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I'm not dead--I just feel as if I were. If I don't post at least one review by Sunday, feel free to drag me over the proverbial coals (or go on ignoring this space).

In any case, two comics-related things that caught my eye:

• David P. Welsh always kicks ass, but his latest Flipped is extra fabulous. In it, he talks with :01 translator Alexis Siegel. No pull quotes--just go read it.

• Normally, I just delete or ignore most comics-related e-mails of the hype variety I receive--almost always, it's something that's awful, something I'm not interested in, or stuff that I've seen posted elsewhere (which shouldn't be surprising, considering the frequency of posting around here as of late). However, I think the one I received this morning is worth sharing with others. Dirk Schwieger, a German cartoonist currently living in Tokyo, started an interactive comics blog, where the content is dictated by reader questions/requests. At the time of posting, he's done about fourteen comics on various topics, and they're rather good. His first post explains, in comics form, how to get interactive with the blog.

There's a new blog out there with a lofty mission statement: saving independent comics. Started by aspiring comic book creator Jason Berek-Lewis, Independents' Day is setting itself up to be a pooling place for ideas and a place where other like-minded fans, publishers and creators can come together to fight the good fight, as it were.

Or, in other words, Team Comics is popping back up again.

Three years ago, I'd have been all about this. I wanted to save comics, man. Maybe I wasn't passionate enough to leave comics on the subway, or anything like that (and, well, there aren't subways here, exactly--plus, that would mean spending money, and I'm cheap), but I was going to start small, like buying family members comics for Christmas and the like. Woo, comics! Since I didn't want to really spend any money of my own, I thought I'd suggest that other people do it with their money. Again--Woo, comics!

In some respects, I'm still like this. Over time, though, I became a little less pushy about it. Someone wants a recommendation for something new to try? I'm taking Brandon Hanvey's advice, and trying to figure out what might appeal to them. Comics come up in a conversation? Sure, I'll jump in (I've yet to find a conversation about anything I won't jump into--again, I'm a rather obnoxious fellow). I still buy my wife comics from time to time, but they're stuff she likes, like the Russ Cochran EC library editions.

Anything past that, though? I can't commit anymore. Maybe it's getting older. Maybe it's losing passion. Maybe it's my slow slide towards cynical entropy. Maybe Tom Spurgeon, bad influence that he is, helped me decide that I don't have to support a comic book just because it is self-published or from a small press when he wrote about the "Team Comics" mentality in The Comics Journal #250.

Or, taking it more in the glass half-full way, maybe it's because I am seeing success stories--books like Black Hole doing well in the bookstore trade and at certain comics shops; NPR features on Persepolis, R. Crumb and Dan Clowes; seeing First Second ads in almost every Publisher's Weekly newsletter I get (and not just the comics-related ones); films like A History of Violence and the upcoming Art School Confidential that show others are getting hip to the idea that "comics" doesn't necessarily mean "superheroes," even if the vox populi of online fandom doesn't voice it; manga and graphic novels becoming a major force in mainstream publishing (even if some still maintain that manga isn't comics, for whatever reason).

I know I'm skewing my "yays" towards things I like, but that's a bias I can't hide from--the successes and failures of companies like CrossGen, Dreamwave, Speakeasy and Alias make interesting talking points for me, but they're not things I invest in. That could be what's getting in my way of fully embracing the Independents' Day idea--companies like the ones just mentioned aren't the ones I'm thinking can "save" an industry. They're a dime a dozen--people dreaming of "making it big," or whatever, but going about it without any solid business plan. And, like the hydra of myth, each time one of these heads gets cut off, another one takes its place--Johanna Draper Carlson has a great rebuttal of Open Book Press's press release inviting displaced Speakeasy creators to join their stable.

Here's where I get hopeful again--I think the creators and books that are facing hardships resulting from Speakeasy's demise will get things worked out in the long run. I'm think we'll see Matt Maxwell's Strangeways eventually, whether it's from another company or done on his own (an interview conducted with Maxwell before the fall of Speakeasy was just published at Broken Frontier). I don't doubt that Elk's Run will bounce back from this, if only because of the devotion and drive of Joshua Hail Fialkov and Jason Rodriguez. It won't be easy for any of the people involved, and Speakeasy closing is certainly a setback that I don't mean to downplay, but if the drive is there (and, more important, if the quality is there), then the books will make it to the hands of people who want to read them.

