After looking at the new Newsarama, which is great but looks like the new CBR and the old Wizard, a question popped into my head: what type of comic book news website do you all prefer to read your comic news at?
Factors:
* lots of graphics, or less graphics and faster load time?
* only comic book coverage or more general pop-culture coverage?
* more columns, or more hard news stories?
* do you want more opinionated, edgy investigative reporting?
* do you fancy gossip columns, rumors, and spoilers?
* more interviews? more spontaneous/less scripted interviews?
* would you like to have the comic creators/editors speak directly to you in opinion pieces?
* do you crave more objectivity or subjectivity in the reporting?
* do you want more of a spread in terms of genres, or are you mostly interested in superheroes?
* what do you think of columnists/reporters who work for free as opposed to those paid on staff? do you think the fact of being paid encourages the writer in question to do better work?
* do Google ads pee on your parade?
* would you be interested in having regular readers give their own opinions in column of their own? should there be more opportunities for reader participation in general?
* what is your favorite comics or pop-culture news site? what site do you go to to get all your breaking comics news? or is it a mix?
* what do you dislike most in a comics news site?
* more cowbell? less cowbell?
You know, I'm somewhat bored by the major comic news sites. There are a lot of mediocre and bad comics, so wading through updates about these just doesn't interest me.
ReplyDeleteI'm far more interested in blogs like yours, where you take a thoughtful look across comics or at particular comics that are pretty good.
There are lots of comics out, and I can't get to them all. But when it comes to finding the good ones, the site doesn't matter as much as the reviewer--does she have similar tastes as me? Do I trust his opinion?
FWIW, I have Newsarama (comics) and CBR as netvibe feeds, so in a way, it doesn't matter. Just looking at the headlines in those sites, I hardly ever click through.
I liked the "old Newsarama" better, but am reserving judgement on the new look and approach so as not to have the immediate "I hate it" just because it's different than I'm used to.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I prefer the comics-focused site that blends op/ed pieces with real creators and editors in the field. Real news mixed with well-done fan perspectives, opinions, and speculation. I don't even mind rumors as long as they're qualified.
It looks like Newsarama has just taken the next logical step to joining a larger consortium of sites, which I get. I don't care how much you love comics, free blogging/moderating won't put food on the table. But I could care less about the rest of the stuff they have on the site now. I just changed my handy link button to go right to the Comics section.
I find myself not being a huge fan of "pop culture" stuff for lack of a better word, to an extent. Coverage of movies and game-related news (related to comics obviously) I don't mind at all, but it can be overkill sometimes. ALso, while I don't mind ads and graphics, it can be overkill. CBR's got a good balance, but Wizard.com is just painful to look at.
ReplyDeleteAlso, PAID! But as a freelance writer who'se mostly appeared online I'm biased, haha.
-costa k
fistfightatthearthouse.wordpress.com
medium graphics. lower on the flash & stuff-- THAT is what bugs me.
ReplyDeletesometimes having "general" coverage gets on my nerves. like-- i don't need your opinions on ______. since you are probably asking for YOURSELF though, i like the idea of generalizing.
columns. "hard news" is a weird idea when it comes to entertaniment.
opinionated! edgy can get old though.
gossip i like, spoilers i hate. a tough line to walk!
interviews i find boring. i care more about the work than the artist.
having creators do op-ed, if they could be honest about it, would be okay, though.
i want my reporting objective, my op-ed subjective, & the two CLEARLY deliniated.
in comics? i mostly read the capes.
paid writers do tend to give more attention i find. unpaid does free one from editorial constraints, though.
GO GOOGLE ADS! i like them.
reader participation? is this a trick question? should i plead the fifth? YES PLEASE.
dislike most? the "comic book nerd" attitude. complaining. mind you, i don't mean legitimate complaints like "uh, you just tortured a girl to (sexy) death with a power drill & then she didn't get a memorial?" or "eff, dude, spider-man sold his true love to the devil?"
What I don't like about the new Newsarama is:
ReplyDelete1) the whole screen is taken up by ad, banner and 'top stories' and you have to scroll to get to older stuff (I like the CBR redesign better)
2) I REALLY don't like the fact that there's a 'comics' page, a 'film' page etc. I liked the old, all in one site better.
