Comic Book Journal

Are you tired of paying anywhere from $3-$7 for a comic book? I am. When I look at all the pretty covers from silver age books with cover prices ranging from forty cents to a dollar I wonder why comics now are so expensive. Could it be the multiple variant covers? Could it be the effects of inflation? I think it boils down to something much simpler-paper. I have no problem with newsprint. Sure with today’s computer coloring and imaging the art on some would be degraded on newspring. But as a consumer I am willing to make that sacrifice. From a collector’s standpoint newspring makes sense also. The reason comics from the golden age are so rare is many were destroyed in book burnings, lost, or simply thrown away with the trash. Time is not kind to newsprint either with discoloration fading, and tears prone in the older books. So if the industry is looking for a boost in the collectible aspect of comics, newsprint would indeed decrease supply and increase demand, which is the basic principle of increased value. Forget sending books off for grading to inflate value, just simply having the book in good condition would increase market value. If the industry leaders were worried about preserving comics for posterity, then why not bind all comic books in leather, sell them as volumes and be done with it. I’m not asking for a five cent cover price, all I’m asking for is twenty-four pages of good story with a cover price of about $1.50 which is roughly the cost of 24 pages of a paperback novel with taxes and inflation factored in. Maybe next month I won’t be so poor.

First of all I want to thanks those who have made comments so far. I know I’m relatively new to the 451 Press community and appreciate the feedback. So you wanna be a comic book creator? It seems more and more companies have recently sought out new material through postings on the internet and contests. Platinum Studios and AT &T partnered with the fine folks at Comic-Con in June for a nationwide talent search for the next big thing in comics. The winner will receive a publishing and marketing deal. The finalists have been announced at http://www.attblueroom.com/hollywood/comic-book-challenge/mediaplayer.php. Go there to vote on your favorite.

Some brave souls have taken a different route than contests and have ventured into the realm of self-publishing. The benefits of self-publishing such as complete control of the content have led many to this decision. Today we’re going to delve into web comics. Despite having a shorter format, many of these digital tomes pack quite the punch. One I’ve stumbled upon that has intrigued me for it’s cinematic quality is “A Softer World” by Joey Comeau and Emily Horn. This duo uses a mainly digital photography technique to create narrative that are both beautiful and subtle. Their three paneled pieces are almost graphic poetry. I’ve posted a sample from the series. If you want to check it out, visit www.asofterworld.com. While this technique was pioneered in 1999 with Pat McGreal’s critically acclaimed “Veils,” it has altered the medium, allowing creators a new tool for breaking down the fifth wall and making the panels more interactive for storytelling.

The most exciting news for me personally from Comic-Con was the anticipated announcement of the Watchmen movie. Comics owe much of what they are today to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons for this literary masterpiece. It’s scheduled to be released sometime during the first quarter of 2009, so that leaves plenty of time to speculate on how it should be filmed. Early casting reports have the majority of the characters set with Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan, Jeffery Dean Morgan as The Comedian, Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, Malin Akerman as The Silk Spectre, Matthew Goode as Ozymandia, and Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl.
While these actors and actresses may be a fine choice I thought I’d share how I think the movie should’ve been casted. We’ll start with Dr. Manhattan. If you’re going to cast someone as a bald, omnipotent, watcher, why not go with the obvious choice of Michael Rosenbaum, Lex Luthor from Smallville. He’s already proven he has the cool aloofness to pull off the part, and also has the physique to carry it out. In terms of the Comedian, you’ve got to pick an actor who has the body and also the aged ruggedness and old school toughness action heroes should have. My vote, have Gary Busey grow a mustache, some sideburns, and call it a day. For the Silk Spectre, an actress has to be vulnerable, yet have that mental toughness. A little on the bustier side, also with the emotional range needed, why not Jennifer Garner? She gave Electrka a sensitive side in Daredevil. For Hollis Mason, while Stephen McHattie is a good choice, I would leave him in place as he would convey Hollis’ rationalism well. Rorschach should be someone with both a physical prescence and also inspires a sense of fantasicism. In short, he should be able to play insane. While Haley is another good choice for the role, it would have been nice for a bigger name to be cast, I say Kevin Bacon. His career could use a boost, and “A Stir of Echoes,” proved he could realistically get dark. Finally, my favorite Watchmen character, Ozymandias. Two words: Tom Cruise. Why not? Tom Cruise can play over-the-top. He have proven he can show depth of emotion, see Vanilla Sky, He can play tough, see the interview with Matt Lauer, and who else could portray someone so obsessesed with perfection he’s willing to destroy the world, see his relationship with Katie Holms. Can you say control freak?
That’s my humble opinion of the casting call that should have been. Are you happy with the Hollywood casting? Let me know.

