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Breakdowns -- Wordy Sanchez
February 5, 2004
“I’ve still got the jive to survive with the heroes and villains”
The Beach Boys, “Heroes and Villains”
“Rot from the inside, sweet -----, like a carmel apple, until there’s nothing left to hold the stick in your ass.”
Me, in a bad mood last week.
Before I start, I wanted to mention that I was saddened (a much different kind of bad mood) at the passings of both Bob “Captain Kangaroo” Keshin and MAD artist George Woodbridge, an excellent artist whose work holds up very well. Both gentlemen certainly brought some joy to my childhood.
When I finished the last column, with the first of the “Publisher’s Report Cards,” I was not exactly drained, but more fueled by some sort of mysterious anger. It was really odd, almost like a Method acting comedown. When you comment on ten publishers or so at some length, you get into a brutal frame of mind, or at least I did, partly out of a lack of sleep, as well as a need to make the comments different enough for each report card to be interesting. And to do that, well, maybe you exaggerate a little. I stand by the column, and think there’s some useful stuff in there, but as I said then, it’s just my opinion. Some reviewers may have a totally different perspective on these publishers and their PR people, and in fact, I’m finding that to be true in some cases. As one reviewer (my favorite) told me, “Get over yourself—you write for Movie Poop Shoot, not The New York Times.” Hard to argue with that! There was also a guy who wrote me a long, angry email about how I was just another anti-Marvel geek and that the company had their greatest year ever, and how typical it was that I would champion Christopher Priest, and NYX is “a testament of greatness.” Hard to argue with that, too, or more to the point, why bother?
Something a simple skim through Diamond’s PREVIEWS should have told me before I started this crazy scheme: There are a fuckuva lotta comics publishers!. So, I’m sorry, but there’s just no way I can cover all these guys, or not at any length. In fact, I was going to hit on a few in bullets, but ended up dumping it after writing one up for AC COMICS. They’re a nostalgia publisher for the most part, reprinting old genre work by legends and near-legends like Jerry Robinson, Bob Powell, Dick Ayers, Reed Crandall, etc. Westerns, superheroes, crime. And, really, who cares? They do what they do well, but I really just need to focus on publishers who are putting out at least a few issues a month of new stuff. So find the second part of this feature below, with the finale being next column.
The Reviews
THE UNFUNNIES #1 (OF 4) by Mark Millar and Anthony Williams. Avatar Press. $3.50
The trouble with satire, as opposed to straight humor, is that sometimes it’s so good that people don’t know it’s a joke. That seems to be happening here and there in some reviews of this blackhearted funny animal book, some people actually outraged by it. And what’s all the fuss about? Well, Moe the Crow, a harmless looking patriarch in a four-color comic strip setting, is jailed for possession of kiddie porn, forcing his wife to whore herself to make ends meet. I read the script for this months ago and really had my doubts it would work, but with Williams’ art, it works beautifully. It’s not that he’s a great artist, but he’s right for the project, with a simple style just right for all-ages comic strips, and reminiscent of Heckyl and Jekyll, as was obviously intended.
Degradation and perversion are played for laughs, sure, but with a definite purpose. Millar is not really making light of pedophilia—who could really think that? Rather, he’s exploring modern societal horrors in the setting of an innocuous funny animal comic strip, the humor coming from how Moe treats the exposure of his terrible sickness as just one more wacky situation to “sweet talk” his way out of. It’s not like he’s rewarded for his crimes. He’s punished for his guilt, and if one is looking for a moral center, it doesn’t come much clearer than being imprisoned and sodomized for one’s crimes.
Birdseed Betty, Moe’s wife, isn’t given quite the same satirical edge, though she’s pretty typical of the comic strip or cartoon mate who goes along with her man’s hairbrained scheme. The morality comes through again when we find the limit to her debasement, that whatever she has to do to survive, she won’t let her kids be given the same treatment. It’s fascinating that as carefully as the creators have gotten their message across (and with good, dark humor), that anyone could misinterpret it. I hear that some retailers are up in arms about the book, but I’m not sure what they expected, from the title to the solicitation to the publisher to the clearly-not-for-kids covers. And let’s forget the morality and the carefully executed satire. Sure, some will argue that it’s appalling to treat a story involving pedophilia with humor, but isn’t that what humor’s for? To help us face the unknown and the discomfiting? To provide an escape valve for our day-to-day frustrations and fury at the stupid, weak, unjust and depraved? It’s also funny that those criticizing the book frequently point to the treatment not being original—cartoonists like R. Crumb having depicted funny animals like Fritz the Cat in various acts of perversion—yet it’s apparently perfectly fine to review superhero book after superhero book with various creators telling the same basic story with the same basic approach. It’s definitely a book that will continue to divide people, and based on Millar’s track record I’m sure he derives some pleasure yet again shocking people, but I also think there’s more going on here than his transferring his habit of upping the level of superhero sex, drugs and violence to funny animals. The mysteries of the photorealistic Troy Hicks character—perhaps the God of Moe’s world, a damaged and abused cartoonist whose sickness finds it way into his well-intentioned all-ages creations, perhaps?—hint at extra dimension to what is already a strong, funny satire.
DEAD MEMORY by Marc-Antoine Mathieu. Dark Horse Comics. $14.95
In this graphic album, Mathieu explores the human folly of an over-reliance on technology and systems. The smoothly running society he creates here falls apart when the supercomputer they relied on to keep track of so much of the information we need to use from day to day, decides to keep that information to itself. Mysterious, unseen citizens begin erecting walls at night, the only time construction permits are not required, and these walls symbolically isolate people from each other and cause the system to shut down, just as letting machines take over human functions can create a distance or disengagement with others, a sort of devolvement. Mathieu has an excellent style, stark and heavy on the contrast. The white buildings and their black shadows create hypnotic geometrical designs of increasing complexity, causing the reader to feel as trapped and claustrophobic as the lead character. The solution couldn’t be more simple and is not hard for the character to achieve, yet its profound simplicity is an immense relief after so many anxious pages. It’s very good work, better on the second reading, and kudos to editor Diana Schutz for helping get it into print in an English edition.
