SRoB tipper Nick Hanover alerted me to this excellent Graphic Policy story by Janelle Asselin about former Dark Horse Comics editor-in-chief Scott Allie, alleging that Allie frequently engaged in "out of control behavior while drunk and biting." Yes, biting. As in, his nickname around the office was supposedly "Bitey the Clown." Allie was removed from his job this fall after he publicly assaulted two people at a convention, but rumor has it that Dark Horse Comics in specific, and the Portland comics scene in general, has been covering up for Allie for years. (And in fact, Allie still works at Dark Horse, under the title "executive senior editor.")

As Graphic Policy notes, there's a long history of harassment and sexual assault in the comics industry, and professionals have demonstrated a willingness to cover up for decades' worth of bad behavior. The silence is starting to break, but that bad behavior is still everywhere in the industry.

If you have experienced sexual harassment in the comics industry, we want to hear your story. It's bad enough that this behavior is considered typical in comics; it's downright disgusting to think that the Pacific Northwest has been home to this culture of silence for decades.