How have we become so politically correct? Maybe it is the melancholy of fall; maybe it is the responsibilities of the office which leaves me yearning for a sense of nostalgia. I long for a simpler time when Superman Soared through Smallville for a Susie Q, or when Batman saved Gotham City for nothing but a Twinkie. The last time I can remember an ad from the food industry ventured into the comics genre was when Jell-O-Man teamed up with his sidekick Wobbly in an adventure series brought to us by who else, Jell-O. As you read the latest Action Comics or the new and improved Justice League I encourage all of you to sit back, relax and wipe the golden remnants of Twinkie from your fingers while going back to a simpler time when comics were fun, snack cakes were healthy energy, an How have we become so politically correct? Maybe it is the melancholy of fall; maybe it is the responsibilities of the office which leaves me yearning for a sense of nostalgia. I long for a simpler time when Superman Soared through Smallville for a Susie Q, or when Batman saved Gotham City for nothing but a Twinkie. The last time I can remember an ad from the food industry ventured into the comics genre was when Jell-O-Man teamed up with his sidekick Wobbly in an adventure series brought to us by who else, Jell-O. As you read the latest Action Comics or the new and improved Justice League I encourage all of you to sit back, relax and wipe the golden remnants of Twinkie from your fingers while going back to a simpler time when comics were fun, snack cakes were healthy energy, and Bill Cosby still did Jell-O commercials.

How have we become so politically correct? Maybe it is the melancholy of fall; maybe it is the responsibilities of the office which leaves me yearning for a sense of nostalgia. I long for a simpler time when Superman Soared through Smallville for a Susie Q, or when Batman saved Gotham City for nothing but a Twinkie. The last time I can remember an ad from the food industry ventured into the comics genre was when Jell-O-Man teamed up with his sidekick Wobbly in an adventure series brought to us by who else, Jell-O. As you read the latest Action Comics or the new and improved Justice League I encourage all of you to sit back, relax and wipe the golden remnants of Twinkie from your fingers while going back to a simpler time when comics were fun, snack cakes were healthy energy, and Bill Cosby still did Jell-O commercials.

How have we become so politically correct? Maybe it is the melancholy of fall; maybe it is the responsibilities of the office which leaves me yearning for a sense of nostalgia. I long for a simpler time when Superman Soared through Smallville for a Susie Q, or when Batman saved Gotham City for nothing but a Twinkie. The last time I can remember an ad from the food industry ventured into the comics genre was when Jell-O-Man teamed up with his sidekick Wobbly in an adventure series brought to us by who else, Jell-O. As you read the latest Action Comics or the new and improved Justice League I encourage all of you to sit back, relax and wipe the golden remnants of Twinkie from your fingers while going back to a simpler time when comics were fun, snack cakes were healthy energy, and Bill Cosby still did Jell-O commercials.

How have we become so politically correct? Maybe it is the melancholy of fall; maybe it is the responsibilities of the office which leaves me yearning for a sense of nostalgia. I long for a simpler time when Superman Soared through Smallville for a Susie Q, or when Batman saved Gotham City for nothing but a Twinkie. The last time I can remember an ad from the food industry ventured into the comics genre was when Jell-O-Man teamed up with his sidekick Wobbly in an adventure series brought to us by who else, Jell-O. As you read the latest Action Comics or the new and improved Justice League I encourage all of you to sit back, relax and wipe the golden remnants of Twinkie from your fingers while going back to a simpler time when comics were fun, snack cakes were healthy energy, and Bill Cosby still did Jell-O commercials.

My generation has never truly known the horrors of war. There has been, for the majority of people, a glass wall called television between the tragedies of the battlefield and our every day lives. What does this have to do with comic books? Plenty. Various publishers have sent iconic heroes half a world a way to intervene and raise awareness for issues plaguing humanity. In the mid-eighties it was the X-Men fighting starvation in Africa, Superman has been to different countries, raising awareness about the dangers of land mines, and independent creators have made Eisner award winning titles focusing on AIDS awareness—so what’s the difference now. There is a genocide happening in the Sudan. A race is being extinguished, more so, every day. The comic book industry has always made it a point to band together in times of crisis, such as the tribute books of September 11th or the funding contributed to Hurricane Katrina relief victims. I urge all comic book publishers and creators to band together to raise awareness for another prevalent world issue, the genocide occurring in Darfur. We can all be heroes for hope and save a people which may one day no longer exist. After all, isn’t that the moral that the majority of our comic book reading has taught? In a world full of mutants, we’re not so different after all. If you want more information you can go to: www.stand.org.