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Jack Fear wrote:
People think differently about this industry because this industry really is different.
And amongst the other good points you raised, Jack, I think this is the key one; I think it’s unfortunately also the one that bothers me most, because what I’d prefer would be a situation where the comic medium and industry (probably safest to distinguish) is seen in the same way as other media and industries.
Whilst I appreciate that there are many differences between comics and, say, TV, I just wish it was possible for approaches to them to be comparable – then again, I’d like comics to be viewed as (and here I think I may be quoting Ellis, for whom I do fundamentally have a fair amount of time and respect) just another way of telling stories... as opposed to the present situation where they’re dominated by superheroes etc, and even the reading of them is seen as noteworthy in itself. Granted, they’re struggling on a commercial level, so maybe it’s like being a minidisc fan when mp3s are all the rage, but I find it funny on a purely personal level how many times I need to point out to people that I read many more books than I do comics, though the latter are seen as somehow odd or unusual.
I wonder if the reactions of comic fans to certain bits of news or coming attractions rather perpetuate this sense of ‘otherness’, and (I’m thinking of the currently-running John Byrne Forum and ‘Do you know too much about comics?’ threads here) makes the fans seem different in a way that helps to alienate the industry and possible readers. Sure, there are problems of accessibility (both in storytelling terms and those of comics not being on the shelves or spinner racks) and the like, but I just wonder if to some extent the ‘difference’ of the comic industry is worn as such a badge of pride that the more outspoken fans could be seen as some of the worst ambassadors for it.
It’s probably my wide-eyed naivete, but it’d be nice to think that comics could be just another medium, and seen as such, without the sense that there’s a different mindset to wrap your head around. I may well be extrapolating optimistically from my own reactions, which tend to be the same when Geoff Johns or David Goyer sign exclusive contracts in their chosen media; it’s interesting, but not something that gets me particularly fired up.
What I guess all the above is, in a longwinded way, saying, is that if the comics medium is to be treated in a similar way to other media (and I believe that’s a desirable thing), maybe comic readers (or, perhaps more specifically, comic fans) need to be seen to view the industry (that distinction again) in a fashion similar to that of other forms of expression.
And in response to Stoatie’s comments about Harlan Ellison on B5, Ellison has worked on quite a few TV shows of this nature before – Star Trek most famously, but Outer Limits, New Twilight Zone, and Man from UNCLE as well, so he’s not a stranger to such things. But Ellison’s a veritable Niagara of words in various media, so perhaps it’s not surprising. Though maybe he’s a good example of the kind of writer who sees comics as just one more means by which to tell tales ? Dunno, I’m biased, he’s one of my favourite writers. |
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