In the opening post of the Independents' Day blog, Berek-Lewis points to Speakeasy's demise differently than I would, using it as the rallying point for the blog:

Speakeasy is not the first well-meaning independent to bite the dust. Unfortunately, we are reading about this all too often. We can stick our head in the sand, as a lot of people do, or we can stand up and do something about it.

I'm not sure what fans really can do about it, particularly with so many companies shooting themselves in their corporate feet. Speakeasy made some of the same mistakes other upstart publishers have done in the past (expanding too quickly, waiting for investments that never materialize, and other counting-chickens-before-they-hatchisms)--simply because they "meant well" doesn't mean that they should be supported as a company. If anything, that should be the lesson publishers and creators take from Speakeasy--just because you really love the medium doesn't mean you can expect to succeed in it, as it takes more than just good intentions. For all my complaints about the business practices and shenanigans of Alias, Berek-Lewis points out their saving grace, and examples from other publishers in the same vein:

There are a number of strategies smaller studios can pursue. Alias Enterprises, for example, through its Community Comics, seeks out religious audiences. Other studios pursue online sales. The Dabel Brothers seek to produce adaptations of fantasy properties with existing fan bases [...] Other companies build awareness and loyalty through viral marketing, using tools such as newsletters, posting on message boards and fan street teams.

I'm obviously not the market for Community Comics, but that's the one thing I can say I respect about Alias--that they're going after new markets, rather than simply hoping to cannabilize the current crop of superhero fans. That's another point where Berek-Lewis's approach differs from mine--instead of a system where publishers are "all still fighting for pieces of the same pie," I wouldn't suggest making the pie bigger. Instead, I'd say, "hey, this pie is nice, but not everyone likes this one pie, and there isn't enough of this one pie to go around. Let's make different pies for people who don't like this pie, and both pies can sell at bakeries and supermarkets and other pie providers," to really torture his metaphor. Judging by some of the websites of the studios supporting Independents' Day, though, I can't help but think they really want to be in that massive first pie, and I don't mean in terms of market share--they seem to be the types that Matt Maxwell admonishes in the interview linked above that are willing to "give [their own ideas] up so that you can get yourself on a Superman or Spider-Man book." While it's been said that producing a comic is the best way to get the major superhero publishers to notice an aspiring creator's work, it doesn't mean that people will necessarily enjoy, embrace, or purchase someone's resume-comic, though--I wish that instead of thinking three steps ahead, more aspiring creators would temper the strength of their desire with a commitment to craft and a better, more realistic sense of the business side of comics publishing. Instead of self-publishers and creators hitching their hopes on fans to save their comics, I'd like to see them take a more proactive approach--while I don't think all of the ideas The Hive, a forum/column run by Jason Rodriquez, are golden, I appreciate the level of thought and determination his band of comics creators are bringing to the comics internet--plus, the discussion goes deeper than "how do I break in?" and focuses on "how can I make the format work for me, and how can I market it, and how can I plan it from a business perspective, and..."--certainly more refreshing and valuable than a bunch of "we're all in this together, yay!" self-help. The same can be said of the conversations that happen at The Engine; I've never registered there, but it often makes for interesting, thought-provoking reading on comics creation.

The blog also has ideas for fans who want to do their part. I cocked my eyebrow at the suggestion that fans should "give up your copy of Teen Titans and New X-Men and consider instead Femforce, Hero Squared, GI Joe: America's Elite or Starship Troopers: Blaze Of Glory." While the snobby-snob in me snickered at the choices ("Hey, look! Buck the superhero hedgemony by buying more superhero comics or comics very similar to superhero comics!"), I took more of an issue with asking people to give up one thing in place of another--it smacks of desperation to me. Other things I can certainly get behind--suggesting comics to people, for one. Berek-Lewis got my wallet's attention with his suggestion to "set up comic swaps. Arrange for you and a friend to buy a different indy book, one you wouldn’t usually try, and after you have finished with it, swap. You could get lucky, with both of you discovering a previously hidden gem."

