Comics Blogosphere: C or D?

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OH YEAH POKING THE TURD

When I was getting back back into the hobby (about a year+ ago), I had about 7 or 8 comic blogs I'd check & recheck on a daily basis (in addition to news sites & such places). However, it sooned dawned on me that PEOPLE B JADED. (And I should know, as I am Green King.) The insularity of the industry coupled w/ the insularity of blogdom, coupled w/ the lack of mingling beteween the blogworld and the "real" world (cf. the co-mingling that happened when professional music critics / writers started blogging) seems to foster a sort of "woe is me" mentality that's bereft of any sort of perspective, or humor (cf. folks bemoaning the state of the Big Two v. the trials and tribulations of the hard-working indie comic) (or a recent interweb hub-bub about the House of M once again insulting and demeaning women: the Scarlet Witch going gonzo after her babies prove to be figments of her hyper-imagination = all women are hysterical batshit psychos).

Also, and I think Tom's pointed this out, the comic-related discourse is still in a nascent stage of development - folks are figuring out how to write about comix. Of course, I'm conflating the comic-crit blogs w/ the "look what they said on the Bendis Board" blog.

So I guess the big question - does anyone give a rat's ass about this? Or is this sort of morass endemic of the state of the industry? And how can Superman save us?

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 13 June 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

Did you see that Dark Detective review I linked to?

― Huk-L, Monday, 13 June 2005 14:17 (twenty years ago)

I started reading, but the end-times tone kinda put me off it. I'll give it another whirl.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 13 June 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

Ungh. Ungh ungh ungh.

"You see, back in MY day, when we didn't have this new-fangled internet, and women dressed like women and not like speak-easy floozies, Batman was a MAN'S MAN." Stick it in your piehole, grampa. (Not that I disagree w/ the sentiment, per se, but sweet shit.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 13 June 2005 14:24 (twenty years ago)

There's also a really, really terrible (but glowing) review of Batman Begins up on Newsarama that really sets my mind reeling at how little critical thought there is in the comics critic-verse.
Me am Bat-Fan. Batman Begins am good. Me fly backwards into sun.

― Huk-L, Monday, 13 June 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

(cf. the co-mingling that happened when professional music critics / writers started blogging)

But there aren't any professional comic book critics. There are comics book writers that blog, but they're generally fairly toothless (as the musician blogs would be if there were only two big record companies in the world). The exception was Warren Ellis' Come In Alone column.

Music critisism gained space when it started getting articles in magazines. Does anyone from The Comics Journals blog?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

As regards being jaded: I think the return of the noise-and-fury crossover is enough reason for anyone to have some doubts about the direction of the industry.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Where by 'doubts' I mean 'a crushing sense of familiarity'

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

"direction"

― Huk-L, Monday, 13 June 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

recognition, even. I write good! Shut up!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

Well, I'm not saying the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but in so far as these crossovers, by their nature, effect the majority of titles from the big two, I'd say it counts as a direction.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 13 June 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

Tom Spurgeon (of TCJ) has a website, which is probably one of the Good 'Uns - The Comics Reporter. Dirk Deppey, currently the editor of TCJ, also once had a weblog of sorts on the TCJ website, called Journalista!

Also, in regards to "there aren't any professional comic book critics" - our own Mr. Wolk gets plenty of ink doing the damn thing for Publishers' Weekly (on a consumer-based tip) & other places (in a more think-piece style).

Huk, re: that Newsarama article - I believe that same reviewer also poo-pooed Cam Stewart's Catwoman run (in light of the then-arriving Paul Gulacy) because Stewart's artwork was "too simple" or some ill-informed nonsense.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 13 June 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, well Michael San Giacomo (who dissed the cartoony art of Catwoman vis a vis Darwyn Cooke and Cameron Stewart in the cited article) is kind of a knucklehead.

There's precious little journalism in the blogosphere, though I hear that Rich Johnston is trying his hand at it. There's a ton of opinions, some interestingly put forth, but there's a hell of a lot of dreck out there. Spurgeon's site is pretty great. I read Fanboy Rampage for the trainwreckedness of it, and there's a handful of writers who will get a chuckle out of me (Brian Hibbs of Comix Experience fame, the guys at Howling Curmudgeons, Kevin Melrose at Dark, But Shining). Seek out the good stuff, but be prepared to read through many ill-formed and half-baked kneejerk opinions in the process.

And yeah, I've been away forever. What did I miss?

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

Rich's blog isn't really setting out to be hard journalism

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 00:43 (twenty years ago)

It's not intending to be.

Lying In The Gutters is, however. See what I mean later today.

― Rich Johnston, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 05:25 (twenty years ago)

LITG /= blogosphere though innit

(check how fast Rich follows his trackbacks though! there's yer bloodhound instinct at work)

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 07:02 (twenty years ago)

Oh man, I was wondering who would show up here first, RJ or HEAT.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

Didn't mean to imply that Rich's blog was journalism in any way. I tend not to differentiate between the blogosphere and other internet comic yammering, because in most functional manners, there's not a lot of difference between the two.

