JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans. Join now (it's free).
Sort Blog Posts
Sort Posts by:
Suggest a Blog
Enter a Blog's Feed URL below and click Submit:
Most Commented Posts
In the past 7 days
Recent Posts
(tagged with 'Comics Still Wonderful In Spite Of It All')
Login or Register for free to create your own customized page of blog posts from your favorite blogs. You can also add blogs by clicking the "Add to MyJacketFlap" links next to the blog name in each post.
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Comics Still Wonderful In Spite Of It All, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 25 of 38
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Comics Still Wonderful In Spite Of It All in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
Last year, Marvel received a letter from the mother of a young fan, Anthony Smith, who had hearing difficulties, and had been told by doctors that he would require a hearing aid. The mother was wondering if there were any heroes who had ever had hearing difficulties, who might serve as the inspiring spark for Anthony to accept the hearing device.
On getting the letter, editor Bill Rosemann not only pointed her to Hawkeye, who has in the past suffered from hearing problems, but also spread the letter to the Marvel offices.
And that’s what led Marvel to create a new character called The Blue Ear, who doesn’t let his hearing problems stop him from saving the day. Created with Marvel staffers Manny Mederos and Nelson Ribeiro, the character is based on Anthony himself. You can read Blue Ear’s origin story in my original post announcing the character,
Now, though! That’s not the end of The Blue Ear’s work with Marvel. Last month Marvel held a special event honouring him, as they partnered with Phonak, a hearing aid supplier. Anthony and his family were invited along, as Marvel unveiled a new poster which will be distributed nationally, in which we see Iron Man meet a young boy who is being bullier for having a hearing aid. Written by Christos Gage and drawn by Paco Medina, the poster encourages people to never feel like they should be ashamed of their disability:
The event also saw Iron Man attend in person – awfully nice of him to teleport over from the 616 Universe – and meet Anthony. After receiving a copy of the poster from Iron Man, the Avenger also then gave him a second gift – an Iron Man costume of his own.
Which, he immediately put on.
As I said last time – isn’t it now time for The Blue Ear to join The Avengers?
2 Comments on The Blue Ear Triumphantly Returns to Marvel Comics, last added: 3/8/2013
This is really cool. I also have hearing aides and not needing good hearing to enjoy them is part of what made me love them so much.
Tara S. Congdon said, on 3/7/2013 10:24:00 PM
This poster collaboration between Marvel and Phonak was NOT a good move on Marvel’s part. It’s insensitive and demeaning, because it sends the message that deafness makes you lesser of a person, and that you can only be normal and happy if you can hear again – which, I assure you, does not happen in many cases with hearing aids. I have no issues with what Marvel did for this particular kid, but this poster is going to be disseminated widely and be seen by many children for whom hearing aids don’t work. Imagine being a child who can’t hear, who can’t understand speech even with a hearing aid, sitting there looking at that poster with its implicit message that you can’t perform better or be happy if you can’t hear even with the “aid” of technology. How painful.
I wrote a column about this before I saw the exact poster. I suggest you read it and the comments below it at http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-933554 and think real long and hard about the messages this poster is sending to children who should always be told they are wonderful human beings in the first place, even without technology.
If you heaven't read David Mazzuchelli's amazing graphic novel Asterios Polyp, please avert your eyes NOW. The award winning GN and book of the year in 2009 was a sly comment on art through the life of a man named Asterios Polyp, who finds potential happiness in life just in time to [SPOILER ALERT] have it potentially snuffed out by having a meteor fall on his house.
5 Comments on Final Friday: Russian meteor proves Asterios Polyp was right!, last added: 2/18/2013
Much of the recent focus on Marvel has seen them as a corporate behemoth, crushing the innocent as they march across America in their golden boots. But a recent news story reported by the Huffington Post reminds that the people working for the company are still doing everything they can to support and entertain their fans, and help out wherever they can.
When 4-year old Anthony Smith, a young comic book fan with hearing impairment, was told by Doctors that he needed to wear a hearing aid, he refused. He didn’t want to feel like he stood out and was alone. So his mother, superheroic Christina D’Allesandro, sent an email to Marvel comics, asking if there were any examples of superheroes who also wore an aid - if she could find pictures showing her son that there was nothing unusual about wearing an aid, perhaps he’d change his mind about wearing one himself.
Not only did Marvel point her to a famous storyline where Hawkeye temporarily damaged his hearing (during his time with the West Coast Avengers, fact-fans); but editor Bill Rosemann decided to take Anthony as his inspiration to create a new superhero, called The Blue Ear.
Here’s a look at Blue Ear in action, as drawn by Nelson Ribeiro:
Bolstered by D’Allesandro’s email, a number of Marvel’s staff started to draw their own Blue Ear artwork, and sent it over to Anthony. And now he’s not only a superhero – but a superhero who hangs out with the Avengers, Anthony has now happily started wearing his hearing aid. After all, he’s got Hawkeye backing him up now, as drawn by Manny Mederos:
Now the only thing left is to bring him into Marvel continuity!
5 Comments on Marvel Creates New Superhero for a Hearing-Impaired Fan, last added: 5/24/2012
Love, love to read things like this. Great job to the creators here.
Jerry Novick said, on 5/23/2012 6:51:00 AM
Kudos to Marvel for pulling an important letter out of the huge pile of mail they get and giving it some personal attention. Plus, a standing ovation to Nelson Ribeiro and Manny Mederos!
abc said, on 5/23/2012 10:44:00 PM
this is the kind of story that makes you say, “awww, that’s just so damn nice”. nothing but the highest praise for all those involved.
jsf said, on 5/24/2012 5:52:00 AM
They really do need to bring him into continuity. He could be a friend who hangs out with Luke Cage’s kid (which would give it that Avengers tie from the pics).
BY JEN VAUGHN – If you are one of the last souls who has yet to buy WANDER or DRACULA THE UNCONQUERED #2, allow me to convince you. Put away that latte money for I have something better for you to enjoy.
In WANDER, Writer Kevin Church, along with artist Grace Allison, follows about Olive Hopkins, your typical grad-school-esque malcontent who can tell her Master’s degree is only going to permanently cement her job behind the barista counter. Be it magic or some heavy, regrettable drinking, Olive wakes up in a land beyond, full of swords, sorcery and adroit companions such as an elf and Dwarf. Olive, it seems, can shift through dimensions but unholy havoc could this bring to both worlds? Church is oh-so clever and delivers at least two, wait THREE, hints disguised in the full Wander package.
The team of creators spin such a yarn that the $2 price is almost maddening. The clean, sharp linework and cool coloring of Grace Allison often nicely contrast the nasty and funny ideas of Church’s story, instead of playing along. Below, even though jonesing for a slice of ‘za, Olive attempts to be open to new experiences.
I’m a sucker for anyone who follows the add a dog for more cuteness rule.
Luwhil the Dwarf is probably the favorite character so far, being ugly, sweaty AND a drunkard who calls people on their bullshit, compared to the acerbic and reluctant Olive or beautiful Monet of an elf (looks great far, obsessive close up), Shalwyn. Future issues will hopefully play up all their flaws.
WANDER is part of the amazing Monkeybrain Comics line-up bringing the world unique and fun digital comics, which leads up to Chris Sims (of Comics Alliance) and his independently published digital comic, Dracula the Unconquered #2. Sims is even hosting a contest to win a ohh-laa-la print edition of Drac #1 (WANT!) if you buy a digital copy of #2 by FRIDAY.
The second issue of Dracula the Unconquered by Sims, drawn by Steve Downer and lettered by YES, the same Josh Krach. When we last met Dracula, he had just woken up all sorts of grump
3 Comments on Digital Comics: $3 spent, last added: 8/1/2012
Is no place safe from comics? Authors David Baldacci (Absolute Power) and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) appeared on The Today Show to pick 10 holiday books and one of those Flynn picked was the graphic novel Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel. Flynn called it ”Steamboats, romance, and mythology, and a search for love universally – it’s really a haunting book.”
The Sailor Twain reference is at about 2:12 in the above video.
The Year of Graphic Novel Mainstream Promotion is definitely going out with a bang.
2 Comments on SAILOR TWAIN hyped on the Today Show, last added: 12/20/2012
If there's one trend we've noticed growing over the years its the use of graphic novels as teaching tools—on the must basic level, comics are now recognized as a way to get reluctant readers to get started reading. On a larger level, comics are being used as a general teaching tool. Josh Elder'sReading with Pictures organization has been promoting this idea and cataloging the use of comics in the classroom. It's not just the visceral appeal of colorful pictures that puts comics over—some think that the verbal-visual blend is the future of literacy, and comics could potentially be on the forefront of that.
10 Comments on New study shows that graphic novels really do help people learn, last added: 2/19/2013
Yep, in this day and age people need “a study”(not sarcasm) to get on board with anything and this is a plus for comics. now we need to push it and bring it up often.
Thomas Wayne said, on 1/28/2013 7:38:00 AM
Somewhere in Hell Fredric Werthem just went “D’oh!!!”
Swampy said, on 1/28/2013 8:07:00 AM
Anyone who’s read Oishinbo or any other educational manga can attest to this idea.
Professor J said, on 1/28/2013 8:12:00 AM
I appreciate the comments about our research! I’ll be teaching a free management class (MOOC) this summer featuring the graphic novel material I developed and tested in the above study (we will also use a traditional textbook). Please feel free to look at our website – management.ou.edu and register online to take the class this summer.
Dave Hartley said, on 1/28/2013 8:17:00 AM
It’s an idea that keeps getting rediscovered.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM M. GAINES, PUBLISHER, ENTERTAINING
COMICS GROUP, NEW YORK, N. Y.
“Since 1942 we have sold more than 5 million copies of Picture Stories from the Bible, in the United States. It is widely used by churches and schools to make religion more real and vivid.
“Picture Stories from the Bible is published throughout the world in dozens of translations. But it is nothing more nor nothing less than a comic magazine.”
Personally I always felt I got a better sense of why I should be sticking it to the man from reading Spain Rodriguez than I did from any radical text.
Van Jensen said, on 1/28/2013 11:43:00 AM
Count me in for the MOOC class this summer. I love seeing comics examined academically. That’s really, really good for the industry’s future.
Elaine Lee said, on 1/30/2013 12:15:00 PM
We used Larry Gonick’s Cartoon History and Cartoon Guide books to good effect, when homeschooling our two younger sons!
Of note on Monday | Joel Jonientz said, on 2/4/2013 9:32:00 AM
[...] My grandmother was a staunch believer that if you wanted to make a child a reader you had to find their interests and feed them books that stoked that interest. For me this was comic books. Whenever she knew I was coming she would go to the rack at the local supermarket and buy them out. I still have the stacks of Casper, Wendy the Good Little Witch and Richie Rich comics all courtesy of Grandma. Well as it turns out science has finally proved what she knew to be right. Comics make you a better reader. [...]
Scott McCloud’s reveals future book plans said, on 2/14/2013 6:30:00 AM
[...] this week’s PW Comics World, I interviewed Jeremy Short—creator of the study on comics comprehension referenced here— about that study and a general overview of current research on how comics affect learning and [...]
USING COMICS IN THE CLASSROOM « Jess Smart Smiley said, on 2/16/2013 7:45:00 AM
[...] New study shows that graphic novels really do help people learn (comicsbeat.com) [...]
From the comments of our “Saving Comics” post, Tim Stoltzfus went back to this Milennium Eve 1999 post by Warren Ellis that had the same message, and a call to arms on other matters:
You see, you and me, we don’t have the clout, the cash or the staff to see done the things that should be done — forcing comics into these new sales points, getting the right work in front of the right people. All you and I have is the direct market, because that’s all the major companies are interested in supporting.
So it behooves us to bolster the failing direct market system if we want to continue selling comics in the current paradigm. And I’d like to, because I’d like to continue paying for my house and stuff. And that means changing the comics store culture.
That means getting rid of the talking Jar Jar Binks stand-up in the doorway. It means racking the T&A stuff somewhere else. It means focussing more on graphic novels than back-issue bins. It means displaying your comics in the window, not the bloody toys, and making your standalone floor displays out of comics and graphic novels, not those stupid pewter figures for pretending to be sodding elves in role-paying games with. It means talking to customers, not just standing idly by or peering over your till with an air of false superiority. It means talking to the people who work in and run the shop, telling them what you think works, telling them what you want to read. It means call-out sections where you rack by creator, and all the comics shops I know of that have tried it have discovered that it works very well indeed. Because people who don’t come from the comics-store culture will walk into stores and look, not for a title, but the new Neil Gaiman, or the new Alan Moore, or the new Frank Miller.
Ellis and Larry Young’s writing of the period are very much the foundation of a lot of today’s indie sales methods — and some of the concerns are exactly the same.
How much has changed? How much hasn’t? What do you think?
10 Comments on Flashback: Saving comics one year at a time, last added: 4/15/2011
Zippo. My local is unfriendly (so much so that I buy a lot of comics on ebay)…the store is dank…the displays ugly…
I have never heard anyone actually like a Toronto comic store other than the Silver Snail…I can’t count the number of people who tell me that the Beguiling stinks (horrible service), Paradise (everybody hates Andrew Uys), Labyrinth, Harry Tarantula are all the same.
Frankly, am not sure why I even bother anymore.
monopole said, on 4/14/2011 11:23:00 AM
I’ve seen places that followed this to the letter and failed spectacularly even before the great recession hit. Specifically Third Planet in Torrance CA.
The main problem is serving the fanboy segment, mundanes, and children in the same store.
Chris Hero said, on 4/14/2011 11:27:00 AM
This is a point I feel I beat on maybe too much…outside of the big cities on both coasts, comic stores aren’t very good. Most still have the faded cardboard stands in the windows, the poor lighting, nasty carpeting, unhelpful staff, poor selection, etc. I think most people *want* a good direct marketplace, but we’re not getting that without a lot of travelling.
