Gone Too Soon: Cartoonist Kayfabe's Ed Piskor
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- Опубликовано: 3 апр 2024
- In this video, we reflect on the passing of Ed Piskor, a talented comic artist, and co-host of Cartoonist Kayfabe. While Ed's impact on the comic book industry and his passionate advocacy for the medium will always be remembered, we also want to take a moment to address the importance of mental health awareness. Suicide is a deeply complex and painful issue that affects countless individuals and their loved ones. It's a reminder of the profound impact mental health struggles can have on anyone. And how much pain can be caused when the internet mob mentality takes hold. Let's also use this opportunity to start conversations about mental health, reach out to those who may be struggling, and support one another with empathy and understanding.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health challenges, please reach out for help. You are not alone, and there are people who care about you.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Let's honor Ed's memory by spreading compassion, empathy, and hope.
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I am a friend of Ed’s, knew him for 20+ years. In fact, I met him because I photographed him many years back when I worked at the City Paper. (Haven’t been there since 2015 and the paper has been sold twice and is a total rag now, as evidenced by the completely unethical hatchet job articles they rushed to publish about these allegations.)
The stories all ran before any complete evidence could be verified, substantiated or corroborated. It’s mortifying how the media, both local and trade pubs, grabbed onto the allegation story and spread it without corroborating evidence or triple checking sources, taking time to weigh Ed’s side or give him a chance to defend himself. I no longer really work in media and after this, I’m glad.
I live pretty close to him but I’m a bit older than him and not in the comics scene, so I had no idea this was happening to him or I would have reached out to him. Fuck, I have his cell number in my phone; it would have been so easy. But, like Ed, never in a million years would I have expected the comic scene would turn on him in the way it did. It’s abhorrent.
He did not deserve this. His family did not deserve this. I wish the people who propagated and inflamed this whole situation had to stand and look into his mom’s eyes like I did yesterday at his funeral, and apologize for the way the world took her son away from her. And for what?
Congratulations. As Ed said in his suicide note, you all got your pound of flesh. And the rest of us lost someone we loved for it.
I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for conveying your thoughts about your friend and a human being. We seem to have lost this in this community. I appreciate your heartfelt words about Ed Piskor.
@@davidtyler6708 wait this isn’t a joke? Ed’s dead?
@@StevenLoby Yes. Ed Piskor has passed away. He deleted himself a couple of months ago over allegations over getting involved with a minor.
The man was a stranger to me, I never met him, I read his comics and watched a bit of his channel. Yet, I've been trying my best not to cry. What happened was a tragedy and I've been left shaking with rage and tears in my eyes. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
I gave up on comics and drawing early in highschool (freshman year) but when covid happened( months before graduating) I had nothing to do which I then found Cartoonist Kayfabe, I got back into comics and I've been drawing in hopes that one day i could have been proud enough of my work so I could send it to Ed and Jim to review. Its not gonna happen but I'll still push that book out for Ed no matter how many more years it takes.
I feel like I have somewhat the same story, and the same goal, man.
Truly, same here! I bought an iPad and started learning procreate and have been practicing so much. Kayfabe forever.
This is wild. I really enjoyed Cartoonist Kayfabe, and Ed was a great talent. I can't even get my head around it right now. I loved his insight, loved the commentary, and I really wish he had just muscled through what would eventually be just a footnote in his life.
We've reached a point due to social media that's it's just better for a man to _never_ speak to a woman in any capacity. Now Ed is gone, his family and Jim Rugg are suffering, and she'll go on her merry way with no effect on her life.
I love women but no longer attempt to talk anything more than very boring small talk.
@funnymcfunfuns1455 I'd do the same, too. Small talks are nice.
This is one of the reasons why I decided to stay single. I can't with those folks. It's just disgusting behavior from those folks, and the current "political" climate made it worse.
We need to support the cartoonist by kayfabe channel. Any ideas how ? If this channel carries on ,it will send the haters a clear message
Maybe this is why so many parts of the world are in demographic decline these days. We just don’t f’ing trust each other anymore.
@@namelesswhocares8648buy merch and watch the vids. Maybe they’ll come back later. But rn I’m sure that’s the last thing on their minds.
It's not "depression" when people are actively conspiring to destroy you. It's hopelessness that is earned from their actions
I agree, but I also think it’s splitting hairs at this point.
@@SparrowAaron yet it's not because one is a serious condition that requires help, the other is an understandable response to external stimuli.
To sweep that distinction under the rug minimizes the culpability these people have in his death.