STREET ANGEL by Jim Rugg SLG Publishing. $2.95
Jesse Sanchez is a thirteen-year-old orphan skater, homeless but unbowed. A cool kid, sure, but also the toughest superhero in Angel City. Only twelve, "Street Angel" is nonetheless the one the government calls to help stop the threat of Dr. Pangea, who naturally wants to revert Earth back to having just one giant continent.
As with a lot of ironic superhero books, STREET ANGEL suffers a bit from not really committing to a dramatic, suspenseful story, content instead to play with superhero comics conventions, like this Golden Age-style villain. Some of the conventions, such as there being just one hero in the city that the authorities can turn to, are so old they're fresh again, since the shared superhero universe is so common, and these heroes are often at odds with the government and local police. So having a barely teenage girl be this heroine, with no apparent superpowers other than being a really good fighter and skater, is appealing. What's equally appealing is Rugg's art, obviously influenced by Daniel Clowes and other independent cartoonists, but with a gift for dynamic action. It's a good book, with nice deadpan jokes and a feeling of enthusiasm from the creators.
THE PUNISHER #1 & 2 by Garth Ennis, Lewis La Rosa and Tom Palmer. Marvel Comics/MAX. $2.99
I’m not really clear why this title needed to be relaunched under the MAX imprint, as it was plenty violent enough as a Marvel Knights title, but Ennis sure takes advantage of the increased creative freedom. Fittingly, it reprises his origin for new readers, moving quickly to what comprises the largest portion of the first issue, a huge Mafia gala-turned-bloodbath, with La Rosa drawing some of the most graphic and realistic images of bloodshed ever seen in a Marvel book. Dean White’s coloring is a big part of the effect as well, sticking mainly to a realistic palette intercut with panels with a kind of a gold patina to make them stand out more. Issue #2 gives more of the Mafia’s perspective, as the remaining soldiers are scrambling to find new leadership and a plan to take the Punisher out. It’s good, cinematic storytelling, though it’s not yet in service of much of a story. Right now, it’s a reintroduction of Frank Castle and what he does best, which is killing criminals, though long-time fans will be delighted or infuriated at the return of a character not seen in many years. It seems that perhaps the awful final arc by Ennis of the previous volume was perhaps a thumbed nose at Marvel for having to put superheroes into the book, but at any rate, this is the kind of Punisher he’s best at, played straight.
DEMO #3 by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. AiT/PlanetLar. $2.95
Somehow I missed the second issue, so it’s hard to tell if all these stories are set largely in cars, or are mainly just conversations. That’s not really a bad thing, for the most part, as Wood again provides some earnest but believable dialogue and good characterization, and there’s an amusing surprise ending here that turns the whole issue into a kind of George Romero-directed ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL.
Cloonan’s art here, in one of her heavier inking styles, is often excellent, though she has trouble with a panel or two, and notes that as this was actually the first issue of the series she drew, there are some things she would go back and change now if she had the chance. I’m guessing it’s her drawings of cars, which are off in some smaller shots but she pulls it together for a dramatic depiction of a crash near the end. The series is enjoyable so far, though I do think some of these issues would benefit from a bit more plot. Doesn’t have to be spandex mutant action, but a little more than two characters driving, smoking and talking would be a step up.
THE GLAMOUR GIRLS OF BILL WARD Edited by Alex Chun. Fantagraphics Books. $28.95
For those of us who didn’t live it, “the 50s” calls different things to mind, be it the Beat poets or the Cold War, the birth or rock and roll and souped-up hot rods. And it was also the beginning of PLAYBOY and heyday of the Rat Pack, both of which advertised a lifestyle where guys ruled, cool, tuxedoed and insouciant, there to be indulged in their every appetite by busty, willing women.
Though he didn’t draw his pin-ups and gags for PLAYBOY--that job going to the more or less equally gifted Jack (PLASTIC-MAN) Cole, Ward’s work has endured long after the imitative men’s magazines for which he worked have folded. The chief reason for this is his facility with the conte’ crayon, which in the right hands creates a wonderfully rich texture and illusion of depth on even the cheapest bond paper. The book collects the best of these strips, including his famous “Telephone Girls,” which find lingerie-clad voluptuaries lounging in bed and gabbing on the phone, the talk always sexual innuendo. While the proportions of these ladies are exaggerated, Ward brings a great degree of realism to the textures of their shimmering silk stockings, contrasting this with the rougher fabric and delicate designs of the drapery often hanging behind the women.
As the wink-wink smarminess of the 50s gave way to the liberal mores and changing fashions of the 60s, there was no longer a place for this style of Ward’s, and the conte’ crayon was put away in favor of less impressive pen and ink work on progressively tawdrier strips and adult paperback covers. Thankfully, Chun recognizes the decline and offers just a small portion of this work for perspective, and the book is the better for it.
MY FLESH IS COOL #1 by Steven Grant and Sebastian Fiumara. Avatar Press. $3.50
Evan Knox is a particularly effective contract killer because you’ll never know he’s there. As the result of an experimental drug nicknamed “Go,” he’s able to possess other people’s bodies, and in this case he’s bypassed the cheap thrills for the big money.
Knox seems pretty unbeatable, but that wouldn’t make for much of a story, would it? No man is an island, though, especially when you’ve got criminals in your life, and so Knox is double-crossed by the woman who’s been hiring him to kill, as she wants to corner the market on Go for herself and take Knox out of the picture. And of course, Knox has something else in mind.