For the proactive fan, I do think the idea behind Independents' Day is a relatively solid one, despite the quibbles I have with some of the ideas presented. What I'd suggest to anyone, though, is that you should skew your "yays" to what you like. Be open to new things, absolutely--on that, I agree with Berek-Lewis--but I wouldn't suggest that anyone should feel obligated to do anything beyond what he or she is comfortable with as a consumer and as a fan. And, if Independents' Day falls into your "yay" category, do what you can to support them. If not, though, don't feel bad about it--we can be grumpy-pantses together.

Bits and pieces: 3/7/2006

Hastily composed while the wife is at work, so if it's incoherent, I apologize.

• I know I'm really late to the party, but, man, did I have a blast at Rocketship for the Huizenga/Harkham/Nilsen book release/signing. For a nerd like me, it's these events that keep me going--getting to see friends old and new, getting to buy kickass comics (even though I must admit, I haven't really had the time to invest myself in the books featured at the event), and getting to chit-chat with cohorts Kevin Church and Chris Tamarri about our Super! Secret! Project! I find it fun to refer to it as our Super! Secret! Project! for a few reasons:

• It may fall very short of "super"
• It's fun to take the piss out of certain kinds of hype one sees on the comics internerd where "you have to wait and see" what things are going to be like, while at the same time (I hope) acting as a wee bit of promotion itself
• It's really not all that secret--as evidenced at Rocketship, put one drink in me and I will sing like I'm trying to lessen time served in exchange for turning state's evidence... I'm weak. And excited. April seems like a long way off.

This time, Kevin and I split a hotel room at a dive, which meant I didn't have to punk out early to make it back to Pennsylvania, so my time was spent in quality and quantity. Happy, happy times.

• In the "new blogs to add to the blogroll" department, there's a new blog with an independent and small press focus worth noting: Indiesnob.com. The name is great, not just because of the "reclaiming the pejorative for the positive," or whatever, but because Brandon Hanvey (who can be found promoting his own comics and talking about other things at his other site, The Geekout) is possibly the least snobby indie-type guy I know--he's just bugfuck crazy for the medium, and though he focuses on smaller press stuff, it's not out of any kind of "fuck the mainstream" mentality.

Lately, I've been thinking about the writing about comics again for a lot of reasons. It's one of those topics that seems to pop up from time to time, so some of the following bullet points will focus on that type of thing.

• One of the things that has always fascinated me in the online and print comics media is the subject of disclosure. David Welsh had an interesting and wonderful post on the subject a few days ago, focusing mostly on the New York Comics Convention discussion. David posts the Society of Professional Journalists's Code of Ethics, as it pertains to the Publishers Weekly coverage of the event. Forgetting Reed Publishing (the publisher of Publishers Weekly for a moment, I'm forced to wonder about how those ethics relate to blogs and comics news sites again (I did once before, to mixed results and one piece of gloriously crazy hate mail months later). In light of the recent Comics Journal series on online comics journalism (excerpts available here), I've revised some of my opinions on the nature of bias in online comics coverage. I maintain that "avoid[ing] conflicts of interest, real or perceived" and providing full-disclosure are the gold standard those writing about, well, anything should try to maintain. However, as no one would go on the record saying, "yes, we're in the journalism business," I'm not sure how passionate I am about holding them to that standard. In my head now, there's a shifting scale of accountability dependent on a few factors:

• Does the site/blog in question sell advertising?
• Does the site/blog in question present itself directly (or indirectly) as a provider of "real news"
• Does the site/blog in question have something to gain by taking a specific stance on an issue

One of the stumbling blocks for me is the old-fashioned part of me that stubbornly holds onto the idea that print media are more legitimate than online media (I'll constantly argue against that, as I don't think it's true anymore, my gut reaction/bias tends to come into it when the subject first springs up). It's why I tend to be harsh on Wizard--it has less to do with the type of thing they focus on, and more of how they focus on it.

I actually bought a copy of Wizard #174 today, as I heard they were including their "Wizard: Edge" supplement (the name of which still makes me laugh: "ooh, non-superhero stuff! Edgy!"). To be honest, I was ready to pounce on some of the things I noticed from the last time it was published--longer, more favorable coverage and more frequent mentions of those advertising in the supplement--but I found myself pleasantly surprised. While I am tempted to pick apart what they choose to cover for their supplement, they at least know their audience (larger emphasis on high concept works and on books with action, comedy or horror themes--without fail, I could pick out which ones Sean T. Collins did before getting to his byline, though that may be from knowing Collins's writing as much as his tastes).

