THOR’S COMIC COLUMN 12/16

Really enjoyed writing this article, and hope any comic fan can relate to my experiences.

Finally had time to sit down and read your latest article, Bart. I really enjoyed it, and my comic book story mirrors your own, except comic day for me was Friday, and it was between my father and I. I started using digital comics to see what the deal was with the New 52, and it was just so easy, and I didn't really have time to look for a shop at the time, what with working full time and attending a class at a college an hour and a half away (so that I can go back and get my Master's oddly enough). I've made it a resolution to seek out a local shop as soon as class was over, and I found a pretty cool one today. One thing I've noticed since being asked to write for the column is that it's just really hard to get ahead of what's happening across the entire spectrum of publishers at the moment, and in the case of a lot of the smaller publishers retailers are still the best way to know what's up.

As for the survivability of the comic shop, I think we need to see more places like Isotope, which I've always wished were near me (and it's kind of a hipstery joint, come to think of it). In fact, I fantasize about opening up a similar sort of joint in a derelict Borders. But, you know, money. In a perfect world, comics would be the only draw one needed for a shop, and most retailers combat flagging sells by becoming "hobby shops" and selling games and stuff like that. I guess that's natural, as that's what a lot of fans know. But I think combining a bar and restaurant with a comic shop is a great idea, as the business has a side with a pretty high profit margin and a draw beyond the geeky.

Part of my frustration is ideological and I apologize for using your article as a punching bag, but I'm just baffled by this technophobic push back from certain comic book "fans." Granted, there are technical and legal issues with the evolving medium that need to be addressed, and that's certainly worthy of discussion, but the bulk of your argument, this sudden loss of "socialization" just seems naive at best, close-minded at worst. Even if we dismiss internet discussion as some lesser form of interaction (suck it message boards!), the internet isn't an either/or proposition. It's possible to talk to evil computer robots AND real people. I get it, you like buying comics with the bros, but despite the introduction of mp3s and Netflix we still, through the sheer power of human desire to make inane conversation, manage to find ways to discuss media with one another. Yes, the comic book store can be a place to buy and talk about comics, but the advent of a digital format means that suddenly the train, the bus stop, the office, school, all become viable forums not just for discussing but buying comics. If the form evolves along the path taken by its music brethren, you can have a new reader for $.99 cents and 30 seconds of download time. Sure, comic book stores may survive by turning themselves into chic boutique outlets, but you're kidding yourself if you think that's going to bring in new readers. New readers are going to come from making comics a viable media alternative right alongside a digital copy of a book or movie, not sectioning them off into their own little niche industry (an industry state, I should point out, that only now seems to be slowly eroding). So digital comics are "threatening" to change the comic industry? GOOD! Look around, the comic industry isn't some burgeoning mecca of creativity, it's X-Dudes vs. The Avenging League ad infinitum, a place where good series flounder because they can't find an audience. Nor does digital mean a death of print. I'm a guy who understands the fetishization of the physical (I get semi-wood every time I look at my  Bloom County library editions), but I'm flexible. How about a monthly digital run and then the option for a physical TPB at a reduced price? Suddenly all those people holding out for the trades become active in the month to month comic scene again, and conversation isn't stunted, it's stimulated. It's this conviction that there's a set way things should be done, that A is always going to be better than B, that you're either with us or against us that I find so damn grating. I don't need to hang out with comic fans. I'd just like to talk to people who enjoy reading comics.

Here's the deal: of course the comics industry as a whole needs to evolve. The New 52 is an attempt at reaching a broader audience, as is Marvel's tie-ins to the movies, and those are semi-successful. The problem, however, is not that there aren't good, accessible comics out there; it's the image that comic books as a medium evoke. 

We as fans can only hope to vote with our wallet in order to change the content of comic books. Our image and behavior, in and out of the comic shop, is something we have power over. The current stereotypical fan, the kind of guys I see lurking around the shelves at Borderlands, will not see digital comic books as a means of social interaction. They'll simply retreat into themselves. 

If they wouldn't talk to people on the train, at the bus stop, the office, and at school before, why would they start now? Baby steps are in order.