Grant is at his best writing the amoral and resourceful wiseass navigating his way with guts and cunning through gauntlets created by people even lower on the spiritual ladder, so his Knox is a lot of fun. You also need a good villain or villainess, and the calculating Rebecca Trespass (love that name) fits the bill as well. And bless Avatar, they’ve matched Grant with a real find in artist Fiumara. I’ve read the remaining two issues in script form as well, and can tell you it works extremely well from beginning to end.
JIMMY OLSEN ADVENTURES TPB by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta. DC Comics. $17.95
Jack Kirby’s Fourth World stories are much-loved by his fans, but one’s appreciation of them is contingent on just how much pure Kirby one can take. With his collaborations with Stan Lee, he had someone who could refine and direct his boundless energy and endless ideas. Here, it’s whatever Jack had on his mind at the time was the way to go.
And that’s great. I know and delight in Kirby’s NEW GODS and MISTER MIRACLE, but am new to his SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN issues reprinted here. I’d always thought this was a series Kirby was sort of forced to do, and so it wouldn’t be his best work. The first part is somewhat true—legend has it that Kirby asked for the lowest-selling book at the time as a personal challenge to reinvigorate it, though in his introductory essay, Mark Evanier explains that Kirby was always loath to take work away from another creator, and so he chose the title that had just lost its creative team. However he got the job, it’s evident from the start that Kirby did indeed take it as a personal challenge to make this moribund SUPERMAN spin-off as relentlessly interesting as possible.
It’s amazing to discover that, aside from Superman’s Smallville and Daily Planet supporting characters, a vast number of characters and concepts that have been mainstays in the Super-titles for the past three decades were created by Kirby in this second-string series. The Guardian. S.T.A.R. Labs. Dubbilex. The second coming of the Newsboy Legion. Morgan Edge. Intergang. Not to mention the pervasiveness of cloning technology, which would give numerous writers ideas and escape routes right up to today.
Kirby does something very interesting with Jimmy right away, making him not just the eager beaver who needs to be bailed out by Superman every issue, but rather a brash, reckless investigative reporter unafraid to tell Superman to butt out. Kirby, then in his 50s, recognized Superman as the ultimate symbol of authority, and sought to make his young readers identify better with Jimmy by having him symbolize rebellious, oppressed youth. This is seen in the first storyline, where Jimmy, on assignment from his Galaxy Broadcasting boss Morgan Edge, investigates a secret dimension called The Wild Area, where he ends up the leader of a kind of hippie biker gang called The Hairies. Jimmy takes easily to leadership and danger, but since the book still has to have Superman in it, Big Blue ends up saving the day as usual. Kirby really invests himself in this world, scripting dizzying soliloquies for The Hairies and mixing his art with some collage work that was probably mind-blowing at the time, and is still cool now.
Much has been made of the fact that DC editorial at the time was unhappy at the way Kirby drew Superman’s face—so much so that veteran Super-artists like Al Plastino would redraw the face and paste it over Kirby’s work, month after month. It’s an interesting effect, not as desirable as all-Kirby, of course, but it does serve to provide a visual ground wire for the reader, reassuring him that despite the crazy ideas and collage, this was still Superman.
The stories collected here (with more volumes expected) provide a high level of interest, with non-stop action and plenty of twists, but there are a few problems. Vince Colletta’s inking is variable at best, and many times one gets the feeling he leaves out a lot of Kirby’s details He also does a lousy job on The Newsboy Legion, making them much more cartoony than the other characters, like they belong in another strip. To be fair, though, maybe they do, as the Dead End Kids act was camp even in 1970. Also, with no one to keep him on track, Kirby sometimes takes his stories too far away from the original plot that needed to be resolved. A good example of this is the bizarre two-parter with comedian Don Rickles and a Galaxy employee who looked just like him, Goody Rickels. There is a good deal of set-up to the fireworks that would happen if the two ever met, but when they do, nothing happens, as Kirby’s mind is occupied with other elements of the story. For kitsch value, though, this story is hard to beat. Thankfully, the pleasures outweigh the corniness and loose plotting by a wide margin, and Kirby’s efficiency and compulsion to get on with the fun rather than explaining every detail (these days, someone brandishes a “Z-Ray” gun and you’re damn sure going to read a tedious explanation of how it works, who discovered it, etc. Kirby just shows the gun and moves on). It’s a primer in raw, unpretentious entertainment.
The Publishers’ Report Cards for 2003, Part Two
As I did last column, I’m looking at various comics publishers and how they fared creatively, commercially and public relations-wise, highlights and lowlights. Not a ton of market research here or anything, just the perspective of a fairly-plugged-in guy who likes a wide range of comics. I should mention that any representatives from publishers mentioned here or previously who feel I mischaracterized them or missed some key info should drop me a line.
Gutsoon Comics - These guys made a decent splash at the 2002 Comic-Con International: San Diego with a free sampler of their stuff, but I'm not sure if they've done anything of note since then. They are very firmly in the male-oriented action genre of manga, and FIST OF THE BLUE SKY, a prequel to the well-known FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, would appear to be just about their biggest book. I don't think they've had great penetration into either the direct or bookstore markets, but anyone who knows better is invited to enlighten me.
- Public Face - After that freebie (and I think I was invited to first issue party in S.D. as well, but couldn't attend), I haven't seen anything. I would guess any new manga publisher has a better chance of making it than a new superhero or indie publisher, but as with all things one must be aggressive and consistent and dynamic. I don't have any idea what sets Raijin apart from other manga publishers other than that they don't seem to be pursuing a female readership.
- Web Presence - Here’s a problem: I’m not sure if these guys are Raijin or Gutsoon! The logo is Raijin, but in PREVIEWS they’re Gutsoon, so maybe that’s something they can clear up for readers. The site itself is average, with a staid white background that communicates “product” and not “fun” or “cool.” They don’t publish nearly as many books as Tokyopop or Viz, so they should probably do more on their site with the books they have, try to make them look special, with reviews and exclusive content, interviews, little games and downloads, whatever. They do have all these things, actually, but in minimal supply. And considering the intended audience, why not sex it up a bit, make it look like a mangaesque MAXIM.
