Uncomfortable Comments

[Kayke]

Not really looking for a solution, just to vent a little...

There's this reader who comments on my stuff all the time and he makes me uncomfortable. I've checked his comments on other people's comics and they make me even more uncomfortable than the ones he posts on mine. A lot of stuff about women wearing lipstick and commenting on their bodies and that sort of thing.

Anyway, I usually just ignore his comments (sometimes delete them), but today he sent me an angry comment about how I always like and reply to everyone's comments but not to his I kind of panicked and deleted it rather than hashing it out in the comments section on my comic... but I'm nervous he's gonna come back.

I really wish there were a way to block people... I don't want to get his account deleted or anything, I'd just like for him not to be allowed to comment on my stuff anymore.

[neilkohney]

I think I might know who you're talking about, as I've gotten some similar comments on my own comic. Since my comic primarily features kids, it can get really creepy. But I think the best course of action is to ignore it. For the most part, those comments get lost in the crowd. But if it gets too extreme or even remotely threatening, I'd report it right away. You don't ever want your readers or yourself to feel uncomfortable

[shazzbaa]

Shoot, I'm so sorry. It really sucks to have someone supposedly like your stuff but constantly make you feel bad. : ( A block feature seems like such a basic, important feature to have on any social site. D:

Feel free to disregard, since I know you said you weren't lookin for advice... but I know I've had people make uncomfortable comments at me/my friends back when I did a journal comic, and when I told them "hey, I know you don't mean any harm, but this makes me uncomfortable, please don't say things like this," some of them actually did dial it back.
IF YOU WANTED TO -- you obv have no obligation -- but if you wanted to, you could use this as an opportunity to private message this person and say "hey, sorry for deleting your comment, but I thought it would be better to send you a private message -- those comments make me kind of uncomfortable, and that's why I'd been leaving them alone. I'm sure you don't mean any harm, but I wanted to let you know."

I can understand not wanting to deal with that, especially if you're not a confrontational person, but the benefit is that you wouldn't have to be on edge waiting to see what he does -- if he responded reasonably to that, then problem solved! If he responded unreasonably, you now have a very good excuse to delete his comments and not respond, since you made your feelings clear. Some people are very very bad at figuring out that their behaviour is inappropriate. : (

Like I said, feel free to disregard. ;o; I understand it's a stressful fine line to walk and you know the guy's demeanour better than I do -- but I thought I would share my experience in case it is helpful at all. ;A; Best of luck, and I hope you don't have to deal with much more of that rubbish. : ( <3

[alaingrey]

I've seen this guy's comments around, too, and it's weird because they're fetish-related comments on the more kid friendly and teen oriented comics on this site. Always directed at young female characters, too. Ick.

[indagold]

I haven't got one yet on this site but yeah ignore it if you can't block it. Don't reply to them honestly that's how things get worse.

[SpavVy]

Another reason why we seriously need a block button on this site.
This guy sounds super creepy...I'm sorry you have to deal with that

[heterodont]

I don't see how replying to the person is going to make it worse unless the creator is deliberately provoking the commentator. Not replying is only applicable to people trolling, and while it is a possibility the commentator doing this is trolling, something about them asking why OP never replies to their comment says otherwise.

I have to agree with @shazzbaa. It's worth a shot to try and telling them that the comments make you uncomfortable because sometimes people forget that there are actual people with boundaries behind the comics! And if they tell you that theyre not going to, you can feel justified in deleting/ignoring their comments

[indagold]

Even if they're not trolling you really should not reply to someone who wants the attention. Even if what you perceive as wrong most people posting do not perceive it as wrong. I had that happen to me once and the person got angry/disturbed at the fact I found their lack of boundaries to be creepy.

[Kayke]

Thank you guys, my normal response is to just ignore... but I think I am going to do what @shazzbaa and @heterodont said and send him a PM letting him know how his comments make me feel and see how it goes from there. Hopefully he reacts well, if not I'll report him.

@alaingrey: Yeah! The main reason why it bothers me so much is all the characters in my comic are teens and most of my readers are teen girls. I don't like people thinking of my characters that way and I really don't like my younger readers having to see stuff like that.

[VermillionWorks]

Perhaps a block button could be a consideration for the future when we don't want people necessarily completely banned but just want them to stop with the weird comments? Hmmm admins? =P

[SpavVy]

I think that is something you should probably discuss with him as well about your characters being teens and that your audience is mostly teenage girls.

[heterodont]

True! I can understand that, people can have very different views on what they find wrong - but if this commentator is consistently commenting and making the creator uncomfortable, it's still worth the effort to tell them to knock it off (politely, that is.) If they get mad then oh well but you still made the point that it makes you uncomfortable, and can proceed to ignore/delete their comments if they refuse to tone it down. Being passive can only help for so long.

[indagold]

well this site doesn't have a block option so it's kinda hard really in that aspect.

[Michelle]

Yuck, I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I would be really uncomfortable if people were making pervy comments on my comic pages... like please keep those thoughts to yourselves, folks, I am not in the business of writing fap material. :I But it's even creepier when yours is centered around underaged characters.

Hopefully your PM won't fall of deaf ears, and maybe they'll cut it out or stop following you. If they become threatening, don't hesitate to bring it to staff's attention! A block button would certainly be nice for cases like this..

[sarrowsmith10]

It's a shame that you have to deal with this problem. I think a bunch of us would be interested in how this resolves, so that if it happens to anyone else, we can learn from your experience.

Good luck, I hope he stops. Creepers are creepy.

[Aspie_Gamer]

That sucks. Luckily I haven't had any weird/creepy comments about my female character Susan Graham from my comic Life of an Aspie yet, but if I did, I would have some choice words for the pervert. Like its fine you like her as a character, but having a sexual fetish for characters ESPECIALLY underage characters is just unnatural if not disgusting as well in my honest opinion.

I agree that there needs to be a block option on this site so creeps and trolls can't harass us creators in the future.

[nathankschulz]

Sorry you have to deal with weird crap like that. Hopefully he'll hear you out and adjust his behavior.

[Kayke]

Well, I sent him a PM saying his comments make me uncomfortable even though he probably doesn't mean it like that and that's why I don't respond... but instead of answering that he started commenting on my comic page again saying I'm not being fair. I'm just gonna document and delete, but not report unless he says something actually harmful

Right now he's just being more annoying than threatening.

Thanks to everyone for your support through this!

[nathankschulz]

Ugggggghhhhhhh.... sorry. :-/

[phen]

Yeah, he's pretty prominent on the site for commenting on a wide variety of series with his "focus" on young females. I'm so sorry this is happening to you, though! Creators who reach out to their fans in polite request of respect should REALLY take heed. Particularly in regards to his commentary on underage characters, creators who find this kind of behaviour uncouth should directly, privately request he find another way to leave them feedback. I kind of don't think he's realising the potential harm in his words.