That "knowledge of audience" thing is another reason I'm looking less harshly on much of the comics media today in terms of coverage--I've finally come around to the fact that it's silly to expect a magazine/site/blog that is trying to reach a superhero fanboy audience to start focusing heavily on things that the audience isn't interested in--especially when advertising is on the line (if, say, Newsarama spent a week talking about nothing other than minicomics, I can't imagine their hits would be as high as they are). That doesn't mean I have to like a site or its focus, of course, but I don't feel comfortable constantly bitching about it. Now, I'll stick to just doing it occasionally.

• Also in the "writing about those that write about comics" category, Jim over at Jumbotron 6000 takes a look at the relevance of The Comics Journal in the age of the internerd. TCJ is still my favorite comics-related periodical by far, but Jim makes some very good points regarding its place in today's comics media--we may differ on the value of certain features, but I'm always pleased when I see people treating TCJ for what it contains as opposed to "oh, that's the magazine for Groth-loving snobs that are ashamed of comics."

• Speaking of criticism and reviews that focus on the material rather than outside elements, Jim and I were discussing one of the features in the latest issue of the Journal--Tom Underhill's review of the latest Planetary collection. Jim e-mailed me before I was able to pick up and read the latest issue, so I went into the review somewhat biased, but his points regarding that review seem very apt--it's as much a review of "Warren Ellis: Comics Personality" as it is a review of Planetary. Underhill goes through four paragraphs on Ellis, his persona, and his feelings on superhero comics before getting into the material he's focusing on. It's one of those things that tends to bug me--reviews that are more about the person behind the work, rather than the work itself.

That said, the thing that bugs me more is reviews that aren't about the book, or even the creator of the book, but about the reviewer. Case in point: Ray Tate's recent "review" of JLA: Classified #17, that spawned at least two threads of reaction. Some in the first thread have written off the objections as coming from people close to the writer, Gail Simone, but I think it goes further than that (while I do post at Gail's forum, I can't say we're close, or that I'm a huge fan--the first thing of Simone's I've read was her recent contribution to the Sexy Chix anthology).

The first glaring thing (and one that comes up in both threads) is that Tate isn't a very good writer--spelling errors and serious grammatical clusterfucks permeate almost everything he writes. It's not even how he tries to correct Simone with crazy non-facts like the idea that HIV was first diagnosed in the '50s. Instead, it's the way the entire review can be summed up as "this is not how I would write this book, and my way would, like, totally be way better."

If you follow the provided link, at least you'll miss the now-edited out line "Simone drops to her knees to service Infinite Crisis."

Now, some people clearly like Tate's reviews--he has some defenders in the Silver Bullet thread on the subject. However, just because people like something doesn't make it good; basing the concept of good solely off of someone's enjoyment of something takes the emphasis off of the work in question and places it on the reader. But, seriously--for as crappy as Kevin Smith's Black Cat miniseries may have been (and I don't know that it was, as I didn't bother reading it), it's hard to take a
review seriously that handles the credits this way:

Writer (Sort of; in the loosest of senses): Kevin Smith--Master of Poop
Artists: the Dodsons, but I really don't believe they want to be associated with this piece of shit.
Publisher: Marvel, as in I Marvel at the fact the excrement was green-lit.

For more Tate mockery, please see the excellent Resplendent Beard take on the JLA: Classified review.

• I'm not sure when I'll be able to pick up a copy myself, but this PR came through my e-mail from Neil Kleid about his new NBM book Brownsville (a comic I'm genuinely looking forward to reading):

BROWNSVILLE HC
by Neil Kleid & Jake Allen

Written by Xeric Award winner Neil Kleid. "Jewish gangster" isn't a term you hear much in post-Holocaust society... but back when the Dodgers played in the East and licorice cost a penny a bag, Brooklyn corners were lousy with semitic young toughs looking for adventure and excitement — none more so than in Brownsville. Follow the intertwined lives of Allie Tanennbaum, Abe Reles, and scores of hoods organized by Louis Lepke Buchalter into the deadliest hit operation in Mafia history as they escape the mean streets and lonely tenements of East New York, making themselves into the most dangerous men in America only to eventually send their best friends and closest allies up the river.