Tim Stoltzfus said, on 4/14/2011 1:52:00 PM
The reason I linked to that column in the first place is because I’ve recently been rereading the columns that inspired me to open my stores in the first place for a review of “where we are” on my personal blog, so I don’t want to just repeat all of that here! :)
That said, I think in a lot of ways the business has come a long way. We’ve established the GN as a major element of the business, many stores have learned to balance the needs of both the hardcore fan and that casual, and the art form itself is producing stories as incredible as we’ve ever seen.
Geek culture has become much more mainstream, as well. Nowadays, I see the vast majority of people who come in genuinely curious even about the things like pewter miniatures that Ellis mentions. They might not be interested in buying the product, but when it is part of a store that includes a breadth of product from across the geek spectrum, they at least have a respect for it and will ask a question or two before looking at something they genuinely like.
There’s much work to be done, but much excellent work has already been done, too.
Randy @ WCG Comics said, on 4/14/2011 2:31:00 PM
Part of the problem may be that, aside from a few regional mini-chains, nearly all comic-book retailers are mom-and-pop operations. That seriously limits the kind of time and resources that are available to do the kind of outreach that is needed.
One can only assume that this simply is a reflection of how little money there is to be made selling comics and how small the audience is–otherwise, we would have seen some kind of larger chain system emerge that could have perhaps broadened the audience. The boutique approach has met with some success, but most stores understandably are wary about going beyond what they are comfortable with and believe works — esp. if they don’t get meaningful support for taking risks from other sectors of the industry such as publishers and distributors.
Sabin said, on 4/14/2011 2:40:00 PM
The comics store I used to go to in Tucson was a converted adult video store… no windows, gated side entrance and you weren’t supposed to look at anything unless you were going to buy it.
I live in NY now… and it’s simply incredible. I have no reason to complain except when a great store closes.
Larry Young said, on 4/14/2011 3:05:00 PM
Thanks for the shout-out!
Carr D'Angelo said, on 4/14/2011 6:22:00 PM
The dialogue on the Warren Ellis Forum was a direct inspiration for opening Earth-2 Comics.
Tim Stoltzfus said, on 4/14/2011 6:41:00 PM
You and me both, Carr. Man, those were the days, weren’t they?
Bryan L said, on 4/15/2011 12:25:00 PM
I’ve posted on this before, but I travel a lot, and try to visit all the comic shops in every place I go. I would say I’ve visited over 200 comic shops across the US, many more than once, and some only once because they no longer exist (word of advice — always call first). So I’ve got a decent sampling.
In general, shops in or near metropolitan areas are nicer and more are following the “Ellis paradigm.” The further you go from metropolitan areas, the worse things get (again, I’m speaking in generalities — I’ve found nice shops in small towns, but they are the exception, not the rule).
Secondly, and again, in general, the stores that remain are improving, and moving more to the “Ellis paradigm.” It’s slow, but it’s significant.
Thirdly, the more dependent a store is on non-comics income (like gaming, or toys), the more likely it is to stray far from the “Ellis paradigm.” Again, not always, but it’s a strong trend.
On Friday, May 25, 1984, in a small town of 1200 people, in a small grocery store on the highway not too far from cornfields, at the golden age of 14, I became a comic book collector.
What set me on this path that has led me >choke< 27 years later to be a comics missionary, spreading the four-color gospel far and wide? Well, I blame Morgan Freeman and Jim Shooter.
As a child of the Seventies, I would watch Sesame Street, and immediately after that, The Electric Company. During the 1974-75 season, TEC started showing episodes of “Spidey Super Stories”. These were comicbook/live action hybrids, mixing live action with drawn panels. Spidey usually had to thwart some crazy villain, and never spoke, except in silent word balloons which had to be read by the viewer. (My favorite villain: The Can Crusher, who, while visiting a tomato canning factory as a child, loses his pet frog in a kettle. Thus he spends his adult life crushing open tomato cans in supermarkets, searching in vain for his beloved croaker. *sniff* Such pathos.)
I was just learning to read, as well as going through the “superhero phase” most young boys experience. So I got hooked on Spider-Man, and my mom actually bought me the first comic book I ever read! (Thanks, Ma!) As you can see on the cover, the Easy Reader (Morgan Freeman) gives his seal of approval, stating “This comic book is easy to read!” (The Comics Code approved it as well, but they’re as square as their seal.)
I would continue to enjoy Spider-Man throughout my childhood, taking my Spider-Man vitamins every day, and reading the daily comic strip whenever I had access to the Des Moines Register during my summers. (Their comics were much better than those in the Omaha World-Herald. The Register ran Star Trek, Asterix (!), Bloom County… and on Sundays we’d get the smaller market Sioux City Journal with the comics never seen in bookstores (Eek and Meek, Born Loser, Berry’s World).) But I never really bought comics as a kid. From 1979 until 1982, I was a fan of Mad Magazine, buying back issues and passionately learning all I could, pre-Internet, about The Usual Gang of Idiots. From 1982 until 1984, my passion was video games. While my family owned nothing more advanced than an old Coleco Telstar 6040 playing variations of Pong, that didn’t keep me from haunting arcades, searching for the new and unusual, and buying almost every videogame magazine I could find.
Of course, like most kids across the country, I read comic strips, bought the occasional strip collection, watched the CBS specials, and looked at any comic or cartoon (including the ones in my older brothers’ National Lampoons). I even glommed onto an old graphic novel from the 1950s… the first Pogo reprint from Simon and Schuster. When I was sick, I would read Richie Rich comics (the superhero covers at the pharmacy just made me sicker). But it was just part of the multimedia background collage of my life, with older interests constantly being covered by newer distractions.
So, given all this, what caused me to become a comics fan? What brought comics into the foreground, eclipsing my other interests? Junior High and Mattel toys.
12 Comments on When Memorial Day Becomes Rememberance Day, last added: 5/31/2011
Great story. Torsten. Thinking back, I was drawn back into comics by Secret Wars covers I saw at a 7 Eleven. I hadn’t read comics in years, but there was something enticing about them.
abc said, on 5/29/2011 6:19:00 AM
stuck in nyc? i love nyc during a holiday weekend. it becomes something of a ghost town, very quiet with actual room to breathe. liked the “how i got into comics” story. comics really did explode in the 80’s, they seemed to be a whole lot more fun back then. just about everyone that’s into this hobby has a story to tell about how they got into comics, got out of comics and then back in again. guess it’s just part of the process to becoming a life long fan (for some of us anyway).
Al™ said, on 5/30/2011 4:53:00 AM
Great reading, Torsten. I love comic reader “origin” stories!
Steey Dan said, on 5/30/2011 5:34:00 AM
I was also enticed into the world of comix by Spider-Man’s black costume (I forget the issue, but it was 1984, he fought the Puma, and it was drawn by Ron Frenz, for my money still the best Spider-Man artist). I was eleven and I remember thinking that costume was sooooo cool and just wanting to learn more.
Synsidar said, on 5/30/2011 6:51:00 AM
Interesting piece, Torsten. I guess you had eclectic tastes as a comics reader early on. I’ve read a wide variety of prose works, but the only comics genre that I have an abiding interest in is superhero fiction.
You didn’t mention a budget, or whether you dropped some titles in favor of others. It’s unfortunate that one can’t revisit starting points. I was fortunate in starting to read Marvel comics (as series) in ‘73, during the company’s artistic high point. Knowing what good writers could do with the characters kept me reading during the down decades which followed. The content and the marketing strategies of Marvel and DC are so much different from what they were in the ’70s and ’80s that it’s difficult to imagine that people starting now can have comparable experiences.
SRS
Oliver said, on 5/30/2011 10:04:00 AM
Thanks for sharing! Lot of fun to read! And yay Mom for buying you your first comic. My mom actually bought superhero comics to read for herself and me. (Those crazy hippies actually thought comics were cool. lol)
And can’t believe the Des Moines ran Asterix -amazing! Hard to imagine Asterix in a newspaper, much less a US one.
Torsten Adair said, on 5/30/2011 2:26:00 PM
Yeah… since my mother was German, I was well versed on Asterix. I don’t know the exact reason for it, but it was probably produced for the Commonwealth markets, and the DMR was enlightened enough to run it. I believe it was just one story. I don’t know if there were Sundays.
As an early comics collector, I was a Marvel Zombie, but only Spider-Man, FF, X-Men. I was selective, adding some titles as my budget increased, but not many. Eventually, my limited budget and widened tastes required that I drop most Marvels by 1990.
Those first few years, I probably purchased fewer than ten titles a month.
The summer of `84, I did buy one DC comic: Superman #400, still one of the best anniversary comics ever produced! (It had a time travel aspect to it, which appealed to my science fiction interests.) Around `87, I added JLI to my list (strong sense of humor via MAD), and the new Superman line. At about the same time, I also began reading Concrete and Tales of the Beanworld.
As a kid, I read whatever comics I could get my hands on. With three older brothers, we had lots of books lying around, including the old Fawcett Peanuts collections. Decades before eBay, it was easy to find mass market collections at garage sales or used bookstores for twenty-five cents or less. (A new MAD paperback cost 75-95 cents at the time.) The Omaha World-Herald did not have an editorial cartoonist in the 1980s, so they syndicated the best of the national strips, and ran Doonesbury on the Op-Ed pages (along with Mike Royko).
Omaha was a perfect storm for collecting. Small enough that there wasn’t much competition, but large enough to guarantee a good supply (like hardcover Pogo collections, or a first printing of Bone).
craig yoe said, on 5/30/2011 5:32:00 PM
fun read! thank God for moms that bought kids their first comics–including yours and mine, torsten! comic burner moms always get all the attention! mine actually got me a subscription to walt disney’s comics and stories. those awesome carl barks’ duck stories hooked me for life!
Torsten Adair said, on 5/31/2011 6:04:00 AM
Comic burner moms? I know of toss-it-to-the-curb moms, but not many who heated the home with comics! (And why don’t we ever hear of a garbage man who got rich off the numerous comics moms threw away?)
My mother disapproved of my reading MAD, but I think it she did it just so I would think I was reading something illicit. But then, she tolerated my Playboy collection as well.
We had periodical bedroom cleanings, but I think we made the decisions of what to keep, not mom. Now most of those toys are being passed on to grandkids, but I’m having a hard time giving up my Legos…
Synsidar said, on 5/31/2011 7:38:00 AM
I didn’t have a budget, fortunately, nor did I have a mom who censored. I bought what I wanted, or thought I should read, and dropped titles when I lost interest or the writing became bad. I went to a weekly comics writing workshop in 1977 taught by Larry Lieber because I wanted to write stories as good as those I”d read in the past few years. Unfortunately, I found out that writing the heroes as SF/fantasy characters didn’t sell well, and I’d probably overestimated my writing skills at the age of 20.
I’ve taken a literary approach toward the characters ever since, because that results in demonstrably better stories than alternate approaches do, and the existing universe saves a writer the trouble of having to create a universe and characters from scratch for the sake of a single story. At this point, the fact that DC and Marvel characters exist within defined universes is probably the best thing about them. Producing good stories is simply a matter of letting writers use them well, within very general guidelines, and preventing them from making mistakes.
SRS
CEK said, on 5/31/2011 12:19:00 PM
The Dragon’s Lair on Blondo? I used to go there all the time, and during the period you are writing about. Small world.
Torsten Adair said, on 5/31/2011 1:21:00 PM
Yup. Chris Ware was a customer as well, according to his Comics Journal interview. I was a customer from 1985-1994.
“You have a life-threatening condition,” the doctor said.
“We need to get you somewhere where they can operate on you,” he continued, the words tumbling out of him.
“We need to get you there immediately.” A breath.
“We have a hospital. We have a surgeon. When we have an ambulance, you’ll go.”
Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve seen Tom Spurgeon’s essay on facing a life threatening illness, an illness which led to his unexpected blogging absence earlier this summer, and which still affects him, although he’s recovering. Since looking death in the face usually prompts some inventory of life, Spurgeon does just that in an astonishing essay that covers his life and his life in comics, if there is a difference. That a man fighting for his life should spend that time thinking about the Green Lantern movie is both ridiculous and awesome — Tom’s thoughts on why we chose the comics life and why we stay there speak for me about 80% of the time. It’s not that we have no choice, but rather why would we WANT to leave a field that is full of such honest, unpretentious work and creative, life-loving people?
That’s when Dan waved his hand again because I was being too loud. What-ever! I was having fun. I can’t help it! See, the cool thing about comics is that if you hang in there long enough your heroes can become your friends. And what’s cool about comics people is that we all know how hard it is to do comics or publish comics or write about comics – and so there is a certain comfort in sharing stories because no one really outside of comics actually gets what comics is about. So this was an occasion to celebrate this most crossroads-y, interzone-y – most impure art form on the planet. I was happy.
What makes it worth it though, is I love drawing. I LOVE IT. I love making comics. I love starting a new page and buying new paper, ink and brushes. I love telling stories! I love the people I work with, I love the people I meet. I love thinking about the syntax and language of comics. I love esoteric discussions about the comic book industry. I love the opportunities I’ve had in life because of comics. The second I stop loving it I will find something else to do. Comics are hard work. Comics are relentless. Comics will break your heart. Comics are monetarily unsatisfying. Comics don’t offer much in terms of fortune and glory, but comics will give you complete freedom to tell the stories you want to tell, in ways unlike any other medium. Comics will pick you up after it knocks you down. Comics will dust you off and tell you it love
5 Comments on Must Read: Thoughts on the comics life, last added: 8/16/2011
Thanks for linking to that essay, Heidi. Wow, that was an amazing read. I don’t know Tom Spurgeon, but have read his words for many, many years. Best recovery to you, Mr. Tom.
..& I have reposted that Becky Cloonan quote all over the place. She & her work amaze me.
Shane Davis said, on 8/15/2011 12:01:00 PM
Comics is a weird medium, mainly because it’s a lifestyle. It affects so much of your personal life, and requires loved ones to be understanding, even if they do not understand comics.
