About David Hopkins
Location: Arlington, TX
Occupation: comic book writer, essayist, teacher
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Posts: 35
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Oh crap. Are you still reading this column?
This marks the 22nd installment of my column Beneath the Underdog. So far, I’ve pondered Will Eisner versus Stan Lee, played chess with Scott McCloud, explored the insane dedication of comic book creators, previewed the Eisner Awards, honored the up and coming talent of Hope Larson, championed the inconvenient graphic novel, defended the Nice Guy in comics, offered my It List, contrasted 24 hour comic book day to my 10 year high school reunion, placed comic book critics on the hot seat, interviewed my friends, and announced my Graphic Novel of the Month.
And yet, no major controversy. No heated debates. (Meanwhile, our friend Chris Williams interviews a disgruntled Mac Genius and people come with torches and pitchforks. Kudos to you, good sir.) In truth, I want this column to be a source of encouragement to the people who care about independent, small press, and alternative comics. Not really here to set fires.
However, I thought I’d pose a question: Has the online comic book community eclipsed the comic book itself?
I was thinking about this when I noticed the boom in popularity with ComicSpace, essentially a streamlined MySpace with a focus on the comic book community. It’s a great site. In fact, as soon as I work out my problem with my login (mistyped my e-mail address to receive the authentication code), I’ll be a proud member. I am a joiner, after all. The internet has made joiners out of even the most introverted people. In our effort to connect and network, did the Internet kill the comic book star? Sure, the weekly stash of comics becomes our common language, but is it about comics or about being about comics? Doesn’t that sound like a well rehearsed break-up speech? “I’m not in love with you. I think I’m just in love with being in love with you.”
Numerous comic book creators have a website and a blog. So if you want to read Peter David’s suggestion to impeach the President have at it. Jackie Chan, a porn star? I heard about it first from Warren Ellis. A daily sketch from Mike Wieringo, love it. Follow the adventures of Scott McCloud’s family across America. And not that I’m complaining, these blogs connect us to some of the storytellers we most respect. It’s heartwarming to read Terry Moore’s blog, particularly as he finishes Strangers In Paradise. I’m inspired to look at Jeff Smith’s blog. Kazu Kibuishi’s blog always offers smarter insight than I could hope to offer in this column.
Even without the blogs, we’ve got Rich Johnston’s weekly rumor and gossip column Lying In The Gutters. We’ve got Heidi MacDonald’s The Beat, which I read more often than the regular newspaper. And there’s also the hundreds of online forums all endlessly fascinated with the state of Wizard Magazine. I know, at times, the infamous Bendis board has been a beast beyond any single person’s control. Other times, they’ve mobilized support for comic book creators in trouble faster than even the Red Cross could. John Byrne has used his message board to share all sorts of interesting ideas—like his belief that Latina girls who dye their hair blonde look like prostitutes.
I pose the question again. Do we still enjoy comics, or do we just enjoy being part of the discussion? I’d like to say I love both equally. But considering how much time I spent on my website last month, versus how much time I spent actually writing comics, it’s a hard pill to swallow. We’ve been overexposed, and maybe eventually we’ll find a happy balance between a love of the artform and an interest in the people behind the artform. Perhaps, I’m just being a Luddite. Peter David once said if the Internet was a true factor on the comic book industry, the top ten books would all be Vertigo titles.
Despite my apathy towards creating any, I understand the need for online controversy. It does give us something to read. You know, besides comics.
Oddly enough, I don’t visit comic book sites. I love reading the books but I could give a toss about the rumors and hearsay that seem to dominate the comic landscape. I don’t read Newsarama, The Pulse or Lying in the Gutters. None of it interests me.
That’s not to say I don’t read rumor sites. I’ll check out movie blogs all day long but I like to keep my comics pure. Just the books and the creators can keep their opinions to themselves.
Stefan is pure. I am tainted.
Hey boss, maybe that’s why I don’t stir up enough controversy? These columns read more like confessions than accusations.
That’s funny. It’s the only form of entertainment that I don’t disect. I review movies, DVD, music and books. I just want my comics to my one area that isn’t tainted by critical analysis.
