The Four Color Media Monitor

Tulsa World reported that a veteran artist, Steve Erwin, has died at age 63:

Tulsa artist Steve Erwin, who is in the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame and whose body of work included illustrating comics for DC Comics, has died. His wife, Brenda, shared on social media that he passed away due to a sudden heart attack. He was 63.

Erwin is perhaps best known in the comic book industry for his work on the Deathstroke comic book series, for co-creating Checkmate with Paul Kupperberg and for penciling the comic book adaptation of the 1992 film “Batman Returns” starring Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny Devito.

During a 2016 interview with the Tulsa World, Erwin told a story about how he landed the “Batman Returns” gig. He excelled at drawing likenesses of “real” people and, prior to the movie adaptation, he would randomly sneak the faces of minor celebrities into comic books that he was illustrating. That got him in trouble with an editor who was wary that those faces could lead to litigation for unauthorized use of a likeness.

Such an approach, admittedly, is something I'd never thought could be subject to legal issues, yet there's doubtless plenty of artists who've drawn inspiration from real life figures to serve as templates for drawing comics characters, and Israeli cartoonists Maya and Yehuda Dvir have drawn wacky caricatures of themselves in their humor strips. It's told here, however, about how Erwin approached Deathstroke, one of the early assignments he got:

Erwin then was offered the comic book series Checkmate and he penciled the first nine issues (and 23 of the first 34) of Deathstroke the Terminator, a comic book series that starred a bad guy, Slade Wilson.

Because of Erwin’s Deathstroke affiliation, he said there was a misconception he was among the character’s creators. Marv Wolfman and George Perez created Deathstroke. But Erwin was the first artist to illustrate Deathstroke’s solo adventures after the character rose to prominence as a Teen Titans villain and became worthy of a series all his own.

Erwin said he developed a relationship with Deathstroke after drawing the character for three years: “Seeing him show up on ‘Arrow’ was exactly like the feeling you get when you see a friend appear in a high-profile event: ‘Hey, I know that guy!’ It’s just shy of the thrill of seeing something you have an actual hand in creating make it to TV — which is the feeling I got when I saw the Checkmate logo on ‘Smallville’ in its last season.”

Now, Marv Wolfman may have written Slade Wilson reforming in the years after the Judas Contract storyline in New Teen Titans, but even so, one must wonder why again, we have a case here of somebody being drawn to a villain, rather than heroes. I have to admit, this part disappoints me, because idolizing villains, as I'm sure I cautioned before, risks damaging morale. Let's also remember what Slade was implied as having done with Terra in 1984, having an affair with a girl who was supposed to be around 14. Seriously, even if this was a villainess, isn't that still running the gauntlet?

Erwin doubtlessly made significant contributions to comicdom in his time, and I'm sure there's plenty to admire in his resume. But it's a shame when creators act like villainy is what impresses them more, instead of heroes.

Labels: dc comics, golden calf of villainy, good artists, history, Titans

It looks like Disney's getting cold feet on releasing its woke remake of Snow White, as reported by the Daily Wire, and is postponing the film's release for about a year:

Disney pushed back the release of its live-action “Snow White” a full year after getting slammed for its woke messaging.

The live-action film was supposed to be released in March of next year, and there was no reason given for pushing “Snow White’s” release from 2024 until 2025 as there has been a significant amount of controversy surrounding Disney’s latest live-action adaptation.

[...] While it remains unknown if Zegler’s comments had anything to do with Disney delaying the release, experts have already said the actress’ wokifying of “Snow White” could tank the Disney remake. Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing said he believes the ongoing actors’ strike in Hollywood will be used as an excuse for the film’s delayed release.

“My guess is the SAG strike excuse is just cover and that they are actually reshooting large parts of the movie to make it a more faithful adaptation of their own classic film,” Boreing posted on X. “Will be interesting to see how Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot walk back their previous denouncements and insistence that this movie will be different…”

What, did Gadot say something wokefied too? I don't know, but realizing her own resume has at least a few PC-laden items, it wouldn't shock me at this point if she did, and could explain her participation in this new woke venture. One which probably won't add much to her legacy in the end either, if she has any legacy at all.

Anyway, as hinted by Boreing, Disney must be in the very process of doing damage control in more ways than one, since a new publicity photo they sent out shows Zegler with a gathering of what appear to be animatronic editions of the 7 dwarves. Creative Bloq, however, is unimpressed:

Disney has officially released an exclusive first look at its new live-action Snow White film. The screenshot reveals a CGI-heavy cast of the seven dwarves, alongside Miss White herself, played by actress Rachel Zegler.

They say never judge a film by its err... screenshot, so I'll hold my reservations until the movie is released, but as a classic Disney animation purist, this revelatory sneak peek is certainly a leap from what I'm used to. (If you'd like to bring your art to life, check our guide to the best animation software to get you started).

The image in question is a fairly innocuous preview of the upcoming film (which has now been pushed to a 2025 release date, despite original plans to release it in March of next year). The colour palette, theming and aesthetics of the shot appear to be vaguely in line with the original, but I just can't get my head around the CGI – to me, it gives uncanny valley vibes.

And look, I know it's been quite a while since the original film's release in 1937 –animation has evolved since then – but what's with Disney's obsession with CGI-ifying everything? The blend of live-action and CGI creates a jarring disconnect between the characters and the cottage's design appears uncharacteristically dingy, which to me, loses that sense of whimsical charm in the original animation.

That echoes my thoughts too. But better still, why are they changing everything animated in their resume to live action? All that does is dilute the potential of animation, and send a message they don't consider it an art, even for adults. Which has been a sad mindset for a long time, all but relegating USA animation to children's fare, in contrast to Japan, where it's far more accepted as worthy for adult consumption, and while Europe's animation may be more family-friendly too, even their offerings over the years had more sophistication than you could find in most USA-produced cartoons.

In the end, it remains to be seen how woke the new Snow White film will be, apart from whether the 7 dwarves are cast or not. If there's left-wing feminist nonsense turning up in the new screenplay, that should say all you need to know where this movie will be going, dwarves or none. And if wokeness prevails, that's one more reason to skip this live action remake, in addition to avoiding Disney's brand new offerings, based on where they're going when it comes to PC mentality.

Labels: animation, history, politics, technology

The Straits-Times reports that one of Marvel's politically connected specials has made its way to Singapore:

Those entering any of the nine Joint Testing & Vaccination Centres across Singapore might have come across free copies of a new comic book featuring the Avengers.

Titled Everyday Heroes, it has been available since September, when 36,000 copies were sent to these centres that provide Covid-19 vaccination services.

In the story, the Marvel Comics superheroes fight the supervillain Ultron while humans battle a pandemic. In the midst of battle, the Avengers make a connection with a family protecting themselves with vaccinations.

It was first released in the United States as a collaboration between Marvel and the biopharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech.

[...] The story is written by freelance comic book writer Paul Allor, 45. The American’s past credits include the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe comics series.

In an e-mail interview with The Straits Times, Allor said that “Covid-19 is one of the biggest threats of our time”.

Sorry, but when you look at this through the context of the reemerged crisis of Islamic jihadism, Coronavirus is nowhere near as severe an issue. Even university campuses supporting barbarism is a far more alarming issue than Coronavirus at this point. And all Allor can view as dangerous is a form of chemical that causes illness, but not an ideology that upholds savagery? In the past decade, he made some left-wing political statements, and his GI Joe stories were fishy too, so I guess this is nothing new for somebody like him.

Of course physical health is important. But anybody in Singapore who wastes time with Marvel's modern products is making a dreadful mistake.

Labels: Avengers, Europe and Asia, islam and jihad, marvel comics, moonbat writers, msm propaganda, politics, science, terrorism, violence

Breitbart's John Nolte commented on film schools becoming more woke, and quite blatantly too at that. The concerns are quite valid as far as moviemaking goes, but then, he dampens the impact with a sugarcoated take on a very dismaying, early form of politically motivated comics crossover, the movie connections here notwithstanding:

One of the great joys of movies is trying to figure out what to think about someone and what you would do in the same situation. Woke removes all of that. Remember Captain America: Civil War? That’s how it’s supposed to work. Which side would you take? Who’s right, Captain America or Iron Man?

