John Romero's Little Melvin

[DrCrypt]

Apparently, when John Romero isn't designing video games or applying egg whites to his glossy mane, he likes to draw comics hilariously depicting the violent murder of small children.

http://www.rome.ro/comics_index.html

Note: there's one called "Cocksucker Melvin". It is censored and unavailable, but looks like it involves both child murder AND homosexual/pedophile incest/rape! W-O-W!

[balut]

You know, I'd probably be a little disturbed at that if you hadn't obviously written that for negative shock value. Your statement reads like any current media headline, written to sensationalize through lack of framing context.

When I clicked that link, I found some disturbingly violent sketches, for sure, but I also read Romero's statements about them. One, they were drawn when he was an adolescent experiencing emotional turmoil. Two, he notes that, upon reflection, Melvin represents himself, and that his sketches were about the perception of self-suffering.

Because of some anti-Romero agenda, you frame the story as if Romero's a borderline personality ready to commit criminal acts of pedophelia, rape, and murder. I find such a harshly skewed viewpoint somewhat offensive.

- Balut

[DrCrypt]

You know, I'd probably be a little disturbed at that if you hadn't obviously written that for negative shock value. Your statement reads like any current media headline, written to sensationalize through lack of framing context.
Sorry about that. Obviously, it should have read: "John Romero draws uplifting child rape comics in order to heroically tackle his lack of self-esteem!"

[DrCrypt]

But seriously, just to kill the entire "allegorical comic for John Romero's self-worth issues" thing, Romero himself shrugs that aside, after explaining all of that, then goes on to say:
Yeah, it's a weird situation, but when you read these comics, don't think about any of that psycho mumbo-jumbo and just take it at face value: Melvin is a little kid who needs a complete beating on a regular basis.
I admire the directness of Romero's statement here: children need to be beaten every once and a while to keep their head screwed on straight. And raped too, apparently.

No Anti-Romero agenda here, he's made more good games than bad (the Hyperspace Delivery Boy demo is great), he's just a wacky guy. I look at these as sort of the child-abuse equivalent of Tom and Jerry cartoons.

[Anonymous]

This is the kind of trumped-up crap you see on POE news or Fark or whatever. It's sensationalism at its most boring.

[Jason McCullough]

Who knew the Romero fan club lived here?

[DrCrypt]

I'm interested in how more people are offended that I posted a link to Romero's child mutilation/kiddy rape comics than the actual material itself (the kiddy rape stuff having been drawn in 1990, a year before Wolf 3D and way past Romero's adolescence, as some here have claimed).

I thought the comics were odd and questionable enough to point out, but the number one criticism seems to be how "sensational" my comments were: as if the existence of child mutilation comics on a major video game designer's web site weren't in itself pretty sensational, or could be pointed out in a non-sensational manner.

Apparently, guys like balut think that fantasizing about murder and pedophillia is a-okay as long as it is an incompetent allegory for your years as a stuttering, self-conscious teenager... and done by the ROCKINGEST VIDEO GAME DESIGNER IN THE WORLD!!!!

[Tyjenks]

Apparently, guys like balut think that fantasizing about murder and pedophillia is a-okay as long as it is an incompetent allegory for your years as a stuttering, self-conscious teenager... and done by the ROCKINGEST VIDEO GAME DESIGNER IN THE WORLD!!!!

Ummm...yeah, that's exactly what guys like balut think. :roll: Your dead-on insight is astounding and no doubt infinite. Wait, weren't you the technical advisor on both "The Profiler" and "Millenium"?

[Anonymous]

I thought the comics were odd and questionable enough to point out,
Then point them out and STFU. End of problem. What are you, an aspiring Met_K?

[Anonymous]

DrCrypt is a total POE troll bitch. Ignore him, and he'll go back there to suck some more cum out of the asses of his overlords.

[Anonymous]

Whoops, forgot that THERE is HERE now. Welcome, Dr. Crypt to another POE message forum... for you to poop on!

[Anonymous]

balut said:
Romero's a borderline personality ready to commit criminal acts of pedophelia, rape, and murder

Wow, that's pretty strong. So if you like him so much, we can only assume that you are also "a borderline personality ready to commit criminal acts of pedophelia, rape, and murder." Sicko.

[Mark Bussman]

Keep aspiring there, as that quote was too blatently out of context.

[balut]

I'm interested in how more people are offended that I posted a link to Romero's child mutilation/kiddy rape comics than the actual material itself (the kiddy rape stuff having been drawn in 1990, a year before Wolf 3D and way past Romero's adolescence, as some here have claimed).

1) I'm not offended by the fact you posted a link. I'm offended at the smarmy self-righteousness that oozes from your framing comments.

2) As far as "kiddy rape stuff" being drawn in 1990, the initial comics seem to have begun in 1984, as a result of Romero's admitted "mental things" occurring during his adolescence. His use of the same tools to cope with inner turmoils, even several years after he first used it, can likely be explained several ways psychologically. Or are you saying adolescent emotional problems aren't allowed to plague people well into their adult years?


I thought the comics were odd and questionable enough to point out, but the number one criticism seems to be how "sensational" my comments were: as if the existence of child mutilation comics on a major video game designer's web site weren't in itself pretty sensational, or could be pointed out in a non-sensational manner.

Yes, the existence of ultra-violent comics on a game designer's web site may be sensational in itself, so why the need for extraneous petty editorializing? Come on, an aside on Romero's hair? Is that to show how "cool" and "hip" you are that you can make fun of someone who hasn't had public gaming exposure for years?

Mention the link, point out its potential interest to the group, and try to refrain from the loaded sensationalistic style phrasing.


Apparently, guys like balut think that fantasizing about murder and pedophillia is a-okay as long as it is an incompetent allegory for your years as a stuttering, self-conscious teenager... and done by the ROCKINGEST VIDEO GAME DESIGNER IN THE WORLD!!!!

Fantasizing about murder - yes, that is okay, to an extent. If, by fantasizing about violence, either mentally or through the playing of computer/video games, or by drawing comics, you can vent feelings of anger or other negative emotions, and not do it for real, then I'm all for it.

Fantasizing about pedophilia? One, you're sensationalizing again, by making judgment assumptions based on my distaste for your writing. Two, you do the same thing moments later by assuming anyone who doesn't mindlessly agree with your loaded statements is a Romero fanboy. Jason McCullough initially seems to think the same way, although his statement is more of a glib aside so I don't take it seriously.

My complaint isn't about the link itself, which I find a somewhat fascinating, disturbing look into Romero's mind in his younger years; rather, my complaint is your need to incite some sort of consensus of moral outrage by sensationalizing the link before people may have a chance to view and form their own opinions about it.

Your attacks on those who disagree with your methods only serves to show how much you want to turn this subject into an "us against them" morality argument instead of any sort of rational discussion.

- Balut

[Tyjenks]

Pardon me balut if it seemed as if I was speaking for you. I simply could not let DrCrypt's blather continue without a suitable smarmy reply from yours truly.

He seems to be able to delve into our souls for our truest innermost thoughts with only our message board posts as a guide. Simply amazing, is it not?

[balut]

Pardon me balut if it seemed as if I was speaking for you. I simply could not let DrCrypt's blather continue without a suitable smarmy reply from yours truly.

He seems to be able to delve into our souls for our truest innermost thoughts with only our message board posts as a guide. Simply amazing, is it not?

1) No problem.

2) Truly, he is gifted with a powerful analytical mind that allows him to divulge, John-Forbes-Nash-style, the hidden patterns and sequences in message board posts that reveal the inner workings of posters' minds.

- Balut