This is not a guy that just woke up last week in the grips of some existential despair out of nowhere.
That is an important point. Depression doesn't necessarily come just from inside somebody's own head.
Ed was hounded into a dark and hopeless place that he felt he would never be allowed back out of.
It is insane what people do to each other online. And as he said in his note, we are not built to deal with that.
They took away from him his ability to pay mortgage, buy food, live a life. I mean they basically killed. If someone can’t see that I’m not sure what they are missing.
Thank you. Misdiagnosing a cultural problem is a great way to not actually zero in on the real problem, something our current culture is very good at, because systemic problems should be treated as systemic problems, not as individual problems.
Reading Ed Piskor's suicide note, I understood exactly what he was saying.
When you're in that headspace, you just can't see a way out from what's happening. Those senses of absolute failure and feeling like your presence is tainting or affecting the people you care about and how removal of yourself from the equation would be the best option for them.
That calm he spoke of when you reach the point of rationalizing suicide really hit my core. It's the only certain sense of being in control of anything that makes sense in the headspace. Looking back, you can't understand why it made sense then, but you remember the peace you felt when you made the resolution to do it.
Defamation suits, especially when you are a public figure are extemely difficult to win in this country.
@VonRobitussin true also
Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. Deeply saddened by this. We lost an incredibly passionate and talented human being far too soon.
Such a sad situation, I can only hope this never happens again. May Ed Piskor rest in peace.
If he dont talk to minors this dont happen youtubers ant responsible
@@NickholasWilson-wv5rm Multiple accusations, most if them probably false, no laws broken, there was no justice in this.
He was tried by the mob..
@@NickholasWilson-wv5rmPeople like you bare responsibility for SURE. He spoke to a fellow artists who was just under 18 and never said anything sexual or sent any nudes or anything crazy. All you’re working off of is your OPINION. So stfU!
@@NickholasWilson-wv5rm loooooollll, talking to minors isn't a death sentence, retard.
I recently lost my father to suicide (intentional fentyl od). The signs were there for at least a month (December 28th 2023) everyone in my family tried to be there for him and help him but he was too far in the rabbit hole of depression and loss of hope. Rest in peace to Ed Piskor, and to anyone that reads this comment, someone is always there for you and your loved.
Sorry for ur loss
So sorry for your loss.
My condolences, Flash. That's very, very tough to go through.
Wes and Aaron, thank you both for stepping up and discussing this in an honest manner.
Agreed
Thank you for watching.
@@3rdrail931 wow, you seem really triggered. Projecting? Did you jump on the bandwagon against Piskor, or something? oolololoolol
@@3rdrail931 No guilt on my part whatsoever, just introspection and a profound feeling of sadness that a man decided to take his own life. You don’t like it? Cry about it. I’m under no obligation to define myself, my feelings, or my actions under your terms. The sooner you come to grips with that, the sooner you’ll have better things to do than try and fail to get a rise out of people in comment sections.
Piskor's letter sounds authentic. It is really sad to hear that a person whose youtube channel I followed, who also lived 20 minutes away from me, went through so much in a short time. To read the words of a man who decided to end the only thing they have ever known(life,) and still go through with it is truly haunting. There is a ton of anger inside me reading all of the bad-takes by those who piled on and then tried to backtrack after the terrible news. I truly hope there is a civil suit against those directly involved with this witch trial; they deserve at least that much. Been checked out of comics for a while due to a change of jobs and schedule, but this has brought me back. There is entirely too much drama amongst a flailing industry of professionals who act like anything but professionals. Great talk as usual between you and Aaron.
Yeah. It was really well written too.
You could almost feel the calm and acceptance in his 'voice' in the way he was writing. He knew it was all over
:/
@@DekkarJr Wes'story about his mom... Holy shit! Words have power, and Ed Piskor's letter was beautifully written. So many parts of it are stuck in my head.
@3rdrail931 I don't know if this was meant for me, but ok. I didn't thank anybody, read it again. I was going to watch the stream, but it is now marked private. There were apologies and admissions of guilt for how parts of the conversation went by both Wes and Aaron. Sometimes, with youtubers, it is a race to "cover" a topic or a gifted reason to make a video; this can be annoying.
That’s the part I find the most chilling…
@VonRobitussin you people can't exist in a happy place. Good luck
I've been collecting comics for 50 years and never known anything like this. The industry seems to have went out of it's way to attract bad faith sociopaths. They clearly have no interest in comics- they only seem to be here for the drama.
The industry is full of ex Tumblrina's they got worse and took over Twitter and art and animation place.