This may relate to one of the older Marvel movies, but what he's doing is still hugely disappointing, because the film itself was based upon one of the worst examples of Marvel's descent into heavy-handed leftism under Joe Quesada's decade as EIC, in 2006. Even if, as a movie, it took certain liberties differentiating from the original comics, it's just no excuse. As far as both Cap and Shell-Head are concerned, I don't want either of them being forced into a role that's against keeping the USA safe from terrorism, for example. I'm not saying either of them should support the government wholesale. But it's insulting to the intellect how Marvel's editorial forced both superheroes into the contrived roles they had there, and additionally revolting is how Spider-Man was put in the position of unmasking just so they could soon put him in the position of selling out to Mephisto, along with his marriage to Mary Jane Watson. But I guess somebody like Nolte, who only cares about movies, can't be bothered to comment on the worst that could happen under Quesada, huh? And what about how Cap was put in death limbo at the time, all for the sake of bringing back Bucky so he could take over, and things became considerably worse when the Falcon was shoehorned into the role for the sake of more wokeness? Why, Civil War itself was a product of wokeness. Didn't anyone consider?

It's one thing to decide who's side you want to take in a challenging argument. But it's entirely another to shove established characters who usually were characterized as caring about the wider public's safety into forced and contrived situations that could arguably be out-of-character for all involved. That Nolte may be alluding to the movies does nothing to alleviate that. And if he thinks the woke film schools would care about Cap and IM being mistreated by Marvel editorial, he'd be mistaken.

Labels: Avengers, bad editors, Captain America, crossoverloading, history, Iron Man, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, moonbat writers, politics, Spider-Man, women of marvel

The Jewish Journal covered a comic exhibition at a history center in NYC:

Jews invented Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America, The Hulk, the Avengers and X-Men. Aside from the mainstream, Jews have contributed heavily to the indie comic book scene as well.

Now, the Jewish community’s contributions to comics is on display at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. This collection showcases Jewish culture, history and artistic expression through comic books, giving visitors a chance to learn about this topic as well as draw their own comics.

On November 12, the museum will hold a convention with workshops and an awards ceremony featuring the biggest Jewish comic book creators of today – including Israelis. Some of the creators were supposed to fly in from Israel for the event, but now that’s uncertain. Co-curator Roy Schwartz, author of “Is Superman Circumcised? The Complete Jewish History of the World’s Greatest Hero,” was raised in Tel Aviv and now lives in New York, said that due to rising antisemitism, the exhibit has gained new meaning.

“The recent events in Israel and the global tidal wave of antisemitism that’s followed have made the topic of JewCE more relevant than ever. In the 1930s and 40s, when forces of hate and insanity marched across borders and Jews were butchered wholesale while the world proved indifferent or hostile, young American Jews turned their fear, fury, frustration and faith into superheroes. They created symbols of life, hope and brotherly love. These characters have resonated worldwide, and now that history is repeating itself is the right time to tell the story of their creators.”

It most definitely is crucial to consider how much of early comicdom was written/drawn/published by Jews, and antisemitism has definitely become a most serious issue lately following the Hamas bloodbath on October 7. One of the most chilling examples has to be "queers for palestine" marches taking place in the USA, made all the more mystifying when you consider that Islam's lethally hostile to LGBT ideology, with a most horrific example being a Muslim in Sligo, Ireland, who decapitated 2 gay men and destroyed a third man's eye. How LGBT advocates have no issue with that, to the point of condoning jihadist barbarism, is bewildering and stupefying indeed.

Unfortunately, however, the Journal's article makes no mention of Islam, which makes one have to wonder if they're really serious about confronting a serious issue, one that even affects Armenia along with many other countries today. It beggars the question: will any of the exhibition's contributors participate in new comic projects condemning Islamofascism? If they don't make any effort whatsoever, then they've failed even Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, whose most famous creation, Capt. America, has long been desecrated in over 2 decades, all for the sake of Blame-America propaganda for starters, and nothing's improved since, what with all the repeat broadcasts of politicized stories that've been coming out of Marvel over the past decade, with Ta-Nehisi Coates one of the worst writers they ever allowed to take the reins.

It's certainly important to tell the story of famous creators like Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Stan Lee and Gil Kane. But if they won't take issue with all the nasty far-leftism that's destroyed the subjects of this exhibition since the turn of the century, and won't make use of the medium/show the courage to produce new items condemning Islamofascism, they're not accomplishing anything. If the lectures they give don't make any mention of the specific facts regarding the new wave of antisemitism, and they don't allow guests to either, this whole convention will be meaningless and do a terrible injustice to the figures spoken about.

Labels: dc comics, Europe and Asia, exhibitions, golden calf of LGBT, history, indie publishers, islam and jihad, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, museums, politics, terrorism, violence

Variety interviewed film director Matthew Vaughn, who directed X-Men: First Class, who offers an idea why comics movies are tanking now, but continues the tradition of not addressing politically correct subjects:

I genuinely don’t know what’s happening with the superhero [genre] in the sense that, I do think, maybe we all need a little bit of time off from it. Maybe someone will make something so great that we will get excited again… Superhero films are films. It’s a film that has superheroes in it. I think what happened was that they became superheroes, and the film part wasn’t that important.

When you’re making a superhero movie, you sort of have to work harder because you’ve got to make people believe it. That’s why ‘X-Men: First Class’ was pretty grounded. We set it in the Cuban Missile Crisis; they had relatable human problems. And it wasn’t relying on the CG. I think CG’s fucked up everything as well, because you feel like you’re watching a video game. You’re not with the characters. Apart from ‘Guardians’… I still think Groot and the raccoon are fucking pieces of genius that I feel so much for them. So I’ll be intrigued. I think at least DC is under… I think James Gunn and Safran, they’ve got a good chance of popping, and hopefully [Kevin] Feige will go back to less is more and make less films and concentrate on making them great.

John Nolte at Breitbart commented:

Notice what he didn’t say: the dog Hollywood will never allow to bark… Of course, I’m talking about the obnoxious gender and sexual politics infecting what should be an escapist genre.

Woke is, by definition, death to creativity and nuance. Woke demands men kiss each other for no reason, that characters are defined by meaningless traits like their skin color and sexual fetishes, and everything be stridently and smugly declared rather than weaved through theme and character.

[...] What kills a movie is a lousy plot, dull characters, and political rhetoric. Emasculating Thor into a dope in an apron is what ruined Thor: Love and Thunder, not the visual effects.

Yup, and we still have a sad situation of Hollywooders not having the courage to admit their ideological beliefs aren't winning over the masses. Some people may overlook this, but even the earlier Marvel films had traces of wokeness turning up, like when the 1st Thor movie from a dozen years prior changed characters like Heimdall to Asian/Black. Should we ignore how laughably unnecessary that was in hindsight? Of course not. Clearly and obviously, the Marvel movie producers took advantage of any lack of criticism of their inclusivity propaganda, or if there was, they resorted to victimology to keep it all up, and in the end, entertainment value no longer mattered, just the politics did. Even the older DC movies from the past decade had political propaganda, subtle or otherwise, like a protest against illegal aliens in Batman vs. Superman. Let's also not overlook how Batman is played up in productions like those at Superman's expense. Another problem alluded to in Vaughn's interview is the whole "realism" factor. Why must we always constantly be lectured that being realistic is the only good way to make a movie when dealing with sci-fi?

As bad as the latest Marvel movies have become, WB looks so desperate to emulate them that it'd be a blessing if their movie projects would stop as well. I don't hold high hopes for what Gunn will work on any more than what Feige is, and it's decidedly time to put less emphasis on science-fiction movies filled to the brim with heavy special effects. For now, it's a shame Hollywood's contributors still won't admit what's bringing down these oh-so important comics adaptations, based on creations that sadly lost their way years ago, for much of the same reasons modern movie adaptations are today.

Labels: dc comics, golden calf of LGBT, marvel comics, msm propaganda, politics

The Post and Courier of Columbia wrote about the University of South Carolina's comics archives:

In the last four years, literary classes and library exhibits at the University of South Carolina have had a novel edition: the comic book.

Since 2019, the state’s largest university has built its collection of superhero, funnies and graphic novels to be one of the most comprehensive in the country.

“We are now a national, arguably even international, center for studying comic books at a university,” said Michael Weisenburg, associate director of rare books and special collections for USC libraries. “We’re definitely a top-five school for comic books.”

Gary Watson started the collection in 2019 with a donation of 150,000 comics, magazines and pulps he had amassed since 1958. The donation, valued at about $2.5 million, spread the word that the USC Library was a home for comics.

