Hideo Kojima Throws Cartoonist Under The Bus After Controversy

"Hideo Kojima has apparently been embroiled in a slow-moving online controversy for the past week and is now trying to definitively extricate himself and his studio from the ongoing backlash. "In light of certain misunderstandings that have arisen in some media reports and on social networks, we would like to take this opportunity to accurately convey the facts," his studio announced on social media on Wednesday."

"Lucca Comics & Games convention in Italy alongside author and cartoonist Michele "Zerocalcare" Rech. Kojima was holding a Japanese copy of The Death Stranding 2 director shared a photo online earlier this month in which he appeared at the Kobane Calling, a 2015 graphic novel which illustrates the struggles of a town along the Turkish-Syrian border under threat from ISIS. Rech also recently published another graphic novel called No Sleep till Shengal about the persecution of the Yazidis."

"Kojima was seemingly spurred to erase evidence of the meeting due to an online backlash surrounding Rech's political views. Kobane Calling reportedly expresses sympathy for Syrian Kurdish YPG militia forces which, yes, fought against ISIS, but YPG is also accused by some international groups of recruiting child soldiers and is classified by Turkey and other nations as a terrorist organization (the U.S. does not consider it a terrorist group, although it's affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which the U.S. does classify as one)."

Hideo Kojima attended the Lucca Comics & Games convention in Italy and met author Michele "Zerocalcare" Rech. Kojima posted a social-media photo that included Rech's graphic novel Kobane Calling and later deleted the image. Rech previously published No Sleep till Shengal about Yazidi persecution. Online backlash arose over Rech's perceived political views and Kobane Calling's sympathetic portrayal of Syrian Kurdish YPG forces. The YPG fought ISIS but faces accusations of recruiting child soldiers and is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and some countries, while the U.S. does not classify it as terrorist. Kojima's studio issued a statement aiming to clarify misunderstandings.

Read at Kotaku