I was dealt a big blow in life a couple of years back. My first instinct was to grab the closest piece of blank paper and fill it. People around me did not understand what I was doing, at the time nether did I. It was not until later when I came into downtime I realized that comics was an escape for me, and that it’s probably an escape for the readers. As a creator the world can be brutal to you, the industry itself is not your friend. The reward, and curse, is the black piece of paper and what YOU make of it. I think the people that have comics as part of there life have fond themselves in them, or through them.
Jackie Estrada said, on 8/15/2011 2:06:00 PM
This is a truly wonderful essay, with lots of food for thought. I certainly identified with a lot of it! Sending good thoughts to Tom for a long and healthier life!
G. said, on 8/15/2011 2:22:00 PM
I read it last night. Very moving, and must reading for anyone who’s been a comics fan for a few decades.
ed said, on 8/16/2011 2:07:00 AM
An amazing Life- AND Comics- affirming read.
Here’s to more of http://www.comicsreporter.com/’s analyses, interviews and commentaries showing just how good Comics journalism>/i> looks like!
Amid all the concern and conversation regarding the “nude 52”, we here at the Beat would like to remind our readers of a previous attempt to develop new comics readers by offering comics featuring strong, attractive, empowered female characters engaged in romantic pursuits with male protagonists.
A lack of proper distribution and fans angry at editors for altering storylines and characters were the two major reasons this franchise failed initially. However, it did convince others that there was a market for this type of comic, and within five years, had revolutionized the comics medium and marketplace, creating millions of fans.
Now, almost fifteen years later, this title is being revived, with the first volumes released this month in the shadow of the New 52. It is hoped it will catch lightning a second time, encouraging a new generation of readers and fans!
My fiancee is a big Sailor Moon fan, and there’s been a ton of buzz and fan-art recently. Guess this would be why..
Augie De Blieck Jr. said, on 9/28/2011 8:31:00 PM
I half expected to see a link to CrossGen there. ;-)
Edward Liu said, on 9/28/2011 9:15:00 PM
SAILOR MOON IS NERAK!! NERAK IS JUST THE INTERNAL CODE NAME FOR SAILOR MOON DC IS GOING TO START PUBLISHING MANGA AGAIN! And man, if you hated what they did to Starfire, just wait till you see the changes they have in mind for Sailor Moon!
Dirk Deppey said, on 9/28/2011 9:27:00 PM
1) Easy joke.
2) I feel more vindicated every day.
Matthew Southworth said, on 9/28/2011 10:48:00 PM
“comics featuring strong, attractive, empowered female characters engaged in romantic pursuits with male protagonists”–you know what that is?
It’s LOVE AND ROCKETS. Why oh why doesn’t everybody everybody EVERYBODY buy this amazing comic book? Is it because of the difficulty of finding a jumping-on point?
The most recent two issues of L & R NEW STORIES (#s 3 and 4) feature two of the best comics stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve been reading comics since Gerald Ford was president.
Edward Douglas said, on 9/29/2011 4:21:00 AM
I don’t think New 52 was ever meant as an initiative to attract women to comics, and it’s becoming more obvious that it was meant to attract more adolescent boys and collectors/speculators and when you think about it… a good chunk of the artists working on the new books originally come from Image Comics, a company that essentially made its money by doing same with lots of scantily clad women with exaggerated physiques. There are certainly exceptions and those are the books with long-time DC creators like Aquaman, Green Arrow, Omac, and Legion of Superheroes, but there is definitely a throwback to the ’90s inherent in the new DC initiative, something which worked out great at first but then ran into problems when the artists (many of whom are on the new 52) couldn’t meet their deadlines.
KET said, on 9/29/2011 5:48:00 AM
“NERAK IS JUST THE INTERNAL CODE NAME FOR SAILOR MOON”
Funny, I thought it was merely ‘Karen’ spelled backwards.
Jason Green said, on 9/29/2011 6:21:00 AM
Heh…nice. Bought my copies of Code Name Sailor V and Sailor Moon Vol. 1 at the shop yesterday, right next to my stack of New 52s and Frank Miller’s “Holy Terror.” I…have weird tastes, I guess.
David Gallaher said, on 9/29/2011 1:26:00 PM
Sailor Moon … huh.
Never heard of it.
;-)
gene phillips said, on 9/29/2011 3:23:00 PM
New Movie Title: Who is Dirk Deppey and Why is He Vindicating Himself?
(I’ll settle for an answer to the second question only.)
Edward,
That’s an interesting perspective, especially as I’m not personally familiar with most of the artists’ histories. However, of the three “nudies” I’ve read– ACTION, BATGIRL, and CATWOMAN– I don’t get that much of an “Image” vibe. They’re sensationalistic, all right, but despite all comments to the contrary, none are as brain-dead as the average early 90s Image book. Maybe I need to read RED HOOD, though.
I stopped by my LCS today and picked up the hardcover collection of Dave Stevens’ _The Rocketeer_. This makes me happy, although I’m sort of afraid to read it now lest I soil the pages with my Cheetos-stained fingers.
I suppose since Stevens has joined Shultz in wherever great cartoonists go when they die, this fits.
Rick Hood said, on 11/4/2011 10:14:00 PM
That say’s it all!
abc said, on 11/5/2011 5:27:00 AM
so cute, yet so true.
skyhawk said, on 11/5/2011 8:24:00 PM
It’s my new wallpaper.
eric orchard said, on 11/6/2011 6:20:00 AM
I just rebought this wonderful little book! I treasured it when I was a kid and it’s still great.
Best American Comics series editors Matt Madden and Jessica Abel have just posted the Notable Comics of 2011 list, those comics that did not make the contents of this year’s Alison Bechdel-edited book, but are still worthy of notice. The listing includes covers, links and more information:
Over the now-four volumes we’ve been involved with (we’ve just wrapped selections for the fifth, but they’re still top-secret), we’ve tried to shine a spotlight on this list. As most guest editors point out in their introductions, the selection process, when it gets down to which stories make the cutoff for the volume and which don’t, can be alarmingly arbitrary. Often, we and the guest editors would love to include 50 stories, but there just isn’t room. But when you combine the notable list with the stories in the volume, it might be a little more possible to talk about representing what’s we actually think is best in a given year. Also, when looking for good comics to read, why limit yourself? We’ve always hoped readers will delve a bit into the list to find more great stories once they finish reading BAC.
Although it represents releases mostly from 2010, this is definitely as catholic and wide-ranging a list of worthy, readable comics as you could find anywhere, from formalist experiments to a smattering of books published by Marvel and DC. Please take a look and poke around — you might just find something you like.
Oh yeah, they are also running some giveaways!
0 Comments on Must read: Best American Comics 2011 Notable list now online as of 1/1/1900
The industry has been asking itself some hard questions recently, and my tweets and email are full of people being depressed about things being so bad. As I always say, the comics industry can be horrid, but comics themselves are eternal. And you know what, when you get down to it the industry isn’t THAT bad either. There are some good eggs out there.
Re. people of the year, I’m just writing to agree totally with you on your ‘anonymous assistance’ part. Having discovered comics only in the last three years, I never cease to be amazed by the generosity and kindness of the people in comics in this country (the UK). In my own profession, industry leaders would not speak to me (and I’m in my 40s and near the top), but it is not like that in comics. I’ll single out some senior guys in comics here: Sean Phillips, Duncan Fegredo, Jock, Peter Milligan, Phil Winslade, Mick McMahon, Rufus Dayglo, Rob Davis, Glyn Dillon, Simon Gane, and others. Drawings, criticism, encouragement and advice and most recently an ‘Is there anything i can do to help?’ I still find this shocking and I’m very grateful for the colossal amount of time people have given me. They really didn’t need to do that. Even things like Marvel portfolio reviews- I know they are meant to be a talent search and all. I met Steve Wacker at the end of this last year in Leeds. It was patently obvious I wasn’t going to work for Marvel, but he still gave me his advice- completely generously and usefully- for free. When you come from an industry where nobody gives anything away, comics is a shocking and special place. Everyone I’ve met so far has been lovely, which is helpful when you are trying to be creative. We should be grateful for this- and I am.
You know, we’re not so bad.
We’ll close out this week with some nice art.
Another page of Sam and Lilah by Jim Dougan and Hyeondo Park, because he’s amazing and his work is beautiful. And comics, like I keep saying, are filled with some of the most awesome, talented people on earth.
More art byAndy Kettler, whose SPX poster we featured earlier.
A page of a textbook comic about the goddess Pele by
9 Comments on Comics still wonderful in spite of it all, last added: 2/26/2012
Waitaminit — “John Carter” is a trademarked name now? Sheesh.
Jack Walsh said, on 2/24/2012 4:31:00 PM
Jeez, I love everything Ramon Perez touches.
CitizenCliff said, on 2/24/2012 6:18:00 PM
True dat, Jack Walsh –P erez’s art is absolutely delicious!
LukeCage said, on 2/24/2012 7:08:00 PM
looks like Tale of Sand 2!
Joe S. Walker said, on 2/24/2012 8:06:00 PM
“Comics drowning in their own vomit” would be more accurate. Also the word “awesome” is well on its way to becoming meaningless.
Edeb said, on 2/24/2012 9:27:00 PM
More people need to read Sam & Lilah. It’s one of my favorite things, and not just because I know Jim. It’s a beautiful and fun comic and we need more comics like it.
Hikaru said, on 2/24/2012 10:12:00 PM
Ahhhhh…thank you, Heidi. No matter how bad things seem these are the moments that make me always remember why I love comics so much.
–The panelists of Mythic Fiction in Comics included Bill Willingham, Kurt Busiek, Chris Roberson, Matt Wagner, and Dark Horse editor Rachel Edidin and they all agreed that superhero comics were a dying genre. They also all thought that it would be beneficial for everyone to allow the characters to lapse into public domain.
Rachel Edidin has pointed out on Twitter & Bleeding Cool that this is actually a misattribution. The corrected quote from BC is this:
“–The panelists of Mythic Fiction in Comics included Bill Willingham, Kurt Busiek, Chris Roberson, Matt Wagner, and Dark Horse editor Rachel Edidin. Bill stated that he thought superhero comics were a dying genre but they all thought that it would be beneficial for everyone to allow the characters to lapse into public domain.”
Scott Bieser said, on 4/2/2012 5:05:00 PM
Dying? I’m not so sure. Moribund, definitely. But if you lop off the “comics” part of “superhero comics” it appears that the genre is finding new life, in a hit-or-miss fashion, in motion pictures.
RegularSyzedMike said, on 4/2/2012 5:36:00 PM
Superhero comics over all are dying when it comes to originality and vitality but will continue to be on corporate life support as long as movies can be made and remade and re-remade and as long as they can sell Batman and Spider-Man toothbrushes. Lapsing into public domain isn’t going to happen.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Big 2 went back to having super heroes be for kids on all fronts in an effort to start making money in the publishing side of the corporations.
Rachel Edidin said, on 4/2/2012 5:47:00 PM
No, we didn’t. As David wrote above, Bleeding Cool has already corrected it on their site. If you could do likewise before it spreads even further, that would be swell. Thanks!
Steve Chaput said, on 4/2/2012 6:08:00 PM
I agree with others that you aren’t about to see the characters that make millions for DC & Marvel and their corporate masters suddenly going away. Also, their legal departments will fight tooth & nail to prevent anything from going into public domain if there is the slightest possiblity that a buck can be made.
On the other hand, it would not surprise me to find the sales of the super-hero books dropping in coming years, with only the major characters (as they did at the end of the Golden Age) remaining in on-going titles.
Jason A. Quest said, on 4/2/2012 6:46:00 PM
Superheroes aren’t dying… they’re just stuck in the past. Stop reintroducing the same old characters, and retelling the same stories, with retailored versions of the same costumes… and instead come up with new kinds of superpowered heroes that are relevant to the 21st century. That’s what DC and Marvel did in the Silver Age, dropping the pulp and going sci-fi instead. A new approach is overdue.
Of course, if copyright laws hadn’t been screwed with since the 1970s, and terms were still 56 years for old material, many of these reintroduced and rebooted characters would be in the Public Domain, and you’d see the kinds of creative reuse of them that would make the halfhearted revamps of Disney and Warner look tepid and old-fashioned.
Chris Hero said, on 4/2/2012 6:48:00 PM
Even if you keep the comment as is, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to assume there’s some ill-will behind it.
I think believing superheroes benefiting from being in the public domain is mutually exclusive from agreeing superhero comics are a dying genre.
But yeah, correctly quoting people is *always* a good practice.
Mike Mitchell Online said, on 4/3/2012 1:29:00 AM
Jason A. Quest: I absolutely agree with you about them needing to move on from the past. But the problem is that there is so much “inbreeding” in the comics field that real change is not possible.
By this, I mean fanboys grow up reading about the adventures of Barry Allen as the Flash and Hal Jordan as Green Lantern… and those characters and their secret identities are sorely outdated. Even if we update “Police Scientist” to some kind of CSI tech, we’re left with a dull married man running around. And Hal Jordan was a test pilot. Sorry, but that was a cool occupation in the 1960s, but not today. Kill Hal off and replacing him with an aspiring artist (who would actually have the imagination to make ring constructs more interesting that a tennis racket or a boxing glove) was INSPIRED.
But, those fanboys grew up on Barry and Hal, so when they make it big and break into comics their first instincts are to dump Wally and Kyle and bring back Barry and Hal. And thus, we have another cycle of meaningless change that invalidated two great storylines (Crisis and Paralax, respectively).
I don’t know what the next wave of superheroes will bring, but I suspect it’s something we haven’t even imagined yet. And when it comes, we’ll all be amazed and happily grab the issues (either physical or online).
Joe S. Walker said, on 4/3/2012 4:09:00 AM
In all seriousness I think the best thing that could happen to superhero comics would be for Marvel or DC or both to go bust. They’re both quite incapable of doing what would need to be done to revive the genre.