Other donors have given thousands of comics they’ve been storing, filling the gaps of Watson’s original donation to create a comprehensive view of the art form’s history. Derrek Royal, an academic in comic studies, contributed more than 18 tons of indie comics in 2019, which the library is still counting. Roy Thomas, the former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, gifted boxes of his personal collection to the university this year.

“We went from zero to 60 immediately and we’re not stopping,” Weisenburg said.

This may sound great, but then, they sour the milk by putting what sounds like a forced reference into the report:

The comic book collection is so vast that every exhibit in the Hollings Library has had a comic book in it, he said. An exhibit on the university’s LGBTQ+ history this month displayed gay pulp comics.

Just what the world needs, to say nothing of universities. But no comics or anything has ever been written up and donated to the college about Armenian history, and they don't put any emphasis on Israeli history, or even Italian history, for that matter. And if the university did, something tells me the press would turn their backs. LGBT ideology seems almost like the only issue they're willing to highlight, outside of skin color, which on its own doesn't amount to much at all. No wonder universities in the USA must have the most negative reception as an institution these days, from a political perspective.

Building an archive of old comics is great, but putting emphasis on divisive subjects like LGBT ideology at the expense of much else ruins everything.

Labels: exhibitions, golden calf of LGBT, history, libraries, msm propaganda, museums, politics

Publishing Perspectives says there's companies in Germany now who're taking interest in manga from Japan, and manhwa from Korea. And there are domestic creators who're brought up here as well:

Germany’s comic book creators are seeing a rise in demand for their work from established French and American publishers, and they say they can count on an increasing number of state-run programs to support their activities.

At the same time, German publishers are heavily betting on Japanese manga, sales of which are booming. They say they also hope South Korea’s manhwa comic books might be the next big thing in the German market.

Thilo Krapp, a German comic book creator and member of the Illustratoren Organisation union—which represents the creators’ interests—says at Frankfurter Buchmesse that the past years have brought a rapid increase in French-German comic book collaborations. American publishers are also reaching out to Germany’s creators with job offers, Krapp says.

“More and more comic book creators from Germany are now working for Disney or big French publishers such as Dargaud, he says. “This is making our industry more visible, and makes it possible for us to receive more support from the authorities.

I'm sure Germany's got some items of interest. But, they also have fishy stuff too:

Marion Pauls from the German comics publisher Carlsen says that the company’s portfolio of Franco-Belgian comic books, featuring beloved characters including Tintin, Spirou and Fantasio, and Gaston, remains very important for the company and has a loyal following among German readers. At the same time, Carlsen continues to expand its offer with titles designed for mature audiences, and is keen to explore challenging, often politically charged topics.

“We publish Turkish creator Ersin Karabulut who specializes in politically engaged comics, and explores various themes, such as freedom of expression,” she says. “Another of our releases, Kate Charlesworth’s United Queerdom, is a graphic memoir which depicts what the 1950s were like to LGBT persons.”

Now what if it turns out the former produces Islamic propaganda, especially at a time when people are beginning to recognize again why it's a serious issue? If that turns out to be the case, they're working with bad sources. And the latter certainly sounds like propaganda favorable to LGBT ideology, so it won't be a surprise if it turns out to be just that. If their manga ventures turn out to be better, ditto the Korean imports, that'll be because their far east counterparts aren't as obsessed with the kind of ideologies the west's become sadly inundated with. So why must we be told that the domestic publications are politically charged by contrast? If the manga isn't, wouldn't that explain what's wrong with the marketing?

Good luck to them in selling the manga. But one sure thing - if they're unwilling to publish products that stress the importance of combating issues like Islamic terrorism, then all this talk about politically charged topics is farcical and all for naught.

Labels: Europe and Asia, golden calf of LGBT, islam and jihad, manga and anime, msm propaganda, politics

A short time ago, left-leaning Polygon wrote about the continuing campaign for comics creators to obtain better wages and health insurance, which has a hashtag on X spelled as #ComicsBrokeMe, from publishing companies:

In a landscape where movies based on comic books rake in billions of dollars, there’s an assumption that anyone in the comic book business is making tons of money. The reality is an entirely different matter: Since its earliest days, the American comics industry has been built on the exploitation of workers.

And surely the biggest irony is that quite a few of the same press sources covering it now never cared before, and likely won't tomorrow, if we're to talk about conservative-leaning creators who've been short-changed and cheated out of fortunes. Also consider how these same news sources don't give a damn if Bill Finger and Martin Nodell's original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, was/still is exploited for LGBT propaganda, very heavily forced down everyone's throats.

Some of those stories have become well known. DC Comics bought the rights to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman for $130 in 1938, leading to decades of legal battles. Legends like Jack Kirby and Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko struggled until their deaths for credit and appropriate payment for their creations, which built Marvel’s multimedia empire.

In 2023, those fights continue, and not just in superhero comics. The entire industry is undergoing a reckoning, from mainstream publishing to creator-owned spaces. This spring, a conversation that had previously existed only in whisper networks leaped out into the open, after the tragic death of comics creator Ian McGinty at the age of 38. In an obituary soon afterward, McGinty’s family said he died “of natural causes,” but his passing had already sparked a discussion of overwork. Cartoonist Shivana Sookdeo created the #ComicsBrokeMe tag, and thousands of people used it to share their heartbreaking experiences within the industry, such as poor treatment and poverty wages.

As a member of the comics and publishing community, Sookdeo told Polygon that the volume of responses didn’t surprise her. “I knew it was kind of just under the water like an iceberg. I don’t think anyone can be prepared for something to go that far, but I suspected.”

Struggling creators, however, are very aware that they can’t rely on the industry to fix itself. “At the end of the day, we’re dealing with corporations who only care about maximizing profits,” cartoonist Sloane Leong told Polygon over email. “Human dignity isn’t a factor for them.”

What if it turns out these same modern creators couldn't care less if the Big Two abuse their stable of creations, and worse, what if they were willing participants? In that case, why must we feel sorry for them? Better still, why must they even continue to work for Marvel/DC in their current incarnations, as the following confirms:

Polygon’s research bears that out, in some informal polling of fans standing in comic book signing lines at San Diego Comic-Con 2023. Most fans we spoke to assumed that comics creators were on salaries with full benefits. When asked how much they thought those creators might make in a year, the average answer was between $75,000 and $100,000. And those fans even thought that “wasn’t very much” for Big Two creators who write and draw characters like Batman and Superman.

The disparity between industry success and creator pay is usually chalked up to notoriously bad contracts; many creators signed away their intellectual property rights for minimal fees years before a Marvel- or DC-based film ever smashed the box office. But Hollywood corporations — Marvel has been a part of Disney since 2009, and DC has been affiliated with Warner Bros. since 1969 — have made it possible to expand on the advantages of those contracts by orders of magnitude greater than what was possible for Marvel or DC alone.

Well if that's too little, then again, why do modern creators continue to work for Marvel/DC in their current incarnations? There's so much they could surely accomplish at an indie publisher, yet they continue to provide satisfaction for DC/Marvel by providing them with any kind of employment opportunities at all. For now, it could be said that any artists and writers like Tom Taylor who work on major superhero fare without any respect for the core values makes it hard to feel sorry if they didn't get paid enough, and what if it turned out that, despite any claims to the contrary, they were actually delighted to work on humiliating Superman as a franchise no matter how low the wages? Bad contracting is correct though, but even if it were seemingly flawless, there are examples like Bill Willingham's Fables flap to consider.

Unionizing comics as a way to get fair pay and treatment has long been a conversation in the industry, but has been hard to bring to fruition for one key reason, as artist Joan Zahra Dark explains. “When comic writers and artists are considered independent contractors, they’re also considered ineligible to join unions, at least according to the National Labor Relations Act here in the US,” they say. “And those challenges to organizing, in no small part, lead to further issues of pay disparity, racial and gender inequality, and lack of benefits that are crucial to a better industry for everyone in it.”

There have still been attempts to bring comics workers together. In recent years, full-time production workers — such as editors, office workers, and graphic designers — at both Image Comics and Seven Seas Entertainment have organized to form unions within their companies. But, as Dark points out, “they’re opposed at every step.”

