This week legal blogs across the Internet learned if they could weigh in on the Siegel/Action Comics 1 developments they could ensure fairly strong traffic. But for me, attention must be paid to the comic creators who mock B.F. Skinner’s plotting skills and a presidential candidate’s bowling acumen.
“I will ask that, rather than purchase Secret Invasion # 1, use the money to buy an indie/small print comic. You will thank me for it later. Honest.”
- Gordon Dymowski, asking consumers to just say “No” to Skrulls.
“I wish I had the patience to really break it all down and explain why I think [Matt] Wagner’s conservative approach is a superior one when compared to more flowery artists such as Paul Pope or Michael Kaluta. What Wagner lacks in stylistic flourishes he makes up for in nuts and bolts storytelling. He’s more of a Guy Davis kind of artist at heart. Wagner’s impeccable narrative transitions and plodding pace mixed with broad, solid action sequences make for entertaining reading. And on top of that Mage really doesn’t look like anything else. The influences are there but they aren’t worn on Wagner’s sleeve. It looked fresh 20 years ago still looks fairly unique today. Not an easy claim for ANY comic. Check Mage out if you haven’t before.”
- Frank Santoro, revealing his level of appreciation for the Matt Wagner’s storytelling skills in Mage.
“Oh. In Batman, there’s this guy, Dr. Langstrom, and he’s working on this potion because he is obsessed with the Batman, and he feels that he would be a very effective foil if he becomes Man-Bat. He will show Batman who the real Bat is, so he drinks this potion but … god, he must have miscalculated, and…”
- Jon Stewart, attempting to liven up an interview with some non sequiturs about Man-Bat on a recent Daily Show (thanks for the legal transcription skills of Tom Bondurant)
“Come on B.F., you gave us the Skinner Box- you couldn’t slide us a plot to keep up interest?”
- Jeff Parker, taking B.F. Skinner to task. Next week I really hope Jeff tackles Kant and reveals the so-called philosopher for the pissant that he was.
“Hands down, no matter what film came out this week, I can guarentee [sic] you that Run Fat Boy Run was the best of them. No debate, just fact.”
- Marvel B0y, in what is potentially the last we read from him or her. God I hope this lame person is a Skrull.
“Thirty seven? Good lord, we have to have SOME standards for a president.”
- Peter David, weighing in on a presidential candidate and his bowling skills.
“Shame on every stupid-ass, morally ignorant fan out there who has expressed even the slightest opinion that this course of legal action in any way reflects an agenda of greed on the part of people not directly involved in the act of creation, or worse, has articulated as their primary concern the potential interruption of their monthly four-color fantasy intake. Part of me wishes we lived in the might makes right moral universe that supports such a piggish outlook, because then I could quit my job and drive around on a motorcycle punching people in the face until they penned a formal apology to the Siegel family.”
- Tom Spurgeon, summing up what some of us were thinking…until the motorcycle part…I’d use a car with a getaway driver.
Seven Years Ago
“Not every critic or theorist wants to make comics (and not every critic or theorist simply enjoy hearing themselves talk). Not every cartoonist wants to make comics either, and just bide time waiting for the Hollywood dollars and Playstation development money to roll in.”
- Matt Fraction, cogitating on auteur theory and other stuff that I can’t quite grasp (I know I should have paid more attention when getting that English Lit degree in college…)
April 6th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I don’t buy ‘indie’ comics because I don’t particularly enjoy reading the rantings of the fevered egos of mediocre artists.
Maybe it’s just Fantagraphics.
Anyway, the only ‘indie’ comic worth reading was Hate. And it’s gone.
I like stories. I like characters. I don’t like biographical ‘indie’ comics any more than I like obtuse poorly recorded ‘indie’ music.
Put some effort into it, and don’t you dare think I care about your pissy whining about being a tortured artiste who hangs out at a coffee shop and fails with your desired sexual object. Bugger off, before I smite you. STFU and grow a pair, man.
April 6th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
What are you reading that is a bunch of egotistical rantings from mediocre artists? You certainly haven’t read enough Fantagraphics product if you’re dismissing the lot as being filled with such rantings.
Maybe you should pick up THE LEFTBANK GANG by JASON. You may or may not like it, but it’s quite obviously not the ranting of a fevered ego.
April 6th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Well, there are a lot of whiny and poorly-rendered autobio comics out there (many of them published by Fantagraphics in my experience), and they don’t appeal to me, either. Of course, then you’ve got people like Joe Sacco or Marjane Satrapi who do very good autobio stuff. Then there’s all the non-autobio indie comics, with plot and character and very nice artwork. So while I agree with ElCoyote on the whiny crap, I think maybe he hasn’t experienced the wider scope of that part of the industry.
But I like indie comics and Secret Invasion, so I think I’ll buy both.
April 6th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
And, oh yeah. I’m with Tom Spurgeon on the Action Comics case. A few judicious slappings need to be handed out!
April 6th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I’d be curious to see a list of Fantagraphics comics you consider autobiographical.
April 6th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Jason didn’t go back in time to kill Hitler?
April 6th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Indie comics are stereotyped often as the whiny ramblings of pretentious losers, but usually by people who don’t really read them. Jason, Joan Sfar,
Even so, Maus, Blankets, Crumb, Percy Gloom, Bone and even the smaller stuff like Sof’ Boy and Bendis’ own indie comics will usually last longer than Secret Invasion. Its exciting now, sure, but who can reread Civil War with a passing interest?
Its really just people not working with preexisitng characters. So you don’t have to crack open wikipedia to follow along.
Also, Hate is still coming out, albeit annually. I think a new issue came out this February.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I’m not sure why the fact that something isn’t published by DC or Marvel makes it any more likely to be good (and thus more deserving of my money) than something that they DO publish. I buy DC & Marvel comics, I buy “indie” comics, and it looks to me as if they’ve got about the same batting average.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Can’t we read both, without feeling guilty either way? I feel the mainstream vs indie debate has gotten ridicuously (sp?) out of touch with the major markets. The comic shop I buy for sells equals parts mainstream and indie, to pretty much the same people - I refuse to accept that most comic readers don’t try a little of everything. I know there are tons who “only read DC” or “only read indie” or “only read marvel” and you know what - they’re all liars, all the Marvel Zombies get at least one DC book, and a handful of indies, all the DC crazies get a little of the competition (though not so much the indies, as I find that Vertigo counts as indie to a lot of our DC customers)…
CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG - or JUST BUY WHAT WE WANT without the guilt?
July 26th, 2008 at 3:04 am
Hey, please don’t post on message boards or as comments with my name. You’re not me. Use the name you were given or make up something unique. that’s what i did…
Bucky Sinister, the real one.