force them at gunpoint

[davemerrill]

The problem with the American comic industry is that it's a monopoly-dominated niche market designed to supply junkies - I mean, "fans", with the latest fix - I mean, "adventures", of their favorite heroin - I mean "superheroes". Oh no, not me, I don't read superhero comics, I read "graphic literature" about muscular men who beat up villains and monsters and never have to pay the mortgage or go to the dentist. Anyway various plans have been devised to get the American public back to reading comic books again like they did in the 1950s. Most of these plans have not bothered to include "producing comics Americans actually want to read" or "getting these comics in places Americans actually go". Other than Archie, which continues to thrive. But occasionally promotional plans will emerge to try and engage the vast non-comic-reading public in reading comics. One of these is "Free Comics Day", in which publishers - get this - PRODUCE AND PRINT COMICS FOR FREE and send them to Diamond, who then SELLS THEM to comic shops, who then GIVE THEM AWAY FOR FREE. It's a great plan that can't fail to make money - if you're Diamond. Everybody else is getting screwed.

Anyway one of these free comic books was a giant messy wall of text full of advice on getting people who don't normally read comics to read comics.



"Christa Shermot's 100% Guaranteed How To Manual For Getting ANYONE To Read Comic Books" fails out of the gate by having perhaps the most unwieldy title ever. Shain takes it to task this week at Stupid Comics!

Apparently "Christa Shermot" was a character in another comic book called "Fade To Blue". And "Young Guy Who Thinks He's Too Cool For Comics" is Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop, or at least shares his barber. Free Comic Book Day apparently continues, however. Hooray for monopolies!

Comments

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Great Job, Shain!

But maybe I'm too cynical or something, I see this specific comic as trying to poke fun and deconstruct the very concept it's trying to sell, that maybe the creators were really just peeing in Diamond's cornflakes knowing that the soulless suits that run the thing would never actually look past the cover.

I really need to do that blog post on how the comic industry totally f**ked up with the 'graphic novel' thing in their quest for legitimacy. Remember that? I was reading some comic magazines from the '70s (you know, RBCC, Mediascene, those mags) and it was all about gaining legit status from the 'mainstream' so that comics wouldn't be seen as a kid's medium blah blah blah.

*sigh*

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

no, actually, moving from pamphlets to "graphic novels", in the sense of books sold in bookstores, has saved the comic industry. If they had stuck to selling 32 page floppy comics, their sales would be even worse. As it is, "comics" managed to get a foot into the bookstore market and they're still there, selling "Maus" and "Fun Home" like crazy to people who would never and will never go into a comic book store, which wouldn't carry anything they want to read anyway.

I do agree that the "graphic novel" concept that Marvel and DC were pushing in the 80s, in the sense of 200 page full color painted comic books starring super heroes who cuss and take their clothes off, that was some grade-A stupid right there.

[footyfoot.livejournal.com]

If it was trying to poke fun, it did a terrible job. It smacked of 'Methinks the man doth protest too much' with the attempt to de-geekify the comics thang...

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

the "100%" comic struck me as painfully defensive, a blustery hand-waving by somebody who's deeply embarrassed about what they read and instead of reading something non-embarrassing, or regarding their reading habits as nobody else's business, are instead trying to convince the rest of the world that their stupid comic books are as good as stupid TV or stupid romance novels.

And they probably are, but the painful truth is that nobody cares what comic books you read or what romance novels you have on the side table or what TV shows you watch. You are not a special snowflake at the center of the universe.

I dunno, if I was caught in public with most of those comic books recommended, I'd be embarrassed too. Most of them are terrible. Sometimes public shaming is a good thing.

[childings.livejournal.com]

Other than Archie, which continues to thrive.

Yet I've NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN ANYONE buying an Archie comic. What, do they wait until 3 am when most people are asleep and sneak into the 24-hour grocery store to buy them so NOBODY CAN KNOW THEIR SECRET SHAME?

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

Archie comics are sold in stores people actually go to, like grocery stores and Wal-Marts. Spend some time in supermarket checkout counters, you'll see some peoples buying some Archie comics.

[footyfoot.livejournal.com]

Its like the cans of sauerkraut juice in the supermarket; someone must drink it, because it is still made. But WHO? Or SPAM- everyone heartily insists they'd never touch it in a million years, but it flies off the damn shelves!