If I have to read one idiotic thing that Byrne says, then it takes away from my enjoyment of his book. Who are we kidding, no one enjoys Byrne’s stuff any more.
I’m tainted with you, David. My RSS reader is full of all the comic sites and blogs and I can’t get enough of Comicspace even though it does absolutely nothing right now.
But I want to talk about comics. You know, the things I go out and get every Wednesday. I don’t want to talk about the creators or whatever their fetishes may be. Supposedly the cardinal sin of blogging is blogging about blogging but how many people have become minor, minor, minor celebrities by doing nothing other than reporting on other blogs or forums?
There’s a place for that discussion but I’ve dropped the feed of many sites because I have no idea what kind of stuff the writers actually like or what they think about actual comics. I know what they think about feminism or politics or the evils of corporate comics but the latest Spider-Man? Unless it’s a part of a massive, major, muscular and momentous crossover, who cares.
I’m going back to my Spirit review now and talk a bit about what Darwyn Cooke is actually doing in the comic.
Darwyn Cooke. No official website. Untainted. :)
I understand how some people get famous by blogging, and it’s certainly a way to keep writing. However, it creeps me out when people STRIVE for that type of fame.
Sometimes I wish creators would be more private about their drama. Even if I agree with them, it does ruin my image of them when they are continually bitching and moaning.
The hype of the comics industry is its own industry. I’m addicted to subscribing to everything I can find. Thus I end up not reading any of them… except yours of course.
Funny, I was just having this conversation on a blog I’ve been reading for ages.
I visit the comic store much less these days. This is basically due to financial constraints, but other than talking to the good people at Zeus, I don’t much miss the weekly visits. Or, for that matter, the comics. I’m a passionate fan of the artform, but the need to keep “current” is basically inertia… or so I’ve discovered.
But I do miss the conversations. I like the personalities, I like the quirks, I like the fetishes. I can go anywhere in the world for blurbs about single issues, but I can only get Mike Sterling’s opinion from Mike Sterling. I can only get postmodernbarney Dorian’s opinion from PMB Dorian. I miss having the context to keep up with their conversations.
Controversy’s only good so long as it’s useful.
I’d agree. However, it’s important to make a distinction between the hype (Chris chose the perfect word) and the actual artform. The Beat is not comics. Newsarama is not comics. Wizard is not comics. Lying in the Gutters is not comics. Peter David’s opinion on Bush is not comics.
There is a whole audience out there, completely disconnected from that and I fear we’re creating a form of “social continuity” to make the casual reader feel lost.
Wow. I can totally identify with this. I’ve been working on my Myspace, my Comicspace, my Wikipedia article, my website, and my graphics. It’s left me little time to concentrate on what brought me to the dance, my webcomic! Many of the hours of the day before I go to work are spent perusing everything, when I could be shooting pictures for my webcomic and Photoshopping everything. Then there’s the advertising time and money I spend trying to get people to come to the site. I spent more time Tuesday on the Bendis forums than actually making the comic.
A very good article, sir. I feel like I can manage my time better now.
“There is a whole audience out there, completely disconnected from that and I fear we’re creating a form of “social continuity” to make the casual reader feel lost.”
Valid point. My entrypoint to comics was through the blogs (Fanboy Rampage to be specific), but I have no idea on earth how I even kept up. I knew nothing about nothing and that place wasn’t exactly a Comics 101 hangout. Definitely not for everyone.
But I look at other media about other topics and I’m not particularly worried. Political columnists don’t spend a lot of time explaining who the Democrats or Republicans are; it’s assumed if you’re reading them you already know. News articles are generally written with the rule “assume the reader knows nothing” but still assume some level of context-knowledge on part of the reader coming in, and they don’t have much trouble.
But I don’t know if we have anything that qualifies as news. The Comics Reporter is probably the most accessible, and has the added bonus of being intelligent. The various press release sites (CBR, SBC, and to some degree Newsarama) probably aren’t a bad place to start. You at least start seeing who the companies feel need pushing, and what’s “big.” And sending someone to read Steven Grant can be like throwing them in the deep end to teach them how to swim, which is a flavor of indoctrination I’m all ‘bout.