Present company excepted, of course.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, what Matt said (including the very important "present company excluded" kicksave) - I guess I meant to title this thread COMIC TALK ON THE INTERWEB AWAY FROM MESSAGE BOARDS: C/D.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh, how I wish RJ would go back to mere rumour-mongering rather than this Quixotic misread of investigative journalism.
He closes his expose on Sexy Manga Spider-Man with:
Marvel did not respond to questions made over the weekend, concerning this topic.

And clearly, his wait in vain for the response was the "investigation" he was conducting that delayed his column a whole 24 hours.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

Wait a second ... could it be that corporations *shock* TAKE THE WEEKEND OFF? Oh my stars & garters!

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

CGC representatives did not respond to enquiries made over the weekend.

DC representatives did not respond to enquiries made on Monday.

Neither Top Cow representatives or Mark Millar answered enquiries made over the weekend.

Marvel did not respond to questions made over the weekend, concerning "Omega" or the "Ultraverse."

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

I eagerly await the following disclaimers:

Calls placed to DC between 12 PM and 1 PM EST were not picked.

Bendis did not respond to e-mails made five minutes before this report went live.

Questions posed to various high-ranking IDW officials in a dream I had last week remain unanswered.

When I accosted Bryan Hitch on the street and asked if he preferred paper or plastic, he took a swing, then beaned me with his messenger bag.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

Also, please note: Investigative Journalism involves getting BEYOND the pr flacks at companies. Otherwise, it's just journalism.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

Huk, if we really want to reach RJ, we're gonna have to link to his blog again.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

I thought we just had to say his name backwards three times.

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

Speaking of RJ...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2005480548,00.html

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 21 October 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

Is that supposed to be a Madonna review?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 21 October 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

Yeah. It really reminds me of RJ. That is all.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 21 October 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Speaking of RJ...
All of the traffic lights in today's LITG are flashing Green. Because, well, none of it is rumour. It's all just press release-y stuff and gossip.
IS THIS THE END OF RUMOUR?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 24 October 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

DUDE MORE SEAGUY!

This week's read like RJ's auditioning for the Fanboy Rampage audience to be honest.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 24 October 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

Given that RJ was supplying FR's material, that seems like a strange move to make.

DUDE MORE SEAGUY!!!!!!!!

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 24 October 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

DUDE MORE SEAGUY!!!!!!!!

Of course, the other rumor colum hinted at impending meltown at the publishing house handling my book, so we'll see how *that* pans out.

But in the meantime MORE SEAUGY!!!

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 01:24 (twenty years ago)

Further investigation reveals that Mr. Stewart has publically denied the existence of a second Seaguy volume. I'm supremely bummed.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

DUDE GET YOUR RUMOURS STRAIGHT!!!!!

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

Don't get my hopes up like that, dudes!

― Chris F. (servoret), Thursday, 27 October 2005 02:49 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Is there a more useless comix blog/column than "Teh Byu Peil" at CBR?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 27 April 2006 17:34 (nineteen years ago)

Who cares? It's a comix blog / column!

I'm neutral on the thing (this being my first time looking @ it), but the verdict on the week seems a bit chintzy.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

Ahhh, I just hate everybody on the internet.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

You're a bigger man than me - I just hate most comic-related writing on the internet.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

i was reading comics should be good which is mostly good and i came across an entry where the guy was like "there's something you all should know: i'm a virgin" out of like NOWHERE and then i wanted to kill myself.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

OMG

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:23 (nineteen years ago)

Um, guys...

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, fuck it, I'll just say it.

I'm Batman.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

Don't worry Dave, we already knew. After all, you write for p'fork.

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

Dude, stop reading my hate mail!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 27 April 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Hey, I kinda like "TBP". Even though I don't often agree with what he likes, I often agree with what he really dislikes, so that's something.

― The Yellow Kid, Friday, 28 April 2006 03:42 (nineteen years ago)

My favorite comics blog: http://joglikescomics.blogspot.com/

Great in a totally different way: http://absorbascon.blogspot.com/

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 28 April 2006 05:46 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I love Absorbascon. It's way fun. I sometimes dig Dial B for Blog, but sometimes get creeped out by it. Will check out joglikescomics stat.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 28 April 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

I read ABsorbascon--I found out about it from here.

To be honest--you should totally start your own blog, Huk. I feel like I go to ILC half the time just to see what you say, dude.

― kenchen, Friday, 28 April 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

I thought ILC was my blog!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:42 (nineteen years ago)

I'm signing Huk-L to an EXCLUSIVE ILC contract. Right now. And he doesn't even know it.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 28 April 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

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