Editing Space Moose (section)

==="Clobberin' Time" controversy===
''[[Macleans Canada]]'' stated that the most controversial strip in ''Space Moose''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s history was "Clobberin' Time", which satirized the [[Take Back the Night (protest)|Take Back the Night]] march, an annual event held on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton to protest violence perpetrated by men against women.<ref name="Voteforme"/><ref name="Schoek635"/> In that strip Space Moose prepares to attack demonstrators,<ref name="Voteforme"/> and opens fire on women in the rally while using a machine gun,<ref name="Sadava">Sadava, Mike. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20000301165723/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102197ab9.html Cartoon stirs anger for showing 'moose' shooting feminists]." ([https://archive.today/20000301165723/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102197ab9.html Archive]), ''[[The Edmonton Journal]]''. October 21, 1997. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.</ref> hitting his targets.<ref name="Schoek635"/> A large masculine-appearing woman captures Space Moose,<ref name="Sadava"/> and in the following strip he is incarcerated in a "Womyn's Studies re-education camp". There he is forced to constantly watch reruns of ''[[Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman]]''.<ref name="Voteforme"/>

In October 1997, ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'' refused to publish the strip "Clobberin' Time". The strip was nevertheless available on the cartoonist's web site, which was hosted on university servers,<ref name="Sadava"/> and ''The Gateway'' mentioned the [[URL]] which led to the comic strip.<ref name="Fraser">Fraser, Garnet."[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607133553/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/sun.htm Digital deer tastes outer cyberia]." ([https://archive.today/20020607133553/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/sun.htm Archive]) ''[[The Edmonton Sun]]''. Saturday January 18, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The strip's presence ignited a controversy across many campuses.<ref name="Voteforme"/>

Nine women said that they felt frightened by the strip, and asked the university administration to take action.<ref name="Fraser"/> The women, including faculty and students, wrote ten letters to the president of the University of Alberta.<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> One of the complainants, a [[University of Alberta]] political science professor named Linda Trimble,<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> said that "I was shocked. I was upset. I was amazed that someone would draw such a misogynist, hateful cartoon. This is trivialization of a hate crime."<ref name="Mandelfierce">Mandel, Charles. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607125207/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe1.htm Cartoon draws fierce criticism]." ([https://archive.today/20020607125207/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe1.htm Archive]) ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''. Wednesday October 22, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The university governed the web servers which hosted ''Space Moose'', so it took action to remove the comic from its servers.<ref name="Ciccocioppo">Ciccocioppo, Lucianna. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607123502/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/folio.htm Cartoon controversy saunters into cyberspace]." ([https://archive.today/20020607123502/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/folio.htm Archive]) ''Folio''. [[University of Alberta]] Office of Public Affairs. Friday October 24, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> Burton Smith, the acting dean of students, said that the administration asked Thrasher to voluntarily remove the comic strip from the university servers, and that if he did so, he would continue to be able to use his university computer account.<ref name="Moosteogo">Journal staff. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20000302102925/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102397ab10.html Campus Web site moose to go]." ([https://archive.today/20000302102925/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102397ab10.html Archive]) ''[[Edmonton Journal]]''. October 23, 1997. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.</ref> Thrasher moved his comic to a privately hosted web server in [[Edmonton]].<ref name="Lazinfined">Lazin, Dan. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607125057/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway2.htm Thrasher fined for insensitivity]." ([https://archive.today/20020607125057/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway2.htm Archive]) ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. Tuesday January 13, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The controversy garnered media attention throughout Canada. Thrasher said "I'm an underground cartoonist -- I've always tried to keep a low profile."<ref name="Moosteogo"/>

Some members of the University of Alberta community complained about the activities of ''The Gateway'' in relation to the controversy to the university administration. The University of Alberta had no editorial control over ''The Gateway'', and by law the publisher, the [[University of Alberta Students' Union]], was responsible for the production. The Universities Act of the Province of Alberta dictated that the student union was a corporate body separate from the university. Therefore, Burton Smith asked that complaints about the newspaper's activities be directed to the union, rather than to the university administration.<ref name="Ciccocioppo"/>

====Disciplinary proceeding and appeal====
The administration started disciplinary proceedings against Thrasher.<ref name="Fraser"/> In December 1997 the administration charged Thrasher with discrimination against women as per the university's code of student conduct.<ref name="Lazinbeats">Lazin, Dan. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607124711/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway4.htm Space Moose beats the rap]." ([https://archive.today/20020607124711/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway4.htm Archive]) ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. Thursday November 5, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The author was sent to a university disciplinary hearing.<ref name="Voteforme"/> On December 15, 1997, Gretchen C. Hess,<ref name="Appealtext">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607121847/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/UABdecision.htm IN THE MATTER OF THE CODE OF STUDENT BEHAVIOUR, and IN THE MATTER OF AN APPEAL FROM THE DECISION DATED DECEMBER 15, 1997 OF THE STUDENT DISCIPLINE OFFICER BETWEEN: MR. ADAM THRASHER (APPELLANT) -and- CAMPUS SECURITY SERVICES (RESPONDENT) DECISION OF THE UNIVERSITY APPEAL BOARD]." ([https://archive.today/20020607121847/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/UABdecision.htm Archive]) [[University of Alberta]]. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> the university's discipline officer, reviewed the university's charges.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Hess declared Thrasher guilty of violating s. 30A.3.2 of the Code of Student Behaviour,<ref name="Appealtext"/><ref name="Lazinbeats"/> and the university punished Thrasher by issuing him a written reprimand that said "We reprimand Mr. Thrasher for failing to treat women with dignity and respect. In future, Mr. Thrasher should be more sensitive to some members of his reading audience in his depiction of issues" and that he would be fined $200 (${{inflation|CA|200|1998|r=2}} when adjusted for inflation) by making a contribution of that amount to the Graduate Students' Association Food Bank. After the fine was announced, Thrasher said that he had no intention of immediately paying the fine and that he would seek legal advice from Student Legal Services. He also stated that he had no intention of withdrawing from the university.<ref name="Lazinfined"/>