And I really miss the old design of blog@, which was the best part of the site anyway.
On to your questions:
*some graphics, faster load
*mainly comics, some pop culture
*mainly news, some columns
*how edgy can you get in comics and not alienate the publishers?
*I like the rumors etc, but I have Rich Johnston for that really
*like interviews, and spontaneous is good if edited properly
*creators/editor opinion pieces are a good idea; I like Brevoort's blog
*I prefer the objective man on the Clapham omnibus; if it's subjective, it's not reporting, it's blogging.
*genre spread is fine but superheros are bread and butter
*I like the idea of paid staff as they'll treat it more seriously...but I can take either depending on the standard of reporting
*Google ads are okay as long as they're not placed in the middle of articles
*reader participation in some form is pretty key to these site's success, I think
*Used to go to Newsarama but lean more to CBR these days
*Dislike interviewers inserting their own viewpoints into interviews. That's the whole subjectivity thing again.
*more cowbell!
I would like comic book sites that not only employ people who can spell, but also hire someone to look at the articles before they post them. I know it's "just the internet," but nothing takes me out of an interview like really obvious grammar mistakes...you know, "their" in place of "there." It's annoying only to me, I know.
ReplyDeleteI kinda liked the old Newsarama better, but I'm sure I'll get used to the new one. It's just a little busy.
ReplyDeleteOver at Comic Addiction (www.comicaddiction.com), we try to keep the design simple and easy to navigate. We don't do news, since we don't have the staff and the time to compete with CBR or Newsarama. We focus on reviews, opinion, interviews, and our podcast, so we're trying to carve out our niche there.
* lots of graphics, or less graphics and faster load time?
ReplyDeleteLess Graphics. Don't clutter it like Times Square. Use Graphics to illustrate, not nauseate.
* only comic book coverage or more general pop-culture coverage?
I prefer only comic book coverage. If I want to read about a movie, I will go to a movie site. If it's a comic book character movie or show, I feel it's ok, but now sites are just reporting on any movie - or any movie done by someone who's worked in comics. That reaks of publicity whoring and damages the integrity of the comic book news site, at leas tin my eyes.
* more columns, or more hard news stories?
HARD. NEWS. STORIES. (I like it hard.) ;)
* do you want more opinionated, edgy investigative reporting?
Um, YES!!!!!!!! I don't need a company or corporation to tell me what I like and what to buy. They shold tell me why I might be interested in buying it. And the site should have free reign to call bullshit on them. The comic news has gotten like the press with the White House administration - sucking up to the companies and creators for fear that they won't ever be graced with a story again.
* do you fancy gossip columns, rumors, and spoilers?
Yeah, they're fun, as long as they're marked so. I really think it's a great way to market a good comic. If your comic is crap. . .well, sucks to be you. LOL.
* more interviews? more spontaneous/less scripted interviews?
Uh, YES, YES, and YES. Seriously, these things start to read like the Today Show and good Morning America - i.e. geared toward the dull and conossieurs of crap.
* would you like to have the comic creators/editors speak directly to you in opinion pieces?
If they have something really important to say or are passionate. Otherwise, I could take it or leave.
* do you crave more objectivity or subjectivity in the reporting?
YES. Only a corporate shill wouldn't!
* do you want more of a spread in terms of genres, or are you mostly interested in superheroes?
Me personally, I LOVE superheroes, but superheroes is not for everyone. I love me some sci-fi and fantasy too. Other dig manga, horror, and even (gasp!) romance. There's room for everyone at the comic table as long as people are putting their heart and souls into their craft and not just doing it for money reasons.
* what do you think of columnists/reporters who work for free as opposed to those paid on staff? do you think the fact of being paid encourages the writer in question to do better work?
I feel bad for those who work for free. I especially don't understand it for anyone doing it for a big sites. the big sites can afford to pay. If they believe that a new person is good enough to be a reporter, they should pay them. And yes, the pay will motivate them if being a reporter is truly for them.
* do Google ads pee on your parade?
What? Too busy ignoring them.
* would you be interested in having regular readers give their own opinions in column of their own? should there be more opportunities for reader participation in general?
That's kinda' what messageboards are for. What makes one reader's shit more special than everyone elses?
* what is your favorite comics or pop-culture news site? what site do you go to to get all your breaking comics news? or is it a mix?