MATURE THEMES
HC, 6x9, 200pgs, B&W;
SRP: $18.95
Diamond Order Code: DEC053126

So, um, yeah. Check it out--I plan on doing so.

Something else I'm planning on checking out--courtesy of Spurgeon, a link to First Second's fall line-up as presented by ICv2. Not since AdHouse has a new comics publisher or line excited me this much--of that list, the only one I'm not interested in checking out is the next installment of Joann Sfar's Sardine in Outer Space series. Five out of six isn't bad, to change the proportion of the Meatloaf song.

Crossovers I Never Expected To See

Number One:

She-Hulk vs. Akira's Takashi
(from The Sensational She-Hulk Graphic Novel)

Your Tortured Analogy of The Day

If I were more cynical, I might actually think someone was coordinating response to the NYCC overcrowding situation:

"I hear that a lot of people are unhappy because they couldn't get in, but it's like the most popular band in town. The band is terrific whether you got in or not." - Colleen Doran

"Just because you can't get in to a concert doesn't mean the band sucks." - Chris Oarr

OK, fine: Maybe the sold-out band doesn't suck but the concert organizers / show promoters sure might if they were turning away people who had already paid to see the show.

People I Love Today

Neilalien, for having the best (and most amusing -- no one can rant longform like Neilalien) take on the NYCC overcrowding situation. It's nice to hear someone who got in acknowledge that there are serious problems with a show when it wastes the time and money of thousands of fans instead of just saying that those lucky enough to get in had a great time. Bonus love for the fact that Neilalien has been doing this blogging thing for six years now and shows no sign of slowing down.

Christopher Butcher, for reporting on the manga news out of NYCC that the major comic news sites couldn't be bothered to cover. And, as I commented on his blog, extra love for taking the time to post copious pictures as part of his con coverage.

Alibris, for delivering my manga fix quickly and cheaply. (OK, Alibris isn't a person, but I still love it for getting all four volumes of DEATH NOTE in my hands fast (four business days from when I submitted the order) and free (free shipping on orders over $49 if all items ship from Alibris) after discussion over at The V finally convinced me I couldn't wait for this series to show up at the local library. (Additional love for Alibris: It's one of the few online stores I've found that discounts brand-new manga volumes under ten bucks. Amazon doesn't offer any discounts for any of the $9.99 or cheaper digests, but Alibris discounted each book 13-15% -- and that's for new copies of the books. Used versions of most manga are available even cheaper at Alibris, but you'll have to pay for shipping no matter how large your order, which eats into the savings. And did I mention how fast these books arrived? I love Amazon for offering free shipping, but I'm used to orders shipping via their "Super Saver Shipping" taking weeks to arrive.))

Talk About Mixed Messages

From CBR's coverage of the Brad Meltzer panel at the New York Comic-Con [emphasis added]:

“The [reaction to the] rape scene surprised me more than anything. I didn’t expect the venom,” said Meltzer.

But he thought that the response was the result of a very vocal minority, not indicative of the views of most of the book’s readers as a whole. He wishes that rape didn’t exist, obviously, but it doesn’t [sic], and comics should reflect that and deal with real issues.

He wrapped it up with one simple statement.

“Don’t let anyone tell you no,” said Meltzer.

What an odd / unfortunate thing to say right after remarking that you didn't get people's negative reaction to your clumsy / sensationalistic portrayal of rape in a mainstream superhero comic.

UPDATE: The always wonderful Resplendent Beard has her own delightful take on (takedown of) Meltzer's comments.

Teaser Torture

There's going to be a Sgt Frog movie and it looks like it introduces two new characters (translation courtesy Google). How can you resist a movie that sounds so exciting?

When now, the Ro Ro platoon stands up, it came! As expected destiny of the earth? The impressed work which friendship and fighting of space scale is and it draws with the magnificient scale!

[Found over at Ork_Dreadnought's Random Rants]

The only bad part is knowing this wonderful thing is out there but I won't be able to enjoy it for who knows how long. After all, the Keroro Gunso anime is up to almost 100 episodes in Japan and there's still no news of it being licensed for distribution in the U.S. Has anyone else heard something I haven't? Sigh -- I think now I'm beginning to understand the motivation behind fansubbing.