Shawn Kane said, on 4/3/2012 6:24:00 AM
Too much of an issue of making superhero comics realistic or relevant. Superhero comics are best when they are fun.
Jerry Novick said, on 4/3/2012 7:06:00 AM
I disagree with this august panel’s conclusion. We are not seeing the death of the superhero comic. We are seeing a long desert of creative dryness that is turning off long time fans and doing nothing to cultivate new fans. But it’s not the fault of the genre – it’s the fault of the editorial and publishing arms of the 2 major players in the superhero market. Get good creative teams on the books, stop trying to force universe-spanning mandates on every individual issue, explore new formats to bring prices down, and work diligently to expand into other sales venues with materials packaged specifically for the shoppers who frequent those venues to drive sales to new customers. The main poison in the superhero-well is the one-size-fits-all approach forced on the venerable, beloved characters owned by Marvel and DC.
Charles Vess said, on 4/3/2012 8:46:00 AM
The young, desperate to show off their chops, with genuine love of the comics they grew up reading, full of insanely creative ideas on how to make even those stories so much better, will run directly into the waiting arms of the corporations that own them. There, they will be met by a stonewall of ‘You can’t do that around here”.
With their great affection for the comics they grew up with, they will push and shove their creative impulses into whatever small cracks they can find in that wall.
Its only after so many years of pounding against it, that this creative entity might pull away from their computer or drawing board long enough to notice that his/her ideas are now leaping off the movie screen at the local Cineplex or standing proudly amongst a burgeoning shelf of beautifully designed toys or displayed in a massive hardcover book collection, from which there is little or no compensation accorded them. The corporation that they work for may be benevolent or dictatorial, but their attitude is still the same: We own your ideas and can do with them what we like.
With a little maturity, that creative person will scratch his head and realize that maybe he should just go with the flow, use the same old same old characters with a slightly different iteration of story and leave it at that. Any grand new idea you keep to yourself, cash your paycheck and get on with your life.
Because I ask you, exactly why would you give away your ideas for little or no return? Aren’t the hours and hours you spend at your art worth something more than that. All it would take is a small show of respect on the corporation’s part for that creative impulse, that, after all, guarantees that it exists in the first place. That creative impulse is what pays for editorial, for its CEO, for its host of lawyers, etc.
In this new age of digital streaming and e-books that is multiplying around us why should you?
We (the creators) don’t need them. They need us. If the giant corporations fail to understand this, then they will slowly pass away as so many behemoths past their life cycle have before them.
Synsidar said, on 4/3/2012 9:00:00 AM
Some problems with the ways people approach superhero stories:
They write and read stories just to express their love for the hero or heroine. Azzarello’s WONDER WOMAN #7, for example, worked perfectly well as a story, but people have been saying that Wonder Woman has been ruined because Azzarello wrote the Amazons as preying on men. Wonder Woman, the feminist icon, isn’t Wonder Woman, the lead character in _____, though. If a character in a story is regarded as more important than the story as a whole, the story cannot work.
People write stories without really knowing what they’re doing. In AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1, for example, Iron Man describes the Phoenix Force as a “destructive, parasitic force,” although it obviously isn’t parasitic. But if the Phoenix Force is written as a nigh-omnipotent being which chooses a person as a way of expressing its will, the basis for the storyline (and how many preceding ones?) disappears. If the writer doesn’t understand the concepts he’s using, the story cannot work.
The paucity of standalone superhero stories vs. serials indicates that writers are less interested in producing superhero stories because they’re eager to say things than they are in generating income. When a writer has to strain mightily or ask for help to come up with material for the next issue, there are problems.
SRS
Richard J. Marcej said, on 4/3/2012 9:15:00 AM
If we just use the last decade as a measure, what has been the most popular (popularity as in money made, passion of the fans and public awareness) in written form?
• Harry Potter
• Twilight
• The Hunger Games
Three book series that have been avidly read and followed by hundred, thousands and millions of fans (most under 18 years old) well before they acquired more popularity and fans by getting adapted to the big screen.
Superheroes? Sure, they may have some resonance out there, but mostly with fans 25 years and older. The comic book industry (most notably Marvel & DC) IMO have missed opportunity over opportunity to grab that next generation by sticking with the same genre they’ve been producing for over 50 years while either totally ignoring or just giving lip service to any other type go genre.
Torsten Adair said, on 4/3/2012 9:54:00 AM
Genres need to be reinvigorated every generation or so.
Usually, that is done by swiping from other genres, stories, and settings; and/or by creating subgenres which appeal to readers.
Look at mystery/crime fiction:
historical (Emilia Peabody)
cats (The Cat Who Could…)
recipes (A Catered…)
partners (He’s a [blank], she’s a [blank], they’re detectives!)
crosswords (by Nero Blanc)
comics (Jack and Maggie Starr)
animation (Who Censored Roger Rabbit?)
Superheroes as a genre can continue to be vibrant, IF one works outside the established universes which are creative straitjackets.
If you plan to tell an ongoing story, publish just one to three titles, and try to keep them separate from each other. (Astro City, Invincible)
If you have something interesting to say about a corporate character, then create an analog. (Supreme, Lance Pertwillaby)
If you want your stories to be accessible, try to make each issue complete.
Try and keep the same creative team on the series.
Come to think of it… these seem to be good rules for corporate comics as well. The runs I remember as “best” from Marvel were self-contained. John Byrne’s Fantastic Four, Peter David’s Incredible Hulk, Chris Claremont’s Excalibur, Walter Simonson’s Thor (and Fantastic Four), Hickman’s Fantastic Four, Dan Slott’s She-Hulk, Paul Tobin’s Spider-Man…
At DC, they tend to be the Vertigo series, such as Sandman, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, plus the more quirky series like Ambush Bug, ‘Mazing Man…
Is it any surprise that the really interesting and bestselling superhero titles at DC are the mini-series and original graphic novels?
That’s what I would do if I were EiC at DC: give a creator six issues to do whatever version of a character they want. If that series sells, then let them continue (if they wish). If it doesn’t sell, at least the creators did what they wanted, and it will probably be championed by someone else, sometime in the future. (Notice how many of the 52 worlds were based on Elseworlds stories?) Let it die/hibernate, and try something else.
Welcome To Tranquility is an example. Great writer, easy concept to sell (a retirement community for superheroes!), and little crossover with the greater Wildstorm Universe.
Taskmaster: Unthinkable is another example which takes place inside the Marvel Universe, but is mostly self-contained and filled with amazing ideas and goofy goodness.
I guess Sturgeon’s Revelation applies to superhero comics…so keep digging, there’s got to be a pony in there somewhere!
Shawn Kane said, on 4/3/2012 10:22:00 AM
“Byrne’s Fantastic Four, Peter David’s Incredible Hulk, Chris Claremont’s Excalibur, Walter Simonson’s Thor ”
As we write, Read Comics in Public Day, celebrating the ninth art on The King’s birthday is well underway. A Flickr pool has been set up and people around the world are participating, with meet-ups going on in Australia, London, New York, Boston, Alaska, San Diego and beyond.
The brainchild of Brian Heater and Sarah Morean, the goal of the holiday is to publicly proclaim comics solidarity and post the results to the internet.
“As we write, Read Comics in Public Day, celebrating the ninth art on The King’s birthday is well underway.”
Um, which “King’s” birthday? Martin Luthor King, Jr. was born on January 15th. Are you thinking of the anniversary of the “I have a dream” speech?
Andrew Laubacher said, on 8/28/2010 1:37:00 PM
Crap. I meant “Martin LUTHER King, Jr.,” of course.
Kurt Busiek said, on 8/28/2010 2:07:00 PM
>> Um, which “King’s” birthday? Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15th. >>
And Nat “King” Cole was born on March 17.
But since neither of them are someone you’d immediately think, “Ah, yes, we should celebrate comics on their birthday,” I’m thinking the King is question is Jack “King” Kirby, born August 28, 1919.
kdb
BobH said, on 8/28/2010 4:49:00 PM
1917, actually.
Kurt Busiek said, on 8/28/2010 5:54:00 PM
Yeah, it was Nat King Cole who was born in 1919. It apparently stuck in my fingers.
hikaru go said, on 8/28/2010 8:10:00 PM
Hah! …and I was just about to wiki Elvis’ b’day ’cause I wasn’t sure either until Mr. Busiek slapped me with a brick of common sense.
Andrew Laubacher said, on 8/29/2010 10:14:00 AM
In his book, MEN OF TOMORROW: GEEKS, GANGSTERS AND THE BIRTH OF THE COMIC BOOK, Gerard Jones gives Kirby’s birthday as August 18, 1917. At the time I posted, I did not realize that the Jones book was in error. Thanks for the correction.
Andrew Laubacher said, on 8/29/2010 10:28:00 AM
Of course, it didn’t help matters that the BECKAPOCALYPSE: THE BECKONING event in D.C. had brought the MLK speech to the forefront of my mind, either.
Be glad I didn't use an image from the inside of this comic
So Darwyn Cooke got caught on video saying that superhero comics should “…stop catering to the perverted needs of forty-five-year-old men.” He called out rape, children being forced to eat rats, explicit sex, foul language, and a lack of new characters. And now some people are getting upset. Oh come on, like you’ve never thought any of that.
Unfortunately the whole thing got derailed by his swipe at turning Batwoman into a lesbian, which came off as rather homophobic to some. Personally, I have to admit, I read it more as the character continuity issue of a man who likes his Bronze and Silver Age comics, which is somewhat humorous, given that he’s complaining about comics being ruled by the whims of forty-somethings, but he is large, he contains multitudes. (To which I say, Darwyn, it wasn’t “overnight”. She may have been around since 1956, but she hadn’t made any significant appearances since Crisis on Infinite Earths which basically changed everything. SEE? I can be as big of a geek as you are.)
So let’s break this down from the point of view of someone who is not forty five or male – me.
Perverted needs
I'm sorry, what?
Let’s be honest. The disturbing scenarios described by Cooke don’t disgust twenty and thirty-somethings – not to mention the sick little teenage boys we all went to school with – any more than they do forty-five-year-olds so much as they repel new readers of any age.
I’m going to come right out and say it – when you don’t know if a heretofore demure superhero title is going to disolve into an orgy of rape and disembowelment in the next issue, it makes it that much harder to recommend to a new reader.
There’s definitely room for darker titles. I don’t think that anyone gets too up in arms when Hellblazer features yet another unlucky magician getting eaten by demons, but when you’re reading a JLA title and unexpectedly a hero gets dismembered and his preschooler gets murdered, it is all rather “What next, the moon turns to blood?”
While I’m not suggesting a return to the days of the Comic Code Authority, frankly, I think it would help matters immensely if readers knew, even unofficially, whether a particular comic title would be more likely to be shocking in the sense of “I had no idea the Batcave would explode!” or “On panel rape, graphic murder, more rape.” Having the stomach to handle prurient atrocities should not be a necessary skill for reading superheroes aimed at a post-grade school audience. If you really want a larger and more varied audience, keeping some of your titles and characters definitively away from the ultraviolence and disturbing content would be a good place to start. After all, did we really need to see evil dominatrix Mary Marvel?
No wonder many non-comics fans imagine us to be unwashed, socially inappropri
20 Comments on Does the man have a point?, last added: 9/4/2010
Which makes his comment event more out of touch considering the “passing of the torch” storyarc of the Question identity happened over a year in DC’s weekly 52 series. And was well told, made sense, and not “stupid” or “uncreative” as Cooke wrote. If anything, it breathed a bit of life into the character and exposed the Question to a wider audience than before – especially considering his last “successful” series was in the late 80s.
This has happened twice now in a matter of weeks: creator makes a stand, people revolt, creator returns with “what I meant to say was…”. Perhaps they should get it right the first time?
Sorry – all off topic to the above article. Back to reading…
Todd VerBeek said, on 9/4/2010 5:52:00 AM
“If ____ decides to bring back ____, they’d better have a very clear idea in mind of why somone who has never heard of ____ would also enjoy and follow that book.”
Huzzah!
The same goes for guest appearances and crossovers (which isn’t a new problem to the 2000s I’m afraid). I didn’t grow up reading Marvel, but as an adult I’d try reading one of their series from time to time, but they kept getting interrupted by walk-ons (or even takeovers) by unintroduced characters. (DC’s just as guilty, I’m sure, but I’m a 45-year-old insider there, so it doesn’t bother me.) If the reader has to be/consult a fanboy to appreciate what you’re writing… you’re doing it wrong.
Also, in the interest of providing demographic data points, I am a 45-year-old reader, who grew up with DC but currently read only a few of the less crossovery comics from them. Most of ‘em just aren’t any fun.
Mathieu Doublet said, on 9/4/2010 5:59:00 AM
Strange that you quote Gotham City Sirens, because it seems that it has all the flaws you’re talking about: after Dini left, I felt that the title lost a lot of humour and got as unusefully dark as Streets of Gotham.
Jamie Coville said, on 9/4/2010 6:08:00 AM
Darwyn didn’t change his position at all. He was nice in not referencing a specific character. It’s common for people to “read into” a statement made by a creator and make assumptions based on that. Then attack them based on those assumptions which can be (and often are) wrong.
Personally I’m a 35 yr old male and don’t read very much Marvel or DC anymore. My tastes have changed over the years and it’s no longer in line with who they are selling to. When I do get the urge for superheroes I’ll check out a title if it looks to be pretty self contained. Usually I just pick up an Essential/Showcase and read Invincible.
Saber Tooth Tiger Mike said, on 9/4/2010 6:26:00 AM
“More than one comics professional has expressed the idea that all superhero comics are fueled almost entirely by nostalgia, and I have to say, I think that’s a very dangerous position to take. ”
What? Superheroes were originally intended for children. I see that you conveniently left that fact out. What got many people into comics was their exposure to it as kids. Their exposure sometimes constituted of all ages material. That kind of introduction to comics isn’t possible anymore. DC Comics is a company that exisits soley because of the forty plus crowd. What “young person” would read Wonder Woman?