The Role Playing Game industry has gone the same way.
I’m so tempted to end participating in this hobby.
So tired of social media being the judge and jury. Eff the cancel pigs.
They should IGNORED regardless. Or idk, a law that prevents this dirty behavior? Idk politics nor do I care, but I'm throwing spaghetti
America turned away from God. This is the result.
@@reginaldforthright805 DeviantArt
Thanks, Wes and Aaron, for addressing a really difficult situation and doing it with maturity and class, insight and honesty ( things that are sadly missing from the internet hordes of torches and pitchforks ).
Thank you. We do our best.
all of this makes me sick, Ed will be missed by so many of us. What a tragedy
I don't think he did anything wrong because I'm older(older than Dok) and have seen a lot. For like 2 decades, people have been using certain words like pedophile and groomer totally wrong. A lot of people would be alive right now if a older man didn't talk to a younger woman.
Many of the cancel pigs are bitter with jealousy because they’re old hags
Very true! By the way, you mean 'wouldn't' in the last sentence right? I think that was a typo
My online presence is subatomic. During Covid, I posted support for Joe Rogan. The amount of near hysterical blind hatred that hit me for three days straight was astonishing. I can only imagine what Piskor faced. This is a tragedy and a huge loss for the comics world.
I hear you, I don’t do much more than occasionally comment on videos. But once or twice I’ve had someone misconstrue what I said or take offense to a joke, and even though it’s just a single response, I still dwell on the cruelty of it for a few days. I can’t imagine what Ed went through.
@@ascorvinusI don’t dwell on shit.s fuck em
@@ascorvinusDude that’s exactly how I explained this to my dad when telling him about Ed. One single comment is enough to make your average person sink into the anger and malice of it all. Imagine getting thousands and then the local news going to parents place and doxing their address. Smh horrendous. There is no protection for us. We’re all out here alone. We can’t expect the authorities to do anything to protect us from this evil.
I wouldn't call you names. What I'd say is Joe Rogan is a fucking idiot and so is anyone who takes him seriously. I think it's not cool when it comes to beliefs or heroes to directly insult someone without FIRST insulting the hero or idea or both. It's just irresponsible online trolling and flaming.
These kids don't know the damn protocol.
Insults from strangers don’t mean anything. In the case of ed he still had his family, money, some supporters. You shouldn’t care what bad people think of you.
Zoe Quinn and Alex de campi need to go on trial
I agree, someone should report both of them to the police yet people have unfortunately seemed to be too stupidly incompetent to do so, as of currently
Unfortunately, the out of touch boomers running our government do NOT comprehend the internet and what happens on it. Maybe one day when the olds finally give up their power we'll be able to see some new legislation for digital mobs, attempts to destroy one's own livelihood and doxxing.
Zoe Quinn, Alex De Campi, and Anita Sarkessian are like Bin Laden, Pol Pot, and Hitler
It's not that easy. Who did what and who is responsible for what? Do we haul EVS and Jon Del Arozz into court as well (go look at some of the stuff that clown is deleting right now)? or the entire internet? How would you actually legally prove any of it? Everyone contributed to this, and we now have to live with it.
@@redherringoffshoot2341 there not responsibe ed talking to minors isn't the crime so talking about it is? Like bidens administration. Im actually shock ppl dont care grown men talking to kids
This is so sad and depressing. Ed Piskor passing was a tragedy. Classical comic artist Mark D. Bright passed away in this week too. He drew classic Iron Man 200 and the Armor Wars arc. Another terrible year to the industry.
And Quantum and Woody comic series!!
@@jamesf8269 I never read Quantum and Woody. Nothing about them was realised here in my country.
Imagine if this channel exuded the joy, positivity, and love for comics that Cartoonist Kayfabe did?
Jim Rugg comes over as a spineless disloyal human being in all this. The fact that he brought Ed soup afterwards cuts no ice with how Rugg disowned ed PUBLICLY. And then privately brings his pal soup? he's supposed to be a loyal friend, not a soup kitchen for indigents. The fact that Ed forgave him doesn't exonerate Rugg's spineless treachery.
What Jim Rugg showed was moral cowardice. Condolence messages sent to Jim Rugg overlook a glaring irony. " *Sorry for your grief over the longstanding friend that you publicly disowned when he was most vulnerable* ."
Yeah, it must have been absolutely CRUSHING when his 'close friend' Jim decided not to support him, and ended their business relationship over allegations... Did Jim BELIEVE the accusations? Definitely a cowardly move to abandon Ed at time when he must have been DESPERATE for someone to be on 'his side'. Hopefully Jim finds that the rest of his career is more fulfilling than standing up for his 'friend'.
