Welp, comic fans, after 2 years and over 200 strips today marks the end of “So Super Duper’s” run on the blog@Newsrama. Some of you may be dismayed by this, more than a few may be overjoyed, but regardless of how you feel (assuming you care one way or the other) I can honestly say, from my perspective, that sending my little comic out into the world has been one super wild rollercoaster ride, with just as many highs as lows.
When I created “So Super Duper” some 4 years ago, with the youthful naïveté of a lifelong comic lover, never in million-bazillion years did I ever dream that I’d be syndicating my often rough, mostly crude, very heart-felt little indie comic on a major site like Newsarama. It’s not a secret that I’ve been beaten up pretty badly by a good number of Newsarama’s legion of comic readers (apparently using Comic Sans is a sin worse than any other, which has been duly noted, FYI) but despite the many (many, many, many) attacks I can honestly say that I’m proud to have been a contributor to the site. And I recognize that all the heated criticism (and the vitriol) comes from the same place that I pull from when I create a strip: our mother $%&^# love of comic books.
I’m happy and proud to be an out, gay man, who just happens to also be a devoted comic reader, thriving comic fan, and now, actual comic creator. I’m proud and extremely thankful that a site like Newsarama would showcase an underground talent like me, someone who has a lot to learn but has the drive and passion to grow and become (I hope) better.
It still boggles my mind that a mainstream comic site like Newsarama would be so open and supportive of a comic book series with unabashed gay themes, many a gay character and the occasional guy-on-guy smoochies. I’m honored to have maybe contributed even the tiniest bit of something to the history of comics, maybe even to our shared cultural dialogue, and perhaps, just maybe, to the importance of having visible, multi-faceted homosexual characters in the comic book medium. And hell, frankly, I’m really just grateful that I got off my fat-fanny, stopped talking and wishing and dreaming about one day creating my own comic book and actually did it.
So thank you so much to my incredible blog@ editor Troy Brownfield for taking a chance on me, for giving me this amazing opportunity, and for always having my back. Thank you to Newsarma for the home and the platform to share my work, to Celina Hernandez for taking over the art chores of the comic and for making my story shine and sing and look 200% better than I could ever do, to Prism Comics for giving a voice to myself and to many other LGBT comic book creators, to the many creators who contributed back-up stories and pin-ups (you rock), and super special thank you to Rich Boutell for being the first comic store owner to put my books on his selves.
To all those who read the comic and enjoyed it, to those who were able to change their minds mid-dislike and see the book for the diamond-in-the-rough I had hoped it was (and is), thank you so much. And for all those who hated it and hated me, thank you. You’ve made me a stronger, better, more determined person.
And finally to my boyfriend of 10 years, we’ve sure had a super wild rollercoaster ride (with just as many highs as lows), but I could have never, ever, in infinite number of worlds (or Crisis’s) have created a single page of a comic book without your love, your enthusiasm, and your unwavering encouragement. I love you, now, and always.
So this is the end of “So Super Duper” on Newsarma, but like our favorite space-faring mutant rising from the ashes, this isn’t the actual “end” end. Look for the return of “So Super Duper” in mid-March on the fabulously fun geek-filled website:www.fanboysoftheuniverse.com!
Kissies!
Brian Andersen
March 2011
One more time: for more “So Super Duper” go to:www.sosuperduper.com!
March 3rd, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Best of luck, Brian!
March 3rd, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Oh man, thanks god. No longer will I have to suffer the annoyance of this amateurish dreck popping up in my RSS reader.
Good on Newsarama for making an effort to support openly gay comics, but next time maybe support something that’s actually good.
March 3rd, 2011 at 5:56 pm
I never liked this comic strip, mainly because of the quality and lack of interest that the storyline held for me. Wasn’t my cup of tea. I won’t have to scroll past it anymore.
But all the best to Brian- I’m sure this experience will add to the quality and commercial expectations of his next project.
March 3rd, 2011 at 6:23 pm
You go, Brian! Hope to see you around!
March 3rd, 2011 at 9:36 pm
I’ll say this, when the art changed a little while ago, it was a marked improvement from the style before. Half the time when I looked at this strip though, it still seemed an incoherent thing where I could barely tell that it flowed from one strip to the next. Keep improving your craft and good luck.
March 3rd, 2011 at 9:37 pm
More than anything I have to say this: Brian, I am incredibly impressed by your ability to take the vitriol of commentators, that have nothing constructive to add save a “this comic sucks” in stride, kudos to you for keeping your head held high all the way through the end.
March 3rd, 2011 at 11:01 pm
This comic grew on me; it was a like gay little Dick Tracy. I’ll miss it!
