The New York Times looks at how the comics industry is embracing Hollywood concepts like “seasons,” show runners, and creative teams overseen by a head writer or executive producer.
The focus is on Paul Dini, head writer of DC’s Countdown, Joss Whedon, executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Seaons 8, and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, who came up with the “comic runner” concept for Platinum Studios’ online titles.
“It’s a nonexistent title in comics, but it best fits what I’m doing,” Whedon says of his “executive producer” label. “Everyone goes through me. It doesn’t take as many people, but it sometimes comes as down to the wire to produce a comic as it does a TV show every week.”
May 26th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I’m not digging this approach. There are several lines in the first couple issues of Countdown that seem willfully clever and as a result stick out – I have to imagine these are Mr. Dini’s contributions (welp he did write all of the first issue).
May 26th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Malone, I don’t understand your argument. You didn’t like a few lines of writing. How does that say anything one way or another about the idea of a comic having a head writer? For all we know, those lines would have been exactly the same if written under a more traditional structure.
May 28th, 2007 at 9:17 am
This will bring some much needed cohesiveness, I don’t see how it could hurt. Comic writing in general isn’t the best, so any help is good…
BTW, The Joker is way out of proportion with everything in his cell – he’s twice as big as his bed.
May 28th, 2007 at 9:26 am
although, this whole new system begs the question: what the hell does an editor do these days?? (or ever)