‘Southern Bastards’ Responds To Online Harassment With Charity Variant Cover

Online harassment has been a growing problem for quite a while now. Just last night, acclaimed comics colorist Jordie Bellaire announced that she's leaving Twitter because of it, and only a couple of months ago, writer Chelsea Cain was similarly forced off Twitter after the cover by Joelle Jones on their final issue of Mockingbird featured the character in a T-shirt that read "Ask me about my feminist agenda," inspiring a tidal wave of sexist harassment.

The creators behind Southern Bastards, Jason Latour and Jason Aaron, are responding with a variant cover, proceeds of which will be split between the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU. The cover by Latour features Roberta Tubb, the vengeance-seeking protagonist of the series, in the same T-shirt from that Mockingbird cover, except that the word "nicely" is written in after "Ask me" --- and she wielding a large stick.

It's important for men like Latour and Aaron to make it clear that they stand against the kind of harassment that Bellaire and Cain have dealt with, and with everything else that's going on in this country, the ACLU and SPLC can certainly use the funds.

Here's what Image has to say:

In response to the recent trend toward online harassment, Jason Latour and Jason Aaron’s SOUTHERN BASTARDS #16 issue will feature a special variant cover to benefit charity. The proceeds raised by this variant will be split between the SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER and the ACLU.
This special "DON'T BE A BASTARD" charity variant cover by series co-creator Latour is part of the ongoing “Roberta Tubb” variant series, showcasing SOUTHERN BASTARDS’ protagonist Roberta Tubb, interpreted by some of comics’ brightest artistic talents.
This is not the first time Latour and Aaron have announced a variant to benefit charity. The SOUTHERN BASTARDS #10 charity variant raised $18,000 for the victims of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting in Charleston, SC.

The variant cover for Southern Bastards #16 can be ordered from retailers using the order code NOV168192. The order cutoff is Monday December 19, and the book goes on sale Wednesday January 11.