Why You Shouldn't Publish Crap

[Tequila Zaire]

If you've followed comics in the past couple of years you've seen some abysmal shit published and a whoring to Hollyweird that is nearing near epic levels of both quality films and projects better dumped into the sea.

In the middle of all this came a wave of "Comics based on shitty 80's cartoons that were basicly 30min commericals for toys". See this is a bit confusing since comics in the 80's already covered these toylines (Tranfrormers, Thundercats, GI Joe) and some were damned good. Like the GI Joe one and the original hyper violent TMNT. But for some odd reason companies like Dreamwave (Based out of Canada) decided to get at the top of this trend and publish...A transformers comic!...cause really nostalgia pays the bills. Before this however they were the...and I say this with love...rat bastard fucks who blatently STOLE the look and style of a certain famous japanese cyberpunk film to mask their comics visiously bad storylines and artwork.


They stylized and drenched their books with photoshoped lighting and color that really made them look more like animation than comics...and thus made them pretty hot for a while...cause anything shiny and new sells well at first in the world of comics.

But then people actually read thse books and made a collective "What the fuck is this crap?!" and stopped buying the books...so naturally came the sea of liscensed books based on toylines from the friggin 80's.

Now this already sounds like a sinking ship huh? Well it gets worse. See they had the balls to CONTINUE to make comics based on toylines and then video games...and really shitty ones that looked like they put say...10min of time into them all while racking up wonderfuly mind numbing debt...

Now...take a look at this LIST

See that laundry list of money owed? Sadly many of those on that list are creators and in case you haven't heard...comics aren't exactly a rich mans profession. It's sick and disgusting that ANY company let alone one run by comic artists would treat their brothers in arms in such a way. One has to wonder why the focus was so much on the continuation of a failing creative streak instead of closing up shop with creators PAID...fans saw this ship sinking and it's sad so many wound up owed so much. The big names on that list may get their cash but it's safe to assume MANY will not.

What makes this so angering to some is the simple fact none of their work was bad on a TECHNICAL level...sure the writing was awful and the pencilwork was hit and miss but the coloring style (though stolen) was very very high quality. Had they put as much effort into their weaker areas as they did to this area they would have been a formidable force. They were RED HOT when they came out...and it's a damned shame they never capitalized on it in a GOOD way. Greed over ran those at the top and eventually killed everything in its path.

Why do companies like this continue to pop up? Why do so many try to capitalize on ideas long since passed their prime and too shallow or locked in place for growth? Why waste such creative energy into something that is not even paying the bills let alone creatively stimulating?

I can understand why they did what they did in terms of getting these old big names and trying to make comics out of them...but to royally blow it as the cash cow it was needed is just plain pathetic...I'm not sad to see em go but I am sad to see hard working artists owed so much.

[Ellis]

Comics have gone way downhill. Ive been finding myself turning to the good old starman comics(the newish ones, no the classics) and the top ten alot.
Also; kingdom come

[Tequila Zaire]

It's an odd time for comics...tons off attention yet none of it for new ideas. It needs a massive revolution and as much as many hate to admit...the old guard is not the one to lead it...if they were comics would be in a much better place.

No one is buying or reading comics like they are other mediums...it's time to hand it over to the new generations and have them play with the rules of old...hopefully something comes out of it.

The comic strip has in a way been reborn on the web with more cartoonists than ever doing a strip...comics needs the same thing.

[Morning Glory]

we need another Image.. but ya know before it got gay.

[killerkat]

i've always wanted to write a book and print it with words all backwards, and some up side down,ect,ect..........like some madman wrote it.......

[Hypnotic Vampire]

This time next year, Frank Miller, Academy Awards...BELIEVE IT!

Other than that, comics have lost me in a big way at the minute....I mostly just pick up any indies, especially black and white ones, that catch my interest...there is still some great stuff being published, but it's finding somewhere that stocks it, otherwise you're going to have to order it from the publisher. Anyone else encountered comic stores that won't order a specific title or item for you from Previews, even when you are prepared to pay in full upfront? Mind-boggling...

That said, I have to plug Slave Labor's 'Little Scrowlie'...easily the best thing out right now...so go check it out !!!

[Tequila Zaire]

Other than that, comics have lost me in a big way at the minute....I mostly just pick up any indies, especially black and white ones, that catch my interest...there is still some great stuff being published, but it's finding somewhere that stocks it, otherwise you're going to have to order it from the publisher. Anyone else encountered comic stores that won't order a specific title or item for you from Previews, even when you are prepared to pay in full upfront? Mind-boggling...

Yeah indies are the only interesting stuff out there at the moment...does anyone really want to see the 1000th "re-invention" of old flagship characters? Marvel is on a big kick about having a "New" Spider-Man and Avengers...yay...cause the dozens of versions before them were not enough right? It's gotten pretty sad since many have stopped taking chances on more interesting books and creators...though when Marvel tried this a few years back it was really mediocre work from a lot of great creators...so one has to wonder how rigid marvels Editors really are.

[rickporven]

I feel your pain, but recently I have picked up some interesting stuff by new companies and creators. Slave Labor and Viper seem to be putting some nice stuff together.

I also joined a co-operative independent studio named Grafika last year and we are developing some quality independent titles that will hopefully change your minds. Our first book comes out this summer with a prequel issue to be released in a month or so. Fangoria's publisher thought enough of the art and the concept to write up a feature article without even seeing the final product. Without a doubt there's a lot of crap out there, but new creators like us are springing up to take our place at the table. It's up to you the readers to support people like us and our books, because that will send the big publishers out there the message you want them to get.

I can't promise you'll like my book or not, I can't even worry about it. The most I can hope for is that I've created a book at a high level that entertains me and created it with the intention of doing something that stands out from what mainstream comics are doing currently. Hopefully its readers will feel the same.

You can check out the fangoria article at their website.

and stop by grafika, visit the site and download the trailer, tell me if we're on the right track.

Thanks, everybody.