Comic podcasts gain prominence
Fast Company is talking about comics-dedicated podcasts, and there's plenty at this point spotlighting various Marvel/DC related products, along with indies:
So I realized this item winds up being just another putting more emphasis on movie adaptations in the end than it actually does on comics. And what good is that? None, decidedly. Maybe worst though, is that chances professional and veteran comics writers who understand what can make the material work best won't get a spot on these podcasts run by the publishers themselves. Not even the long blacklisted Chuck Dixon, who wrote some of the last Batman stories worth reading. In that case, what good are some of the podcast projects?
Where’s a fan supposed to get their comics fix? More and more, it seems that comic publishers are turning to podcasts, transforming a primarily visual medium into something that’s compelling in sound alone.So some are trying to tell stories reminiscent of radio serials of the early 20th century? I'm sure there's some potential there, but what's really impressive is that there are some podcasters who're willing to acknowledge what a mess Marvel's become under Disney ownership:
Comics have always relied on visuals to build their complex worlds, but a podcast’s voice acting, sound effects, and music transport can just as readily transport listeners to the world these characters inhabit. Today’s comic book podcasts are an intentional, richly produced series of stories, throwbacks to the radio dramas your grandparents used to listen to, like Superman or Little Orphan Annie. If it all sounds very anti-visual, it is, but you can hear and feel the action.
Over a year, if you heard one episode of each of those Marvel podcasts per week, you’d still have some catching up to do. Sure, some are less than an hour in length, but getting in those Marvel podcast series on top of the latest Disney+ series—be it She-Hulk or Ms. Marvel or Moon Knight or Loki or Hawkeye or WandaVision or Secret Invasion—can be exhausting, to say the least. Critic, educator, and filmmaker Brandon Wilson, who’s given comic book podcasts a chance, feels frustrated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Disney+ streaming.Amazing. But anybody who looks harder under a magnifying glass would know Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada were the worst things to happen to Marvel at the turn of the century, with Axel Alonso following up on their worst manipulations and alterations a decade later when he became EIC. Anybody who overlooks those sad moments in history, including - but not limited to - the desecration of Spider-Man's world, isn't proving they're dedicated enough to the art form. On which note:
“Disney+ is the worst thing to happen to Marvel, it’s been terrible, it’s diluted the brand and forced them to tell stories that didn’t need to be told,” he says. The content overload has cheapened Marvel’s storytelling, he argues. “It’s like a parent giving their kid chocolate; give them enough until they get sick, or tell them they’ve had enough. There is a getting sick equivalent here,” he says. Wilson, who’s an Angelino frequently in his car, has appreciated the opportunity to engage with something different—and not the Disney+ wealth of content—via podcasts. Although he’s not actively listening to anything now, he did dabble in the Old Man Star-Lord series, “That was one of my first times listening to a narrative podcast.”
And yet, there’s no better time for comic book fans, especially when it comes to podcasts, “The coolest things are happening in this space,” said Gateley. Scripted podcasts are all about storytelling, and Spotify is keen to “create sonic cinema” with writing and structure, voice talent and music, as well as sound effects, producing a unique audio experience. David S. Goyer, famous for the Blade Trilogy as well as Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, created the Batman Unburied podcast. “There’s a rich history of Batman renditions,” said Gateley, “bringing in David S. Goyer to create something for us has been exciting.” From Brandon Wilson’s point of view, it makes sense to have filmmakers in the podcast space. “They know how to tell a story. If they’re worth their salt, they love the challenge to give up the one thing, the visuals, and now with the podcast, all you’re doing is audio, there’s a lot of headaches you don’t have. I imagine there’s a great liberation.”And on this, I must ask, modern issues aside, what makes a filmmaker such a big deal, but not a comics writer proper? Consider there's only so many recent moviemakers who've produced the wokest content, exploiting veteran creations and properties for conveying their PC visions, with Eternals, Blue Beetle, Thor 4 and Black Adam presenting at least a few examples, it makes little sense to say they know storytelling, and the perpetuation of the claim Batman's historical renditions are massively rich is also absurd. What about the time in the late 1980s when Jason Todd was mishandled? Or how about the Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive crossover from 2002, which was dreadful and superfluous? Or any other forms of PC/social justice propaganda that've come along ever since to litter the pages? It's insulting to the intellect how they gloss over any and all mistakes made with the Masked Manhunter in history, not to mention how they keep touting Batman at Superman's expense.
So I realized this item winds up being just another putting more emphasis on movie adaptations in the end than it actually does on comics. And what good is that? None, decidedly. Maybe worst though, is that chances professional and veteran comics writers who understand what can make the material work best won't get a spot on these podcasts run by the publishers themselves. Not even the long blacklisted Chuck Dixon, who wrote some of the last Batman stories worth reading. In that case, what good are some of the podcast projects?
Labels: bad editors, dc comics, history, indie publishers, marvel comics, msm propaganda, technology
