Free Comic Book Day

In honor of Free Comic Book Day, I'm going to talk comics, which I usually do over on the Pegasus Books blog site.

The first time I read Wolverine, he was a pint-sized, snarly character. Imagine, if you will, Danny DeVito as Woverine instead of Hugh Jackman. This is another major movie character that brushed up against Frank Miller (300, Sin City, The Spirit), who drew the first mini-series starring the sideburned challenged character.

It's always interesting to me, the range of responses I get from the public on comics. Anywhere from, "I didn't know they still made comics!" To "You must be doing really well because of all the movies."

I suppose I should be grateful for the latter response, even if it isn't true, I'm glad that perception is out there.

For the first time in Comic History, not a single title sold over 100,000 copies last month. Think about that. A country of 350 million, and nothing sells over the 100k mark.

What I always say to people is, Comics as an art form have never been better. THIS IS THE GOLDEN AGE. The talent of the artists and the writers are amazing.

But it's hard to deny the appeal of the iconic characters created in the past; they have proved enduring, and obviously tapped into the mythic archetypes of our subconscious.

Still, it's always a bit odd to work in an industry that is years ahead of the public perception. It's as if everyone in the U.S. turned off their T.V. 35 years ago, and only recently turned them back on again. They would be amazed by how far T.V. shows have progressed.

Movies, books, T.V. and -- yes-- comics have all progressed.

Even the Watchmen is 20 years old, by now. Wolverine is a relatively newer character in the Marvel Universe -- and he must by going on 30 or 35 years. Spider-man? He's nearing 50. And Superman and Batman are Grandpa's, at nearly 70 years old.

But the classics from history are still there, overshadowing the newer characters somehow. I wonder sometimes if the pioneers (Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko) mine these characters and stories for the obvious possibilities -- just as Heinlein, and Clarke, and Asimov, trailblazed S.F. and will always seem Bigger, somehow. More Inventive, somehow.

At the same time, some of the most iconic stories and characters are clunky by today's standards.

I understand the mentality that thinks Cecil B. DeMille is a better auteur than Steven Spielburg, that the original Spider-man is way better than anything today.

But I don't agree with this. And more to the point, this mentality doesn't help my business much. I need people to look forward, to enjoy reading and looking at the current comics. Nostalgia doesn't work for me as a business model.

I need people looking forward, not back.

There are movies that are being made about current characters -- Scott Pilgrim is coming up. But I suspect most people won't even know who he is.

++++++++++++++++++

Meanwhile, have mentioned my love of the character Parker, from the Richard Stark novels? Short, punchy novels with a great main character. He's not as enigmatic as Lee Marven in Point Blank; in fact, he's much more like the Mel Gibson version. (Point Blank is a far superior movie, though.)

I also really admire Darwyn Cooke's art. This is coming out soon.

Last time I looked, I couldn't find any of the Parker novels in print, which is a travesty. Letting character's like Travis McGee of the Busted Flush, and Parker the professional bank robber lie moldering is a crime.

A Crime! I tell you!

(And yes, I'm aware that I'm touting an older, iconic character.....sigh......I'm not immune.)