- Review Copy Policy - N/A. I've never asked. They might be great. FIRST PRESIDENT OF JAPAN looks interesting.
- Raijin in 2004 - No idea. I don’t see any massive growth without a more concerted and creative effort to grab new readers, though.
Avatar Press – This is a hard company to figure out, as they do publish some major, often excellent writers, like Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, Steven Grant and Garth Ennis. And Frank Miller, sorta, and now Mark Millar. The caveat, though, is a big one—with the exception of Grant, who’s writing sharp, fun, original genre thrillers for Avatar, and Millar (see above), the others don’t really seem committed to the company, or only intermittently committed. Ennis got his raucous pet project DICKS published, and then sequelized, but I don’t see anything else on the horizon here. Ellis seems to have left a couple Post-Its of plotlines for his STRANGE KILLINGS artist Mike Worley to adapt, and they just get sillier with every arc, but his SCARS was quite good, while Moore has made some change publishing old essays, lyrics and old short stories, but also seems to be saving his fresh ideas for other publishers and other media. Grant’s adaptation of Miller’s ROBOCOP II screenplay seems to be very close to pure Miller, and it’s a very good series so far, but it’s not new Miller work. I’m undecided about the Vivid Video porn comics imprint they’re starting, though at least Grant’s book should be fun. It’s not that I’m a prude; I’m just wondering what the ultimate goal is, beyond making a few bucks. With the pros listed above, I get the feeling publisher William Christensen wants to elevate the company to something better than the T&A garbage from his no-name creators, but right now they’re still a far cry from respectability, or even reliability, as a lot of the Moore books have been inconsequential and often ugly.
- Public Face - As I pretty much said above, it’s kind of cheesy, with the sleazy books and expensive variant covers, and the hit-and-miss clearing out of Moore’s dusty drawers of old work. But I think they’re making some improvements in terms of quality. What they need is a better design sense, especially on covers, for the projects from the established pros, to make these books look as cool and worthwhile as the work the creators do for bigger companies. It will cost more, but I think it will be worth it, as classier-looking books are going to be easier for bookstores and direct market retailers to order. It was a good move hiring Miller to do the ROBOCOP covers. And more care should be given to format. Wouldn’t a fat trade of previously-unseen Moore be preferable to all the ugly floppies and thin trades? There should also be a bit better promotion. After the pamphlets of a miniseries are released, there really doesn’t seem to be a lot of hype for the trade, even though that’s the format more and more people prefer. SCARS should have been hyped as this great crime book Ellis did, this strong, SE7ENesque thriller that succeeds much better than his RED/RELOAD trade.
- Web Presence - Good, if a little wordy and cramped on the main page. But it’s not hard to find what you’re looking for, and each book has its own page with large scans, maybe some preview pages, and sometimes an essay from the creator about the book.
- Review Copy Policy - One of those things where you have to ask for a specific book you want to review instead of a regular supply of stuff, but that’s fine. They’re definitely on the ball with THE UNFUNNIES and MY FLESH IS COOL, books I would’ve bought anyway.
- Avatar in 2004 - THE UNFUNNIES looks to be one of their biggest successes, so good for them for taking a chance on a risky property. It will be interesting to see how their new imprint starring Vivid Video adult film starlets does, as well as if any of the licensed properties besides ROBOCOP make a bigger splash.
Oni Press - This has been a good year for Oni, maybe not a phenomenal year, but one in which they made some progress and some inroads for good things in the future. The biggest change this year has been the move to more original graphic novels rather than floppies. In fact, I’d be just as happy if QUEEN AND COUNTRY went to just two or three graphic novels a year. Oni has done well with sales of pretty much all their graphic novels in 2003, and there’s been a good deal of critical acclaim for books like MARIA’S WEDDING and LOST AT SEA. And I hear they’ve gotten shelf talkers (those cardboard things that stick out from bookshelves to advertise the publisher/product) into WaldenBooks. Through no fault of theirs, I’ve gotten behind on some of their books, but overall I admire that Oni really covers a lot of genres very efficiently, and also offers some work not so easily classified, yet you can tell it’s an Oni book right away. If I had one complaint, it’s that a lot of their books lack really dynamic artists. There hasn’t been a bad artist on Q&C yet, but would you want to buy any original art from this series? It’s serviceable. Good reading, but no pizzazz. That’s about all I would change.
- Public Face - I haven’t really seen any national coverage for their books, nor big name quotes on them, but they’ve done all right. When EiC Jamie S. Rich does press on a book, it’s witty, and he suffers fools well (including me!). The good feeling and loyalty people have for Oni is largely due to Rich’s taste and personality.
- Web Presence - It’s always been a good site, clearly showing the new releases and giving good descriptions of them with plenty of cover scans. They have a lively message board as well and Rich and many of the creators do a great job interacting with fans. Some books also have exclusive online strips, though I wonder if more five page previews of the actual books wouldn’t be another effective tool.
- Review Copy Policy - Great to deal with. I like talking to Jamie now and then completely aside from requesting books for review. Since Oni books are black-and-white, it makes sense for them to send photocopies of issues, and saves money. They are a bit sporadic with sending things, which isn’t even a complaint; it’s just something I have to work with as a guy who tries not to focus too much on any one publisher in each column.
- Oni in 2004 - Probably continued improvement in bookstore sales of their trades and graphic novels, and likely some movie money here and there.
