Paula Deen Comic Book to Detail Mogul's Rise and Fall: We're Not on the 'Bandwagon,' Says Company
A Paula Deen comic book will be released in October detailing the cooking mogul's rise and recent fall from grace, Bluewater Productions announced this week. The celebrity chef turned her home catering business into a multimillion-dollar Southern cooking empire, but began to lose many sponsors after she revealed in a deposition that she had used the "n-word" in the past.
The Paula Deen comic book was started before the recent controversy and ultimate downfall of the celebrity cooking mogul. The comic is titled "Female Force" and is designed to highlight the accomplishments of powerful, prominent women of today. Bluewater Productions made sure to explain that despite Deen's recent racial insensitivity, they weren't willing to desert her like other companies have.
"Despite the recent media hailstorm and public criticism aimed at celebrity chef Paula Deen ... it will not change plans to publish its 'Female Force' biography comic book title featuring the embattled TV personality due out this fall," President Darren Davis said in a statement to news outlets.
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"We do not condone her use of racial insensitivities, and think that intolerance has no place in a just society," Davis continued. "But despite her recent failings, we also strongly believe she still has a powerful story to tell; one that fits the female empowerment model of our books."
Deen's delicious Southern recipes landed her various cookbooks, a deal with the Food Network, a multitude of endorsements with kitchen products and restaurants.
"She really changed cooking- and Southern cooking- for women," Davis told Reuters.
25 percent of the "Female Force: Paula Deen" comic book sales will go to a charity of Deen's choice, although the publishing company claimed they contacted her to find out which one and she has not yet responded. The company also doesn't know how many books will be printed.
Deen lost almost a dozen corporate partners because of the controversy surrounding her highly charged racial comments, including Wal-Mart and Target. Even after her apology, she has still continued to lose endorsements, but Bluewater Productions calls it a "bandwagon" effect.
"We're not jumping on the bandwagon," Davis said. "We're not going to flambé her."
Other powerful women featured in the comic in the past are Hillary Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor, Michelle Obama, J.K. Rowling and Angelina Jolie.
