The Indy Commitment

I find myself often wondering why more fans of comics don't read more creator owned titles over series from the Big Two. I know there are some obvious answers like:
 they know the characters, they want to read Spider-Man or Superman or Batman etc. I've heard the argument that people don't want to commit to an indy book if it’s going to just end in the middle of the story. But all the arguments I've heard make me feel that the people who actively shun creator owned titles are just lazy or willfully ignorant comics fans. I don't say this to be combative or derisive, well, maybe I do a little, but committing to independent books is the best thing you can do as a fan of comic books and here's why.  

If you read comic books; you love the infinite possibilities the medium can explore. Literally anything can happen, the limitation being only that of what the creator can imagine. Unless it’s a corporate owned property, then the limit is what Editorial, Legal and Management impose. Independent books allow a creator to fully express their vision, and often time, make a better experience for you as the reader. Still, these books often don't get the recognition, publicity or attention they deserve, and can end prematurely because of it. Readers don't want to commit to a book that will end without notice or resolution. I understand that argument, it’s also the argument for waiting for trade collections, but it’s an argument that feels false to me. A book you enjoy you should buy because you like it. We can’t live in fear of what will come tomorrow and not live for the day.

Another argument I hear is that creator owned books don't have familiar characters or worlds that they know like the super hero universes of the Big Two. To me, this is an argument for creator owned books, not against.  Sure it’s more work getting to know new characters and new worlds but at the same time it’s a brand new place to explore and learn about.  Isn't discovery core to the enjoyment of visual and written media?

I don't want to make this a post about how mainstream books are bad and independent books are good. There is good to be found in both places. I think independent books often require more commitment than mainstream books, but it’s a commitment that often comes with bigger and better rewards too. Do yourself a favor and do the work to find these books. Your imagination will thank you for it!

Special Edition Post: Trade Pics For Newbies?

Today I had a worker at the local Starbucks I go to ask me "Hey did I hear you talking the other day about how you read comic books?" I told her I read them a lot and asked if she did too. She told me that she used to years ago but stopped and had no idea what she would even read. I told her I would bring some stuff for her to check out, but after doing so, I also realized I don’t have much of a good collection of trades that I could give to someone new to comics to sample. This made me wonder, what 3 - 5 trades would you give a person new to comics as your "ultimate sampler" to get them interested again in comics? Please leave your picks in the comments section below! For me, I picked:

The Sixth Gun Vol 1
Freak Angles Vol 1
Ex Machina Vol 1
I Kill Giants

Renaissance Man - The Comission

ROM

Iron Man

The Renaissance is alive and well in the world of comic books. The comic book community is one of the few sub-cultures where the patronage of the fans directly pays for the livelihood of the creators. For many artists, their commissioned work adds a significant amount of income to their lives. Maybe it’s because I’m still relatively new to the world of comics culture or my social anxiety, but commissioning work from artists is still nerve wracking and strange for me.

Why would paying an artist, whose job it is to create art, make me so nervous? Because the transaction of the commission has rules, but there are grey areas. Prices can be set, but would you haggle a price? I never could. What if the artist asks for payment that’s more than what you thought it might be? Would you say something? I couldn't. These things might never happen, and the few times I have commissioned work I have taken great pains to make sure they won’t, but still I have that nervousness.

When I have asked for commissions, I have also asked for pieces that are not the normal work of that artist. At the top of this post are two examples of work I commissioned recently. On the left is a ROM Spaceknight by Lucy Bellwood and on the right is 1970's style Iron Man from Brian Hurtt colors by Bill Crabtree. Both of these pieces were not the normal work that you would see from these artists, but I like having them even more because of that. At the same time what if I hated the outcome? I asked for it, I committed to payment, and the risk in that is significant, both monetarily and emotionally.

How do you go about commissioning work from artists? Do you have a "go to" piece type or is it completely dependent on who you are getting the work from? Have you been satisfied with the work you have gotten, any horror stories or great successes? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this process, and what you do to make it a good one for you and for the artist.

Comics Snobery: My Comics Are Better Than Yours

I'm a secret comics snob. OK, maybe not so secret. There are comics that I simply groan or ignore almost all the time. I don't read cheesecake comics. I don't read biography comics. I loathe the idea of movie adaptation comics or comics that tie into a movie. Often the thought of cross-overs in super hero comics gives me depression. These are just a few examples. I struggle with being able to judge a work without preconception. This isn't limited to comics. The older I get, the more I seem to jump to what I think I know about something, rather than open myself to experiencing it before making a judgment. 

I want to be the type of fan that sees a "new" #1 on the shelf and not think;
"great, another marketing ploy to get me to buy this title again", but it’s increasingly harder to do. It’s perhaps why I have been moving more and more to creator owned comics. I’m far more likely to buy a comic that the creator had control over from start to finish. By doing that, am I missing out on the shared experiences that the comics community has with continuity books? Has this increase in snobbery led me back to a life of comics isolation? 

Part of the fun of rediscovering comics is the community. The community still spends a lot of its time talking Marvel & DC books, books that I don't really read much anymore. By not reading these books I do feel more and more of a comics outsider. It’s this struggle to weigh the enjoyment of reading a book for the enjoyment of reading it, vs. reading it and then having the pleasure of discussing it with the community, that I find myself pondering.

At this point in my comics life I find the pleasure of reading independent comics and dismissing the comics I have a bias against to be the best option for me. Am I missing out? Probably. Does my snobbery have an isolating effect? Absolutely. Is there an answer to this problem? Unclear. Do you have bias against certain comics? Do you feel your prejudice has hurt your enjoyment of comics? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Till next time True Believers....

Writing Outside The Lines: Article For Comics Bulletin

I'm taking the week off from posting but have no fear! I was lucky enough to be able to write an article for Comics Bulletin about Matt Fraction's book Casanova Vol1 with the great great writers Daniel Elkin , Jason Sacks and Keith Silva  you can find the post here:

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/4978/kissing-casanova-lust-in-luxuria/

Let me know what you think!

Next week we return to our regularly scheduled musings. 

A Dark Confession: The Sin of Gluttony

     Yesterday I realized something. I spend more time talking about, researching, and buying comics than I do reading them. Before you even think it, yes I realize that the problem of having too much to read, too many great things to choose from, isn't really a problem. I recently wrote about hoarding in an earlier blog post, but that is a different than what I’m writing about today. 
     Sadly, my trade & graphic novel shelf I've only read half of and yet I continue to find and buy more books everyday that I want to read and add to this ever growing pile. This doesn't account for digital comics, back issue comics, magazines and it goes on from there. This isn't a new occurrence, the need to own everything that has the potential to bring great entertainment, great understanding and experience amazing work is a drive I feel constantly.

     I know the answer is to stop, enjoy what I have, that nothing is going anywhere and there is no one to answer to if I don't read something. Yet here I am. I find myself wondering if this is a larger problem endemic in our society. That we have such a consumer driven culture that we never can enjoy the moment because there is more and more to take in. Or is this something that only I feel, and need to find inner peace in individual moments? I find that I have such enthusiasm for something initially, and once I’ve begun to sate that desire to experience a creators work, there is something else that I find out about that pulls me away and starts the cycle anew. I have no clear answer, only questions, and that next book I need to read.