Here's a funny story, remember last week when I said that Ho12 Monthly was coming out? Yeah, well that didn't happen, crazy! Seems Apple Standards and Practices has a problem with Victor Cayro's story, The Mazk, and we're going to have to cut it from the issue.
I can't say I'm too pleased with this. Apple has a rule about comics depicting torture, which I understand, and agree with. I think they're trying to avoid something like the Human Centipede in comic form. I get that, but Victor's story is like Bugs Bunny for adults. In Cayro's story the main character is forced to strip and lick his own blood off of a car's bumper. Technically, these are acts performed under duress, which would classify them as torture, but taken in the context of the whole piece, it's a little silly to call it that.
I've been Victor Cayro's publisher for about five years and I understand that his work can be jarring to people. It's often disturbing, violent, overtly sexual and grotesque — and that's the point. He sees the world for what it is and he doesn't suffer fools who would candy-coat it, mocking them openly through a palette of pop-culture references and day-glow colors. He is, I believe, the finest artist working in comics today and it's a shame Apple has chosen to reject the strip.
Nonetheless, we will suffer on, Cayro will have another story in three months and we'll just have to cross our fingers that it'll meet Apple's muster. In the meantime, Ho12 Monthly #2 will be out ASAP with new stories from Kate Lacour and myself, as well as some selections from the Ho12 archives.
Here is Victor's story in it's final form. Torture porn, meaningless masturbation, or none to subtle social commentary?
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