I'd like to see a video of him explaining why he did what he did.
@@StreetPreacherryour last line cuts the deepest and I loved it. From your mouth to God's ear
Yup. NO support for Rugg or any of his endeavors moving forward. Lousy 'friend'.
Jim made a seriously bad call that worsened both the situation and Ed's pain, to put it mildly. His sundering of friendship and business relations with Ed would've been justified if Ed had actually done something illegal or exploited his stature in the industry, such as it was, to extort sexual favor. But none of that's been proven here.
This is a perfect example how mere accusations can destroy lives. No proof needed anymore. Men you need to be extremely careful when you talk to people in online, everything can be taken out of context, missunderstood or twisted and used against you.
Very sad about what happened and I hope Ed's family takes legal actions. If there are no consequences for ruining people's lives without evidence this will happen again
Decades ago, my father taught me one simple lesson: "Never dip your wick in the company ink." This "industry" is the epitome of examples why.
Hollywood, the art and animation industry, entertainment in general..
R.I.P to Ed Pisker ❤ May you draw in the heavens and beyond 😢.
He didn't believe in God or heaven.
Really appreciated this video. Cartoonist kayfabe and this channel are the only comics media I consume on a regular basis and I did find the video you put out with 'creep' in the title not to my taste or attuned with my opinion, but it was really great to know that you can talk reflectively about that. What a crazy week. Sure am gonna miss Eddie p's takes. RIP Edd x
The greatest tragedy, to me, is that the only pillar in his life was comics… to such a degree that without them, he didn’t see anything else worth living for.
All happened in such a whirlwind though didn't it. Must have been a lot of panic and crisis. Jeez. Poor ed.
Was very disappointed by your previous coverage of Ed. I thought it was very strange that you were jumping on the bandwagon to begin with. Please learn from this and don't let it happen again.
Where’s that previous video? Was it removed?
@@philliptyndall6005 made private
@@philliptyndall6005 yeah they did.
@@philliptyndall6005It was, out of respect for the tragedy of Ed’s passing.
We all make mistakes.
24:44 onwards. Powerful and heartfelt talk guys. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you speaking about this with such class, it is a sad world we live in that a person gets his life destroyed without any concrete evidence, it seems guilty until proven innocent is the way these people think.
Using the rumor mill for RUclips channel content is a major part of the problem.
This is heartbreaking. I remember a topic from a show last week about how depression, outrage, incidents of suicide, day drinking are all up significantly from 10 years ago. Many victims of this report the lack of physical support systems and a fear of the outside world. I’m not saying that there is a definite cause. But, social media, the increased use of direct messaging on phones, the value placed on likes and upon the need for attention from “outrage clicks”. These all have a multitude of tragedies and pain traced to their respective doors. Very nuanced discussion from you both on a tough subject. My heart goes out to everyone hurt by this.
I was hot-headed immediately in the initial days of the she said/he said news involving Ed. I kind of lashed out at multiple channels, in the comments, about my opinion of youtubers jumping on that story as if it was worthy news. Being no more than gossip, I felt disgusted from the push to make it a relevant story with having nothing more than one person's allegations of another's wrongdoings. I was in a similar situation as a teenager, in a small town with a population of 600. I hadn't even known the girl amd was thrown in a grape accusation. It drove me into difficult time especially, navigating through it mentally. I am a newer subscriber within the past year and Thinking Critical is one of my favorite comic related channels, so I was upset seeing the coverage. I appreciate Wes and Aaron looking back and speaking on what they seen in their actions that ggave me the distasteful feelings. Thank you both! With the cancerous aspects of social media, A.I. and whatever else, gossip like this ahould have much more development or proof before being spoken on. In my opinion. R.I.P. Ed Piskor. Deep condolences to your family and friends.
You guys are not to blame for what Ed eventually did. He named the names and said it was being kick out of the "Tribe" that did it. I really think it was the local news and Jim Rugg's public statement that put it over the top. I forgot about Jason Pearson. That's two that the "Cancel Pigs" have taken. EDIT: Pearson died of a stroke.
He might be alive if any of the circumstances went in his favor. His family seemed very supportive, but the lack of public support, especially his partner, made him feel like his life was already over.
Why did he get kicked out of the tribe?
JP died of a stroke.