And here's where they venture into ambiguous propaganda, all without acknowledging the real goal of Image's union was to censor creative freedom. Is that something they get behind? Tsk tsk. This is very grave. If I were in charge of Image, I'd be fine so long as it was all about the payment, and creative issues were left for another time and place. Also, coming from a potential leftist, how do we know the talk of racial/gender inequality isn't based on wokeness? And then, they offer further clues everything's that could be just the case:

To McLauchlin, though, the Hero Initiative isn’t just representative of problems in the comics industry, but instead is a symptom of the wider issues that our society creates. “People need people. People need to help people,” McLauchlin tells Polygon. “Life can be nasty. In short, capitalism is a sharp, edgy instrument and it doesn’t come with many guard rails. So I guess the Hero Initiative is needed because this is society. This is humanity. This is what we do. This is what we should do.”

That people-first mentality is also behind a move away from traditional publishers and toward a model that pays creators fairly and respects time and craft. Jamila Rowser founded the award-winning Black Josei Press in 2018 to create a space centered on celebrating comics by and for people of color from marginalized genders and sexualities. In just five years, the company has become a beacon for what publishing comics could be, with inclusive titles, fair pay, and reasonable deadlines that have reframed the way people are making comics.

Once again, we're given a stealth lecture about wokeness that's not really about merit, citing a company that's been mentioned before that's been pandering to LGBT ideology. Did it ever occur to them that without merit, and too much heavy-handed politics, they can't expect much sales-wise, making it more difficult to achieve the residuals they demand? I just don't get their logic.

So how can creators protect themselves from the myriad of exploitative practices old and new? “I believe the only way to change this is by collectively pressuring publishers by withholding our labor to raise their rates on both the creative and editorial side and force them to be transparent in their business practices,” Leong says.

In the face of almost a century of mistreatment and exploitation, comics creators are still fighting to make art that they love in a way that’s sustainable and maybe even one day equitable. Whether reimagining publishing, creating a safety net from nothing, or building a community that will serve artists both new and old, there’s hope for the industry. But it doesn’t come from the work-for-hire system, intellectual property rights, or the corporations that uphold them; it comes from the creators themselves.

Well maybe now we're reading somebody talking sense, in the context of that it may be time to stop working for Marvel/DC. But sustainability and even equitability will only come about if they stop hammering us with all the wokeness that's become a sad staple in the past decade. If they don't comprehend that, they can't be surprised if nobody wants to buy any comics they produce, independent or otherwise.

Labels: censorship issues, dc comics, golden calf of LGBT, history, indie publishers, marvel comics, msm propaganda, politics, sales

Fox-25 of Oklahoma City reported on a comic that delves into the dark history of the Osage tragedy of the early 20th century, which is also the subject of the book/film "Killers of the Flower Moon":

One way to keep conversations going about the Osage murders and learn more about this dark part of Oklahoma's past is to visit educational exhibits.

An exclusive “Osage Reign of Terror” comic book exhibit is now open in Oklahoma. The presentation offers a rare perspective, from a troubling time in the tribe’s history. Fox 25 saw the artifacts in Stillwater.

Inside the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar, Osage murder comics from the 1940s-50s are now on display. Amelia Chamberlain with the museum says she hopes the exhibit will help make sure this historical event is never forgotten.

"The more we know about these things, the more we can prevent them [from] happening again," Chamberlain said. "At least we hope it can’t hurt. Deep thanks to the creators of the Killers of the Flower Moon book and movie for making sure that Osage murder victims, and the evil roots of the crimes, are not forgotten. Our goal is to help advance that story, and contribute to that conversation.

The comic book exhibit tells a uniquely written story about the Osage, one of several tribes that once stayed in the Stillwater region.

"It does shed light on those murders. That’s always providing information, and letting people know what happened.”

I had no idea the history of these terrible incidents, which were the result of organized crime trying to take over the Osage lands out of greed for oil and other reserves, had ever been adapted to comics decades before. I'm sure even as comics, it'll make for some important history research.

Labels: exhibitions, history, misogyny and racism, museums, terrorism, violence

While it remains to be seen if The Marvels really will fare as badly as is estimated by analysts, The Direct says Brie Larson's tired of the role and wants to quit. Predictably, this couldn't go without an attack on fans:

According to a new report, Brie Larson may have become disillusioned about her Marvel role thanks to toxic backlash from fans.

Larson - who is set to lead The Marvels as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel - has faced her fair share of critiques since joining the super-powered franchise.

For better or for worse, the comic book movie genre/popcorn franchise entertainment has become inundated by trolls.

In Larson's case, much of the criticism has come from, as her MCU co-star Samuel L. Jackson once put it, people "who hate strong women," with sexist comments being made about her hero, the movies she stars in, and the actor herself.

As expected, they couldn't keep themselves from parroting one of the most offensive lies possibly put to use, all while having no issues with what athletes like Riley Gaines have experienced. The Direct's coverage is noticably heavy-handed. The 1st Wonder Woman movie, overrated as it decidedly was in retrospect, drew far less criticism of the sort they're implying here, and many accepted Gal Gadot in her role, so why do they apply a different logic in regards to the Capt. Marvel role? Answer: because merit's not the name of the game. Larson herself made politicized statements, which has unfortunately become far more common in the past decade for performers to do, and this all alienated a lot of people, along with her overall performance.

While speaking on The Ringer's The Watch podcast, Robinson followed up her writing in the book, plainly remarking, "The toxic backlash means that Brie Larson doesn't want to play Carol Danvers anymore:"

"[Marvel Studios] put Brie Larson in [a prominent place in the MCU]. I don't know if Brie Larson was the wrong person for the role necessarily. But the toxic backlash means that Brie Larson doesn't want to play Carol Danvers anymore."

Interesting somebody was willing to admit Larson's not a very talented performer, however indirectly. Of course, if the Capt. Marvel movie had been based on the original renditions of Carol Danvers up to 2011, is it possible the left-wing commentators would've reacted very differently? Don't be shocked if they did. Many were unwilling to take issue with the alarmingly negative way it approached relations with men, while simultaneously removing all sex appeal, as signified by the kind of suits worn by the actresses. And for The Marvels, they even had the gall to add the Muslim Ms. Marvel, in what'll doubtless be a very "normalized" approach to the Religion of Peace, to the cast of characters. With what's been going on lately, what sane person will want to see a product where Islam is deliberately whitewashed?

Some of the commentors pointed out what the site's writers weren't. For example:

Oh, I misread the title. I thought the toxic backlash was for people reacting to Brie's toxic behavior and the backlash against it.

And then:

Can anyone point to a time where she was Illusioned with the project?

She made it very clear how much she hated the material and hated the built in audience the IP came with.

And over her entire career she's come across as condescending and one dimensional as an actress, is she really all that different as Capt Marvel, or ROOM, or Short Term 12? no, she's the same bitter sad little girl who never learned she needs to earn things and getting mad at people who don't just give her everything is her fault.

I see this as the end of her career, thankfully.

On that note, Amber Heard's career is certainly over, after how she defamed Johnny Depp. Next:

She simply has the acting chops and emotions of soggy cardboard. If we hated strong women, we would hate Gamora, which we don't.

When the Direct obscures her lack of talent, you know they're not a serious publication. This is why movie actors and actresses become obscure in the end. That aside, I'd sure be happy if the whole Marvel franchise would just fold up; it's not worth all the bother and money, and the people involved have no genuine affection for the source material.

Labels: islam and jihad, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, msm propaganda, politics, women of marvel

ComicBook tells of one of the market's classic cliches in motion, now applied to at least 2 of the most significant series based on licensed merchandise, GI Joe and Transformers, and here, it's more recent issues from Skybound, which the current licensee:

#10: DUKE #1 – ASHCAN – 2023 NYCC – ENERGON PANEL GIVEAWAY | IMAGE | 2023 | *SPOILERS* | Skybound has been busy heavily promoting the titles within their new Energon universe. That trend continues into NYCC, where this exclusive was handed out to those who attended the Energon panel (while supplies lasted). In that panel, it was announced that Duke will appear in TRANSFORMERS #2 and that the Energon Universe occurs before the G.I. Joe and Cobra organizations have been formed. This is not a prequel, and the Energon Universe is chronological. According to Skybound, this is like the MCU before the Avengers assembled. In this continuity, G.I. Joe and Cobra don't exist yet, and we get to explore how they came to be. This shared universe has reinvigorated swaths of the community, and this book is the epitome of that excitement. We tracked it at a high sale of $100 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $87.