I also never dismissed internet discussion on the boards. Notice I praise in the article my involvement in CHUD's writing staff as a development that has broadened my comic book experience? I simply say that internet discussion forums threaten to replace the "barbershop" aspect of comic shops, and then it would be an either/or for comic fans. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartleby_Scriven 

Here's the deal: of course the comics industry as a whole needs to evolve. The New 52 is an attempt at reaching a broader audience, as is Marvel's tie-ins to the movies, and those are semi-successful. The problem, however, is not that there aren't good, accessible comics out there; it's the image that comic books as a medium evoke. 

 

We as fans can only hope to vote with our wallet in order to change the content of comic books. Our image and behavior, in and out of the comic shop, is something we have power over. The current stereotypical fan, the kind of guys I see lurking around the shelves at Borderlands, will not see digital comic books as a means of social interaction. They'll simply retreat into themselves. 

 

If they wouldn't talk to people on the train, at the bus stop, the office, and at school before, why would they start now? Baby steps are in order.

 

I also never dismissed internet discussion on the boards. Notice I praise in the article my involvement in CHUD's writing staff as a development that has broadened my comic book experience? I simply say that internet discussion forums threaten to replace the "barbershop" aspect of comic shops, and then it would be an either/or for comic fans. 

Again though, there's that patronizing perception of comic fans as socially retarded, unable to make basic human connections outside of an extremely narrow comfort zone. Yes, I'm sure people like that exist, and yes, I hope comic shops stick around in some form so they have a place to hang out, but that doesn't mean an entire industry should cater to a handful of people too scared to put their big boy pants on over their X-men Underoos and go have a meaningful conversation outside the local nerd emporium. I'd love it if they came along for the ride, but I'd much rather see comics succeed on a larger scale than ever before, rather than be held back because the publishers don't want to anger the bags and boards crowd. If we are to believe, as you suggest, that these people are socially helpless and unable to sever the umbilical cord of internet anonymity (and I think you are grossly underestimating comic fans), then I don't see why they should be catered to. And I'm sorry, if you're suggesting that switching from being nerdy recluses to being snobby elitist recluses is going to draw people to the medium, that rings totally false. You're just swapping one obnoxious stereotype for another.

And yes, you're absolutely right that the problem isn't a lack of quality comic books. IT'S THAT NOBODY IS FUCKING BUYING THEM. That tired "vote with your wallets" defense has been trotted out time and again, and guess what? The comic fans you're trying to shelter from big bad digital distribution have voted time and again for the same recycled cross-overs, the variant covers, the limited editions, the repetition of a handful of characters over and over. I like Batman, I want to read Batman comics, but I'd also like for independent creators to be able to find an audience that doesn't shun anything not garbed in spandex and a cape. I'm not saying burn the print factories to the ground, but why should creators be limited by their existing fanbase?
 

Finally, if you're going to use your article as defense, you might want to contextualize a bit. You wrote, and I quote "Writing reviews for CHUD, as well, has fueled my interest in seeking out a wide arrange of titles and genres from different publishing companies. That variety wouldn’t be possible without fellow human beings to hash it out with." You then go on to say "Word-of-mouth will now be relegated to the Internet without that personal touch, and suggestions of books to check out will now be from complete strangers. Who can you trust?" Maybe I'm just some cyber-brainwashed technophile, but just because I haven't shared air with the people on CHUD, or Munden's Bar or any of the other message boards I frequent doesn't mean I can't trust and value their opinion. If we're to believe your line of reasoning, no one should read your articles or any of the reviews in Thor's Comic Column because you're just some random internet assholes who're not to be trusted, rather than the intelligent, opinionated and clearly passionate individuals your writing suggests. There's a lot of anonymous douchebag on the internet, but behind those quirky handles are real, honest to god people (alright, and some spambots). I know, as a social He-Man able to balance real and virtual interactions with perfect equality it's hard for me to identify with the shy plebs, but I'd like to think my choice of interaction can encompass both humanity and internet dirtbags equally, even if the evolving medium changes where those interactions take place.

Splatoon, I hear and respect your opinion, but we live in a country with a mainstream media that discusses comic books with one of two headlines: "Bam! Pow! Whack!" or "Comics aren't for kids anymore". This is fifty years after the Adam West Batman show. 