@warzardtheboredtimelord2865 The boys misspoke here: Jason died from a stroke and did not take his own life. 🙏
Ah, I had heard differently. I will make a retraction on the next show.
Thank you, the both of you, for opening up about this issue. I know as straight men, we're not expected to open up this much. But it's okay to open up about these issues, from time to time, to let others who are going through this issue know that this too shall pass.
Alex Di Campi was named in his suicide note, yet there was still someone trying to pin this on Eric July who's never said anything about the guy.
There’s ALWAYS people going after Eric July. 😵💫
Terrible. Tragic. He didn't have to go to such an extreme.
Thank you Wes for acknowledging your ‘creep’ video and how bad you felt about it, it came off very real and genuine. It takes a lot to do that. Sadly we didn’t think Ed’s outcome would be so tragic but I hope good comes out of all this and we learn moving forward.
Thanks gentlemen for such and honest and contrite discussion. Rest in peace Ed.
Appreciate you. 🙏
what a time to be alive in comics discussing this. i hope we DON't Let this Story go away and Make sure the proper accountable is Prepare for the Particpants who let this fester on..
“What a Creep” was a mistake. It needed to be treated more cautiously. The SJWs and cancel pigs always somehow get the good guys to join them.
Something didn’t seem to add up to me when I first heard the allegations. I blame myself for not at least leaving a comment saying so. For one thing, many of us “like” photos on social media years after they were posted. As far as I know, we can see when comments are posted, but there is no way to tell when something is “liked.”
There's never grey area with these people.
There is no area for these people. Thats how it works
Yeah this girl needs to be cancelled too.
I still dont know what alex de campi has ever produced in the comic industry. I keeo hearing the name, usually associated with cancelling someone, but for the life of me what have tbey created or produced?
That's the issue, no one would know who she is but people like Ya Boi Zach keep putting her name out there and giving her power. Comics youtube made her.
Nothing notable on her resume but the creation of strife.
She has 228 comics written, nothing major, but a stream of stuff for 2000 AD, IDW, Dark Horse, and others, as well as at least one crowdfunded project which made its goal, I think. But you're right, all of that is far overshadowed by the harm she's done as one of the chief Whisperers, and that may in fact be her final legacy, unless there's some amazing complete 180-degree turn of conscience yet to come.
I'm heartened, Wes. I believe God wants us to lift people up, not tear them down. We can do this!
The comic book community promotes atheism and don't believe in God.
Thank you both for opening up to each other and your audience about your personal experiences. I wish you both well in the future. This whole tragic story is distressing and, most importantly, was completely, 100% avoidable. I feel so bad for the Piskor family and his friends.
Seeing Ed’s sister show her last text to him with vids of his nephew was very sad. Self deletion is always a pointless, tragic loss. I met Ed once at a con & I liked his show with Jim. I don’t condone 40yo men flirting w/ teens, but I do think there’s such a big difference in online vs IRL interactions, that it’s very hard to say how far things would’ve gone.
Molly def baited Ed, & to pretend like 17yo girls don’t know they’re baiting older men like that, is to deny us agency at a time when the vast majority of us know right from wrong & have the maturity to stop interacting if we feel uncomfortable. Molly never told Ed that he’d crossed a line. She initiated the adult talk. She called herself a “sl-t for line art” & made other highly suggestive comments to him. She was not harmed in any way, and for her to “expose” him 4 years later when he’s successful & having a gallery show, is sick & demented.
Ladies, don’t flirt & then try to “expose” men like this. The only thing you’re exposing is your own psychopathy. If you pursue a man & engage in consensual activity, from flirting to physical contact, & then try to destroy his career (& in this case his entire life) because he doesn’t provide you financial or professional benefit or a relationship, then YOU are the predator.
Great chat guys. Level headed and displaying enough courage to push back where it is needed.
Appreciate you. 🙏
@@SparrowAaron You do? Well Thank You Aaron. I appreciate the gesture.
Thank you for talking about your experiences with your mother, Wes. I went through similar crap with mine.
Wes and I could do entire streams on both of our mothers. 😵💫
Some people can survive these attacks, Richard Meyers, Ethan Van Sciver come to mind, but they seem to have the pillars in their lives to help survive. Unfortunately, Ed did not, and has become a victim of these cancel culture mobs. the sad part about this these people is they got what they wanted.
That's mainly because the people in their lives didn't disown them. Everyone that was honest knew it was ridiculous. With Ed, none of his friends came out publicly to defend him. Some mightve emailed him or called but, even if they wanted to, they knew that if they publicly came out with a message of support they would be in the firing line and lose their careers and that's what the chose.