I go to Newsarama and Comicbook resources. Newsarama used ot be my favorite, but I am totally hating on the new format. It's too much like CBR, but worse, because they don't have the date posted right next to the article title before you click on it. It makes it harder to keep track of what I need to read in order not to waste my precious time.
* what do you dislike most in a comics news site?
Corporate shilling and ass kissing to creators and editors. DC barely got called on by Newsarama by Countdown. That was a disaster, and they needed to take more responsibility for it than they have. That was the beginning of my DC disenchantment.
* more cowbell? less cowbell?
Excuse me what??? No cows. Not a fan of cows. If it's just the bell, then ok. :)
That Wizard Universe website makes my eyes burn.
ReplyDeleteI like my comics news sites to look exactly like The Comics Reporter, Journalista and/or Occasional Superheroine. The Beat doesn't make my eyes bleed either.
ReplyDeleteThe new Newsarama and CBR sites have actually gone a long way into increasing my self-esteem as a web guy. By adapting a template that's in use far and wide across the internet, they've homogenized themselves. It's ugly and dull.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, I had always felt self-conscious about the way my site (The Comics Waiting Room) looked. Not anymore. You click on the cover, get taken to the table of contents for the latest issue, and choose something to read. Suddenly it's a point of pride- we don't look like anyone else's place. We have something unique, flaws and all.
I'm sure Newsarama's change was partially driven by the CBR upgrade, but in the long run I think they'll make another change because of how regrettably awful this one has turned out to be. Could get interesting.
Marc Mason
Editor-in-Chief
Comics Waiting Room
I'm kinda surprised at the hate for the new Newsarama design. I like it fine. Seems a lot more functional than the old system. However, I'm more curious to see if the same folks I like over there are still delivering their news, reviews, and opinions. And Blog@ needs their comments back.
ReplyDeleteI used to check Newsarama for just news headlines, then go over to CBR to read about the news.
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons I don't like Newsarama; most of the interviews are not that good, convention roundup articles leave out details, and now there is too much non-comics coverage which isn't really news.. Troy Brownfield is the man, though.
So many [better] TV/movie sites, why not just a kick-ass comics site?
CBR is just that. It's all relative to funnybooks, which is awesome, and you don't need to click on a 'Comics' to get that.
P.S. If you hate advertisements and are using Firefox, get the ADblock Plus plugin.
I mostly go to blogs to find out about comic stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I don't really want to see is a lot of reader participation in stuff like news and columns. 95% of the readership is jacktards who think a comic is bad not on its own merits, but whether it fits their own personal take on a given character. If I want to see someone grandstanding and mocking comics, I'll go read Atop The Fourth Wall, i-mockery, or old entries on Dave's Longbox, because too much of the readership is just too mean-spirited about it to be funny, and that even carries over into things like reviews and editorials.
Actually, I get most of my news here, Leave Your Spandex @ The Door, or the fellas at my local. I gave up on magazines, which remind me of the coddling, don't-bite-the-hand-feeding-us attitude on video game sites, and comic book news sites seem too full of the typical internet annoyances.
ReplyDeleteI'd really rather hear the views of people like you guys, similar to mine, but not exactly alike. Those other two sources, and you, have actually helped me get back into comics post-Civil War/Everything DC Is Doing Wrong Lately. And I am very grateful.
First, some broad strokes:
ReplyDeleteWizarduniverse is just ridiculous. All they do is summarize the comics in a patronizing voice with no kind of critical eye at all. It makes the site seem unintelligent.
And one person praised the art of Cliff Chiang -- when it wasn't his art at all! And what's worse, they misspelled Cliff Chiang! I e-mailed them, but nothing happened thereafter. . .
Also, many of the scans are unreadable, but I do like to use wizarduniverse as a resource for the ones that aren't. For less inane material, I go to comicbookresources or newsarama. I favor newsarama, because it's the only site that actually shows previews for DC comics.
Now for the important strokes:
* lots of graphics, or less graphics and faster load time?
Graphics are useful for the non-mainstream stuff, so that people have an idea of what they're getting when they click on the link. How many people actually click on that link is a different matter, but graphics help that out, and the non-mainstream stuff would need that boost more than the mainstream stuff.