“Mainstream and superhero comics have a lot more going for them than simply a long history and great name recognition.”
For some reason, there’s this bizzare notion that comics in general are undergoing some kind of renaissance. I’m pretty sure we stil have the same ratio of good material to not so good material, even though the industry has shrunken in the last 20 years.
“Superhero comics aren’t really some sort of bizarre cult worshipping the desecrated remains of the 1930’s. They’re entertainment, and they’re fun. Forget this at your peril.”
Superheroes are relevent because Hollywood and the gaming industry are so eager to use them. Has that resulted in better comics? More fans? I can’t say. But it’s clear that there are more Spider-Man tooth brushes and tottler versions of Marvel superheroes in liscencing in addition to all the big budget movies.
“The DC and Marvel Universes are one of the most fascinating and multi-faceted experiments in collaborative storytelling ever to see print, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. But precisely because they are so large and complex, it’s short-sighted to expect all of your readers to have to remember a ten year old plot point in order to get the story. A well-written story ought to work for longtime fans as well as new readers. Yes, I know, that’s hard to pull off. But at the very least, it should be a priority to try.”
The last time I bought that line was when I was a child which was coincidently the last time I read superhero comics on a regular basis. DC and Marvel have a short term based business outlook. They only really care about their current fan base who are LONG TERM readers.
Although I haven’t read Batwoman, I will say that its success was probably based on the fact it was a Batman related book with a likeable artist on it. As long as DC can keep the artistic standard on it high, and can avoid keeping readers from getting bored, readers will continue buying it.
Mainstream comic books take themselves very seriously nowadays. Artists used extensive photo reference to the point many comics appear very close to fumetti. (photo comics. Actual photo comics are probably very expensive to make. ‘I paparazzi’ must have cost a small fortune to shoot. ) Mainstream comics are hyper-conscious. It’s still in the “comics aren’t just for kids” mode. With a few very rare exceptions, there’s an industry littered with Bendis’ and Millars’ and others trying to show the world how mature and grown up (but not sophisticated) Spider-man or whatever soon-to-be-optioned superhero. I call it the Keven Smith mentality and it’s what’s dominant. The other mentality is the nostalgia mentality better embodied by older artists and writers who churn out the same stuff over and over again, less interesting each time they churn it out.
Saber Tooth Tiger Mike said, on 9/4/2010 6:32:00 AM
Updated*
“More than one comics professional has expressed the idea that all superhero comics are fueled almost entirely by nostalgia, and I have to say, I think that’s a very dangerous position to take. ”
What? Superheroes were originally intended for children. I see that you conveniently left that fact out. What got many people into comics was their exposure to it as kids. Their exposure sometimes constituted of all ages superhero material. That kind of introduction to comics isn’t possible anymore . DC Comics is a company that exisits soley because of the forty plus crowd. What “young person” would read Wonder Woman?
“Mainstream and superhero comics have a lot more going for them than simply a long history and great name recognition.”
For some reason, there’s this bizzare notion that comics in general are undergoing some kind of renaissance. I’m pretty sure we stil have the same ratio of good material to not so good material, even though the industry has shrunken in the last 20 years.
“Superhero comics aren’t really some sort of bizarre cult worshipping the desecrated remains of the 1930’s. They’re entertainment, and they’re fun. Forget this at your peril.”
Superheroes are relevent because Hollywood and the gaming industry are so eager to use them. Has that resulted in better comics? More fans? I can’t say. But it’s clear that there are more Spider-Man tooth brushes and tottler versions of Marvel superheroes in on childrens’ items in addition to all the big budget movies, that are aimed at the 13 and up crowd.
“The DC and Marvel Universes are one of the most fascinating and multi-faceted experiments in collaborative storytelling ever to see print, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. But precisely because they are so large and complex, it’s short-sighted to expect all of your readers to have to remember a ten year old plot point in order to get the story. A well-written story ought to work for longtime fans as well as new readers. Yes, I know, that’s hard to pull off. But at the very least, it should be a priority to try.”
The last time I bought that line was when I was a child which was coincidently the last time I read superhero comics on a regular basis. DC and Marvel have a short term based business outlook. They only really care about their current fan base who are LONG TERM readers.
Although I haven’t read Batwoman, I will say that its success was probably based on the fact it was a Batman related book with a likeable artist on it. As long as DC can keep the artistic standard on it high, and can avoid keeping readers from getting bored, readers will continue buying it.
Mainstream comic books take themselves very seriously nowadays. Artists used extensive photo reference to the point many comics appear very close to fumetti. (photo comics. Actual photo comics are probably very expensive to make. ‘I paparazzi’ must have cost a small fortune to shoot. ) Mainstream comics are hyper-conscious. It’s still in the “comics aren’t just for kids” mode. With a few very rare exceptions, there’s an industry littered with Bendis’ and Millars’ and others trying to show the world how mature and grown up (but not sophisticated) Spider-man or whatever soon-to-be-optioned superhero is. I call it the Keven Smith mentality and it’s what’s dominant. The other mentality is the nostalgia mentality better embodied by older artists and writers who churn out the same stuff over and over again, less interesting each time they churn it out.
Moggy said, on 9/4/2010 7:11:00 AM
I need to see evil dominatrix Mary Marvel.
Kate Fitzsimons said, on 9/4/2010 7:15:00 AM
Saber Tooth Tiger Mike, I’m confused. I’m not saying most comics are that way, I’m saying they should be. If a comic doesn’t do these things, in my opinion, it won’t attract new readers of any age, kids, teens or adults.
When I say superhero comics have more going for them, I mean they can genuinely be entertaining beyond some tenuous connection to nostalgia – not that they always live up to this potential.
Superhero comics should be for kids – and teenagers and adults of all kinds, not that any one comic should be expected to cater to all these audiences at once. There ought to be more exploration of options other than darker and edgier or pure nostalgia fest for whatever era the creators like best. It can be done, I’ve seen it done.
Rich Johnston said, on 9/4/2010 7:26:00 AM
On the other hand.
I remember the first time (and the second time) Kitty Pryde used the word “nigger”. I remember Wolverine gutting Phoenix. When Slaymaster assassinated the telepathes, when the Fury killed and killed and killed. When Captain UK wet herself. That was the eighties, when I was a boy, reading superhero comics.
The exposure to the child of aspects of the adult world through comics is something I appreciated when I was that side of the age divide, and something I’m having to consider in my own children’s development…
darrylayo said, on 9/4/2010 7:44:00 AM
Jaime:
He was being passive-aggressive. It’s not wrong (as you seem to imply) for people to read into a passive-aggressive public statement to better understand what the hell the speaker is talking about.
The Batwoman and The Question, are both really good comics from what I’ve seen. They both featured old characters who’ve been recently developed into lesbians. Saying “oh, it wasn’t THIS, it was THAT” misses the entire point. His statements are a shot against BOTH, if you just look at what he SAID. Not what he claims to have MEANT. His words mean what they mean. He can recant, or he can dig his heels in, but he can’t tell me that left means right and north means west.
I don’t understand the J. Bone comments at all. “He didn’t mean to slag that character, he meant to slag this other, similar character.” What. Ever. Just another version of “Person doesn’t mean what they say when they’re confronted.”
As you might expect, reactions to the sexy version of Mary Marvel are mixed, but there are also pix of women dressed as Mistress Mary at comics cons.
SRS
The Beat said, on 9/4/2010 8:04:00 AM
Synsidar, you really need to have an irony detecter installed. Sigh.
R. M. Rhodes said, on 9/4/2010 8:06:00 AM
As a fumetti creator, I can absolutely say that it’s not very expensive to make photocomics at all. There are a bevy of up-and-coming photographers with high-end digital cameras and full photo studios who don’t have monstrous hourly rates. And even more models who have very low fees.
I imagine that a larger publisher would incur larger costs as the production values ramp up, but it’s surprisingly easy to make fumetti on a shoestring budget, if you are willing to be creative.
Kate Fitzsimons said, on 9/4/2010 8:15:00 AM
Oh, there’s no doubt that many kids and teens enjoy the adult aspects of comics, Rich. There’s room for lots of different kinds of comics, it just would be great if it were slightly more obvious what sort of comic you were getting in the vast space between Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The Boys, you know? Surprise, entrails! is not a happy
moment.
Synsidar said, on 9/4/2010 8:24:00 AM
Marvel apparently doesn’t do layered stories anymore, unfortunately.
One of my favorite Avengers storylines by Englehart was in WEST COAST AVENGERS. Mockingbird had been trapped in the past, kidnapped by the Phantom Rider, subjected to mind control, and (implied) raped. She eventually recovered her self-control and let the Rider fall to his death after a fight. When she got back to the present, there his ghost was, vowing to make her pay for letting him die.
The storyline presented ethical problems that I, at least, had never seen before. Two heroes had both erred, grievously, and there was no way of undoing the wrongs. The conflict was adult material, but it was a continuing subplot, while the main stories had the usual heroics. The material was still all-ages.
Doing sophisticated superhero storylines is probably a matter of having the proper background, training, and skills. Scientific literacy enables a writer to examine how a power works in detail and how it could be neutralized. Attention to details generally makes a story more involving and enables the writer to make small developments important, even critical, so when a climax or major development surprises a reader, he can be informed that “X” happened because a logical extension of his power enables him to do ____.
Recently, Ben Bova wrote a piece that criticized comics for lacking depth and plot development. He overgeneralized, unsurprisingly, but some commenters proceeded to jump on him without, apparently, realizing what his actual points were. Much of the power of fiction is in the details.
SRS
Chris Hero said, on 9/4/2010 8:33:00 AM
I’m a 33 year old male and I’ve long been on the side of Alan Moore and Darwyn Cooke on this one. Superhero comics should be all ages appropriate (i.e. content that could reasonably be read by anyone, not kiddie stuff). Chris Giarrusso’s G-Man comics are the perfect example – they’re funny, they’re smart, and none of the characters are taking heroin, talking about which superheroine they lost their virginity to, or bragging about which superheroines they’ve had threesomes with. The manga One Piece is another excellent example of all ages appropriate material.
I don’t read Marvel and DC stuff, but it seems to me the content is largely “superhero decadence,” or taking characters that were constructed to tell stories like One Piece or Bleach and making them “edgy” and “mature.” Swearing, gratuitous sex, and gratuitous violence for its own sake isn’t mature, yet that’s what most of these books seem to have.
I think the whole argument about which lesbian character Cooke was referring to is a bit of a strawman argument. It doesn’t matter – if a character was made a lesbian to appeal to the prurient interests of grown men, it’s an epic fail. (On the other hand, if it was done because someone was like – hey, let’s explore what it might be like to be a superhero who happens to be homosexual, it’s a win. It seems like there could be a lot of stories told about characters like that.)
Synsidar said, on 9/4/2010 8:41:00 AM
Synsidar, you really need to have an irony detecter installed. Sigh.
Well, the popularity of Mistress Mary and the existence of Byrne’s Malice (a possessed Sue Storm) point out how writers cater, or pander, to tastes that might be better left unsatisfied. What real storytelling purpose does having a heroine go bad serve?
SRS
Chris Hero said, on 9/4/2010 8:42:00 AM
@Kate Fitzsimmons:
Hell F-ing Yes to your entire column, btw!! I agree with you 100% on every point you made.
“I’m going to come right out and say it — when you don’t know if a heretofore demure superhero title is going to dissolve into an orgy of rape and disembowelment in the next issue, it makes it that much harder to recommend to a new reader.”
YES!!!
Christopher Moonlight @ Moonlight Art Magazine said, on 9/4/2010 8:55:00 AM
The shame of it is, rape, children being forced to eat rats, explicit sex, and foul language can all be used in honest ways, to make a story more interesting. It just has to be done well. So to me this all boils down to, tell good stories… which in it’s self means different things to different people.
Sorry, if this has already been said in the comments, I didn’t take the time to read them all.
Just a very quick moment to jot down a few thoughts on SPX. (My “official” report will be in PWCW tomorrow.) In short, it remains the summer camp of comics, with a bunch of people who are there for love just hanging out, talking, drawing, drinking, smiling and laughing.
First off, SPX is the only comics show that has HOT BUBBLING CRAB.
It has Adam Hines and DUNCAN THE WONDER DOG.
The ATM machine is out of money by 4 pm.
Michael Cho and his prints! Mike Dawson, Jon Lewis and Gabrielle Bell.
Robert Ullman and Keith Knight
The Tiny Kitten Teeth Gang
Metaphrog
Jesse Reklaw
Liz Baillie
Jen Vaughn
Vanessa Davis who was absolutely the sweetheart of the show.
On the car ride back, all we could talk about was what a good time we had and how nice everyone was. Seriously. No Diamond/Marvel/DC politics and stress. No editors from New York with credit cards to compete for (that sounds bad, but
3 Comments on SPX 10: you were awesome, last added: 9/14/2010
For future reference, there is a branch bank behind the hotel.
Avoid rhe “heaving” huevos rancheros for breakfast. It looks like bad bar food.
7-Eleven also has an ATM, AND throwback Mountain Dew. Every convention center should have one! And Mickey D’s dollar menu if you’re on a budget (or spending your budget on comics)!
A great show. SPX and Intervention (the SF con just up the street) both have a stong craft vibe going on. (Yes, mini-comics are craft if you staple and fold.)
SPX would be awesomer with more space (crowded from opening until…), more pioneers (underground, self-publishers), and a workshop track of programming (paper, digital, legal).
asif said, on 9/14/2010 5:57:00 AM
did you get a chance to eat at that kabob place in that strip mall? their bread was so good.
This year’s Small PRess Expo was so wonderful that we can’t stop reading about it! It the first time in a while that it wasn’t too cold or too hot but just right at an indie comics show we’ve attended and that made it special. PLUS., SVA and MICA and CCS and MCAD and SCAD have been turning out lots and lots of excellent new cartoonists and the established people are putting out great stuff and there is real excitement everywhere.