@@deathfab That's how small the comic book professional community is. Everyone knows everyone, and any accusation without concrete proof can ruin a career.
What I don't understand is why his family wasn't enough to lean on, at least temporarily. He has parents. He has his own house and his dad's house (both doxxed on Channel 4 Action news). He has at least one brother and sister (the sister was posting actively on Pittsburgh-related Facebook accounts of some mutual friends as recently as yesterday). It sounds like he might have a had a renter who would provide income too. He also had an army of supporters who would have come out in his defense. Also, what's weird about the exhibit (which was supposed to happen this coming Saturday) is that there was absolutely no publicity for it whatsoever, two weeks out from happening (I go around the city a lot, and I saw no Cultural Trust posters up for it). He could have waited the controversy out a bit, then met with the Trust people after all was explained, and rescheduled the exhibit. I think that there was more going on here than meets the eye. It's obvious from his note that he had a huge stewing resentment against the Whisper Network types, and that's not something which pops up overnight. It might have been something brewing in the background of his mind for a long time, and since he never talked about it publicly, it just festered inside him and caused him to snap and act rashly. The knee-jerk reaction that caused him to shadowban dozens of subscribers from his chat and comments a couple years ago (including us!) might have been a similar irrational thought process which led to his demise. Regardless of these brutal bullies (whom the family should definitely sue for negligence if they think they have a case), he was not in a clear mental state.
Do not include ComicsGate as some brothers in arms to Ed Piskor. Everyone knows what he thought of them and they were the first rejoicing in his cancellation.
@@deetee4403 I don't think anyone's including them as "brothers in arms". The original poster did not say that. His point was the Richard and Ethan (and about 20 others) survived cancellation and rose again, while Piskor threw in the towel even though he had a pretty solid support network (family, friends and fans) he could have leaned on to explain his situation, work through it, and plan an eventual comeback. Piskor individually banned dozens of subscribers from commenting and chatting on his channel, including us. And we don't even know why he did that to us, because he actively ignored us at several Comicons where we both had booths. Not just in Pittsburgh, but in several other cities where we could have *bonded over being from Pittsburgh*. He was cliquish, arrogant, and absurd. Yes, the creators who were banned or ignored by him experienced schadenfreude when he received a bit of the same treatment that he extended to them. But nobody, absolutely NOBODY in comics, wanted Piskor to self-harm other than the activist Internet bullies he clearly named in his suicide note. They are the culprits of his demise. Did he name anyone from CG? No. They are not the culprits. Not in the least.
really appreciate the thoughtfulness and humanity here. thanks
These people are still calling him a pea-doh? My god, these people are actually evil, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were actual demons.
Thanks for tackling a tough subject and sharing such personal information.
I’ve never seen Aaron not smile and look so serious , may Ed’s soul rest in peace
Ed was an atheist, they deny that there is a soul
The fact you are reflecting internally on this demonstrates you have something so many others seem to be lacking: a conscience. That is what makes us grow and mature; its the voice that tells us what we are doing is either right, wrong or maybe could be improved. If everyone took a moment to think about their actions or words, including myself I will admit from this keyboard, what a better world this would be. Thank you for speaking honestly.
Cancel pigs should be cancelled, period
Comicsgate site Fandom Pulse started the lies everyone gangpiled onto. Cancel those sexist terfs.
Are you really calling to cancel people who call people to cancel someone else. Whith that logic should you be cancel?
@@martingarciablaya3262”hmmm I’m going to be smart and use wordplay while ignoring what op said”
@@martingarciablaya3262 conservative logic.
@@MutantsInDisguiseLoser.
This is very sad. Social Media is both a blessing and a curse but mostly a curse.
I appreciate both of you guys, and I’m glad I can call the two of you friends.
Love you, Josh.
Complicated situation. As a father it is one thing, as a fan it is another, as a human another thing.
Thanks Wes. Love your channel and I am a fan of Cartoonist Kayfabe too. Some great insights
Ed's family have the receipts
Thank you for making this video and being so honest and sensitive to what happened, and also discussing your own related personal experiences so openly. It is so important to have these discussions at the moment. Keep up the good work both of you!
RIP Ed Piskor
Everyone that turned their back on him should be ashamed of themselves, he just needed anyone who is willing to listen and talk to about his problems and feelings so you can just guide him during this bad time
I hope these people are proud of themselves
The braying mob does not believe in redemption, rehabilitation or the possibility of personnel and spiritual growth. Even Jesus himself would fall of the puritanical, authoritarian cry bullies.
