WooThemes has a history of releasing comics centered around their business. They are typically tongue in cheek, pointing out how they work and idiosyncrasies about their own team. This morning they released a comic depicting various members of the WordPress community as a city downtown, complete with street vendors, hot air balloons, and the WPCandy mint sitting atop a building downtown like the globe on the Daily Planet.
For the full effect, see the full comic displayed on the WooThemes blog.
The comic also ruffled a few feathers, depicting the DIYthemes office building crumbling in the background. Chris Pearson seems to have responded on Twitter saying in a series of tweets:
I don’t mention competitors (ever), but one of them made an utterly classless move today. You know who you are. I love how idiots can spit in my face and say, “Don’t read too much into it.” I also love how someone says “We like Chris” when I’ve never spoken to that person OR anyone else from his crew. What he meant to say is “We don’t give a shit about Chris and are happy to dump on him publicly because the WordPress community supports it”. And that makes it ok, right?
No other individuals or businesses depicted in the cartoon have spoken up against the poster, as far as we’ve seen. We’ve reached out for comment from WooThemes, and will update the post to reflect any response.
The poster might be made available for purchase, for those interested. Hey, anyone else feel like playing Sim City right now?
Post Revisions:
- 28 February, 2011 @ 16:30 [Current Revision] by Ryan Imel
- 10 February, 2011 @ 15:18 by Ryan Imel
Let me be one of the first to say in public that I thought the “building” used for DIY was in very poor taste. And quite frankly, how exactly were we suppose to take it than how we diid. Using a building indicating that DIY is crumbling was clearly shown by the drawing. Too bad childish jabs had to be used in what should have been a fun and entertaining poster.
I have no reaction or response other than that to the “poster.”
So what about the argument that the building and company has gone through hell but the building is still standing tall? A representation that even through all the bullcrap over the years, the building and company still stands.
Pro
You know Jeff, I’d never thought of looking at it that way, everyone interprets things differently as can be seen throughout the comments both here and over at WooThemes! — But damn that’s a good way to look at it right? (Again, each to their own!)
Pro
I think it’s pretty funny. When you treat people like trash, expect to get treated like trash back.
Second this.
I found the poster entertaining. Hell, I’d probably buy one for my office.
It doesn’t look like a crumbling building to me, it looks like puzzle pieces. And I assumed it meant “DIY” not “DIYThemes”. DIY = Do-It-Yourself, as in make your own theme, which a lot of people do.
Maybe I’m wrong. But that’s what I saw there.
Otto, go to http://diythemes.com and look at its logo and tell me that’s not what they were trying to mimic on that building.
Your kidding right? The sign on the building is DIY in white on a red square. What is DIYThemes logo? The same thing. The fact that they omitted “themes” as part of the logo means nothing. It is supposed to represent DIYThemes/Thesis in the cartoon.
That being said i’m not entirely sure it’s a negative. Whoever designed the poster could have designed the building to look like it was unfinished to play off the whole “DIY” aspect. DIY has build it yourself connotations and maybe the fact that the building isn’t 100% complete is to play up that aspect of it.
Pro
That’s what I thought too at first, that it was a play on DIY. The other argument does make sense too I guess, I just didn’t see that at first.
I have to agree with Grant 100%. I was extremely disappointed that Woo would take a cheap shot like that at another member of the community. Say what you will about the whole GPL fiasco (which is what I’m assuming they thought gave them the leeway to take a shot like that), it had nothing to do with them. I’ve lost a tremendous amount of respect for, until today, a company I held in the highest regard in the WP community.
Pro
Definitely cheeky coming from another competitor in an industry that’s still so young
When’s the Chris & Adii Podcast coming?
It may be true that DIYThemes has had a rough time lately, but it was a pretty low blow to show its building crumbling. I would show it under construction instead, like Chris is repairing the damage and improving what he’s got. Change it to under construction, and I will buy a poster.
Funny… On first glance I thought it was a building constructed of puzzle pieces… you know… build your own… fit the pieces… fill in the blanks. I thought nothing bad about it.
Then I wondered where to get the Starbucks themes. And if Starbucks isn’t hawking themes, how much are they paying to be there?
Pro
But even the paint is coming off the side
I noticed at the bottom of an older post they say, “Regardless of whether we start selling the poster, we’re giving 10 copies away for free. Simply add a quirky / funny / tongue-in-cheek comment on the original post and we’ll select the 10 comments that make us laugh most.” Nobody seems to be talking about this little “contest”. I wonder how that’s going.
Good point. I can’t say I’ve seen many funny/creative comments about it, but I’m sure they are out there somewhere.