NBM Publishing - I honestly remember almost nothing about last year’s attempt at one of these report card things, except for the fact that Thierry Nantier took issue with my saying the company has predominantly a “European feel,” or something like that. Which isn’t a negative, but it’s true that NBM has continued to widen their scope, from Ted Rall’s TO AFGHANISTAN AND BACK and collection of the edgiest U.S. political cartoonists, to the closest they’ve come to publishing manga, Lea Hernandez’ RUMBLE GIRLS: SILKY WARRIOR TANSIE. But I still think their best stuff is either from European creators, with the exception of P. Craig Russell. Christophe Blain’s THE SPEED ABATER and ISAAC THE PIRATE were both on my list of Good Graphic Novels of 2003, and Blain is working with the great Trondheim and Sfar on a DUNGEON prequel. NBM has yet to have a real breakout hit, and from what I can see haven’t penetrated bookstores that well, despite having been producing quality graphic novels for decades. And I’m sure I’ll hear something about that little summation, but I’m going off of the sales and what I’ve seen in every Graphic Novel section of every bookstore I perused last year. I’m wondering as well why
- Public Face - NBM is pretty quiet. I understand that a lot of what they publish is not going to get much coverage on your standard newsites, geared as they are to the superhero fan, but again, I think they could be a bit more aggressive. Regular email press releases should be instituted, for one thing.
- Web Presence - The site is good, making it very clear on the homepage what new releases they really want to push, and most of the books have big, easy-to-read previews. Even the adult books are represented, though there is a small barrier to go through to get there, naturally.
Review Copy Policy - Occasionally I’ve asked for something and never gotten it, but for the most part NBM is great. The one thing that’s a little odd is that they’ll send, say, the third volume in the graphic novel adaptation of Marcel Proust’s REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST and have the same expectation you’ll review it as something totally new or self-contained. Who wants to parachute down into the middle of a story like this?
- NBM in 2004 - I have no idea. They put out a few excellent books every year that seem to just miss the cut of a lot of Best of lists. Part of this may be due to their reputation not being as solid when it comes to their output, as they’ll put out toxins like JOHNNY JIHAD or that terrible history of graphic novels from a month or so ago, not to mention mediocre sci-fi, horror and second-rate comic strip collections like DRABBLE. Maybe it’s an identity problem they need to address, to present a clearer image of what they’re about.
Dark Horse Comics - If I hadn't starting following ICV2 more closely, I would have discussed Dark Horse a little differently, focusing on such events as the upcoming HELLBOY movie, creative successes like their horror imprint and the acquisition of excellent work from young creators Farel (POP GUN WAR) Dalrymple and Paul (MOTHER, COME HOME) Hornschemeier. And in contrast, missteps like the entire Rocket Comics imprint or the increasingly unnecessary STAR WARS licensed books. But you know what? What is coming to define DH more and more is the manga they publish, much of it classic and beloved work across several genres, from ASTRO BOY to BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL to 3 X 3 EYES. And now they've got some bona fide smash hits in their U.S. reprints of HELLSING, BERSERK and TRIGUN. Dark Horse impresses me as being the company closest to having something for everyone, from tons of genre stuff to some artcomix to some attractive collectibles, superheroes being the only thing at which they fail.
- Public Face - Mike Richardson dressed as Uncle Sam is frightening, but I think most people have recovered. Their Free Comics Day effort should not have been the Rocket Comics sampler but instead a special Super Manga Blast that focused on their best manga, I think; certainly none of the Rocket titles have seen much benefit from it. Their twenty-five cent editions of the CONAN #0 and a special movie-related HELLBOY story are good ideas, though. It was my understanding that Barry Windsor-Smith doesn't get any money from the reprints of his old CONAN work, which isn't cool, but I don't know the whole story there, and DH seems to have escaped anyone looking into it if indeed it is a story. Overall, it was a good year for the company, with more books of theirs interesting me than in years previous. They've also been smart about keeping books in print, including a nice redesign of the entire HELLBOY line of trades.
- Web Presence - Very strong, slick website. Good design, good descriptions of their products and they're easy to find and order.
- Review Copy Policy - Exemplary.
- DH in 2004 - With Frank Miller doing more stuff for DC, DH could use some big names doing edgy material, and it seems Mark Millar's CHOSEN fits the bill. But I'm even more excited by the upcoming ten-volume SAMURAI EXECUTIONER by the creative team behind LONE WOLF & CUB, one of the best manga of all time.
Fantagraphics - As far as I’m concerned—and I’m not alone—this was Fanta’s year, with at least three superb, essential works of comics in PALOMAR, THE FRANK BOOK and QUIMBY THE MOUSE, among many other worthwhile trades, hardcovers and pamphlets, well-designed historical works like KRAZY & IGNATZ and THE GLAMOUR GIRLS OF BILL WARD and an improved THE COMICS JOURNAL. They continue to publish a wide range of comics to appeal to the brain, heart, and in the case of the Eros imprint—penis. But the big news was that, starting next month, they would begin publishing the collected PEANUTS by Charles Schulz, in handsome hardcovers designed by Seth. It’s a tremendous coup on both creative and commercial fronts.
- Public Face - They took some flack early in the year for having to ask for money after their distributor, LPC, went belly up, owing them thousands, the flack being that they were a) appealing to the direct market they’d already largely abandoned, and b) were then being even more disingenuous (less ingenuous?) by selling their stuff right from their site, sometimes with exclusives. But they weathered that storm, and the frequent charge of elitism or artcomix snobbery can be dismissed yet again by the fact that they’re set to publish the most popular, beloved comic strip of all time. Adding significantly to Fanta’s public face is the daily (except weekends) presence of Journalista!, about which more below.
