Doug TenNapel found stardom after creating the long-lasting Earthworm Jim series within the ’90s, which he announced he was reviving in 2019, but it surely’s hard to seek out much excitement in its return when, for the last 20 years, he’s been wading in controversy after controversy after controversy.
From opposing same-sex marriage and frequently appearing on Breitbart News (described by the Anti-Defamation League as representing “white nationalists and unabashed anti-Semites“) to purposefully misgendering a trans journalist and participating within the infamous Comicsgate scandal, claiming that “Transphobe (like homophobe) is a made up word used to slander conservative people”, TenNapel is not exactly a well-liked figure today.
When Interplay Entertainment announced a spin-off series in 2021, it made sure to emphasize that “the unique creator isn’t involved in any respect”, and the official X account even posted, “I say trans rights are human rights, baby!” But we have not had a whiff of EWJ because the show was placed on hold three years ago… until now. This weekend, TenNapel posted an AI video of the titular hero in a heated message to the “woke animation community”.
“I’ve drawn greater than anyone who has ever said, ‘Pick up a pencil.’ They’re hacks and are stuck in a cult,” he said. “Simply because many artists have acted like s*****s does not imply being a hysterical s*****c makes you an artist. I’ll pick up a pencil once you make a rational argument.”
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Inundated with backlash, TenNapel claimed that his 15-second AI clip would have cost $500,000 to make if done “the standard way”, and that if he “fired up a production the applications to hitch the team could be a mile long”. When that only incurred yet more backlash, TenNapel said, “Artists should have a good time and AI is an amazing tool for that. The very best fun is commonly to make the anti-AI crybags have a period.”
“It is a mystery why the animation community doesn’t need to associate with you,” X user Lord Scruff replied.
But what’s even weirder is that in this unprovoked thread about “woke” artists, “totalitarians”, and “crybags […] regurgitating tribal sentiments”, he began throwing strays at Sonic.
“Dude, this fu**ing franchise is cursed to damnation,” one Earthworm Jim fan replied.
“EWJ is not going anywhere,” TenNapel said, regardless that Earthworm Jim 4 was reportedly cancelled because Intellevision did not have the rights. “You are still posting that image after 35 years. My character also did not have the cheat that Sonic got by being the mascot of the Sega Genesis with a cartridge of the character delivered in every box. EWJ began from zero as a whole unknown, but it surely was so original and prime quality that it is important to you (the villain) that he meets his demise. Go create something from nothing and get Game of the Yr then come complain in my yard… after you mow the lawn.”
And when one fan said that “Earthworm Jim definitely deserves getting his TV stolen by Sonic,” TenNapel responded, “Sonic is an empirically worse character than EWJ”.