If jesus came he would be on a cross by noon if he let them
@@wowbobwow-hr3gtthat already happened, the next time he comes he will takes us to the kingdom of God before destroying the present Earth. He will create a new Earth.
Piskor was an atheist and didn't believe in God or Jesus.
Piskor would now be in the Negative Zone.
wes it is good that you are reflecting and considering your actions. Unfortunately in this social media world negativity feeds clicks and everyone should reflect on that and on the media world we all create through those choices. However, you also need to forgive yourself as you would or should forgive others. Sempre avanti.
Bro, this just broke my heart. I didn't know until I saw this. Prayers to his family. I love Kayfabe.
Very sad. I was a big fan of the Kayfabe RUclips channel. His artist's perspective and stories were great. He will be missed.
This is so sad. The internet only furthers the human condition. I do want to communicate that the video you did about him was very fair. I came out of watching that video feeling that this was a witch hunt. Even if he flirted with a 17-year-old who was also flirting with him. You gave a very fair and balanced piece of coverage. And you were among the few who handled it properly. I was a fan of his grand design comics and his channel. My wife and I will be praying for his family, that is not a passive statement, you will be in our daily prayers.
I appreciate the follow-up here. You guys seemed to carry your share of pain. I guess we all need a fresh reminder of how overwhelmed people can get. lt is far too easy to get caught up in this social media, which is its own form of mental illness.
R.I.P. ED PISKOR ✝️
Thank you guys.
Great video.
Tough stuff.
This was genuinely moving. My mother struggled with suicidality, too. I appreciate the genuine introspection. Massive respect for you guys.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that everyone watch Ya Boy Zac's video on this subject..✝️
Thank you for this
Thank you for watching.
aaron sparrow seems like a really honest and good person.
Kind of you to say. I’m as flawed as anyone else, but I try to learn to be a little bit better, each day, than the previous.
I'm still furious. Ed was a lonely, middle aged man who spent his entire time on comics or youtube. I could see how this was going to end... How could it not? Sorry I couldn't do more, Ed. Love ya, brother, get some peace... See ya around. X
Interesting observation. It's like in comics people just fall between the cracks of society. I can identify with that
@@theragoooverlord5021 yeah actual comics folk and not co-opting activists.
I'm subbed to you for the comics news, don't always agree with your takes, but i really appreciate the retrospective thoughts on how the situation was handled.
Especially the self reflection, you're one of the only people I've seen even consider their actions or show sincere remorse in any way.
I didn't know Ed, never read his work, but i enjoyed the channel. This has hit me way harder than i thought it would. Just the whole way it went down is infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time.
Disgraceful that these horrendous people drove this man to this, over absolutely nothing, he did absolutely nothing to deserve what these people did.
Thank you for sharing your experiences
I feel alot of this. Thank you Wes.
That's so sad and unfair. I used to follow them, and when that controversy took place, I told everyone "wait until more information comes out, don't pick sides or take any judgment", unfortunately he couldn't have that time... I'm deeply sorry for it.😮💨😢
Thank-you for this podcast and sharing your thoughts and personal experiences.
When they come for you, they come for you. And they don't care how they do it. Period.
Eddie P is innocent. RIP. thanks for the work you left us with!! 💔
May God bless you and your family Wes. Thank you for sharing that man it took a lot of courage.
Hi I remembering following your shows before Ed’s note was published and the tragedy happened. Even if both of you were among the ones who pushed the news to his disservice, you handled the topic pretty calmly back then and weren’t definitely among the most hardcore accusers, preferring for some more internal investigation to get done before calling him a monster… anyway the guy needed public defence and you didn’t provide it either. I think it’s blatant you’re smart enough to understand that your revision of events is a bit borderline here, ethically speaking. You shouldn’t have covered the topic in the first place giving space to random accusers to vent out on your stream’s comments.
I don’t think it’s revisionist history at all, I think it’s context; nonetheless, I think you’re making a good faith argument, and it’s a fair position.
Its crazy a man can bust his ass for most of his adukt life to make something of himself..only to have it destroyed in an instant.
Their will be no justice for Ed and his family. No one on YT or social media will have the guts to go after them
It’s time to cancel cancel culture
Unfortunately that's kind of how this started. I noticed many channels complaining about cancel culture were trying their hardest to cancel Ed.
We need Anti Cancel Culture
Ed's death is not about you.
@@knocknockearth what is it about?
Not that Piskor was a victim.
