* Abhay presents a long, rambling examination of the just concluded Brubaker/Phillips project Fatale that pretty much defines "mixed feelings." Like me, I get the sense Abhay wanted to like the book more than he ultimately did, and he nails some of the shortcomings of the series pretty well.
* Starting back with Sleeper, I was absolutely in love with the Brubaker/Phillips collaboration, a love that sustained through Criminal and in fact inspired me to create a blog solely dedicated to the team's second title together, A Criminal Blog. I don't have anything to do with ACB anymore, but I still admire the work Ed and Sean did on Criminal.
* It was with Incognito that I started to not be as passionate in my enjoyment of Brubaker and Phillips's collaboration. Sure, the book was tight and entertaining and beautiful to look at (artistically, Phillips always delivers), but the story seemed driven far more by the desire to sell comics than to tell a story that demanded telling.
* I was initially excited about Fatale, and curious to see what Ed and Sean could do. It seems like the book went from limited to ongoing to ending with #24 over the course of its existence, and I felt like there was clearly a lack of direction behind the scenes and confusion over what the book should and would be. While there were still excellent issues and gorgeoous artwork, I think some of the inconsistency Abhay talks about may stem from that.
* The duo's next collaboration is The Fade Out, which from what little preview material I've seen seems most comparable to Criminal of all the other titles in Brubaker and Phillips's growing library of titles. I am looking forward to reading the first issue and hoping that there's a true return to form for one of my favourite creative teams. Incognito and Fatale filled me with mixed feelings, and it would be nice to once again have a Brubaker and Phillips book I can feel unreservedly passionate about again.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Galaxy Newsbrief 080714: Reporting on Comics
* Spurred by this week's release of Miracleman #9 by Marvel Comics, part of its ongoing reprint of Alan Moore's landmark 1980s superhero series, Mike Sterling reports on the warnings to dealers that the Eclipse version of Miracleman #9 inspired.
* Miracleman #9 was controversial in its time -- and Marvel apparently fears it still is, since they polybagged the issue -- because it depicts Miracleman and Liz Moran's daughter Winter being born, with anatomically-correct views of the crowning and actual birth. In the 1980s we as a society were apparently terrified at the thought that children might learn where they came from, and the polybag on this week's issue indicates we haven't progressed very far. (Pro tip/spoiler warning: Babies usually come out of vaginas.)
* I'm amazed at how little the ongoing Miracleman reprints, set to lead up to new issues by Neil Gaiman, completing his unfinished run, are being talked about. This week's re-release of one of the two most controversial issues in the series didn't even merit a mention in the most prominent weekly new releases rundown on a site dedicated to reporting on comics. It's a curious omission by a site that has been curiously silent about this title, given how rich a topic of discussion it has the potential to be, combining overall narrative excellence with creators right issues, and how Marvel is handling not only the reissuing of one of the most important superhero comics in history, but how they are handling such elements as Winter's birth. There's a slight buzzing in the back of my head that tells me Moore's penultimate issue, in which the destruction of London is vividly, violently depicted (resulting in Miracleman #15 being the other hugely controversial issue in the run), might actually get talked about by major websites that purport to report on comics. If that's the case -- that the vagina issue is ignored while the BIG DEATH ISSUE is deemed worth talking about -- man, comics as a culture is even more fucked than I already figured it is.
* Meanwhile, just to report on some interesting comics news this week, since no one else seems up to the task -- Miracleman #9, reprinting the controversial childbirth story, is out this week in comic book stores, published by Marvel. Go get one before all the publicity winds up causing the issue to sell out, won't you?
* Miracleman #9 was controversial in its time -- and Marvel apparently fears it still is, since they polybagged the issue -- because it depicts Miracleman and Liz Moran's daughter Winter being born, with anatomically-correct views of the crowning and actual birth. In the 1980s we as a society were apparently terrified at the thought that children might learn where they came from, and the polybag on this week's issue indicates we haven't progressed very far. (Pro tip/spoiler warning: Babies usually come out of vaginas.)
* I'm amazed at how little the ongoing Miracleman reprints, set to lead up to new issues by Neil Gaiman, completing his unfinished run, are being talked about. This week's re-release of one of the two most controversial issues in the series didn't even merit a mention in the most prominent weekly new releases rundown on a site dedicated to reporting on comics. It's a curious omission by a site that has been curiously silent about this title, given how rich a topic of discussion it has the potential to be, combining overall narrative excellence with creators right issues, and how Marvel is handling not only the reissuing of one of the most important superhero comics in history, but how they are handling such elements as Winter's birth. There's a slight buzzing in the back of my head that tells me Moore's penultimate issue, in which the destruction of London is vividly, violently depicted (resulting in Miracleman #15 being the other hugely controversial issue in the run), might actually get talked about by major websites that purport to report on comics. If that's the case -- that the vagina issue is ignored while the BIG DEATH ISSUE is deemed worth talking about -- man, comics as a culture is even more fucked than I already figured it is.