Let me clarify my argument, as I should have narrowed my focus more than just the comics medium: stereotypical fans of superhero comic books give the rest of us a bad name. At the moment I have Feynman and Fun Home, two brilliant ogns, on my bedside table and I've enjoyed the hell out of them. I also know I may review Daredevil #7 this upcoming week. Fans like you and I, fans of sequential art as a medium, are open minded enough to accept digital media. 

Joe Sixpack on the street, however, the same guy that owns The Dark Knight on Blu-Ray, thinks that every single comic book is about superheroes, and every fan is The Simpson's Comic Book Guy. Imagine a comic shop in a heavily trafficked area, like a mall, possibly designed like a coffee house or even an Apple store, with attractive young people at the counter.

I maybe tried to cover too much in the article, but my main goal was reform from within rather than the revolution that digital media represents. There can be both, but the old image needs to change in the process. Also, again, I love CHUD and I value the internet as a resource and insightful arena of discussion, but I also don't know your real name; I've never looked you in the eyes or heard the tone in your voice. There's something to be said for good ol' human interaction, and "comic book day" for me was always like a living, breathing thread on this message board. I want both comic book day and this message board, and I can't imagine spontaneous conversations with large groups of people will be generated at bus stops because there's no guarantee that the five people standing around me are into comic books.

The comic shop, like the record store or the coffee shop, is an already existing forum with a known fanbase. Rather than attempt to rely on an entirely new, nebulous forum (seeing random person at IKEA reading Justice League #4 on a tablet, striking up a conversation with a single person) in a world where people will jaywalk with earbuds in while texting, I'm encouraging reformation of the old forum. I'm not anti-technology, but I honestly think it's robbing of us that human touch in all walks of life and this is one last, little corner I don't want taken away from me. In fact, I want to invite others in! 

I appreciate your passion. I'm not dismissing e-readers entirely, I just don't want the comic shop to disappear. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartleby_Scriven 

Splatoon, I hear and respect your opinion, but we live in a country with a mainstream media that discusses comic books with one of two headlines: "Bam! Pow! Whack!" or "Comics aren't for kids anymore". This is fifty years after the Adam West Batman show. 

 

Let me clarify my argument, as I should have narrowed my focus more than just the comics medium: stereotypical fans of superhero comic books give the rest of us a bad name. At the moment I have Feynman and Fun Home, two brilliant ogns, on my bedside table and I've enjoyed the hell out of them. I also know I may review Daredevil #7 this upcoming week. Fans like you and I, fans of sequential art as a medium, are open minded enough to accept digital media. 

 

Joe Sixpack on the street, however, the same guy that owns The Dark Knight on Blu-Ray, thinks that every single comic book is about superheroes, and every fan is The Simpson's Comic Book Guy. Imagine a comic shop in a heavily trafficked area, like a mall, possibly designed like a coffee house or even an Apple store, with attractive young people at the counter.

 

I maybe tried to cover too much in the article, but my main goal was reform from within rather than the revolution that digital media represents. There can be both, but the old image needs to change in the process. Also, again, I love CHUD and I value the internet as a resource and insightful arena of discussion, but I also don't know your real name; I've never looked you in the eyes or heard the tone in your voice. There's something to be said for good ol' human interaction, and "comic book day" for me was always like a living, breathing thread on this message board. I want both comic book day and this message board, and I can't imagine spontaneous conversations with large groups of people will be generated at bus stops because there's no guarantee that the five people standing around me are into comic books.

 

The comic shop, like the record store or the coffee shop, is an already existing forum with a known fanbase. Rather than attempt to rely on an entirely new, nebulous forum (seeing random person at IKEA reading Justice League #4 on a tablet, striking up a conversation with a single person) in a world where people will jaywalk with earbuds in while texting, I'm encouraging reformation of the old forum. I'm not anti-technology, but I honestly think it's robbing of us that human touch in all walks of life and this is one last, little corner I don't want taken away from me. In fact, I want to invite others in! 

 

I appreciate your passion. I'm not dismissing e-readers entirely, I just don't want the comic shop to disappear. 

