CRY COMICS — CRY HAVOC!

ITEM! It seems that the comics industry is in peril, and every Wednesday is turning into “Black Wednesday” as the sales figures continue to slowly decline. For a comprehensive compendium of this week’s frantic fallout, go see this story over at Heidi MacDonald’s The Beat blog. Things look dire indeed. One might be inclined to ask at this point, whither comic books?

Don’t you believe it, Fearless Ones! Take it from my octogenarian outlook. The comics industry has struggled before and folks have been predicting its imminent demise starting all the way back in the early 50s (thank you, Dr. Fredric “Rabble Rouser” Wertham). The only difference between then and now are the miles on the odometer, baby.

Are there fundamental problems in creative content and distribution channels that need addressing? Absolutely! Has the game changed almost entirely with the introduction of new technologies and new digital media? You bet’cha! But is it really the end of serialized graphic storytelling as we know it? Not on your life, pilgrim! The comics industry isn’t any different from the auto industry, the banking system or the housing market. The comics have just got to get with the times and figure out how to best take advantage of the new media opportunities and stop trying to fight an Information Age battle with last century’s editorial tanks and planes. 

You know, it’s times like these that I really miss Jolly Jack Kirby. He had a prescient practice of prophesying these portents and omens way before the rest of us caught up to the future. For example, Jack foretold the coming of graphic novels and their sale in chain bookstores decades before the practice became commonplace. If he was here with us now, he’d probably just rattle off the entire solution to the industry’s current problems over a turkey and gravy sandwich at lunch! Still, there’s a solution out there. All we have to do as an industry is find it. So keep the home fires burning, True Believers. And until Joe Quesada reveals that Aunt May is secretly a Skrull agent, keep Making Yours Marvel! 

Excelsior!

Smiley

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON REPORT - THORSDAY

ITEM! Hookay then! Since there’s about 125 gazillion True Believers out here in San Diego right now, Yours Truly is gonna keep these Comic Con reports short and sweet... kinda like Heidi MacDonald! The Virgin panel discussion just ended and it went swell enough I suppose, except for Grant Morrison hoggin’ up too much mike-time. You know what the Scots are like after a few early morning pints. Afterwards, I finally got out on the convention floor with my circle of bodyguards and had Irving Forbush snap a few pics which I’ll be a sharin’ with yah as soon as we get inside some kind of Wide-Fi cloud that Irv keeps jabbering on and on about. Here’s the first one: your Uncle Stanley standing in front of what I think is supposed to be Galactus’ glamorous goggles from the next Fantastic Four movie. Obviously they’re gonna be painted purple in the movie! If yah see me on the floor, please don’t forget The Code of Comic Con Conduct. Enjoy!

Excelsior!

Smiley

THERE WAS A HOT GIRL IN THE COMIC SHOP

ITEM! Kudos to my adopted great-grandson Irving Forbussh III for pointing Yours Truly to this video and thanks to Hellacious comic book artist Eddie Campbell for posting it. I’m sure many of you Fearless Front-Facers out there will enjoy this, but what fascinates your Uncle Stanley is how much I’m digging this swingin’ li’l tune myself. After all, I’ve been happily married for over 60 years. Maybe this song reminds me of some of the younger and more attractive “friends” that I have over on my official lawyer-approved MySpace page. Or maybe this song by an awesome Ozzie musical comedy group called Tripod reminds me of the completely chaste old-man crush on Heidi MacDonald that I’ve been nursing for years now. Anyhoo, Earnest Irv is embedding a YouTubes web-linky-thing so that all of you can enjoy this magical mystery show for yourselves. ‘Nuff Said!

Excelsior!

Smiley