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The World of Online Comics Is Overwhelmed by Hate
The hateful comics of StoneToss, Hedgewik, MadebyJimBob, and more.
For the longest time, the Internet has been a place for comic book artists to get their start. Comics such as xkcd and Homestuck inspired cult followings and fandoms. Artists such as Alex Woolfson of The Young Protectors fame proved that indie creators with marginalized identities could successfully express themselves — free of the barriers that plagued more intensive media such as TV shows, movies, and video games.
And yet, the Internet has always had a dark underbelly, where creators use their platforms to spread hatred and misinformation. While increased moderation may have curtailed some of the more direct examples of hateful comics, you will eventually see discriminatory content pop up on Instagram, Twitter, and more if you comb through the handles of white supremacist creators like Stonetoss.
Unlike other content, however, the issue here is not a barrage of creators uploading hateful posts that social media sites cannot properly moderate. The ability to ride that line between what is tolerated and what is effective is something only a handful of artists can do. If social media platforms wanted to, they could limit the spread of the vast majority of hateful webcomics out there with a few clicks of a button.