* Meanwhile, just to report on some interesting comics news this week, since no one else seems up to the task -- Miracleman #9, reprinting the controversial childbirth story, is out this week in comic book stores, published by Marvel. Go get one before all the publicity winds up causing the issue to sell out, won't you?
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Galaxy Newsbrief 080514: Where is Everybody?
* Cartoonist Mike Dawson, who I first encountered when he was drawing the late, lamented Gabagool series, talks in a brutally honest manner about his struggle to maintain an audience. (link via The Comics Reporter.)
* I think this piece is really important. Dawson is absolutely upfront about his sales, citing actual numbers for each of the graphic novels he's published. I imagine these numbers will shock some, depress others. But it's good that a well-known cartoonist is speaking truthfully about how his works sell. Having known many cartoonists for the past couple of decades, the numbers Dawson cites don't surprise me at all. Many have experienced similar lack of interest in their work. Why have his numbers so declined? Why did they never reach the stratosphere to begin with? Dawson is a good cartoonist and a witty storyteller. But he has plied his trade at a time when superheroes are all most comic book stores care about, working in genres that require a great deal of finesse, skill and effort to bring to a mass audience. More than anything, you can rest assured that Diamond, the monopoly North American comics distributor, is not at all interested in the type of work Dawson is doing, and they're not much interested in the stores that would be passionate about carrying it, either.
* The only Dawson graphic novel I have ever seen in a comic book store is his Freddie Mercury one. I think I read excerpts of that online, and found it not my cup of tea. This is another problem Dawson faces that all cartoonists need to understand -- even your biggest fans -- and man, I loved Gabagool -- is not necessarily going to be attracted to everything you do. I loved James Kochalka's autobiographical and magical realism comics, but Super-F*ckers and his children's books don't resonate with me at all. That doesn't mean anything other than that not every work a cartoonist creates will work for everyone who has liked some of their work.
* Dawson discusses social media at length in his piece. That's a part of the puzzle, although none of us really know how big a part. Dawson clearly regrets throwing away 1,200 Twitter followers at one point, and well he should. Like it or not, if you create any art these days and are not supported by a massive corporate publicity machine, you're on your own when it comes to promoting your work. Dawson, and every cartoonist like him, needs a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest at a minimum. He should be posting sketches and strips and panels and interacting with the public every day. Will it make him a best selling cartoonist? Probably not. Will it help raise awareness that he's out there working and creating comics and help grow his audience a little? Almost certainly.
* I think this piece is really important. Dawson is absolutely upfront about his sales, citing actual numbers for each of the graphic novels he's published. I imagine these numbers will shock some, depress others. But it's good that a well-known cartoonist is speaking truthfully about how his works sell. Having known many cartoonists for the past couple of decades, the numbers Dawson cites don't surprise me at all. Many have experienced similar lack of interest in their work. Why have his numbers so declined? Why did they never reach the stratosphere to begin with? Dawson is a good cartoonist and a witty storyteller. But he has plied his trade at a time when superheroes are all most comic book stores care about, working in genres that require a great deal of finesse, skill and effort to bring to a mass audience. More than anything, you can rest assured that Diamond, the monopoly North American comics distributor, is not at all interested in the type of work Dawson is doing, and they're not much interested in the stores that would be passionate about carrying it, either.
* The only Dawson graphic novel I have ever seen in a comic book store is his Freddie Mercury one. I think I read excerpts of that online, and found it not my cup of tea. This is another problem Dawson faces that all cartoonists need to understand -- even your biggest fans -- and man, I loved Gabagool -- is not necessarily going to be attracted to everything you do. I loved James Kochalka's autobiographical and magical realism comics, but Super-F*ckers and his children's books don't resonate with me at all. That doesn't mean anything other than that not every work a cartoonist creates will work for everyone who has liked some of their work.
* Dawson discusses social media at length in his piece. That's a part of the puzzle, although none of us really know how big a part. Dawson clearly regrets throwing away 1,200 Twitter followers at one point, and well he should. Like it or not, if you create any art these days and are not supported by a massive corporate publicity machine, you're on your own when it comes to promoting your work. Dawson, and every cartoonist like him, needs a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest at a minimum. He should be posting sketches and strips and panels and interacting with the public every day. Will it make him a best selling cartoonist? Probably not. Will it help raise awareness that he's out there working and creating comics and help grow his audience a little? Almost certainly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)