Comics Spirit

Hi,

I'm putting this blog on hiatus for a week (or so) in protest of the apathy, inferior product, corruption, bureaucratic nightmares, dysfunction, soul-killing, greed, bad contracts, bounced checks, lingering discrimination among selected dinosaurs (sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism), and spineless ass-kissery in certain afflicted sectors of the comic book industry. My apologies to those sectors not afflicted; I still think you're tops.

You can still check out my other blog for some light and frothy pap, or read my narrative Goodbye To Comics. I am currently being filmed for a TV news-magazine type segment, and it's my hope that perhaps this will help both get extra funding for Friends of Lulu and facilitate interest in the adaptation in some medium of my memoir.

As for my future plans for this blog, and comics blogging in general, I would like to launch something along the lines of this (and you can let me know what you think of the idea):

Comics Spirit:
Why We Read
Why We Write
Why We Draw

It would focus on the quality product that is being out out now, as well as individual creators who go above and beyond to create comics of merit. I figure there are enough press-junket coverage out there now, and they do it much better than I do and with better websites.

I've been re-reading those old Marvel Age issues recently, and they are actually (especially the very early ones) very good -- well-researched, with insightful interviews. The format of the classic comics fanzine -- such as Mark Gruenwald championed -- really appeals to me. Certainly, this is not stuff that can be dashed off four times a day. It would require a more careful preparation. But I think it would be rewarding. And maybe it could partially focus on those who work outside the system, who have challenged the system - either in the business itself or just in terms of their groundbreaking comics work.

The biggest comics and the most high-ranking people have their own mouthpieces and publicity machines. I should know, because I have both worked for one monolithic company and I've done PR for others. But, I feel that what is really going to really change this world and this medium are the unique voices. Life is change and diversity. Death is stagnation and uniformity. It's not new age mumbo-jumbo. It's biology and evolution. And, ultimately, it is also business.