#9: TRANSFORMERS #1 – IAN BERTRAM – FOIL (1:100) | IMAGE | 2023 | *SPOILERS* | As Transformers heat continues, the new solo title from Image and Skybound debuted recently with a slew of fantastic variants from SDCC and NYCC. The crossover universe of Transformers and later GI Joe that began in Void Rivals is taking the community by storm. Many opt to secure the highest ratio variants possible, including this 1:100 foil. The first graded copies are hitting the market and fetching a tidy sum, but raw copies can still be cheaper to obtain. With the brutal death of Bumble Bee going down and this cover sporting his decapitated head, it's no wonder fans were after it! We tracked it at a high sale of $380 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $177.

Wow, they expect people to pay hefty sums for this? Whatever they have in store for GI Joe doesn't sound particularly appealing, any more than the art I'd recently noticed for Transformers, and in this day and age, I realize you can't go into these ventures with high expectations any more. That aside, what makes this such a big deal they'd want anybody to pay nearly $400 for a copy of a mere pamphlet? And why no emphasis and paperbacks and hardcovers? I'm sorry, but what I'm seeing here inspires no confidence or feeling of being impressed at all. Even VOA's been reporting on million dollar sales at NYCC, because that's all we need, and it only continues to make a joke of the medium. The list provided also highlights the sums expected for an older publication like the original Omega Men's 3rd issue, featuring the debut of Lobo in his original incarnation as a Velorpian mercenary crook:

#3: THE OMEGA MEN #3 | DC | 1983 | This book was popping up when rumors initially floated around that Jason Mamoa would appear as Lobo in Superman: Legacy. Nothing was confirmed (and still technically hasn't), but the market is again zeroing in on this book as the rumors begin to rage. The troubles behind Aquaman 2, the confirmation no DCEU actors would return for their roles in the DCU, and the most recent information circulating that the official casting of Jason Mamoa as Lobo will occur in early 2024. Cue the run on the first appearance of Lobo, leading us to track it at a high sale of $395 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $83.

At that time, Lobo was presented as an actual criminal, and to retcon him as they did into an absurd parody of superheroes - one who was established as having annihilated his entire own race (retconned to Czarnians) in the mid-90s - was tasteless and humiliated the DCU in the long run. If WB is adapting Lobo to the silver screen, and they intend to follow the 90s rendition, I won't be wasting my money. Then again, I'd rather not see any more WB movies based on where they've been going with wokeness these days. The Aquaman sequel with Momoa may not be looking bright in prospects already as it is, and this news is decidedly no improvement. I do think the original Omega Men is recommended reading, since it was written at a time when merit was better, and Lobo's rendition there is preferable to what came later, but why pay so much? Even $83 is asking a considerable amount for so little. What we should really be seeing is reprints in trade paperbacks, and along with the original direct-sales series printed on Baxter paper, I think there's also a precursor short story from the Witching Hour anthology from 1971, along with their debuts in Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton's Green Lantern run the following decade, a few more guest appearances in New Teen Titans and Superman, and there may have been a few anthology appearances that came after the original series' cancellation too. Why must we be hearing about big sales for a mere pamphlet, but not demand for full reprints of an underrated space adventure from 1983-86?

The farce of the speculator market sadly continues as usual, and no one in comicdom's mainstream has any interest in taking a critical approach to how even the most brand new pamphlet issues see special editions being sold for ludicrous prices, while no objective view on the importance of story merit is ever provided.

Labels: dc comics, golden calf of death, history, indie publishers, licensed products, marvel comics, msm propaganda, sales

Wisconsin native Seeley was interviewed by Wisconsin Public Radio to promote yet another superhero comic he wrote called Local Man, whose premise is honestly built on way too obvious themes:

In a new comic book series, the main character returns to his small Wisconsin hometown as a failure, mirroring the actual nightmare of co-author and Wisconsin native Tim Seeley. [...]

On "The Morning Show," Seeley discussed setting his latest story in Wisconsin, the genre of rural crime noir and 1990s superheroes. The new comic series, "Local Man," involves a disgraced former superhero returning home and investigating a murder.

I just don't understand why we have to keep hearing even the premise of a former superhero as the main spotlight. Or why we have to keep hearing that the tale is centered around a murder investigation. That's one of the biggest problems with a lot of prime time TV shows aired at 10 in the evening in past decades too; many would have stories centered almost entirely around murders, or even rapes, not carjackings and store robberies sans the aforementioned forms of violence. Building around murders/rapes has long been an awfully stale approach.

What Seeley tells in the following exchange, however, is interesting:

Kate Archer Kent: Why did you make the story in a fictional town but include so many references to real parts of Wisconsin?

Tim Seeley: I felt like I had not seen a superhero story set in rural Wisconsin before. It's obviously something I have a lot of experience with. I've always noticed that we put in details that relate to people. They just sound more honest. The characters inhabit a world that seems more real.

But we made it fictional because the town is kind of terrible in a lot of ways. It's a town in which all the major industry (has) fled. It's just holding on by a string. It's somewhat corrupt, as well. We didn't want to call out a real place, so we made up a fake place that is a combination of a bunch of different ideas that feels like a town, but it's also worse than any real town.

In fairness, one could wonder if he's alluding the sad situation now plaguing multiple Democrat-run cities across the USA, including - and not limited to - my native Philadelphia, where crime's gone off the charts and has led to business closures. There's also San Francisco and LA's Beverly Hills district, to name at least 2 other examples. But then, why doesn't Seeley actually name such cities and how they've gone down the drain in just a few years flat? If he did, the story he's producing might have more meaning and speak to the times for real. Seeley also brought up what he thinks of the 1990s:

KAK: What is a day in the life like for these superheroes in "Local Man"?

TS: In the early 1990s, they started making superhero comics pretty much exclusively for 13-year-old boys. Those comics tend to have this very distinct aesthetic in which they're really aggressive, they're really brightly colored and they're often like sexy — but only for 13-year-old boys and for no one else. But they were full of creative energy, and they were full of life. I like them, but I also hate them.

I wanted to tell the story with these kinds of characters. One of my things that we observe in the book is that 1990s superheroes were not that concerned with saving the day. They were more concerned with beating stuff up or looking cool. That was the main motivation for that era of superhero comics. So, we make fun of it. Our character comes from a team of which most of the time he had no idea what it was they were doing. He was just running around beating up bad guys and not really understanding how this helped anyone. But all of them just went through it because it was a way to be powerful, cool and famous.

Seriously? I realize that 1990s mainstream was on the decline, but that doesn't mean none of the writers at the time were writing tales about fighting and defeating evil, and saving innocent lives. And a story about a superhero doing nothing more than attacking baddies - and presumably not turning them in to the police - is no substitute for a story where saving innocent lives is more of an emphasis. Honestly, Local Hero sounds laughable, and a waste of a chance to do something more challenging, like clearly addressing modern issues such Islamic terrorism, and even Russia's neo-communist situation that resulted in the current war against Ukraine. The story Seeley's produced is an example of taking a way too easy approach, and marks another sad example of how modern creators don't seem to know what they're doing, or if they're telling something with meaning anymore.

Labels: history, indie publishers, msm propaganda

It's not just film and television actors like the aforementioned Tom Hardy and Keanu Reeves who're getting involved in comics writing. Even pop musicians like Kid Cudi are too, as announced by Entertainment Weekly:

Kid Cudi is known for being a multidisciplinary artist. Beginning with his first mixtapes, he combined rapping with singing in a way that proved influential in pop music. In subsequent years, he moved into other genres, such as rock and avant-garde, and last year his album Entergalactic was accompanied by an animated Netflix special of the same name.

Now he's unveiling a new venture. The musician (real name: Scott Mescudi) revealed at New York Comic Con on Saturday that he's releasing a comic book, Moon Man, due out next year from Image Comics, Black Market Narrative, and Mad Solar.

Co-written by Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black), with art by Marco Locati and Igor Monti, Moon Man tells the story of astronaut Ramon Townsend, who becomes a celebrity after saving his crew from a near-disastrous moon mission. But certain moments during that mission weren't captured by cameras, and they will change Ramon into something the world has never seen before.

"This might be one of the top three coolest things I've ever been a part of," said Mescudi at the event. "This story is something that took a lot of love from everyone involved. I promise you this comic will be unlike anything you've read before. To each and every person that picks up a copy and shows support in January — I love you more than you can imagine."