I definitely hear what you're saying, but I think the big disconnect I'm having is between what's good for comic fans, and what's good for the comic industry, which may or may not overlap. Listen, I'm 100% for a hip new look for comic shops. There used to be a board-game cafe near me that did killer business, because while it still sold games it's main focus was on creating a welcoming, fun atmosphere. But I think the perception of comic shops, and by extension of comic readers, plays an incredibly small part in terms of introducing and/or preventing new readers to comics. I think the video game industry is the best analogy, as that's a medium that's shared a similar stigma in the past. But you can't tell me that nerds make up all 10+ million WoW subscribers, or the 20+ million who buy every new Call of Duty, or the "who fuckin' knows but it's probably in the hojillions" that play Angry Bird on a daily basis. Nor do I think it can be argued that it was some sudden shift in the perception of games that induced this new popularity. Gaming is becoming more and more popular (and by extension, more and more socially viable) because it didn't wall itself off into a niche market. You can buy games at Target, at Walmart, at 7-11, on your phone, on your computer, on your Mp3 player. Games cover a huge spectrum of subjects and age groups, nearly all readily available with minimum effort. Yes, I can walk into a Gamestop, but I can also get my games a dozen other ways. I mean if we want to wax nostalgic, the real halcyon era of comics wasn't the comic shop era of the 80's, but the newstand, the circular rack. You're right, Joe Six-Pack may be skeptical of comics, but he's a lot more likely to take a chance for $1.99 on his tablet than go out of his way to check out the one comic book store in town, even if it is clean and attractive. Comic book shops offer a singular experience, and you're damn right I hope they stick around, but that format hasn't let the comic book medium thrive, but survive. I'm not saying that digital comics are suddenly going to launch comics into the mainstream, but it will at least put them on equal footing to compete even if they can't carve out the same physical presence in stores. The media, fans, stores, they do play a part in how people view comics, but I just think what will really change people's opinions are comics themselves, and anything that gets comics into people's hands, even at the risk of alienating the hardcore fanbase, is good for the industry. The fans may call "sell-out" when they're favorite garage band hits the big time, but the depth of their passion is ultimately weighed against a broad perception and discourse.

Whew, I haven't been this entertained by a debate since the great "Are Video Games Art" kerfuffle back in the day. It's a fascinating topic, even if deep down I suspect that our opinions are ultimately going to be meaningless versus the sway of consumerism that drives most cultural trends. You and I can talk, but at the end of the day I'm thinking the money's going to talk louder one way or the other.

Let this stew for a few days and I don't think there's much more to say. There obviously needs to be changes in the comic book industry, the fans, and the distribution. You're right that the heyday of comics was before comic shops, but this is why I made the comparison to record stores: you can still buy random, popular CDs at Wal-Greens, but you have to go to the record store for the specialty stuff. Although I see the occasional comic mixed in with the magazines, it's not enough. Comics need wider distribution, and not limited solely to comic shops. For that reason I'll grant that digital books can have benefits, but something else that bothers me about that (and was prompted by a comment on the article itself) is piracy.

Will wide release of digital comics make it easier for books to be pirated?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartleby_Scriven 

Let this stew for a few days and I don't think there's much more to say. There obviously needs to be changes in the comic book industry, the fans, and the distribution. You're right that the heyday of comics was before comic shops, but this is why I made the comparison to record stores: you can still buy random, popular CDs at Wal-Greens, but you have to go to the record store for the specialty stuff. Although I see the occasional comic mixed in with the magazines, it's not enough. Comics need wider distribution, and not limited solely to comic shops. For that reason I'll grant that digital books can have benefits, but something else that bothers me about that (and was prompted by a comment on the article itself) is piracy.

 

Will wide release of digital comics make it easier for books to be pirated?

Considering for the last five years+ one could hop on any random torrent site and have every single comic released that week in a few hours, I'd say no it probably won't get much easier. People are already scanning and posting comics (Ellis even makes a joke about it in Nextwave), so I'd imagine it as more of an iTunes scenario where the music industry didn't make money by making pirating harder, but by making it even easier (and reasonably cost effective) to just pay for the song.