On Drug Use, Violence, and Other Inappropriate Behavior:
Nihilism is a work of fiction and nothing more. Illegal activities such as
drug use and personal violence are plot devices only, and are not endorsed
by the comic or its artist/author. Hell, even Shinji doesn't like it. So don't
think that just because Ryougi's profile says that he has a history of drug
use, I think it's okay for you to go on a heroin bender, because it's not.
I've been clean my whole life, and I think it's a damn good idea to stay that
way, personally. Don't be stupid. Use common sense. Just because a fictional
character does it, it doesn't mean that it's a good idea for you to try it
in reality.
On "Hate Language":
I feel like one of the stupid overly-pc idiots on my company's ethics committee
right now, but still, this has to be said. As part of furthering intra-character
conflict and simply as part of the plot, there may be comments made insulting
someone's gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or gods only know what. This does
not reflect my personal views. While there are a few demographics that I'm
not particularly fond of, I'm not going to use my comic to bash people just
because they have certain opinions (though I will make pointed jabs at deserving
idiots), and generally I'm one of the most non-racist, non-phobic people you'll
ever meet. (As racially mixed as I am and as gay as I am, I'd damn well better
be.) What I'm trying to get across is that if any particular group is insulted
by a statement that a character makes, please keep in mind that it's not a
deliberate stab; it's an attempt to flesh out their character, and reflect
the real world. Let's face it, we're all biased in some way, and it's going
to show in our comments. Depending on what we're biased against, it may or
may not draw a lot of attention. It may not be a good thing, but it's just
the way life is. So I'm not trying to be a jerk (though it may be an inherited
genetic trait), if things get down to a little name-calling in the comic.
It's just a story....so don't get insulted. Just think of it as a personal
insult from character to character, not towards you and those who share your
beliefs/traits.
On Religion:
There are many faiths of many cultures portrayed in this story, often incorrectly.
Let it be known that I have no intent to insult any of those faiths or their
root cultures; while I am a faithless heathen myself, I respect other cultures
and other beliefs simply because I think that everyone has a reason for believing
what they believe, and no one else has the right to tell them if it's right
or wrong, as long as they have their own reasons. The various religions and
mythologies that are, quite frankly, mangled in this storyline are intended
for use as plot devices only, and are not meant to truthfully represent any
of their sources. This is fiction. In fiction, sometimes a basis of truth
must be torn apart and rebuilt a little to help make the story a bit better.
Considering how many other artists and authors create alternate derivatives
of existing religions to support their storylines in the name of artistic
freedom, I'd appreciate not getting twitted for the variations that I've come
up with here.
On Philosophy:
Use of the term "Nihilism" as a title for the comic is an entirely
figurative thing and is not meant to in any way represent the massive scope
of (entirely subjective) concepts and theories that make up the philosophic
sector of nihilism; nor is it meant to represent the nihilist faction. It's
a word. It does relate to the overall theme as well as many of the underlying
themes of the comic, but it's no reason to get your panties in a bunch.