* only comic book coverage or more general pop-culture coverage?
If it's gonna be a comics site, I think everything has to at least be comics-related. If it's that much, than it's fair game. Knowing about the next episode of The Spectacular Spider-Man, for example, would work here.
* more columns, or more hard news stories?
More hard news than columns! People come to news sites more for what's upcoming in comics than opinions. The exception here is unless the article in question is a review!
* do you want more opinionated, edgy investigative reporting?
I'm not exactly sure how this applies to comics (sorry) but I'll try. Newsarama's listing of how much the event comics will cost us would be an example right? Except they specifically said that they had no intention beyond the facts, which is a touchy subject. . . (sorry)
All in all, I don't think opinionated reporting is necessary for a news site.
* do you fancy gossip columns, rumors, and spoilers?
Gossip columns are interesting to read, but like another person said, only if they're stated as such. They're not necessary for a news site though.
* more interviews? more spontaneous/less scripted interviews?
I like to read interviews. They give me insight on a writer's vision of what s/he's working on, and I suppose that kind of stuff interests me. More spontaneous interviews only if they're smart, though.
* would you like to have the comic creators/editors speak directly to you in opinion pieces?
Only if they have something dire to say. News sites should be written by its reporters and its crew, not the creators.
* do you crave more objectivity or subjectivity in the reporting?
More objectivity. If I wanted someone's opinion, I'd go to a blog!
* do you want more of a spread in terms of genres, or are you mostly interested in superheroes?
I like a spread in genres. Comics aren't just spandex stuff after all!
* what do you think of columnists/reporters who work for free as opposed to those paid on staff? do you think the fact of being paid encourages the writer in question to do better work?
Being paid is definitely a better incentive for doing good work than, say, the satisfaction of a work well done, unless the writer him/herself is incredibly intrinsically motivated.
* do Google ads pee on your parade?
Do other ads count here? Occasionally they do, because they slow down the loading rate.
* would you be interested in having regular readers give their own opinions in column of their own? should there be more opportunities for reader participation in general?
Andrew had a fantastic point about reader participation. If readers get too much leeway, they can't help but complain. I hate, after reading an interesting article, to see five different versions of "This is going to be crap. Looks like I'll be saving X dollars!" Readers can be so mindless sometimes.
See what I did there? Way too easy to complain.
* what is your favorite comics or pop-culture news site? what site do you go to to get all your breaking comics news? or is it a mix?
Newsarama, because it tries the best to give equal weight to the big two.
* what do you dislike most in a comics news site?
Uneven coverage. Some sites need to realize that there's actually more than one comics publisher.
* more cowbell? less cowbell?
One word: "moooooooo."
Newsarama put me off with the more vocal screaming lunatics expressing their personal distaste for something in a poorly-worded manner - and I'm just browsing for fun. God knows what someone who has to keep track of web opinion for a particular comics company (it'd be pretty dumb to not kep track of initial reactions to your product, as that's what marketing is based on) makes of the likes of that.
ReplyDeleteThe new graphics seem fine to me. The rest of your questions need to be answered on a contextual basis - is the site for technically-literate comics-loving web users viewing it via a PC with a reasonably-fast connection, or mildly-curious casual dabblers loading it via free (possibly a crowded connection) wi-fi on their blackberry/ iPhone?
It all depends on what consumer model the website redesign is aimed at.
For me, it seems fine.
I hate the new Newsarama. It looks just like CBR, without the columnists that make me overlook my dislike of CBR's design. I'm thinking about cutting by my visits, as I did when CHUD.com got loused up by overdesign.
ReplyDelete* I prefer less graphics and faster load time/simple structure for a broad overview of articles.
* I prefer only comic book coverage, as other sites have better access to outside media.
* I'd like both more columns and more hard news stories.
* I want more opinionated, edgy investigative reporting.
* I want fancy gossip columns, rumors, and spoilers.
* I want more interviews & more spontaneous/less scripted interviews.
* I would like to have the comic creators/editors speak directly to me in opinion pieces.
* I prefer more subjectivity in the reporting, so long as it's critical, as opposed to ass kissing. Or at least sincere, well written ass kissing
* I like super-hero news because it's the most sensational, but I want to be exposed to alternative material as well. Indie books are more personal, so you have to throw a lot against the wall to get something to stick with an individual reader.