There are tons of ‘em including this video made by Steven Greenstreet…we selected a few because they were interesting or especially charming.
• The report of D&Q’s Tom Devlin is of course an epic journey into the history of culture. Here he captures just two of the HORDES of plaid-shirt wearing men at SPX. Seriously, apparently if you don’t wear a plaid shirt you don’t get a discount or something.
• Brian Heater at The Daily Cross Hatch — we should throw in here that our traveling companions for the show, Brian, Jeff Newelt, Sean Pryor and Rick Parker, were great companions and helpers every step of the way. Also, having been up and down to the Baltimore/DC area twice in three weeks, we can safely state that the Delaware rest stop is definitely the best one.
• Comicsgirl — how have we managed to not meet Comicsgirl…or we did and forgot about it?
I’ve often said that it seems like a lot of people — exhibitors included — come to SPX primarily to hang out. And to me, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that (I am, more or less, becoming one of those people). It feels very relaxed and everyone’s approachable. Other than a tiny number of exceptions, everyone I’ve met at SPX — volunteers, attendees, exhibitors — have been incredible people who I feel honored to know.
Fiffe: OK, let’s see… He’s had some exemplary stories out there. Recently, too. “Browntown” does have panel after panel of heartbreak. I think the level of remorse and sympathy we may feel during this story, we may have felt in varying degrees in reading his other highlights. “Flies on the Ceiling” is one. “Everybody Loves Me, Baby” is another [Penny Century #7]. Those were my top 2. “Browntown” is just more complex, more involved, more ambitious, and structurally tighter. This is not to say that those previous works AREN’T, I’m just saying that Jaime’s just gotten better at it. Here’s an artist at the top of his form, telling some of the most mature and compelling stories in ANY medium… and the thing is, I could’ve said that 5 years ago, I could have said that 10 years ago. This new one is a masterpiece, and although I feel biased saying that because I like the Bros.’ work so much, I think it will hold up as a work of art forever. I hate to sound like I’m a soapbox or something, but this medium is tremendously lucky to have this kind of story in existence. It’s an example of not only “Pure” comics, but “Perfect” comics.
Why don’t you read it for yourself and decide?
4 Comments on The Best Jaime Hernandez comic of all time?, last added: 9/23/2010
“In which case it would be one of the greatest COMICS of all time.”
yeah, i probably should’ve mentioned that too. especially since it totally is!
"Mikey" Fiffe said, on 9/22/2010 1:58:00 PM
We should’ve titled the piece “Stunt Casting: Giant cheeto growing out of a snickers bar”.
Don said, on 9/23/2010 3:12:00 AM
Great read — thanks for the link. I wrote a long comment, but FO crapped out, so I thought I’d post it here:
I’m so glad to hear other folks having the same reaction I did. I too loved this issue(?), but wondered if I felt the work so strongly because of familiarity — I’ve known these characters for 20 (!) years. But Fiffe’s related comment reassured me that, nope — the book is just that good.
Scarlet by Starlight was B-movie poetry, and I also burst into laughter at the punchline. (And yes, that was Fritz; Guadalupe confirms it later on.) But I was completely broadsided by the Jamie’s contribution. He keeps peeling away these layers of Maggie’s history, revealing who she is and why in a continuing series of resounding heartbreaks. The masochistic “I’m sorry.” slap-fantasy at the end of Chester Square has suddenly acquired whole new resonance.
In lesser hands, we would have Cathy — a fat, whiny, self-destructive loser no one has any real empathy for — but this dude just keeps topping himself. Astonishing! IMHO, his character-driven fiction is among the great literature of our age. Can’t you just imagine Browntown being discussed in a future Freshman Lit class, right alongside Bartelby the Scrivener?
Tom Spurgeon said, on 9/23/2010 8:10:00 AM
it’s hard to say if that’s jaime’s best work because most of his best work is short (Flies On The Ceiling) to really short (Tear It Up, Terry Downe), but it’s a beautiful story told with masterful, clockwork precision and full of heartbreaking moments. national treasure, that guy.
As The Beatrix, on vacation up country, deals with the new server and it’s delusion that it’s an electronic bulletin board from 1982, I am performing caretaker duties here at Stately Beat Manor.
So, some links…
Over at The Comics Journal, Tom Crippen posts two reprints of Gahan Wilson’s Nuts comic strip, which originally ran in the National Lampoon way back in the 1970s. Fantagraphics will publish a collection soon (SDCC 2011?), but if you can’t wait, there’s a previous collection available from 1979, and the DVD-ROM of the entire magazine is on sale at Amazon!
—
For comicologists, George Rohac, Jr., operations manager at Oni Press, publishes his Master’s thesis on webcomics and copyright. Here’s the abstract:
In recent years there has been a growing debate on the impact of copyright and copyleft on the creative industries. Both the merits and importance of each have been raised by academics, lawyers, industry professionals, and creative people alike, and the debate has reached a near stalemate as each side fights to provide hard data to prove other arguments invalid. The purpose of this study is to contribute hard data and encourage further in depth quantitative and qualitative study into the effects of these decisions on profits and popularity. To do this we have singled out one particular creative online market – webcomics. By surveying and interviewing creators from the field we will examine how these decisions affect notoriety and earnings.
(Thanks to Comicbook Resources.)
—
Over at Beat advertiser CO2 Comics, two items of note:
1) Comics Interview, Volume 1 is available to order in four different editions. (Variant covers, yes, but only in the logo and the binding.) I didn’t list this over on the Coming Attractions post, as they do not have ISBNs to link to. This first volume has 680 pages of the first fourteen issues. There’s a preview available, which includes the table of contents for each issue! I ordered the hardcover special edition, and it arrived rather quickly for a print-on-demand edition. Chock full of interviews of famous and/or forgotten individuals in the comics industry, starting way back in 1983!
2) Here’s a rare gem… advertising via comic book! In 1987, Jordan Marsh, an upscale department store in New England, commissioned Comico, Gerry Giovinco, and Mitch O’Connell to produce a comicbook catalog to appeal to fashion-conscious young adults. The comics are fun to read, the fashions are not as laughable as actual photographs, and O’Connell’s style is perfect for the project. The only shocker? The prices! $65 for a pair of Odessa jeans?!
—
Bored with seeing the same old cartoon characters and toys as balloons in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Comics Alliance provides some suggestions for some more interesting balloons, designed by Anthony Clark, including a very inappropriate Garfield balloon.
Tweets that mention Spotted From The Watchtower | said, on 11/26/2010 6:48:00 AM
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lee Benz, ComicBookCritics.com. ComicBookCritics.com said: Spotted From The Watchtower http://bit.ly/gl1Zrr #comics [...]
It’s a tough time for creative people right now. The economy is still sputtering along. The internet is a great way to promote yourself, but it has also embedded the idea of “free entertainment” as a right, not a privilege, and it’s devalued skills we used to respect to the point where the content farm Demand Media can make $1.5 billion on its IPO
On the comics side, periodical sales are still falling, bookstores are in jeopardy and the web model has still paid off for only a comparative handful of people. If you’re a cartoonist, forget about getting a book deal unless you already have a bestseller out there — signing up new and promising graphic novelists to book deals was an Aughts thing.
Marvel and DC aren’t even comic book companies any more. They are IP companies. Creating new IP isn’t high on the list of things they are very good at these days. Publishing anything new is risky — that’s understood — but the publishing deals being offered now are taking a bigger and bigger piece of the pie. Surviving in every creative field is a matter of cobbling together jobs here and there, staying flexible.
No wonder, then, that creators are getting a little more vocal about the importance of creator-owned material. Eric Powell’scontroversial video
All I’m doing lately is attempting to call attention to creator-owned books. I think plain and simple, things are going to get even tougher out there and we have to find our place. Personally I believe there is severe lack of cooperation among creators. There’s a very dog-eat-dog mentality in comics sometimes and I think all we harm in the end is ourselves.
My simplistic solution right now is to support as many of my fellow creators as possible. We just don’t have access to publicity budgets, so simple grassroots networking can help us all a great deal.
A lot of folks have already jumped on the bandwagon to promote more creator-owned comics, with The Creator-Owned Blogspot to highlight books, and a Facebook page for The Creators Front for Diversity in Comics
16 Comments on Grassroots creators support campaign begins, last added: 1/31/2011
I don’t think the cry is really about diversity. I do think the message is being lost. We obviously are moving toward a new age of digital distribution and creators are in danger of being smothered by a distribution system that will be glutted by the majors.
The message is a warning for creators to tread lightly before indefinitely tieing up distribution rights to their properties, abandoning other means of presenting their works for a new untested panacea and giving up hope that their work is worthy of value.
Creators may be heading toward a cliff in their panic to survive a rough economy. They need to come together and make sound decisions that will benefit everyone industry-wide.
Comic creators have achieved diversity. Now they must gain the market.
Paul O'Brien said, on 1/31/2011 7:05:00 AM
Skottie Young’s absolutely right that there’s a need to stress the positive. In an ideal world, people would be buying creator-owned comics because they actually wanted to, not merely because of an appeal to their sense of civic duty.
Torsten Adair said, on 1/31/2011 7:56:00 AM
HA! “Diversity Through Original Material” and they use the Obama for America logo! (I hope they read the fine print… “You cannot market, promote, sell, or exchange anything that bears this logo.”)
I’m with Mr. Young. Seduce me. People ask me what type of comics I like to read, and I tell them “good comics”! I appreciate creator-owned titles, especially self-published titles, but entertain me first.
David Balan said, on 1/31/2011 8:45:00 AM
“Skottie Young’s absolutely right that there’s a need to stress the positive. In an ideal world, people would be buying creator-owned comics because they actually wanted to, not merely because of an appeal to their sense of civic duty.”
“I’m with Mr. Young. Seduce me. People ask me what type of comics I like to read, and I tell them “good comics”! I appreciate creator-owned titles, especially self-published titles, but entertain me first.”
This. While company-owned books can become really boring really quickly, creator-owned books can become really pretentious and vacuous really quickly, because their status as self-published somehow makes them better.
Good is good.
Make good stuff, market it good, you will succeed.
R.J. Ryan said, on 1/31/2011 10:17:00 AM
How exactly is all this different from the Bendis-Kirkman debate of three years ago?
The Beat said, on 1/31/2011 10:38:00 AM
RJ — it’s the same. It was never resolved and it never will be.
Michael Moreci said, on 1/31/2011 10:39:00 AM
I’m not sure that the recent conversation over the state of the industry and the need to support creator-owned comics is a reflection of anxiety or panic. In fact, the comments coming from Powell, Young, and Niles are all well thought out, cogent, and have been brewing for some time.
A lot of this is creators who don’t want to be beholden, creatively and financially, to the Marvel and DC system calling it like it is.
Even if the industry weren’t hurting, it would still have a lot of explaining to do in order to reconcile David Finch’s Batman (which was what, the third new Batman title launched in a month?) selling 90,000 copies, and your average release from Image selling around 5,000-6,000. That’s a remarkable disparity, and speaks volumes about the habits of readers, the practices of retailers, and the marketing juggernaut behind the big two. It also shows why the industry, as is, is incapable of growth and that the current financial problems run much, much deeper than the slumping economy.
Todd said, on 1/31/2011 10:50:00 AM
Actually, with sales down across the board, I wouldn’t put it out of bounds for somebody to be asking themselves “are sales down because that’s just how many readers are left and they’re over extended or are people just not seeing what they want to buy.”
If you think the former, then it’s a zero-sum game and cooperation _could_ take away from your sales.
On the other hand, if you think people just aren’t finding what they want (and there seems to be plenty of anecdotal evidence for this), then creators banding together to show an alternative to the latest event/crossover slate is a good idea.
Matt M. said, on 1/31/2011 11:11:00 AM
I don’t even know where to begin with this.
larrymarder said, on 1/31/2011 11:24:00 AM
Talk about your never ending battles, huh?
I think this is all about the pursuit of happiness. Everyone should do the work that makes them the most eager to wake up each day and start a-crackin’.
What makes me happy isn’t going to be the same thing that makes anyone else happy. Why should it?
If you really feel that you were born to be the best Batman writer or artist that ever lived–why shouldn’t you go for it?
Once you are the best Batman writer or artist that ever lived–who says its a bad thing to keep on the job.
Or a stupid thing to go off on one’s own and create something he or she owns.
I’ve seen this argument close-up from so many different points-of-view over the last 25+ years and nothing has ever been resolved or ever will be.
Or should be.
Artists should create the stuff they want to create and be happy.
(And one good way to remain happy is to pay close attention to the fine print before you sign things!)
Larry
Charles Knight said, on 1/31/2011 12:14:00 PM
“On the other hand, if you think people just aren’t finding what they want (and there seems to be plenty of anecdotal evidence for this), then creators banding together to show an alternative to the latest event/crossover slate is a good idea.”
How many comic shop readers give a shit? Not many I’d wager. The people who might be interested in indie comics aren’t going in comic shops, not in large numbers at least.
Chris Crosby said, on 1/31/2011 1:03:00 PM
“Free entertainment” is an AWESOME thing for comic creators! The internet display ad market is booming and shows no signs of slowing down in growth. Just because a reader’s not plunking down their hard-earned $*.99 doesn’t mean they’re not generating significant revenue for the creator by simply reading their comic.
I think the webcomics model is paying off for a lot more creators than you’d think.
Derrick A. Richardson said, on 1/31/2011 2:12:00 PM
@ Charles Knight: Your last statement is the key. Most people don’t even know that comics are still being printed. When I’ve told people I create comics, those that are old enough usually reply “those are still being printed?”, or ” like Batman in the movies?”. The younger ones say “like Naruto?”.
There are over 300 million people in this country. None of us should be hurting for readers. So where’s the disconnect? Content? Distribution? Marketing? All of the above?
We figure this puzzle out, and the last thing we’ll have to worry about is readers.
