Erik Larsen: Pro-Piracy?

During the run up to the shutdown of HTML Comics, Erik Larsen stated on Bleeding Cool:

I hope this site is never shut down. It is awesome--and it's turned me on to several books that I never knew existed. I'm buying more back issues and trades because of it--and for guys who're working on books at these companies--it's an incredible resource to be able to go back and read the continuity of these characters.

Wow. Pro-piracy site statements from the man who ran Image Comics? After purportedly successfully having his comics pulled from the site by his own request to the proprietor?


You know, it is one thing when ignorant fans make the claim that the potential increased attention and sales that piracy can generate is more important than it being, you know, illegal. But a member of the industry as important as Erik Larsen? Wow.

While I was putting this together, Rich Johnston tweeted a link to his article that puts together all the positive stuff said about the site by Erik Larsen and details as to why Image wasn't part of the group that was mentioned in the press release.

He, also, says he apparently was responsible for the crack down, though it largely seems to be stated facetiously. In March of 2009, after Newsarama brought attention to it, the man behind HTML Comics was on FindLaw asking for more advice about his enterprise, mentioning that the publishers had been harassing him (link found on Colleen Doran's blog). So, to all of you calling Rich a douche for getting the site closed down, I say: find someone else to blame.