Glad to hear this topic discussed this way. A lot of people have taken a much more uneven handed approach ranging from blaming Ed/others to applauding what happened. Some but not many have offered candid first hand experience with this difficult topic and suggestions for how to better handle it. Appreciate taking the time to acknowledge that initially maybe mistakes were made by you both.
I think a good way to honor Ed would be to practice a bit more restraint when it comes to casting judgment on others regarding personal topics, that we really have no business being involved in. People with a megaphone can really do some serious damage to others people’s lives, with devastating consequences, especially when they don’t have all of the facts.
I don’t know that we passed judgement (we were very open about wanting to hear Ed’s side of things) but we definitely could have done better, treated it more seriously. I think the industry has become so vile and sleazy that we became numb to it; we have to remember this going forward.
I’m sure this video was hard to make, and I respect that. You recognize that things could have been handled better, but a lot of people are proud of their handiwork.
I don’t really know the lessons to take away from this. There was a small issue that deserved to be addressed that was escalated into a death sentence. I don’t want people to tiptoe around topics that can be uncomfortable, but people parroting live ruining accusations maybe should think things through.
You’re taking the high road, but I still can’t help but feel animosity towards the people Ed called out by name. I wouldn’t wish the same bullying that Ed received, but there seems to be no lesson learned for the people that will likely continue to hurt others.
I teared up when you talked about ur experiences dealing with depression and in Alex Sparrow case suicidal thoughts. I've been there and I wouldn't wish it on my worse enemies. I ended up having seizures due to stress and lack of sleep and diagnosed with Epilepsy later. I am in a better place now. Honestly I don't think I'll ever be 100% again and the anxiety sometimes gets on top of me but I'm taking it day by day. My family is wonderful.
I don't always agree with everything u say on the channel but you covered this hard topic in good taste and I applaud you for that. Hope u guys are ok.
How is pushing someone to suicide is not a crime?? How is people just allowed to hurt, blame, ruin lives and do whatever they want with literally ZERO consequences???
They need to answer. This angry mob should be stopped, once and for all
you can't push someone to suicide. it's a choice.
This was a really good discussion about this tragedy. I feel like your first video talking about the situation last week was actually very responsible and fair. RIP Ed.
I never met Ed, but from the interviews I’ve watched over the past few days, he seems like a good guy. This whole situation breaks my heart. My prayers are with his friends & family and for all of the people involved. May God’s grace, mercy and love surround us all. RIP Ed Piskor. 🙏
Ed's passing has really messed with my head. I hope this shines more of a light on the psychos in comics industry. Especially the ones who went after Ed.
There was a time when mentoring young talent, or even assisting young talent would have been admired. H.P. Lovecraft replied and built a pen pal friendship with future author Robert Bloch when Bloch was a young fan. He helped Bloch get published. It's very sad and my condolences to his friends and family. This mass cancel pile on is horrible. It's unhealthy and dangerous Thank you Wes and Aaron.
Suppose there’s a male high school art teacher who sees a lot of promise in a female student. Are we at the point, these days, where he’s wiser to offer her no support whatsoever, lest he inadvertently create the appearance of impropriety?
It’s a tough line to walk, considering the times. I guess my advice would be no private communication or instruction; do everything in a group setting, if possible.
Dude, most teachers don't invite students to stay over their house. This whole thing is a mess. But some of you guys seem to be cherry picking the details.
@@SparrowAaron I think you’re right. The scary thing is that you can do everything right and probably still end up facing accusations, if you’re dealing with the wrong person.
@@caprice28 I wasn’t trying to suggest that such a scenario is perfectly analogous to Ed Piskor’s situation. I certainly wouldn’t condone blind trust in authority figures, because there will always be people who abuse that trust.
Personally, I don’t think Ed was trying to groom the girl, but I don’t know what was really in his heart. I just regret that our society has reached a point where we always have to be mindful of how others might misconstrue things we say or do. It just seems vaguely East German to me.
The Germans are unified, they knocked down the wall in the 80s.
Some people claim, the Holocaust never happened.
Thanks guys, particularly for sharing your personal stories and reflection. I think any well reasoned person can learn from this. Sadly the only people that won't learn anything are the ones named in Ed's letter. I did get frustrated by the Kayfabe channel trashing mainstream comics at times, but their passion for the medium shone through. R.I.P Ed.
I have no desire to speculate on the death of artist Ed Piskor. I was a fan of the work he and Jim Rugg did on their RUclips channel. Their interest in their medium was infectious and their commentaries were interesting. "Fair winds and following seas" to his family.