Please Consider Demanding Matt Dean Publicly Apologize to Neil Gaiman

I just sent the below email to Minnesota House Majority Leader Matt Dean, regarding his attack yesterday on author Neil Gaiman. I encourage you all to do the same. You can contact Dean here: rep.matt.dean@house.mn

Mr. Dean:

I’m a Minnesota resident. Your attack on author Neil Gaiman is utterly inappropriate, immature and reprehensible. Publicly saying you hate any private citizen, and calling them names, is completely out of line. That you are doing it to one who has so greatly contributed to the state’s renown as a hotbed for the arts is particularly unfortunate.

Please note that ALL of the money Gaiman made from the speaking engagement in question was donated to charity. Gaiman regularly speaks for free around the state. The prices he is paid for speaking engagements is high because he is in such great demand that he prices them high to avoid getting a lot of them. This would be an example of free market economics in action, which is a concept you presumably believe in. It is not an example of “theft” as you disingenuously claim.

You can and should read more of Gaiman’s thoughts on the speaking engagement in question here:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2010/05/political-football-in-teacup.html

and

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/05/opinions-of-pencil-necked-weasel-thief.html

You should be ashamed of yourself. Grow up and stop acting like a playground bully. Be a man, and give the man a public apology.

Sincerely,

Steven Stwalley
Webmaster, The International Cartoonist Conspiracy, cartoonistconspiracy.com

UPDATE: Gaiman has also responded in City Pages.

UPDATE 2: Dean has apologized for the name-calling (thanks for passing that on in the comments, Charles), but not for completely misrepresenting the situation. So, he still needs to be hassled. My email bounced (hopefully because his email box is filled up with angry letters about this), but I will try and send it again later.

3 thoughts on “Please Consider Demanding Matt Dean Publicly Apologize to Neil Gaiman

  1. he already has apologized.

    http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/05/comics-a-m-minnesota-gop-leader-apologizes-to-neil-gaiman/

    and

    http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2011/05/dean_apologizes.shtml

    But I still think he should be made to apologize in person… It is what my mother would make me do!

    And just out of curiousity, wouldnt these comments be considered Slander? I mean he made false damaging comments about NG after all.

  2. Thanks much for the update, Charles. Looks like Dean has apologized for the ridiculous name-calling, but not for the rest of it. He thinks Gaiman should return the fee… apparently he does not believe in free-market economics, what a strange, sad, pathetic Republican. So, he still needs to get hassled. That said, an apology in person would only further punish Mr. Gaiman. I am no lawyer, but the thief statements seem likely to be slanderous… Gaiman has no interest in legal action, however (see his hilarious comments at the City Pages link:

    http://www.cartoonistconspiracy.com/conspire/?p=3251

    Unfortunately, the email I sent this son-of-a-bitch just bounced… hopefully it will work later.

  3. Why email? The representative has already demonstrated the only way to get through to him is by pissing off his mom. Just send him a letter via snail mail to his mom, c/o him at his address (posted on his website here: http://mattdean.org/contact/). I think you’re bound to get a better response that way than by email.

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