Michael Moreci said, on 1/31/2011 2:36:00 PM
Right, Derrick, exactly. While I appreciate some creators response of “just read what makes you happy and everything will be fine,” that’s really no solution; people aren’t reading what they like, they’re reading what they know. (And that’s just the small sliver of people actually reading comics). That’s the heart of the issue, and it’s a systemic problem that has myriad causes.
Survey a local shop–I’d wager 6 of 10 people couldn’t even tell you what Orc Stain or The Sixth Gun even are. We need to figure out why.
Matthew Southworth said, on 1/31/2011 3:45:00 PM
God, people depress me. In response to the “average comic shop buyer doesn’t give a shit about indie comics”–I was the average comic shop buyer, and when I couldn’t find anything good to read by Marvel or DC, I looked for something else–indie books. I lived in Louisville for a while, and the store I shopped in didn’t carry a lot of indie material (this was early-90s). So I stopped buying comics.
Your point is essentially “if Bruce Willis isn’t in it, nobody cares and it’s probably pretentious crap”, so why make movies that can’t support a Bruce Willis salary and marketing plan? Surely you don’t actually think that just because someone hasn’t heard about something that they wouldn’t like it.
It’s not as simple as “make something good, market it well”. Marvel and DC are the dominant companies (I’ve worked for both, and I like working for them, and I like some of the books they put out), and retailers are more comfortable taking a chance on them.
Try opening a hamburger joint. If it’s good, you’ll do great, right? What if McDonald’s moves in next door?
The point of all this–the positive take-away–is to support the books you like. Not out of philanthropy but out of self-preservation–if you like something, tell your retailer, tell other customers, get that book into more people’s hands. It will reward the creator, sure, but its success will reward you, as you find good work encouraged.
Matthew Southworth said, on 1/31/2011 3:48:00 PM
Oh, and just to clarify–I would still go to the comics store a couple times a month in the early 90s and walk out empty-handed. When a friend brought me an early copy of Acme Novelty Library, I was saved! My enthusiasm was reawakened, and I eventually found more to like in mainstream comics, too.
And I leave the house about once a week now–deadlines are brutal–and that is every Wednesday. But I also buy a lot of indie material that I can’t find in stores, usually through websites.
Look at Dustin Harbin’s wonderful, funny, completely unpretentious stuff: http://www.dharbin.com
proof of a simpler time when children read things, bananas were a vegetable and your real father dropped off a bottle of milk at your mom’s house every day. Well, recently on the LA TimesSouthern California Moments feature of reader-submitted photos, we came across what looks to be a contemporary example of the genre:
CAPTION: Two young boys, clearly aware that life exists beyond Gameboy, entertain themselves the old-fashioned way. Newstand at Beverly Blvd and Kings Road.
This classic subject has been updated with Crocs and soccer jerseys for modern kick — while the kid on the right might be reading an issue of Vogue, the one on the left looks to have a real comic book.
7 Comments on Modern children at the modern newsstand, last added: 2/1/2011
When I wuz a kid, we kids used to tear around the neighbourhood on our own, or in little groups without any adult supervision. Oh, adults knew where we were, and certainly heard about our activities. I knew every corner store in town, and which sold the best candies and comics.
But do kids even do that now, or are they driven everywhere and chaperoned and protected by parents 24/7? Times DO change.
Not being sarcastic here, just wondering if that is one reason why newsstands are not frequented by kids like they used to be; kids with tons of electronic toys, preplanned play dates, and over-scheduled little lives.
Hard to wander off and explore.
Alexa said, on 1/31/2011 6:40:00 AM
I’m only 23 and I still was allowed to go around downtown with friends when I was 10, and that sure as hell included trips to the newsstand to buy Sabrina the Teenage Witch comics.
I think a lot of it depends on the town, but I really hope that by the time I have kids, I’ll have the courage to let them do the same.
Torsten Adair said, on 1/31/2011 8:17:00 AM
In my day, I used to walk a mile uphill to the local shopping center (sometimes in the snow!) to hit the B.Dalton’s, Waldenbooks, and Read All About It (a bookstore specializing in magazines) to get my weekly comics fix! I’d find the nearest stairwell, go to the bottom, and sit and read the two or three issues I’d purchased. (A neophyte Marvel Zuvembie… Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Uncanny X-Men.)
A year later, I began to walk two miles, uphill both ways, to my local comics shop. Every Saturday, usually after Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends finished. If the weather was bad, I’d stop halfway at the Kwik Shop and warm up a little. Sometimes I’d buy copies from their newsstand if my LCS had sold out. (A three-week delay, never understood why collectors never considered newsstand editions “second printings”…)
Now I visit newsstands to pick up foreign comics like Fluide Glacial or Mickey Maus.
Chris Hero said, on 1/31/2011 9:04:00 AM
I have not seen a newsstand outside of Chicago or NYC in…I dunno…10 years or so? They could be in LA and SF, too, I just haven’t been in those cities lately. But they don’t dot the landscape in the MidWest like they used to.
Jesse Post said, on 2/1/2011 6:31:00 AM
I don’t think a week of my life has gone by without at least one trip to the newsstand. When I was 6 it was Harvey comics at Store 24, now it’s Batman and the Economist at Hudson. Periodical publishing is one of the greatest cultural innovations.
Ju-osh said, on 2/1/2011 8:05:00 AM
Photoshop!
Just kidding. But it DOES seem a li’l too good to be true. Anyway: Hurray for the old-fashioned kids of today!
Mike Hansen said, on 2/1/2011 5:15:00 PM
This reminds me: Anyone else notice that the State Farm insurance commercial in front of a newsstand has a sign at the top that reads, “NEWSPAPERS – COMICS – MAGAZINES”?
In as unstable job market as we have today, three men have decided to give their art their full time attention, their all. Writer and artist of Let’s Be Friends Again!
, Curt Franklin and Chris Haley, respectively started their witty webcomic on the print comic world and what it means to really be friends in 2008. Eugene Ahn aka nerd rapper Adam WarRock quit his career as an attorney in 2010 in order to follow his heart and let his mouth fly. Today they announced the joining of their two ventures into LBFA!, Inc.
made a song about LBFA, specifically the friendship, before they had planned the ‘merger’ if you will. But now, these three intrepid Tennessee natives men are all back in Memphis, the dusky town of their origins. I asked Euge how he though moving from Washington DC to Memphis would change his music: “Well, it will make me have a thicker Southern accent, my speech is already slowing down, but it won’t change my music much. By being around other people A) like comics and B) are creating, I’ll have responsive people to bounce ideas off of. It will mean more ideas and more songs, faster.”
We look forward to fruits of your full-time creative work, guys! If you have yet to read, Let’s Be Friends Again, have a good sit and start right hereAdam WarRock while you’re at it. Yeeeeaaahh.
, cartoonist and librarian, awaits the day a song is written about her comics. Until then, she’ll just listen to profilic Brian Fukushima’s song, Jen Vaughn, on repeat.
2 Comments on Webcomic Creators and Nerd Rapper UNITE, last added: 2/9/2011
Tweets that mention Webcomic Creators and Nerd Rap said, on 2/8/2011 5:53:00 PM
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Heidi MacDonald , ComicBookCritics.com, Ryan J Grant, Jen Vaughn, svenstraatveit and others. svenstraatveit said: RT @Comixace: Webcomic Creators and Nerd Rapper UNITE http://bit.ly/fEoJDx
[...]
The Third Part | Let's Be Friends Again said, on 2/9/2011 4:25:00 PM
[...] out another piece on us from the Beat, and, in case you missed it, check our interview out again on Comics Alliance and our War Rocket [...]
to pick the best Canadian novel of the decade, it was a great boost for the cause of comics as literature. However, when it was voted off first in the final just BECAUSE it’s a graphic novel, some of the old notions of anti-comics prejudice raised their heads. Yan Basque has an excellent write-up of the whole affair:
Essex County was the first graphic novel to make it all the way to the five finalists that are debated on the air each year. While this was a significant milestone and it gave it an edge in the competition, it was also ultimately its downfall. Every interview or discussion or critique of the book started with broad comments about the form, and what it means for a graphic novel to be part of the competition, whether it can even be considered a novel, let alone one that can be compared in terms of value or merit or impact or significance to more traditional literature. As a result, there was hardly any discussion of Jeff Lemire’s work and what is unique about it, because so much attention was spent talking about the form. The book being part of the competition became less about this particular work of fiction by this specific artist with a unique voice in Canadian (and worldwide) literature, and more about the entire medium’s struggle to be taken seriously and accepted as art. In other words, the same tired old debate people have been having since the term “graphic novel” was invented. A debate that I’d like to think most of us who read comics are over.
The Canada Reads judges seemed to have prejudged ESSEX COUNTY, mostly as not representing the kind of literacy they wanted the contest to champion. For instance Ali Velshi — best known as that loud guy who used to be on CNN — said:
At this point he was interrupted, but he came back to that idea later and added: I am coming into this competition with the very committed idea (…) that I need this to end up as a competitiont that causes people to read more, and I’m not sure [Essex County] is that solution. (…) I don’t think that’s gonna solve our problems of low literacy levels. I don’t think that’s gonna solve our problem of creative and interpretive thinking.
Debbie Travis had the most old skool dismissal of comics as lit:
I think it’s a nice book. It really is a good book. But as the essential novel? It’s like saying tweeting with 140 character gets you writing. No, it doesn’t get you writing. It actually takes it in the other direction. So the danger of that book… I think this is a shortcut. I read this in an hour and a half.
Travis, incidentally, is not an author, educator or librarian — the usual guardians of culture — but a former model and interior designer manqué who hosts TV shows
16 Comments on Essex County’s near-win points up anti-GN prejudice, last added: 2/11/2011
The good thing that came out of this is exposure for Lemire’s Essex County and the graphic novel format in general. A lot of Canadians that would never have picked up the book before did because it was in the final five of this competition, and the surest way to erase existing prejudices is to show people what the medium is capable of.
I just don’t want us to drop the ball. We need to point those people exposed to graphic novels vis-a-vis Canada Reads towards other great graphic novels so as to fan the flames of interest in the medium and by extension, further acceptance of it.
zik said, on 2/11/2011 11:05:00 AM
I think a graphic novel is a different entity altogether from a novel; comics are comics, literature is literature, and each should be judged based on the abilities of their respective forms.
BUT…the Canada Reads folks shot themselves in the foot by allowing Essex County into the discussion in the first place, because it means that a) graphic novels are allowed for this particular award, and b) it was entirely possible that it could have won. To then change the conversation AFTER you let a comic in the front door to, “Well…should we really award a comic book?” is pretty slimy.
Ali Velshi changed his tune by the end of the contest. The others, not so much. But yes, the panelists’ ignorance about the medium was on full display for the first two episodes.
Still, as Kevin says, the amount of publicity this has garnered for Essex County (which I’m proud to say I was talking up before just about anyone else was) and graphic novels in general is extremely, extremely positive. The public outrage toward the panelists’ comments about comics makes me think the battle is more won than lost.
Edward Kaye said, on 2/11/2011 11:20:00 AM
I totally agree. Being in Canada I followed the whole debate, and was just appalled at some of the comments. I couldn’t quite believe the “celebrities” they decided to give the final decision to: An interior designer, a minor CBC sitcom supporting actor, an ex hockey player… what on Earth were they thinking?!
I was pleased as punch to see ESSEX COUNTY win the people’s choice poll though. That’s means much more that what these “celebrities” think!
John Jackson Miller said, on 2/11/2011 12:00:00 PM
Ali Velshi interviewed me about comics years ago for the old CNNfn, but it was all about comic books as investments. Sad to hear he doesn’t actually read them.
Same goes for Lorne Cardinal, whose acting work I greatly enjoyed. The irony is that his show CORNER GAS — one of the highest-rated Canadian sitcoms in broadcast history there — was replete with comic book references, and included an entire episode set in a comics shop.
Phil Uebbing said, on 2/11/2011 1:17:00 PM
zik, I completely disagree about comics not being literature. To me, that would be like saying that poetry is not literature, even though many classic works are written as poems. To me, literature is about telling a story, and while comics require a different method of dissection than a traditional novel, it should still be viewed as literature. To do anything less would be accepting the claims of the anti-comics people.
Larry Robertson said, on 2/11/2011 1:21:00 PM
Sara Quin did her best. At least we had a decent person to champion our cause. Anyone heard if Jeff Lemire will still give her a page of art?
She tried.
zik said, on 2/11/2011 2:13:00 PM
Phil Uebbing,
It is not anti-film to say movies aren’t literature, or anti-music to say songs aren’t “audio-paintings.” I consider them to completely different mediums, and think it unwisely muddies the critical waters to judge a novel against a comic book, not because one is implicitly “better” than the other, but because they’re not comparable at all.
Phil Uebbing said, on 2/11/2011 2:38:00 PM
zik,
A few things, first, you are right about my generalization about saying that if someone says comics aren’t literature, then that doesn’t mean that they are anti-comic; people can be pro-comic while thinking they are not literature (like yourself, I assume).
However, when it comes to the umbrella term of Literature, comics do fall under that classification. Literature is defined as the art of written works, and literally translates to mean “acquaintance with letters.”
Comic books do consist of written material that still needs to be read, and not just simply “looked at.” So when it comes to a competition that is looking for Literature (or in this case “reads”), then we need to look at all mediums under this classification: novels, poems, essays, AND comic books or graphic novels. I agree that if the competition was looking for the best Canadian Novel, then considering a Graphic Novel would not work; seeing that it is a different medium. But, since this competition was looking for the best “read” (or work of literature) then it would be exclusive to consider only Novels; seeing as they are not the best, or the only, form of literature, or reading.
TL;DR? Comic books are literature, because they still need to be read. Reading comics is still reading.
Julian said, on 2/11/2011 3:14:00 PM
It’s sad. I’m working my way through Essex County at the moment, and while I haven’t read any of the other contestants I can think of more than enough grounds to argue for or against this book on the merits of its content but it doesn’t seem like any of the panelists got to that point. Though the more I look into this whole event, the more it comes off as something more akin to a game show than a real critical analysis of literature.