On January 23, 1998, Thrasher filed an appeal against the university's decision.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> The appeal hearing began on Monday September 28, 1998. It was supposed to conclude that afternoon, but the meeting ran too long and had to be adjourned. The meeting was scheduled to conclude on Thursday October 8, 1998.<ref name="Lazinhearing">Lazin, Dan. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607124634/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway3.htm Space Moose in appeal hearing]." ([https://archive.today/20020607124634/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway3.htm Archive]) ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. Tuesday September 29, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> Five of the women who had initially sent complaints against Thrasher testified during the appeal hearing. The appeal process was completed on Monday November 2, 1998, with the university overturning the charges against Thrasher.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> The front page of the November 5, 1998 ''The Gateway'' stated "''Space Moose'' Beats the Rap".<ref name="Schoek635"/> According to Thrasher, he spent around $300 (${{inflation|CA|300|1998|r=2}} when adjusted for inflation), which was more than the fine, even though his lawyer had worked ''[[pro bono]]''. Thrasher said that he spent the money on the appeals because he was attacking censorship and that he, as an artist, had a responsibility to do so.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> The University Appeal Board announced that it reversed the punishment decision on November 20, 1998.<ref name="Appealtext"/>

====Interpretation and reception====
Adam Thrasher argued that the "Take Back the Night" marches cause polarization in gender relations, since women discourage men from participating. Thrasher said, as paraphrased by Dan Lazin of ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'', that "unthinking men may be incited to further hatred towards women."<ref name="Lazinfined"/> Thrasher argued that while the strips criticize "the ideas of some hard-core feminists", they are not against all women.<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> Thrasher added that "The reason I did it is because it's such a taboo to make fun of violence against women, against Take Back the Night."<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> Thrasher also stated that "When I drew up the cartoon, I wasn't thinking about [[Marc Le<!--No accent, as printed!-->pine]] [and the [[École Polytechnique massacre|Montreal massacre]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> which was a [[crimes against humanity|crime against humanity]], I think, more than a crime against women."<ref name="Ciccocioppo"/>

A Saturday October 25, 1997, editorial of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' argued that the actions against Thrasher were censorship and that "the instinct to block the juvenile humour was more disturbing than the juvenalia itself."<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607130201/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe2.htm Muzzled Speech]." ([https://archive.today/20020607130201/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe2.htm Archive]) ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''. Saturday October 25, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The ''[[Alberta Report]]'' said in 1997 that "''Space Moose'' is a festival of caricatured scatology, violence, perversion, irreligion and even pedophilia. It has stimulated outrage before, but in five years the university had never suppressed the strip, despite lampoons of University institutions, Trekkies, the mentally retarded, and Christians. Only one group, it seems, has the clout to make the university turn censor."<ref name="archive1997"/>

In response to Thrasher's argument that the marches could polarize gender relations and that the comic had a different message than perceived, Gretchen Hess said that the intent of the strip was not easily discernible and that the effect of the strip should be considered in addition to the intent.<ref name="Lazinfined"/> Linda Trimble argued that "[t]he pretty direct message of the cartoon [was] 'It's open season on feminists. Kill all the women.{{'"}}<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Joyce Green, a [[University of Regina]] political science professor who was another complainant, argued that "I don't see any difference between <nowiki>[</nowiki>the Montreal Massacre<nowiki>]</nowiki> and the cartoon."<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Green added that the group had complained about the strips "not because we're paranoid but because we're terrified."<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Shannon Sampert, a political science student who was another one of the complainants,<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> said that she was not surprised that the appeal went in favor of Thrasher. She believed that additional students would try to take the course of action that Thrasher took, and she believed that feminists would cause an outcry against the appeals.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/>

Brice Smith, a graduate student in the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] Department of Physics, said in ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]'' in 2001 that "[t]he first strip, taken alone, would have been a brilliant use of sarcasm that very sharply points out the need for such events", but that the second strip "mocks the women’s demands to feel safe and to be free from rape, and then follows this up with the men brutally attacking the women, killing many quite graphically[...]"<ref name="SmithBrice">Smith, Brice. (guest column) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120808210146/http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N26/col27smith.26c.html Archive]) "[http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N26/col27smith.26c.html Take Back the Night]." ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]''. Volume 121, Issue 26. Tuesday May 15, 2001. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> Brice Smith argued that "One almost does not even know where to begin addressing this kind of hate-filled message. For me, the most horrifying aspect is its total disregard for the very real extent of violence by men against women."<ref name="SmithBrice"/>

In regards to the university code of conduct, Green and Trimble argued that it needed to be amended so that it would prohibit future strips like "Clobberin' Time".<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Thrasher said that the code was unclear, even though it does not remove rights from the university community or members of the university. Thrasher argued that the code needed to be amended to make it clearer.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> In regards to the inclusion of the URL in ''The Gateway'', Sampert argued that the editors "did a really scabby way of censoring but promoting at the same time."<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> Rose Yewchuk, the editor of ''The Gateway'', argued that the ''Space Moose'' comic that was published in that issue would not have made sense to the reader unless the reader saw the previous comic, therefore the newspaper published the address.<ref name="Mandelfierce"/>