, though. Dunno if it's ban-worthy.
" @aztek the lost said:How could you be nervous when you are dressed like Wolverine?"those kind of things...they're like feminists, only naked "Sounds pretty good to me. So.....they go to Comic-Con just to make all the sweaty guys feel nervous? :P "
" @Sparda: you know they have an intro video that explains themselves that I could show you...but you're a minor :P "BURN!
" @DH69 said:" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
@Sparda said:" @aztek the lost said:and so LAMP can get us some nice videos... but they have to with Cassie Hack as the article mentions, that's comics ""those kind of things...they're like feminists, only naked "Sounds pretty good to me. So.....they go to Comic-Con just to make all the sweaty guys feel nervous? :P "
oh i know! art is beautiful aint it, especially when they...well im not goin there
Maybe they got banned for their fifteen minutes expiring. SGs gotten so cliched that all the girls are starting to look alike, ironic as that might sound. They've got as much of a "look" as the mainstream media they're supposed be be an alternative to. And if they didn't card, SDCC doesn't owe them anything more than a "later, taters." When you run an event the size of the Comic-Con, you don't need anyone that'll bring you heat. In the future, maybe SG shouldn't rely on a sign and card everyone instead of relying on their models to guess ages.
" @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it." @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
They "celebrate alternative beauty"? Are you kidding me?!?! LAWL
It's alternative porn, plain and simple that takes advantage of chicks by making them pay for their own photo shoots, charge a membership fee to view their site, and the girls see next to nothing coming their way for being models. They are pressured into going as close to full nudity as possible, and they are REQUIRED to have tattoos and piercings.
@Caligula
said:WRONG! One of my friends had submitted clothed photos to them, and they said that she would be one of the girls. Because of that, she got a free membership. I had told her that I thought it was a bad idea, but whatever...it's her body, she can do what she wants.". no sex or anything, really it's just modeling."
Eventually, she said "hey, take a look at this s#!%...this is the kind of stuff they want me to do". We would sit in our apartment and look through the photos, and there was plenty of pornographic material in there of sexual acts. Once she realized what the site was really about, and after reading a ton of horror stories about how the girls didn't see any type of money in return and were paying hundreds of dollars for photo shoots in order for Suicide Girls to make all the money off their nude bodies, she said "eff that" and gave 'em the finger.
AND EVEN BEYOND THAT...they don't celebrate "alternative beauty". The idea of alternative beauty is that body type doesn't matter, whether it's 100lbs or 180lbs, hell...even 250lbs. Suicide Girls won't even make you a featured girl if you are over a certain weight limit. THEY STILL GO BY WHAT THE IDEA OF "MODELING" IS IN POPULAR SOCIETY!!!
At least Burning Angel is completely upfront and honest about being alternative porn, as sleazy as that place is.
By no means do I want people to think that I'm speaking out against nudity or sex or whatever. It's far more natural than shooting someone. However, the company itself is NOT as work ethical as some might believe.
This smells like all kinds of rot. To think of all the booth space that is given to things that aren't even near comic related, but they have been denied several years in a row.
I can understand being cautious if they were actually providing pornographic material to minors or not honoring the agreement to check ID, but that seem more like call for a fine or a temporary ban. To listen to Missy Suicide. It sounds more like they have always been banned. None of this is meshing up.
How many things do you think are being sold at Comic Con that isn't all ages appropriate? David Glanzer said that they got a "report". Not that it was confirmed. It's as if they are looking for excuses to ban them.
I find this part interesting:
A "Member of the Board" bought one of the adult DVD and "Wonder Con". This member seemingly was surprised not to be carded. What is the average age of the board members?" In a conversation with Mojika, Ms. Suicide was told that a member of the San Diego Comic-Con Board-of-Directors had purchased a Suicide Girls adult DVD at WonderCon and had not been carded. The same individual also stated that he had witnessed a Suicide Girl sell a DVD to a minor without requesting proper identification. "
I remember the Suicide Girls played a role in a CSI New York episode. One of them was pretty cute. I think she was called Al Suicide. I just remember she had this sort of sexy librarian look. She had black hair and glasses.
