War of the words: Christopher Priest isn't happy about an item in this week's "Lying In The Gutters":

"It's alleged that Christopher Priest, all too frustrated by angry gangsta rap, has created a total spoof at www.countdollars.com, crafting the song You Ain't White which could possibly be characterized as White Power hardcore rap.

"Bless.

"I wonder if it will be referred to in his upcoming Captain America/Falcon series?"

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the item. Apparently, neither could Priest. But he's still upset -- so upset that yesterday in his blog he asks for a public apology from Rich Johnston:

"I have not much clue what this is about, and can take a joke as well as the next guy. But do you realize how patently racist the underlying subtext of this post is? Rich, it really is hard enough just surviving in this business during these volatile times. Having somehow, to my great and enduring horror, become a BLACK writer, when once upon a time I was as much a writer as anybody else, only compounds the problem.

"Laying off racist bias on CAP/FALC before you've seen even one paragraph of what we're up to is totally unfair. And, while I'm sure you meant no harm (and you'll likely make full advantage of this note to further undermine me and my work), I just wanted you to know I'm perplexed by the hostility and wanted you to be aware (because I'm betting you're not) that the posting is completely offensive and patently racist. I'm sure you made what you thought was a harmless enough joke but one that was loaded with unfair racial inferences about me and about CAF.

"I'd really appreciate a public apology."

In the comments section today, Johnston replies, in part:

"I had a number of emails telling me you were behind this spoof, from a number of separate people across the industry.You still haven't told me if you are... that's fine. Your prerogative.

"But no I don't understand how racist the subtext of the post is. Because there is no subtext. Doesn't subtext demand intention?

"There was no racist bias towards Cap/Falc intended. No hostility. No undermining of work intended. For fuck's sake, haven't I championed your work on Q+W, BP and Crew?"

Johnston goes on to say, "Public apologies are fine. I'd just like to know what I'm apologising for," and, finally, "I've emailed my editor to remove the offending piece. Let's go from there."

As of the time of this post, the item hadn't been removed from his column.