- Web Presence - The link to the left is the standard site, and it’s perfectly fine, highlighting the new releases and better-known creators. It’s not that easy to search, but not bad. But Fanta is also The Comics Journal, with a priceless audio library of comics creator interviews and a lively, boorish, hostile yet essential message board, and Journalista!, the weblog run by Dirk Deppey that provides the widest range of comics news and opinion from around the Net and the globe. Dirk is sometimes dismissed as a smartass, but though that stuff’s always entertaining, and to my mind, usually spot-on, it should also be noted his links to comics-related stories the world over do more to inform readers and remind them of how universal the appeal of words+pictures are than anyone else is doing. Go here to read Dirk’s equivalent of 35 answers to Alan Doane’s 5 Questions. Seriously, it’s an excellent little interview between two of the more insightful comics commentators around.
- Review Copy Policy - Also exemplary, probably the best I personally experience. It’s always nice to get more than just a package of books, to discuss your feelings about this or that book or creator’s work and have the person on the other end be interested in your opinion beyond just whether it’s positive and might bring their company a few more sales.
- Fantagraphics in 2004 - Like I said, PEANUTS is their biggest, most important project in their history and can’t be overestimated. The more successful it is, the more interesting creators Fantagraphics can publish, and the more good comics released.
And that does it for this feature until next time, when I s’pose I’ll have to wrap up with bleary looks at how Viz, Highwater, IDW, AiT/PlanetLar, Pantheon, Slave Labor, Cyberosia, I-Books, Harris, PennyFarthing, and ComicsOne did last year.
An Interview with Tony Isabella
This is exactly what it says, an interview with “America’s Most Beloved Comics Critic” (I think I got that right) Tony Isabella, who writes his column of reviews, views and family news for World Famous Comics as well as THE COMICS BUYERS GUIDE. He is also the creator of DC superhero Black Lightning, and wrote his only two series, as well as the riveting, if sadly abbreviated, THE SHADOW WAR OF HAWKMAN, which was about the best story ever starring that character. Tony has written for most of the major publishers and also edited some mags for Marvel in the 70s, with Stan Lee, and freelanced quite a few fondly remembered tales for that company, including several for “It, The Living Colossus.”
CA: Tony, thanks for joining me. And it's odd time for a couple reasons, the first reason being the focus of the interview is on you as a comics reviewer, and here you're planning to decrease your workload in that area. How come?
TI: Much to my surprise, I'm only decreasing my reviewing workload slightly. I'll still be writing "Tony's Tips!" weekly for Comics Buyer's Guide, but I'm moving "Tony's Online Tips" to the World Famous Comics site for the immediate future. At WFC, I'll be writing three columns per week. Two will be original to the web and the third will be a reprint of one of my recent CBG columns with new material added to the mix. I'm really only cutting back to the tune of one column per week.
What's actually happening is that, after a couple of years dealing with health issues of one kind or another, I'm getting stronger and more ornery every day.
I'm fulfilling some long overdue commitments through the end of this year, clearing the decks for me to write some new comics and try my hand at some new things in 2004. Whether all or any of these things see publication is the big question mark, but I am blessed to be in a situation which allows me the freedom to pursue them.
CA: Is one of those long overdue commitments a Star Trek novel? What's this about, and when is it expected to be released?
TI: Star Trek: The Case of the Colonist’s Corpse (A Sam Cogley Mystery) by Bob Ingersoll and Tony Isabella was finished a few months back.
Cogley was the lawyer who defended Kirk when he was court-martialed during the original series’ first season.
Think “Perry Mason in Space” and you won’t be far from what we’re doing in this book. Based on the Captain America book Bob and I wrote a few years back, editor John Ordover figured we’d be a good choice for this one. He and we are hoping it sells well enough to become a regular series-within-the-series.
The book is scheduled for release in January of 2004, which means it could start showing up in bookstores in late December. I think it’s a fun book, but I could be a wee bit biased.
CA: Best of luck with it. As for Tony's Tips, this was the first comics related column I started reading regularly, four years ago or so. How did the Comics Buyer's Guide edition come about, and then when did you decide to bring it online with all new or expanded editions?
TI: Back when fan Alan Light launched what was then called The Buyer’s Guide, I was one of his first columnists. When Krause Publications bought the paper and hired my old friends Don and Maggie Thompson to edit it, I was asked to become a contributor. The first thing I did for them was a historical piece on a 1950's comics publisher who never existed. Then I did a parody of the turn-of-the-century Everett True cartoon, which they liked so much they asked me to do it weekly. I did a couple hundred of those.
Before long, I was writing “I Cover the Newsstand,” which reported on comics stuff appearing outside of comics, and, under an alias, “Book Look,” which was nothing more than coming announcements of mass market and trade paperbacks of interest to comics and science fiction readers.
My relationship with Krause soured for a time after the Thompsons rejected an Everett True critical of a CBG policy. I moved Everett True over to The Comics Journal and Amazing Heroes for a while, but it suffered from the loss of immediacy I had with a weekly feature. I moved on to other things.
Over a decade ago, Don and Maggie asked me to return to the paper and I started writing “Tony’s Tips” for them. It took me a while to figure out what they wanted from my column - initially, I wasn’t allowed to review actual comic books - and what I wanted from my column. I’m still working on the latter.
As for the online editions...
Bob Ingersoll introduced me to CompuServe’s comics forum around the
time I got fired from the second BLACK LIGHTNING series and it was a great source of comfort. “Tony’s Online Tips” got its start at CompuServe, though I only did about two dozen columns before moving it to a new home.
Simultaneously, I met Justin of World Famous Comics at a Mid-Ohio-Con and he asked me to write for his website. Fascinated by the Internet and struck by madness, I launched “Tony’s Online Tips” as a DAILY feature. I did a thousand columns with only the occasional day off before I came to my senses.
During the daily cycle, I started reprinting my CBG columns to give my online readers something to read on my days off. But I couldn’t resist restoring material cut from my CBG columns and adding a bit of new content as well. Once a madman...
