Congrats to ADDTF for one solid year of reading comics naked.

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
George Pichard 1920-2003



Le Monde reports that famed erotic cartoonist George Pichard has passed away.

Doesn't that cartoon just make you want to go outside and soak up the summertime?
posted by Steven at 3:01 PM

 
Throwdown

I was in high school on the day that Jack Kirby died. I first heard about it while tuning into one of my favourite television programmes of the time, Prisoners of Gravity. I turned on the set early enough to catch the host, Rick Green (aka Commander Rick), deliver a message out of character and in a suit from behind a table. He looked visibly upset as he announced the passing of the legendary cartoonist. The rest of the show was specifically about Kirby and his work. It was the first time it really hit me that there were people and stories behind the creation of the comics. I wasn't so naive that I didn't know comics were made by real people, but I had never felt emotionally involved or that I could make a difference until that night.

I decided to stop buying Marvel comics. Soon, that included DC comics.

My friends thought I was crazy. Hell, I thought I was crazy. I've tried many times to articulate my position, and every time I've failed to get my point across. Excuse me while I try again.

When confronted with a comic from the Big Two that I would like to purchase, I ask myself if there isn't another comic that wouldn't be equally or more appealing. There always is. If so, with all other things being equal, why shouldn't I give my money to a company or individual who actually cares about the medium.

Again, even I thought it was crazy to give up reading all the quality titles coming from the Big Two. And I'll admit to faltering occasionally. But the reality is that there are so many quality pieces of work available, both from the present and in the past, that I could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and a lifetime of reading and never even touch a Marvel or DC book. Many people believe that they have certain needs that only a title from the Big Two can fufill. Or they fear that large portions of their social interactions will suffer, especially those that have sprung up through the internet, if they don't keep up with titles which they would otherwise not even begin reading. I remain unconvinced, but that's not my decision to make. I won't disagree that I'm narrowing my choices, and that I may be missing out on many historic titles and wonderful debates, but who's to say that by buying those titles I won't be denying myself the pleasure I get from the ones I do purchase? And, that being the case, I would prefer to put my money towards advancing the medium instead of lining the pockets of indifferent thieves and cowards.

This out of character editorial is the result of the recent Fantagraphics financial crisis. If you're somehow unaware of what I'm referring to, please see this entry in Journalista. You can make your way up from there for more updates and links, including this recent report which details that the company is past the current crisis. In no way should the above rant be construed as shilling for Fantagraphics specifically, nor should you believe that anyone at Fantagraphics would agree with something as hare-brained as what I've just talked about. I can assure you that they would not. I bring it up only because there are many people who supported Fantagraphics, Top Shelf, Drawn and Quarterly and other companies in their time of need yet fail to do so at any other time. They pat themselves on the back and then slip right into their old routine as if it could never happen again, or that it isn't preventable with their continued support.

Even many of the most knowledgeable readers of comics seem to pay no mind to where their money goes so long as they get their fix, despite the damage a Marvel or DC can, and has, brought to the industry and the creators who make their favourite stories. Marvel and DC don't care about you. Marvel and DC don't even care about comics. Stop expecting them to. It's their mandate to make as much money as they can, even if it means having some accountant close up the actual publishing arm when it proves to be not quite profitable enough. If most of your money is spent on the Big Two, then you don't have a right to complain about the sad state of the industry, or the closing of your favourite shop, or the lack of variety in the artform. All the kvetching in the world, even something like this blog, isn't going to change all that unless your purchases match your beliefs.
posted by Steven at 12:42 AM