Higgins compares Moon Man to Alan Moore's classic comic Miracleman, which explored the effects a superhero might have on the real world. With his popular series Radiant Black and the whole "Massive-Verse" it has spawned, Higgins and his creative collective Black Market Narrative have been reimagining superhero comics for the modern era. Though it is not technically part of the Massive-Verse, Moon Man is the latest example. [...]

Mescudi's interest in comics dates back to his 2009 debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, which boasted cover art from legendary comics artist Bill Sienkiewicz. Moon Man reunites Mescudi with Sienkiewicz, who provided a variant cover for the series' debut issue along with other big artists like Rod Reis and Christian Ward.

Ah, here we go again with the completely unnecessary venture of variants, which minimizes the seriousness of the promotion. And comparing it to Moore's Miracleman? Now that could be worrisome, because as explained at this site, some of Moore's writings have dealt with themes like sexual assault, and how do we know this new indie comic won't build on anything similar? Citing such a comic as Miracleman viewed in context of the adult themes it builds upon doesn't inspire much confidence, even if Moore did write his stories with a recognition that sexual violence is offensive. If anything, the problem with how Higgins, Cudi and company are promoting their comic, allegedly inspired by Moore's, is that if it comes within even miles of building on bleak, repugnant themes, then it's hardly what you could call something unread before. How doesn't that occur to them? Also note that Higgins once put political stealth propaganda into Nightwing, when he worked at DC comics several years ago, so one could wonder if Moon Man too will end up serving as a cynical political vehicle.

And that Mescudi would have an animated special to accompany one of his albums streamed on Netflix is another letdown.

Labels: conventions, indie publishers, msm propaganda

And one that isn't all that new, if we consider Keanu Reeves' recent project, BRZRKR, developed at Boom Studios. The Hollywood Reporter says actor Tom Hardy, who played 2 different comics villains in movies, is teaming with Scott Snyder to produce a comic titled Arcbound:

After playing Venom and Bane, Tom Hardy is diving into the comic book world as a creative force.

The actor has teamed up with star writer Scott Snyder, known for Batman and Justice League, for the upcoming comic title Arcbound. Hardy has taken on the title of creative collaborator, with the actor focusing on character development for the broader Arcbound universe. [...]

The 12-issue series takes place in a future where Earth is a barren wasteland. According to the official description, “The formidable corporatocracy, Zynitec, harnesses the unmatched energy of Kronium to assert its dominion across the stars. The Arcbound series chronicles the journey of Kai, a resolute Mediator Captain, tasked with maintaining Zynitec’s lifeline to Kronium. However, as he grapples with the morality of his role, revelations about Zynitec’s dubious past thrust him into a poignant quandary: to remain loyal to the empire or to confront the forces that molded him into a tool of oppression.”

Issue No. 1 arrives in March, but an Ashcan edition will be at New York Comic Con at the Arcbound Booth starting Thursday. The Arcbound team also includes veteran scribe Frank Tieri, known for Wolverine and Deadpool, and artist Ryan Smallman, who has worked on Fortnite and Marvel titles. Artists contributing variant covers include Ryan Ottley, Clay Mann, Tyler Kirkham and Dan Panosian.

Anybody who's going to concern themselves with variants only makes clear the creators don't have sufficient confidence in themselves to market the tale via merit. Even the talk of an Ashcan edition raises eyebrows. Though if Snyder, Hardy and company really are commenting on corporate corruption, that sure is something, considering how guys like them are always selling out to the same, as Snyder did when he took up assignments at DC. But if he has no open criticism to level at them for all the damage they inflicted upon their properties, foremost in comics themselves - and which he himself was a willing participant in - then what good does it do to even write up a story like this? Besides, barren wastelands are ground that's actually been covered too often.

Hardy has experience on the creative side of the film business, earning writing credits on Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the upcoming third Venom movie. He has been a frequent collaborator of Christopher Nolan, starring in Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Dunkirk, and became an Oscar-nominee for The Revenant. He has the feature The Bikeriders due out Dec. 1.

Which only suggests he was hired due to his film career, not because he has the talent needed for this kind of medium. And something tells me he won't learn the experience needed for developing coherent comic stories despite what's told. One can only wonder if Arcbound will end up becoming the next Hollywood project as well, and whether, despite any suggestions to the contrary, it won't come even close to being a critique of liberal hypocrisy, corporate or otherwise.

Labels: conventions, indie publishers, msm propaganda

The Gavi website talks about a medical comic intended to promote the importance of vaccines for preventing cervical cancer, which has mainly impacted women:

The weekly clinic, staffed by Mulago health workers and students pursuing their master's degrees in paediatrics, is helped out by a younger volunteer corps. Nakyalu is welcomed by two teens stationed at the reception, tasked with assisting and educating their adolescent peers about the benefits of the HPV and tetanus vaccines.

One of the volunteers, John Mckenzie Bwesigye, a 14-year-old with dreams of becoming a doctor, presents her with a comic book. "The Adventures of Adriko and Nampijja: The Value of HPV Vaccines," its title reads.

Comics to the rescue

In ten brightly illustrated pages, a lesson unfolds. Adriko, a boy of perhaps ten or 11, and Nampijja, a similarly aged girl, are finally back in school after the lockdown. Kids share their updates. Birungi excitedly reveals she received a dose of the HPV vaccine. Kintu tells the group that his aunty has recently died of cervical cancer.

The class buzzes with discussion. Teachers Martha and Moses are overwhelmed by the kids' questions: What's it for? Does it hurt? Is there any truth to the rumours that the jab can cause sterility? In the break room, over steaming cups of tea, they hatch a plan. Why not ask Birungi's dad, Nurse John, to come in and deliver a talk?

John arrives in a white uniform and confident smile. The vaccine is safe, effective, and totally free, he explains in a lively dialogue with the students.

In the real-world Mulago clinic, Nakyalu finds the comic book – which was produced by Uganda's Ministry of Health with support from partners including UNICEF and WHO – to be a delightful distraction from the anxiety of impending injections and a valuable source of education. It's a blend, she says, of comfort and knowledge.

I will have to complain, however, that it's not great when a UN division's involved in a project like this, based on the corruption they're guilty of. Seriously, why must comic projects like these have any kind of participation from a movement that bad? Health issues are definitely important, and comics are a great way of discussing them, but it's bewildering why a movement that's been lenient on racism has to have any kind of connection with such comics, financially or otherwise. When will countries like Uganda understand why it pays more to develop these comics-style guides independent of any participation by the UN?

Labels: Africa, misogyny and racism, politics, science

Canadian comics writer Zub said the following about Alpha Flight at a convention:

3am fervent argument about Alpha Flight's squandered potential?

Must be Comic Con weekend.

— Jim Zub 🎲 (@JimZub) October 14, 2023

We were all in agreement that it had been squandered, the argument was about how to make the book work and the idea of being 'Canadian'

— Jim Zub 🎲 (@JimZub) October 14, 2023

And for the record, even Fabian Nicieza chimed in:

this tweet really made me glad I don't socialize much at cons anymore.
;)

— FabianNicieza (@FabianNicieza) October 14, 2023

Where've they been for many years? Some could argue the potential was squandered, if anything, via the botched outing of Northstar as homosexual, in a badly written story by Scott Lobdell over 30 years ago, who's not considered the best writer of the times. Not many stories of that sort back in the day were as heavy handed as Lobdell's scripting of Northstar turned out to be. If Bill Mantlo had received the task of spotlighting Northstar's homosexuality, as he was once said to have wanted to do, would it have been better scripted? Maybe, even though Mantlo was quite a leftist for his time, and did turn out at least a few questionable tales, including the Hulk's journey to Israel in 1981. And maybe if Nicieza had the assignment, it'd be easier to read through as well. So why Lobdell would get such assignments is mysterious, especially recalling he didn't script Aurora very well either. Maybe Zub should consider what happened historically, and ask whether such heavy-handedness on Lobdell's part was what led to Alpha Flight's downfall years later as a series set in Canada.

Zub also posted the following about New York City:

Oh, New York~
One minute you're offbeat and charming, the next you are gut-wrenchingly depressing and a bit scary.

Highs and lows.
It'a helluva town.