CA: One of the things that sets your column apart is not just that you're willing to discuss non comics matters, but how open you are about it. It doesn't take a reader long to feel they know you, your family, and even the Medina, Ohio you live in. Was this the approach you went for from the start, or did it evolve?
TI: It evolved. I wasn’t certain I could read enough books to fill an entire column each week, so I decided to start each column with a Dave Barry-style opening. As I got better at seeing the humor in my own life, I began to incorporate that as well. Eventually, the column became as much about me as it did about what I was reviewing and the readers seemed to enjoy that a great deal.
Besides Barry, my biggest inspirations in this were my dear friends Harlan Ellison and Mark Evanier. I think Harlan and Mark are the best “live” storytellers I know. They make me laugh and they make me think. I strive to do the same.
I consider it a great compliment when readers remark that they feel they know me. I try to be as honest as possible in all my work, even when it’s painful for me to do so. Readers respond to that. They feel they’re getting more of the picture that way. It helps them determine if something I like/dislike will be something they would like/dislike as well.
CA: I recall that you were recently considering whether to review any comics not sent to you what was the reasoning behind this, and have you put this into effect yet?
TI: This was my sense of fairness going into overdrive. I receive too many review copies to read and review as it is - though I am trying to figure out how to get to them all - and I felt I should give priority to those creators, editors, and publishers who take that extra step of sending me their works.
I haven’t put it completely into effect because I’m reconsidering how much of a disservice (if any) I do my readers if I don’t review comics from, for example, Marvel, which is the largest publisher who never sends me anything to review.
CA: You're just as likely to review a single DC issue from the 50s or 60s as a recent release. Do you feel any sort of responsibility to cover the best of what's coming out now? What guides your choices of books reviewed in the column(s)?
TI: I don’t feel any responsibility to review all of the best or all of the worst, though, admittedly, I get a special kick when a reader tells me that I turned him or her on to something they really love. There is a whole lot of stuff between the best and the worst, and as many differences of opinion as to what is the best or the worst. I try to cover a variety of items and let the “Tonys” float where they may.
Guilt often guides my choices, such as when I realize someone has been sending me books for months without getting any ink from me. Sometimes I get the urge to read/review whatever has just arrived. Sometimes I feel like getting all gooey with nostalgia...and that’s when I’ll grab some old comic book and review it. There’s precious little consistency in my methods.
CA: Perhaps no consistency, but it’s an effective method. I go through the same things as well. It’s no fun if you’re only reviewing what you feel you “have to” review.
There’s no end of discussion of creators and publishers, but it’s very hard to find much about editors. As a former Marvel editor, you know what it takes to put a book together. What do you think of the state of comics editing today? Something apparent to me is that there are too many stars and superstars who are able to take the fame they’ve gotten from a hot book - I’m talking mostly writers here - and get approval for any number of half-baked mini-series, mainly because their name is on the cover. Is there not enough editorial guidance? Too much?
TI: It’s a floor wax AND a desert topping! Which is to say that you’re right on both counts.
There is not enough editorial guidance where it’s needed...and, in my opinion, where it’s needed is in the nuts-and-bolts of putting together a comic book. Making sure the comic is accessible to new readers. Making sure there’s an actual story in there. Making sure the artwork tells the story. Making sure the integrity of the characters is maintained.
There’s too much editorial guidance where it’s not needed. Editors who want the writers to write the editor’s story. Editors who are so desperate for any sales spike that they’ll forego the integrity of the characters in their care or virtually relinquish control to the flavor of the month.
In the best of all possible worlds, creators are guided by editors to do their best work. Sometimes that means working very closely with creators, sometimes that means leaving them alone.
Alas, corporate comic books don’t always allow this. Editors have de facto editors looking over their shoulders. Editors are pushed to hire the flavor of the month or whatever big or pseudo-big name they can. Editors have to deal with continuity decisions affecting the entire universe in which their comics are set.
Obviously, we’re talking mostly Marvel and DC here. From where I sit and read, I applaud anything which allows individual Marvel and DC titles to occupy their own special worlds. Continuity is good, but it should be continuity of character and not slavish allegiance to every dumb thing that happens in other titles.
CA: As someone who’s been reading comics for so long, do you think we’re in a good or bad period, creatively?
TI: Both. I think there is more good stuff available and more variety available than ever before, but it’s not getting the distribution it deserves. As a result, it’s not selling as well as it should. Creators aren’t making the kind of money they deserve to make, and often lack the financial means and incentive to devote themselves fully to producing this good stuff.
You can’t separate the creative from the commercial. Without the former, you can’t have the latter. Without the latter, well, maybe you can still have the former, but who will see it and how will the creators support themselves?
Without the commerce, comics art could become the exclusive domain of creators who are either independently wealthy or still sponging off their parents.
CA: How about commercially? That is, what has to change to make the comics industry thrive again, and not merely as a provider of superhero properties for Hollywood to option?
TI: We can learn from the success of manga, which lies in its variety and its ability to give readers good value for their entertainment dollars. We can rediscover some of the “secrets” of the past, such as making sure that every issue of every comic book is accessible to a new reader.
We should also keep taking stupid money from the Hollywood morons, but not just for our super-hero properties. If 90% of everything is crap - a truism I’ve never accepted - movies and TV are doing more than their fair share keeping that average so high. But their money can support our comics.
CA: Manga seems to be the rock and roll to mainstream superhero comics’ Crosby and Sinatra pop, something that grabs a young audience so strongly it changes the whole medium. Have you gotten into any of it yourself? If so, which books?
TI: I have been intrigued by the episodic/weekly format since I first saw British weeklies back in the very early 1970s, a couple years before I went to work at Marvel editing THE MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL for the British audience. The more I learned about Japanese comics publishing - and I’m hardly an expert - the more intrigued I have become. The comics publishers there are clearly producing comics that are a good value for readers by virtue of their page count and a viable entertainment choice by virtue of their variety.