March 4th, 2011 at 12:14 am
Were you guys contractually obligated to run this thing? Two years too long if you ask me. To clarify, I’m not knocking the content, just the quality.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:16 am
I’ll miss reading this comic. I really grew to enjoy it over the past year.
Good luck Brian!
March 4th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I loved “So Super Duper,” and will miss it very much. Kudos to you, Brian, for your efforts in producing it, and for handling the haters with grace and dignity.
March 4th, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Wow… a lot of jerks commenting here. I would be interested to see what YOU wrote and drew, and what you have to be put up and derided.Do you make it a point to go up to stars at cons and tell them how much you hated their acting on whatever show or movie they were in? Or is dissing people on a screen easier for you?
I wish best of luck to the people that worked on this and hope they get a better site to post it on than this troll-filled hole.
March 4th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Um, as comic book and pop culture fans, it’s only logical that we’d share our opinions given that there is a comment feature on this site. And given the amount of times that homophobia was assumed as the only reasoning behind people complaining, I think some of the supporters of this comic were sometimes just as bad and narrow-minded as the haters.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:59 am
“I would be interested to see what YOU wrote and drew, and what you have to be put up and derided.”
Ahh, when in doubt, turn to the old cliches. As if anybody who says this has never ripped a book or a movie themselves.
It’s very simple: I thought the comic was generally awful. The art got much better at the end, but that doesn’t save bad writing.
I give kudos for Brian for sticking with it, but I’m not going to hold back because a bunch of idiots think that any criticism equates to homophobia.
March 5th, 2011 at 11:50 am
Hey Gang,
Just a last, final note. Let it be known that I have never claimed homophobia as a reason for anyone’s hatrid of my work. In fact, I have always defended people’s right to express their opinion. Much like this comment I wrote a few months back:
“For the record I’ve never once, ever, said anyone was a homophobe. Ever. I’m not responsible for the comments and the things they say, like I’m not responsible for you or your hate-filled remarks. But I have never used that term as a defense.
I don’t believe you have to like to my comic, and I don’t believe that if you hate it that makes you anti-gay. Everyone is has a right to their opinion. And the express of it. This I have also stated time and again. But I do feel that when someone comes back again and again and again then it’s not longer just expressing an opinion, it’s something else. Something petty.”
Most of you who have attacked me here repeadly are usually the same 4 or 5 people hiding behind numerous screen names. So clearly there is some bais towards me and my little comic strip. The only times I have responded is when I find the “critical” comments have actually turned into nothing more than troll-like bashing just for the sake of bashing.
When someone on this site comments that want to come to see me at Comic Con so that they can “spit on me” I feel that the “criticism” has stepped far past expressing a negative opinion of my work and has into something far more awful, threatening, and just plain sad, really.
Clearly there have been people who have enjoyed my strip just as much as some of you have hated it. But to clarify, a thoughtful, generally negative critque of a comic sound go something like this:
http://www.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/p/detail/so-super-duper-7-11
So why would I listen to the handful of awful people here? I’d rather listen to a seasoned comic reviewer, like the one above and the one I’m posting below, someone who’s job it is to actually thoughtfully review a book and take their opinion. Like this glowing, honest and well-written review:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/48231
Clearly I must be doing something right. I have a lot to still learn, and plenty of growing to do, but I’m happy to be in the midst of creating something that can showcase these efforts.
Anyhoo, I’m sure this post won’t mean a thing to all you who have targeted me time and again, you opinions are set, but I felt the need to express myself. For whatever it’s worth.
Kisses!
Brian
March 6th, 2011 at 5:50 am
I’m forever honored you chose me to work on So Super Duper Brian. I enjoy and look forward to working with you no matter the project. I’m sad that I won’t be able to see the last issue here on Blog@Newsarama. Thank you to all who have left positive comments and gave So Super Duper a chance. ^__^
March 6th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Brian, thank you for sharing your comic here at Newsarama. I don’t think I would have had a chance to experience it before now had I not found it here. And thank you, Newsarama editors, for seeing the value in Brian’s story. It is witty, charming and insightful. It shows just what you can produce when you put your heart and soul into a project. Something doesn’t have to be deep or terribly stylish to carry a good idea to its fruition. This shows that one person with dedication and integrity can over-come some of the most debilitating odds and still come out smiling. Please keep telling your stories to us and sharing them. NK
March 19th, 2011 at 11:18 am
I am a firm believer in art, creativity, faith, and love. Therefore, I am a firm believer in Brian and all of his hard and heartfelt work. Brian, you are an inspiration!
Also, So Super Duper was an original and fun comic and I do believe it will prove to be a part of comic history.