— Jim Zub 🎲 (@JimZub) October 15, 2023

Wow, has he noticed how bad things have become in just a few years in the Big Rotting Apple? Well it won't do much good to overlook where things are going now, and one can only wonder whether it'll still be worth it to hold any conventions there by the end of the decade, let alone publish comics there (and as I recall, DC moved to California in the past decade, where things aren't doing any better, and Marvel probably did too, for all the good it's bound to do in the end). Of course, no guarantees writers like Zub will ever address the New York situation in their comics writing, and that's what really makes this all such a sad affair.

Labels: conventions, golden calf of LGBT, history, marvel comics, moonbat writers, politics

Athol Daily News tells what this year's local comics convention in New England is about:

Tamulevich said the purpose of the event is to increase children’s interest in reading. She and Boughton said another goal was to provide more visibility to storylines and characters beyond those of the typical mainstream superheroes.

“Everybody knows the mainstream characters,” said Tamulevich. “We have a whole independent market of creators who are so talented — writers, artists, you name it. And because Chris and I are very passionate about our books, and we have met wonderful indie creators throughout our adventure of going to different comicons, we wanted to focus on the independent market — the indie creators that are up and coming.”

Thank goodness somebody realizes why at this point, it's better to emphasize the indies. But let's also hope they recognize that if to encourage more children to read comics, they won't take the woke approach that's been taken in schools across the USA. Put another way, it can't material considered explicit and thus unsuited for children, and the standards can't be applied selectively, as is being done with LGBT ideology. Avoiding that can raise the confidence in parents for their children to read more comics. And today, it'd be better if they not only read more non-superhero comics, but also looked for the most meritous stories produced. Let's hope Athol's convention seriously emphasizes that.

Labels: conventions, indie publishers

The New York Times reported on the new independent publisher Ghost Machine, working together with Image, whose management includes the overrated Geoff Johns. But he's not the only unwelcome presence at this new outfit:

Brad Meltzer has experience with ownership in publishing. “As a novelist, I own my characters. I always have,” he said.

Mr. Meltzer has written dozens of thrillers, including “The Escape Artist” and “The Book of Lies,” as well as books for children and comic books. He’s also no stranger to television: He was a creator of the series “Jack & Bobby” and the host of “Brad Meltzer’s Decoded,” which examined historical mysteries.

“The entertainment industry is an ecosystem, and it is ever changing,” Mr. Meltzer said.

Now he is trying to use his knowledge to help some like-minded writers and artists reshape the comic book industry. They have formed Ghost Machine, a media company that is being announced on Thursday, the first day of New York Comic Con, the pop culture convention. One of the principal tenets of the new company is creator ownership.

“When you tell the stories of comics themselves, the creator doesn’t always come first,” Mr. Meltzer said. The tension goes back to the earliest days of comics: In 1938, the creators of Superman sold their rights to the character for $130, with no inkling of how valuable the hero would become.

Look who's talking. Somebody who never truly respected the cast of the DCU, let alone Superman and his creators, when he scripted Identity Crisis back in 2004. Just what is the company's idea of associating with this disgraceful man who's never apologized for minimizing serious issues like sexual assault, as Elongated Man's wife Sue Dibny was seen subjected to by an out-of-character Dr. Light? The creators didn't come first because men like Meltzer never truly respected them, and even today, you don't usually see them reference writers of the Golden/Silver Ages like John Broome and Gardner Fox. The rest of Ghost Machine's staff includes:

The founding writers and artists of Ghost Machine will be exclusive to the company and will jointly own, operate and profit from it. In addition to Mr. Meltzer, they are Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Peter J. Tomasi and Maytal Zchut. Other creators will be named after they fulfill their commitments to other publishers.

“Everybody in the business wants to see comics thrive and continue to be an important part of pop culture,” said Mr. Johns, who is known for revitalizing many of DC Comics’ characters, including Flash, Green Lantern and the Teen Titans. “But the business model shifts so rapidly, we wanted to evolve with it.”

Mr. Johns is a proof of concept of Ghost Machine’s goals. He and Mr. Frank produced their first creator-owned work with “Geiger,” a comic book about a mysterious man living in a post-nuclear-war world. The six-issue series, published by Image Comics in 2021, was a critical and commercial success and is being developed by Paramount Television Studios.

Because “Geiger” is creator-owned, the team received the majority of the profits earned by the comic and had full control of media rights. Mr. Johns will write the pilot and be the showrunner. Both men will be executive producers.

And here, it sounds like Geiger was specially written up to serve as Hollywood fodder, and for all we know, could contain whitewashed views of Islam, as observed earlier. All this news makes clear is that Johns is no different from various other writers who're more into the business for the sake of producing comics with the intention of adapting to the silver screen, and make it worse when they add divisive politics to the mix.

Ghost Machine will publish its comics through Image Comics, which itself was established by top-selling artists who had grown frustrated with their lack of editorial control and the limited financial rewards from working on characters owned by media corporations.

Some of these writers, like Johns, were responsible for bringing down the quality of DC and Marvel, and then they have the gall to complain about not getting residuals they don't really deserve. It's also weird how all these years, nobody even asked whether the approach to how royalties are paid in comicdom was flawed, seeing how it may be based more on how often characters created by specific writers/artists are actually put to use than in how often the stories are reprinted in paperbacks. From what I can tell, that's actually led to situations where fictional characters are killed off, possibly so the companies won't have to pay any residuals at all, or worse, out of bizarre spite. Such a business model's only proven a disaster, morally, artistically or otherwise, and anybody who won't campaign to change it isn't doing an iota to improve comicdom.

As for Ghost Machine, let's hope the audience will see through this and not buy anything written under their imprints. The NYT didn't even provide clear sales figures for Johns' story, so it wouldn't be surprising if the claim of success was just an empty boast in any event.

Update: it may be worth noting that, according to the onetime writer/editor Valerie d'Orazio, who'd worked at DC, Meltzer wasn't the one who thought of writing the rape of Sue Dibny into Identity Crisis, and it was mainly an editorial mandate, which DiDio oversaw. Even so, that Meltzer would accept the mandate virtually unquestioned is still reprehensible as it's inexcusable, and if he thought up the scene where Deathstroke caused Zatanna to vomit with a martial arts technique, that was offensive too. Come to think of it, just about anybody who was involved at the time and voiced no serious objections has blame to shoulder. Thank goodness artist Alex Ross refused any participation in the project at the time. It's a terrible shame the late Michael Turner, by contrast, didn't, even if he only drew the covers. As I may have once stated before, it puts a huge stain on Turner's resume as a result.

Labels: conventions, dc comics, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, moonbat writers, msm propaganda, violence, women of dc

I dicovered veteran GI Joe writer Hama commented on the Hamas abominations against Israeli victims on the 12th of October, with the following: And I may as well post the text plain below too, along with some screencaps:

How do certain people equate deliberately murdering children and decapitating babies with the targeting of terrorist infrastructure that results in collateral death of civilians? How do you ignore intent?

I'd really like to appreciate that he recognizes that gory murders of infants are repulsive and inexcusable. But then, he dampened the impact with a response to somebody offering a perceptive viewpoint. First, what the respondent says:

Because the pathological belief that the Palestinians are oppressed underdogs rather than what they are- a generalized menace to the region.

A very perceptive viewpoint. But, what did Hama say in return? This is, quite honestly, disappointing:

I think the Palestinians have as legitimate a beef as Native Americans. And I think the current Israeli government should not be confused with the Israeli people. Every single Israeli I know personally hates Netenyahu. Nothing good has ever come of partition. It is a complex issue, rife with what-aboutisms, and bad players on both sides. But, the creeps who are cheering for people who cut the heads off infants are pieces of shit in my book. We dealt with Calley and Medina. If you don't police your own bad apples, you are no better than them.