I picked up several Japanese collections of LONE WOLF AND CUB and RANMA a few years before their English translations hit the comics shops. When First comics started publishing LONE WOLF AND CUB, and Eclipse started publishing AREA 88 and other translated manga, I read them all and enjoyed many of them.
These days, if you asked me to name my favorite comics title, it’d be SHONEN JUMP. I enjoy most of the JUMP series and I absolutely love the thickness of the package.
My favorite series would include the afore-mentioned AREA 88, LONE WOLF AND CUB, and RANMA...plus BATTLE ROYALE, EAGLE: THE MAKING OF AN ASIAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT, GTO, IRON WOK JAN, MAISON IKKOKU, and ONE PIECE.
As a former and perhaps future comics writer, I’m also intrigued by the challenge of writing a weekly manga series. It’s something I’d like to try someday.
CA: As readers will have no doubt noticed by now, I’ve kept this interview confined to questions about Tony as a reviewer. That has been the theme of these “reviewer interviews” all along, but while I did plan to cover the Black Lightning furore, I must admit Markisan Naso got there first with an excellent interview focusing on this. Reading it, I did have a few questions arising from some of your statements, or what I inferred from your statements. While you make a strong case that DC has repeatedly mishandled, mangled or shunted to the side strong Black characters like Jefferson Pierce, John Stewart, Steel, do you think this due to any kind of racism at DC?
TI: Racism might be too strong a designation. I believe that what we have been seeing is an ingrained and unintentional insensitivity to racial issues. The folks at DC Comics...and at most other comics publishers...really don’t get it. I don’t necessarily think I get it entirely, but at least I’m asking the questions and seem to have picked up enough clues for my work to be generally well received by the black community.
CA: A pro we both know said something interesting a few months ago, about how 70s Marvel minority characters were often more fun to write because they were held to a looser moral code. Do you agree with that, and if so, do you think that still comes into play for the mostly-white comics writers at DC, Marvel and elsewhere today? Also, since most Black superheroes have had some kind of criminal past - even if wrongfully imprisoned or accused - does that lead current writers to involve them yet again in criminal or less-than-heroic acts?
TI: Good characters are fun to write because they ARE good characters. Speaking for myself, I don’t enjoy writing this or that character because of their race. But I have always enjoyed the challenge of writing characters unlike myself.
That’s never been a factor with Jefferson Pierce, mostly because he and I are alike in a lot of ways. I think he’s a better man than I am...or was when I was writing him...but he’s not that different from me. Wanna see me shoot lightning from my eyes?
Getting serious again...the once sacrosanct moral code that pretty much all super-heroes shared in the 1960s and 1970s hasn’t been in effect for decades. If a writer wants to write a hero who is less than completely admirable, he or she can find ample opportunities
without going to that mere handful of minority heroes who currently appear in comics.
The “criminal past” motif is problematic for me. It does show up in minority characters with alarming regularity. I tried to leave it behind after my stint writing LUKE CAGE, POWER MAN for Marvel. BLACK GOLIATH was a scientist with no criminal past. Jeff Pierce was a teacher with no criminal past. Personally, I’d like to see the “criminal past” motif retired until we get at least three times the number of minority heroes we currently have...and have a dozen of those heroes headlining their own books.
CA: When I interviewed Hannibal Tabu a while back, I felt bad that, being Black himself, he was the only interviewee of whom I asked questions regarding racism and the poor job comics publishers have done marketing their products to all races. The fact is, aside from Asian-Americans, I’d guess there’s almost no minority child in this country who reads comic books, at least less than 1% of children 12 and under. What do you think, and what can be done to change this?
TI: I think you’re wrong about minority kids not reading comics. They read them as much and as little as non-minority kids.
If we start giving minority (and non-minority) kids more value for their money when they buy comic books...if we give them characters to whom they can relate...if we give them heroes who they admire as much for their sense of justice as for their incredible powers...we stand a chance of again making comics-reading part of their lives. If we can accomplish that, if we can give them good entertainment at a reasonable price which infuses them with a sense of their own worth and the worth of their fellow men, then I think we’ll end up with a much better and much healthier comics industry that the sad and puny think we currently have.
Comics should never be considered as just entertainment for kids. However, providing entertainment for kids is something worth doing apart from the concept of getting these readers as kids and keeping them through college and adulthood. Even if the kid never picks up a comic book once he stops being a kid.
My own deeply-held belief is that if we give kids great comics they will develop a love of the medium which will continue throughout their lives. I also believe that a great comic book, even one that is deliberately made to be suitable for young readers, can still be enjoyed by older readers.
Many thanks to Tony for not only consenting to the interview, but patiently waiting for it to appear while I got through all these year-end-related columns.
Now, I should mention that next column (I’m so used to saying next week, but it’s two weeks from now) I will be reviewing a whole bunch o’ funnybooks from names like Kochalka, Pfeifer, Mignola, Blebby, Cooke, Gzzr, Robinson, Slogador, Twain and Moost. I may have made up one or two of those, like “Twain.” I’ll probably finish up the report cards as well.
And now, let’s leave not with more of Tony’s wisdom, but with the wisdom of another comics veteran, one Beau Smith. Fellas, start being choosier and more demanding of your comics, or, just like a tick-ridden, three-dicked polecat in a stained glass shithouse full of rocking chairs and cigar store Injuns, that ol’ varmint Beau is gonna plumb every goldang ounce of ‘tang outta your gals!
Solderin’ shut my back door.
New column on Feb. 19. Go here to sign up for my newsletter to remind you. I know it’s harder to remember a column that updates bi-weekly, so thanks to Alan David Doane for the newsletter idea.
Chris Allen
If you would like a comic or graphic novel reviewed, send to:
1451 River Crest Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92078
Chris Allen has written for Comic Book Galaxy, NinthArt and PopImage.
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