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Monday, February 27, 2006
You gotta nip it in the bud, Andy!
If you ever wanted to know that unique feeling of bewilderment, horror and (much needed) humor that is reporting on a comic book convention read Chris Butcher's take on NYCC. I loved his attitude throughout the whole thing. His reporting on the "State of the Industry" panel brought back all those memories of seeing some glorified comic book fan who was in the right place at the right time and got a job in the comic book industry (a perfectly valid way to describe myself I should say) is called upon for all his wisdom, as if he knows any more than the fans sitting in the back row. I remember seeing the PR guy for a relatively large comic book company speak by himself on where he though the world of comics was and where it was going. As he went through every conventional wisdom talking point he could ("that digest format is pretty neat, huh?") I kept thinking "at least don't mention Wertham in 2006, at least don't mention Wertham in 2006." Alas, even that was too much to hope for.
I can certainly see why people would feel exasperated seeing stuff like this, but I love comics too much to get upset. Hell in my own weird way, I love comic because of things like the State of the Industry panel. Don't expect an explanation on why, though.
As for comics people who are genuinely worth hearing from, my mind is still going over seeing Grant Morrison speak at WodnerCom. The second time I've seen him, I learned why his superhero comic books read so much better than everything else in the genre (besides, y'know, being well written). When going over his plots for Seaguy and The Atom he'll start explaining everything with this manic energy, doing voices and laughing as if he can't believe he's saying such crazy things. He captivates everyone in the room, his energy is so contagious. It's not just that he comes up with a good idea, anyone writing enough monthly superhero books will have at least one, but it’s that he follows that idea as far as he can take it. There's no self-consciousness about being a grown man writing about a guy whose superpower is becoming the size of your thumb nor is there any attempt to try and make all this believable to "the real world" or "new readers." Morrison is going for an unapologetic pop-culture sensation. I don't think that's how he approaches all his work, such as The Mystery Play or Arkham Asylum, but that certainly seems to be his take on the bright and shiny superhero books like All-Star Superman.
Imagine if, instead of reading about a forthcoming book in Previews, the writers of every book had to personally explain to you why you should buy their book. Most writers would talk about some "cool new things" that are going to happen, all while conversing with you as if you were co-workers talking about how you're weekends were. You'd hear their pitches and think "yeah, that sounds alright...I guess." Morrison would be talking to you in manner between an 8-year-old who just saw Star Wars for the first time and a Nobel Prize winning scientist on the verge of making a discovery that will change mankind. You'd think "yeah! I want to read that comic! Now get out of my house, Grant Morrison!"
I don't want to end on a sad note but I must say I will miss Don Knotts (although I suppose going from Grant Morrison to Don Knotts would be fun, if just not under these circumstances). I have fond memories of watching The Incredible Mr. Limpet on TV as a kid. Barney Fife was truly one of the most kick-ass nerds on TV. For more on Knotts, see this post from the King of TV as well as the Google Video further down.
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