I wonder why he doesn't have the courage to verify whether the Israelis he knows are as left-wing as he is? That's the problem with men of his sort, they won't look beyond those they already know, nor do they consider what the Koran's built upon. He also takes a viewpoint that ignores a sizable majority elected the parties comprising the current Israeli government, denies any validity to Israel's historical residency in areas like Gaza, and even clearly buys into the propaganda first begun in the mid-20th century of a "palestinian people" of Arab/Islamic background. He might also want to consider even Indians of the north American continent have blame to shoulder for being part of slavemongering against Blacks. But if he believes in the vitality of policing your own side, does he have any complaints about how leftists are failing to do so, when there's universities allowing horrific movements to dominate there, and turning their backs on Jewish targets? Not to mention the continuing deterioration of USA cities under Democrat control, including New York City, and even Philadelphia and Chicago, to name but some. Hama's apparent disinterest in considering all these issues and commenting on them unambiguously is only prolonging the problem. Which includes even Ta-Nehisi Coates, who signed onto a letter supporting Hamas. If Hama's worried about whether the left pays attention to its own, will he complain how this despicable man was/is still allowed to write mainstream comics? The commentor said:

The problem with the Palestinians as a group is they have backstabbed every Arab government thar ever tried helping them out. Jordan invited them in, and they thanked King Hussein by almost getting them into another war with the Israelis then trying to assassinate him twice. Black September, 1970. Then Jordan's expulsion of the PLO dumped them in Lebanon, which started their civil war and doomed them as a country. The Egyptians already have a jihadi problem and rightfully refuse to import more. So the Palestinians have to accept, but won't, that their own leaders have sold them out for fifty years, Arafat alone having stole billions, Hamas and Hez are Iranian puppets, and they're going to get used as cannon fodder in a war that may get them all killed. Which sucks, but even the Israelis who felt bad for them don't care after this.

While there are some impressive points to be made here, I still can't help but wonder if even this particular respondent isn't as well-informed as he could be, which dampens the impact of this too as a result. Another said:

It's impossible to empathize with anyone that commits the atrocities that Hamas has committed. I just don't see where they see this going. What support they had is surely reduced as the world unites by the horrors committed.

It definitely should be, but there's still alarming portions who support these abominations around the world, even in Britain, and that's just the beginning. It's also crucial to consider how the Democrats welcomed delegates like Rashida Tlaib into their ranks. Here's another reply to Hama:

Everything I know about the region and its troubles pointed to fault on BOTH sides....UNTIL....Saturday's events and the following days... I was willing to listen to both sides....I'm not now. Murdering babies...nearly 40 babies I'm told, means that any complexity in the issue just got a whole lot simpler....fuck Hamas....light them up.

One more person so far says:

I believe people cherry pick the facts that fit the narrative they want it to be

Something leftists like Hama have to consider. His continued associations with the left in any way after horrors like this only makes this all the more galling and deplorable, and will not improve the situations at hand. I've got a sad feeling that despite all he says, he won't ever travel to Israel specifically to meet with anybody considered right-wing, let alone religious/Zionist, may not even meet with victims of Islamic terrorism, nor will he ever study the Koran's contents, or even publicly condemn far-leftists unambiguously. All because his stature as a GI Joe writer, or even the most significant writer for Wolverine's 1st volume, is apparently so important he must remin within the left's "good graces" for eternity. At least, that's what people like him seem to believe.

Update: since I mentioned Coates before, here's the whole sickening letter he co-penned with several other authors in the NY Review of Books. Do Marvel and DC still intend to continue employment of such awful people who even denigrated the USA?

Labels: Europe and Asia, islam and jihad, misogyny and racism, moonbat writers, politics, terrorism, violence

IGN's announced the Elseworld imprint is being revived by DC, much too late to bear any relevance:

DC Comics is bringing back the popular Elseworlds imprint, ushering in a new wave of comics set in twisted alternate versions of the DC Universe.

DC made the announcement during the "Elsewhere In the DC Multiverse" panel at NYCC today. The new Elseworlds line will feature six new titles initially, some of which are continuations of classic Elseworlds stories like Batman: Gotham by Gaslight and others set in brand new universes.

Seriously, they're new? Based on the sequel to Gotham by Gaslight, it's more like the old:

This series is a sequel to 1989's Gotham by Gaslight, which is set in a world where a Victorian-era Batman battles Jack the Ripper in Gotham City. The sequel will introduce more 19th Century versions of DC's heroes, as Batman assembles the Justice League for the first time and our heroes learn more about the secret history between Earth and Krypton.

Stories building on notorious tyrants like the one from 19th century Britain have long gotten way out of hand. And how come they don't consider the flagship DCU became twisted itself after Dan DiDio got his mitts on it?

“Out-of-continuity stories have always been a pillar of DC publishing, granting creators the ability to explore all the wild corners of the DC Universe,” said DC Executive Editor Ben Abernathy in a statement. “We’re excited to bring a whole new slate of titles under the Elseworlds banner in 2024, combining some all-new titles from top storytellers, as well as sequels from the current DC line that fit that same out-of-continuity aesthetic.”

This is hilarious when you consider their flagship universe ceased having any continuity by the mid-2000s. But creative freedom, they imply? Only for those whose leftist politics they agree with.

And some Elseworlds stories were subject of notorious editorial mandates, like the Evil's Might miniseries starring Kyle Rayner as a 19th century take on Green Lantern. It was written, curiously enough, by Howard Chaykin, suggesting he was one of a number of scribes at the time who had no issue with the horrific mistreatment of Hal Jordan, and wouldn't ask to reverse the terrible fate Hal went through as Parallax. Of course, let's also recall nobody at the time even wanted to reverse the fate of Golden Age Hawkgirl Shiera Sanders during Zero Hour either. Any Elseworlds story that was built through editorial mandates like those sure isn't something to support financially. In any event, they're reviving the line much too late.

Labels: bad editors, dc comics, msm propaganda, violence

Harrow Online reports a comics store in the UK is closing after nearly 4 decades of business:

Calamity Comics, a shop that has been a part of Harrow for nearly 40 years, is set to close its doors for good this November, it has been announced.

The sad news was posted via the official Calamity Comics Facebook page this afternoon (6 October).

The announcement said: “It is with great sadness that, after almost 37 wonderful years of serving you all with your weekly comics, books and everything associated, we are going to be permanently closing the Harrow Calamity Comics store in November.

“Over that period we’ve made numerous friends, hosted some notable creator appearances (Chris Claremont, Grant Morrison, Kevin O’Neill and Pete Milligan to namedrop just a few!), and supported an ever-growing group of gamers on our game tables. It’s genuinely been a blast!

“As you can imagine, all of that has made this a very difficult decision to arrive at but with recent increases in our overheads we have decided to consolidate the business and focus solely on the Hatfield store plus the Mail Order and Online side of the business.

Claremont's an okay choice for a guest, and maybe O'Neill too, but what a shame they had to associate with modern leftists like Morrison and Milligan. We could honestly do without their attendance.

By overheads, I assume they mean the costs of deliveries and distribution, and that's certainly a shame when things get too expensive. But that seems to be a most unfortunate effect many businesses are experiencing lately, and this store too appears to have sadly been a casualty of all the financial strains that have come about lately.

Labels: Europe and Asia, sales

Statista wrote a brief article based on the cliched babble that Marvel and DC almost literally dominate the marketplace:

With movie franchises like Avengers or Spider-Man, Marvel has firmly dominated the box office in terms of the portrayal of superheroes as well as revenue for years. Three of the eight highest-grossing movies worldwide as of May 2022 were produced by Marvel, which was bought by Disney in 2009 - an investment that will probably pay dividends for the foreseeable future. Our chart shows that the company also continues to outperform its competitors in the industry it helped build more than 70 years ago.

According to data aggregated by entertainment business publication ICv2, roughly 37 percent of the total revenue from comics and graphic novels sold via specialist comic book stores was generated by Marvel products, with DC coming in second with 26 percent. The only other comic publisher with a revenue share in the double digits is Image Comics, which in the public eye is mainly associated with Todd McFarlane and his long-running character Spawn. Marvel taking the top spot isn't exactly news. Since ICv2 took over reporting comic book sales from Diamond Comic Distributors in late 2020, the Disney subsidiary has come out on top in every quarter.

While the figures presented by ICv2 are valid first estimates, they need to be taken with a grain of salt. The raw data is generated by 100 stores worldwide connected to the ComicHub platform, which constitute a small sample of an estimated 3,000 stores selling U.S. comic books around the globe. It's also unclear whether regional differences are weighted to account for market or audience size.

And that's why this article can't be taken at face value, most definitely not if they don't provide clear sales figures. Gee, wonder why they forgot to type those in? Is is really that hard? Why'd they only link to the site's about page? Pathetic.

Once more, we're lectured without providing something so simple as sales figures, let alone whether it all ties in with store-based supplies or actual sales to the public. Why do these news sites keep covering such topics if they can't live up to the potential?

Labels: dc comics, indie publishers, marvel comics, msm propaganda, sales