* The industry is too small to afford to pay reporters who are interesting. Better to have passionate amateurs, or loudmouth industry pros bribed to get themselves into hot water with a column. Money goes where talent flows.
* I don't mind ads, but I hate those random hotlink numbers (again, like CHUD.)
* I think that if I want the opinion of "regular readers," I can follow their message board posts or blog. In articles/columns, I want to read people who are writers first. Not necessarily paid writers, but writers still.
* CBR is my favorite comics news site. I don't have a pop-culture favorite. I have to cast about for that. I also hit Newsarama, but now I'm shopping around. Hateful mess of a design.
* The things I most dislike about comic news sites are scattered layouts and lack of content.
* The things I most like about comic news sites are regular, meaty columns that read well. That's what makes CBR. Steven Grant, Rich Johnson, Hanibal Tabu, Keith Giffen, Erik Larson, and occasionally Augie DeBlick. I miss Stewart Moore.
* Shotgun Reviews and AICN @$$holes are alright, but there are too many of them that lack a "voice." CBR's reviews are all over the place. Ugh. The Stack will one day inspire a spree killing or three at neighborhood comic shops. LESS VIDEO, for the love of God!!!
My two cents:
ReplyDelete1. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles with my websites. But if anyone has to gussy up their site, please no videos that start automatically. I usually bop back and for between pages, and that always freaks me out.
2. I prefer more plain old comic book coverage. If I wanted pop culture coverage, I'd go to a pop culture site.
3. But if you are going to go all catch-all, do like IGN does, segment the coverage into different sub-sites.
4. I'd like to have hard news and columns. Not just rehashing press releases but also investigative articles.
5. And I like gossip in the sense that it gives you hint at the workings behind the scenes in the industry. I mean, I like to see publisher X screwed writer z out of money or artist J might be taking over title y, not writer z might be sleeping with artist j.
6.Interviews are fine, and you can play with the format.
7. I have no problem with creators expressing their opinions editorially.
8. Any one who writes for a news site should be professional. They should be objective and whether they get paid or not should not enter into the equation. It is a news site. I believe opinions can be expressed in editorials on news sites, but not, say, in interviews.
9. I'd like full service coverage for comics news sites. superheroes, manga, & indies.
10. Readers could contribute if they are intelligent, professional and respectful. If they do an article that is all "Bendis sucks because he sucks", well, I don't want to read that.
11. I liked the old school Comic Book Resources and Newsarama.
12. What I dislike is the lack of ease in navigating any site. The new CBR was simple--columns on the right, news articles on the left. The new version isn't as simple and I don't like it as much.
* Fewer graphics and faster load time. Also, please, don't be one of those web pages that are constantly reloading themselves.
ReplyDelete* I prefer strictly comic book coverage. A little of the other media is tolerable, but too much and I'll be looking for another information source. I don't want to have to wade through it trying to find my comic news; also, I'm always worried that the non-comic media will gradually take over the whole site in a kudzu-like manner.
* I prefer a balance of news and opinion pieces, but I do go to the sites for the news--the columns are a really nice bonus, though.
* Edgy news reporting? Sure, why not?
* I'm not sure I'd want to read comic-related gossip. However, I do like the occasional (or not so occasional) spoiler.
* I like both sorts of interview, honestly.
* Opinion pieces from creators could be interesting, as long as it doesn't take too much time away from their creating. :)
* Reporting should be objective. Subjectivity is for opinion pieces and columns.
* I am personally most interested in superheroes, but I'm perfectly capable of skipping over pieces on genres I don't care for.
* I don't think you can necessarily associate quality with whether someone is paid or not, although I think it may be true that if you're being paid to do something you're less likely to just not do it.
* I am very, very good at ignoring ads of all sorts, including Google.
* Reader participation is a plus, helps keep things fresh.
* In the past I've tended to go most often to Newsarama, mainly because I knew where everything was! (Kind of like when you always go to the same grocery store because you know what's in all the aisles.) So right now I'm looking around for a main info site. Could end up being Newsarama again. Might be Comic Book Resources. Might be something I haven't come across yet.
* What I dislike most is poor site navigation. I generally want to get in, see what's new, and get out.
* Just a little cowbell.