Paul the Curmudgeon said, on 2/11/2011 5:52:00 PM
There’s a side of me who says ‘who needs ‘em?’. The whole desire for ‘respectability’ is probably misguided – the same desire that leads people to call comics (yuck) ’sequential art’. The more we are seen to be aiming for it, the more it will be denied. Whereas if we embrace the ‘outlaw’ status of comics among artforms, without apology or supplication, the pseuds will be far more likely to come around eventually, as they did with jazz, movies, etc. The only tangible advantage of respectability, I suppose, is that it means more library purchases of graphic novels, and perhaps more available grant money for those who want or need it. But except to the extent that money’s involved, I could care less whether the folks who fawn over Damien Hirst or the novelist-of-the-hour consider comics to be ‘art’ or ‘literature’.
Julian said, on 2/11/2011 6:49:00 PM
The only tangible advantage of respectability, I suppose, is that it means more library purchases of graphic novels
That shouldn’t be underplayed.
Darryl Ayo Brathwaite said, on 2/11/2011 10:38:00 PM
Comics are literature. This is a fact. This is not a value judgement. Comics are literature, poetry is literature, film is literature, prose books are literature.
Mike Pascale said, on 2/11/2011 10:47:00 PM
As usual, those who decry the form the most are the most clueless. Been that way since Wertham and his ilk from the ’40s. If Ali Velshi could get his cranium out of his anus, he would see millions of kids who learned their LOVE OF READING from comic books…and hence, graphic novels.
But that would require thinking for oneself and a mind that does not resemble a rusted-shut bear trap.
• David Brothers, who generally has a very aggressive stance regarding moving into digital, pisses off comics retailers by suggesting day and date would not really hurt shop sales:
The entire industry is in flux, the Big Two are trying to figure out what still sells, and digital comics are subject to that upheaval. How is it going to shake out? I don’t know, and I’m not even qualified to guess. Maybe digital comics will find an entirely new market. Maybe the entire industry will collapse. I don’t know. But the dental floss analogy is damaging. It positions digital comics as something ephemeral, worthless in the face of the might of the Direct Market. That’s great for the self-esteem of retailers, but how are consumers supposed to take that? Doesn’t that suggest a lack of faith in the format? It’s like falling dominoes: publisher expresses a lack of faith in the format, doesn’t pursue the format aggressively enough, consumer notices that lack of faith and doesn’t embrace the format, and the format fails.
I agree of course, but the numbers I’ve seen are still modest. What will be the digitally native comic that really pushes things?
• Meanwhile, Matt Senecalooks at the same question in a Balboa-like expedition to the bleeding edge of comics storytelling:
We’re deep into what will become the history of webcomics at this point, with a readership for the comics medium’s online format that soundly eclipses even the best selling Diamond-distributed Wednesday books. Deal with it, folks — not only will the adventures of the Doom Patrol and the Agents of Atlas, if not necessarily Batman and Wolverine, be digital-exclusive by the end of the decade, so too will a large part of the interesting new alt- and art-comix work. It’s already started: Dash Shaw’s Pantheon-published print version of BodyWorld might be hanging off those Borders shelves now, but you could read the thing free online for like a year before that.
Seneca’s discussion centers on formalists in the Shaw mode: Connor Willumsen, David Gray, and the Bret Easton Ellis for the bunch, Blaise Larmee. None of them are producing anything that will go on your iPhone — all these examples rely on the scrolling natures of the web browser, so maybe the iPad. They are abstract in some cases, but affecting. And they aren’t like “traditional” webcomics at all.
Larmee: I insist on staying in the present moment. 2001 exists, for me, in real time. This is different than Young Lions. For Young Lions I asked myself, “how will I win the Xeric grant?” and every subsequent action was structured toward this specific thing/event. Now my questions change in each panel and are a
15 Comments on Digital Comics: the future of commerce and the future of art?, last added: 3/16/2011
I love this topic. Please cover it more! I will eat it all up.
I wonder what the parallel is to music. I don’t have data, but I lived thru it. How I remember it was this: not many people used mp3s, not many, record companies were pissed because it wasn’t many but it was a LOT of mp3s, not many, not many then BOOM!
Everyone made the switch like in no times. CDs plummeted like crazy.
of course, even to this day there are still folks buying CDs, but the numbers are plummeting and everyone kind of assumes it’s an mp3 world at this point.
I can’t help but think the shift to digital is going to happen in a rush, too, in comics.
To all the haters I say: change is exciting! there are things we are going to lose in the shift but none of us can ever anticipate all the great things we will gain with a new technology.
I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but it’s gonna be great (and hey! maybe it will make your old paper floppies more valuable as collectibles?)
Ross A. McIntyre said, on 3/16/2011 6:55:00 AM
Now, if only the big 2 would not try and charge retail prices for day-and-date comics. Sorry, but a $3.99 digital comic just isn’t something I am going to support and I am a huge proponent of digital.
Phil Southern said, on 3/16/2011 7:21:00 AM
Take this opinion with a huge lump of salt, since I have yet to download a comic through legitimate or illegitimate platforms. I also wouldn’t know how to find them if I did want to, due to my high Luddite-level.
But aren’t comics essentially available on the “day and date” for free through various pirating websites? My impression, through talking to current and past customers at the comic shop where I work, is that scanned copies are usually available online by lunch-time on Wednesday. Some of the more tech-savvy folks have been following new releases this way for the past four or five years. The downloading has increased as comic sales have concomitantly dwindled.
So, long story short, day and date probably matters very little. What will matter is finding a downloading platform where paying for digital comics is the easiest and most expedient choice, a la iTunes, versus finding it for free.
Phil
Dan Thomas said, on 3/16/2011 7:53:00 AM
If i can’t own a copy of the book i dont want it. The digital comic market right now from the big two doesnt allow you to own a copy of it on your HDD. I dont want to pay for somehting that could be taken away from me at any time.
Al™ said, on 3/16/2011 8:08:00 AM
I am a landline-phone-using, paper-comic-reading, Skypeless, VCR-using fellow. But not because I don’t know what’s available.
It’s by choice, and most of it based on ease-of-use, or cost. I want things cheap and easy. (…insert joke here)
I will prefer the 99¢ digital comic business model. But like Dan Thomas, I want to own the file I buy, not just purchase a pay-per-view online comic.
1. Digital is here. 2. Digital is coming. Take your pick.
Wesley Craig Green said, on 3/16/2011 8:19:00 AM
The impression I get (and maybe I’m not the only one) is that neither Marvel or DC really have no idea what to do in regards to digital comics.
Neither seems to have any clear plan on how to take advantage of the opportunities digital comics give them. They seem to be reacting to market conditions more so than putting together a clear-cut plan.
Granted, it doesn’t help there are numerous apps out there which one could buy to buy and download digital comics which some find confusing. Then there is the whole digital rights issue (do you really own the digital comic you just purchased?). And we can’t forget about the elephant in the room- the comic retailers.
I imagine no one who reads and loves comics want digital comics to replace print comics. I know I don’t. But the fact is, the sales and popularity of digital comics will only continue to grow. You only have to look at the music and book industry to see what could potentially happen to this industry. There’s an article on Digital Comic News (http://www.digitalcomicnews.com/digital-comics-happen-print-comics/) which throws out some ideas on how comic retailers and digital comic creators, publishers, and app creators can work together to grow their respective businesses and the industry as a whole.
Maybe that is where the problem is: we have the different forces of the comic industry (publishers, comic shop owners, digital comic app creators and publishers) working separately instead of trying to work together so that everyone benefits from the growing popularity of digital comics. Easier said than done, I know. But the alternative could be the current course they are taking which is really helping no one.
Wesley Craig Green
The Beat said, on 3/16/2011 8:31:00 AM
NO one allowed to comment unless they read BOTH LINKS like I did!
BradyDale said, on 3/16/2011 9:26:00 AM
Guilty as charged, Heidi, but I did go read them after commenting and before I saw your comment. I came back to see what other folks were saying.
Basically, the first is about business and the 2nd is about art.
I find both reaaaaaaaallllly interesting and am excited about where this is all headed and how digital is going to cause the form to expand.
In general, I find the artistic questions much more interesting, because I think the transition to digital comics is a fait accompli. I don’t know just what it’s going to look like, but it’s gonna happen. That said, this quote from the first link, on bizness, is what I found most compelling in what he wrote:
Here’s the truth: Digital comics are neither shark nor goldfish. “Print versus digital” is a false dichotomy, one that makes for great alarmist headlines and hype but doesn’t actually reflect anything that will happen in reality. Digital music forced the music industry to wake up and embrace a new paradigm, and provided a new opportunity for revenue in the midst of free-falling sales. Piracy decimated the music industry, and the music industry responded by doubling down on CDs, sabotaging efforts to get digital music off the ground, and generally acting like the way things were going was perfectly normal. They couldn’t see the forest for the trees, and the Big Two seem to be making the exact same mistake.
BradyDale said, on 3/16/2011 9:27:00 AM
crap… i tried to make that last paragraph a quote in my comic but I guess I can’t use the blockquote tag here in the comments. NOTE! LAST PARAGRAPH ABOVE IS NOT BY ME! It’s from the Comics Alliance link above!
Phil Southern said, on 3/16/2011 9:30:00 AM
I will happily rescind my earlier comment as I tried to read both of those entries, and was able to get through the first one, and gave up on the second due to its long-windedness.
Greg said, on 3/16/2011 9:34:00 AM
In regards to the shark/goldfish comparison…I assumed that when Larsen said “undercut retailers” with the day and date digital Dragon, he meant, “we don’t want to slap retailers in the face.” Retailers view day and date digital comics as a slight against them. Considering that they’ve propped up this niche industry for quite some time, I feel as though they are entitled to feel that way.
Proponents of digital comics are clamoring for day and date at a price of 99 cents. Quite a few of these proponents refuse to buy a digital comic if it costs more.
My question is…what if this is not actually economically feasible for Marvel and DC? They still have all of the same production costs (minus printing) so they only way they could make an equivalent profit as print would be if they sold a helluva lot more copies. Until they do, aren’t they just cannibalizing their own readership.
Is advertising the answer? I know it works for other apps that are offered for free but this is comics. Is it viable for comics?
I guess it boils down to…are there REALLY that many more potential comic book readers out there just waiting to reading comics but are hesitant because they aren’t digital and they aren’t 99 cents?
If anyone is curious as to where I’m coming from… I believe that digital comics will share the future with weekly print comics, just as trade paperbacks do. Until someone finds a way to do online comic book conventions where people sell, buy, and trade digital comics, I don’t see print being completely replaced.
What I NEVER understand are all of the comparisons to other media. These arguments just never hold up to me. Music media has changed with almost decade (vinyl, 8-track, cassette, CD, mini-disc, iTunes) and home movie entertainment has already gone through three major changes (VHS, Laserdisc, DVD). All the while, comics have stayed the same.
And the magazine/newspaper analogies don’t hold up either. Are there big newspaper or magazine conventions where collectors buy, sell, and trade the newest issues?
Comic books aren’t like any other media so their path won’t follow others. Unlike the others (with the exception of vinyl) comic books are a collector based industry. It’s a niche market. Digital can only be PART of it’s future.
When I hear demands of, “Day and date!” and “I’ll only pay 99 cents!”, I can’t help but think of a quote from Marlo Stanfield in a scene from The Wire:
“You want it to be one way. But it’s the other way.”
Synsidar said, on 3/16/2011 9:39:00 AM
crap… i tried to make that last paragraph a quote in my comic but I guess I can’t use the blockquote tag here in the comments.
You can use HTML tags, including the blockquote tag, in the comments. The coding by hand could be troublesome.
SRS
BradyDale said, on 3/16/2011 10:33:00 AM
@Greg Those are all pretty good points, but from what I’ve heard the bottom is falling out of the comics as collectibles market (anyone want to buy my stash? I have like 8000 – really good stuff).
And I feel like there is an online convention where people swap digital versions of comics. It’s called Scans Daily.
Randy @ WCG Comics said, on 3/16/2011 11:05:00 AM
The analogy to the music industry really isn’t applicable. When you download a song, though there are different ways to listen to it, there really is no difference in the quality of the experience–you hear the song as it was designed to be heard.
The experience of reading a comic-book or trade paperback is different from reading it online, on an iPad or iPod Touch; and designing for print is different than designing for digital delivery, at least if it is to be truly effective and user-friendly.
Also, I don’t think digital quite carries the same cache as print, particularly in terms of “collecting” (versus just reading). Collecting is somewhat based on the ideal of limited supply (even if that limited supply is 50,000 or more); versus digital which technically can be reproduced infinitely with no gradation of quality. I’m not a true collector myself, but I’m just noting that regardless of what people may feel, comic-book collecting is something that drives part of the industry.
From the comments of our 
It’s a tough time for creative people right now. The economy is still sputtering along. The internet is a great way to promote yourself, but it has also embedded the idea of “free entertainment” as a right, not a privilege, and it’s devalued skills we used to respect to the point where the content farm Demand Media can make 
This is really cool. I also have hearing aides and not needing good hearing to enjoy them is part of what made me love them so much.
This poster collaboration between Marvel and Phonak was NOT a good move on Marvel’s part. It’s insensitive and demeaning, because it sends the message that deafness makes you lesser of a person, and that you can only be normal and happy if you can hear again – which, I assure you, does not happen in many cases with hearing aids. I have no issues with what Marvel did for this particular kid, but this poster is going to be disseminated widely and be seen by many children for whom hearing aids don’t work. Imagine being a child who can’t hear, who can’t understand speech even with a hearing aid, sitting there looking at that poster with its implicit message that you can’t perform better or be happy if you can’t hear even with the “aid” of technology. How painful.
I wrote a column about this before I saw the exact poster. I suggest you read it and the comments below it at http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-933554 and think real long and hard about the messages this poster is sending to children who should always be told they are wonderful human beings in the first place, even without technology.