Aubrey Sitterson just
lost his job.
Until earlier this
month, Sitterson penned the long-running comic book GI Joe, a war series based on Hasbro’s successful toy
franchise. The book was canceled after its publisher determined projected sales
wouldn’t cover Hasbro’s licensing fees. The series has been bleeding red ink ever since Sitterson began making drastic
changes to a number of beloved characters in the name of inclusivity, re-imagining
whites as people of color and, if the PJ Media report is correct, even one bulked-up male soldier as an overweight
lesbian.
For a property
primarily marketed to men and boys, that last one’s an interesting choice, but apparently
not one that Hasbro, his publisher or (more importantly) Sitterson’s readers
were prepared to support.