So many answers that would end in a religious flame war. Suffices to say, this is one of the many disturbing aspects of Abrahamic influence (the overall mentality, not this particular news story)." @aztek the lost said:
" @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it. "" @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
" @Caligula said:hey don't blame the Bible" @aztek the lost said:So many answers that would end in a religious flame war. Suffices to say, this is one of the many disturbing aspects of Abrahamic influence. "" @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it. "" @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
" @aztek the lost said:" @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it. "" @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
lol nudity is worse than violence, gore and swearing grr :p. its perfectly fine if you want to show kids a man ripping out another mans kidneys and then beating him to death with it, but the moment you show them a nipple you're a pervert.
lol that pretty much sums up the worlds view on nudity, its to protect those whiney annoying little douchebag creatures called children
"Celebrates alternative beauty..." by providing nude photo sets to paying customers. SG has become something of a community, but it's stock is in the naked alternative chicks.
I've never been fortunate enough to attend an SDCC, my understanding is that it is a massive showcase of media... but I'm still not sure Comic-Con is really the appropriate venue for these girls anyway.
When I said that they adhere to the popular ideals of what modeling is, I mean that the featured girls...the "Suicide Girls"...the ones that make it and show up in comics and magazines and what have you...they do NOT break past specific weight limits. That...goes against the idea of what "alternative beauty" is, yet this is a company that says they celebrate it.
" @aztek the lost: You do realize that I wrote paragraphs pertaining to how the site DOES have sexual acts when the comment I quoted stated there was no sex, right? I never said it wasn't modeling. Actually, I referred to the girls that have photos on the site as "models" many times. When I said that they adhere to the popular ideals of what modeling is, I mean that the featured girls...the "Suicide Girls"...the ones that make it and show up in comics and magazines and what have you...they do NOT break past specific weight limits. That...goes against the idea of what "alternative beauty" is, yet this is a company that says they celebrate it. "not true Amina Munster is an amputee with only one leg, and too me that's pretty alternative, how many big name modeling/magazine/websites give people like her equal opportunity employment without being trashy, tasteless or degrading.
" @aztek the lost said:I will never understand how violence and blood/gore in movies is more acceptable than seeing somebody's boob." @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it. "" @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
If they did break then law by selling that DVD then I would have thought some form of hefty fine would have been more appropriate to be issued than a full ban, unless it was a zero tolerance example by the directors. One could argue however (and rather cynically) that the powers that be could be attempting to single out and remove certain things that don’t fit in with the image of what they are trying to sell seeing as the big corporations how have a hand in the proceedings.
If SuicideGirls is porn then so is Playboy. In fact SuicideGirls has more artistic merit than Playboy. I'm personally friends with a SG girl Mischa. ComicCon needs to lighten up. I haven't been to a 'con since 2000. It's become more about the politics of television and pop-culture and less about comics. I remember when I was able to buy issues of Satanika and Heavy Metal when I was 16 and it was no issue. I guess my generation that are now parents are just so overbearing over their kids that NOTHING aside from Nickelodeon or Disney is allowed. Way to kill creativity. This is ridiculous. Children need to learn to grow up. I fully support SG and wish them the best of luck in getting a booth.
" @Caligula said:Exactly violence is far more damging to people after all, never heard anybody coming back from seeing a chick with post dramatic stress issues do you lol" @aztek the lost said:I will never understand how violence and blood/gore in movies is more acceptable than seeing somebody's boob. "" @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it. "" @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
" @courtney12490 said:Right? I will just never understand the mentality that seeing somebody savagely murdered and dismembered is more appropriate than seeing some skin." @Caligula said:Exactly violence is far more damging to people after all, never heard anybody coming back from seeing a chick with post dramatic stress issues do you lol "" @aztek the lost said:I will never understand how violence and blood/gore in movies is more acceptable than seeing somebody's boob. "" @RiceFox said:true, when did nudity become "evil" i'll never understand it. "" @aztek the lost said:actually you have it in reverse, art is porn...artworks have been pornographic for hundreds more years then porn has been deemed taboo "" @DH69 said:I'd say porn could be art. Just like everything else... "" so they banned a pornsite? "it's not a porn site, it's art!
" @courtney12490: hell i would happily check the women out over the other 100% of the time in real life, but thing is i enjoy games and comics and violence and gore are widely used tools now days so its become less tabboo, thou essentially both are playing to animalistic nature. "That's true.
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