Random Comic Stuff

[DBM]

uh, yup

who's billy connely?

He's a Scottish actor. Google him, I'm sure you've probably seen something with him in it.

 

[DBM]

This is a great article.

http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2005/commentary05012504.htm

It's with Peter Cuneo, Marvel's Vice Chairman. He discusses how Marvel makes it's money.

The interesting part is that he basically says that the Publishing is important to them because it allows them to determine how and what to license.

More or less, that means that the heads of Marvel think the the comics are only important because they give them the characters to slap on lunchboxes, stickers, movies, etc.

I'm a businessman. I have an MBA. I get their reasons for this. But frankly, I'm a little disgusted by it and I still think its BULL****. They don't care about the comics, they just want to keep them around to ****e them out to everyone.

 

[newnoiseimage]

they describe themselves as a licensing company. not a comic book company. not news to me.

 

[Gambit8370]

Dude, the whole world is like that.

Keep churning out ideas until you come up with a good one and then reproduce the s**t out of it.

That is actually the perfect explanation why their creativity has gone downhill.

 

[iloveclones]

Isn't it funny. When I was a kid, I wished more people were into these characters like I was so I could talk about them to other people. As an adult, you see the pitfalls of "popularity." Whereas before, the writers,etc. had to cater to us and the kinds of stories we liked, now they have to respond to investors and their extremely superficial views of what we like. As I've said many times in the past, I have no problem with the self-correcting nature of the market. But that's only if you isolate the publishing from everything else. Which, I suppose, is impossible. All I can do is hope that the Hollywood tail doesn't completely wag the publishing dog. Recent developments seem to be proving otherwise.

 

[Elijya]

in a way, I'm almost happy about this set up. Since marvel makes it's money off of liscensing, the higher ups at the company should have less interest in what actually happens in the books. All they care is that the books continue to exist, to keep awareness of the characters, they have little interest in what actually happens in them. Leaves alot of potential for some great stuff to happen

not taht it necessarily is, but teh potential is there

 

[Gambit8370]

So how do you explain giving a writer permission to kill of a bunch of characters?

 

[Elijya]

he asked for a list of people he could kill, there names were on it

 

[newnoiseimage]

just thought this was a funny appearance...

in the new issue of the sporting news the have a comparison chart for the two leaders of the nhl lockout.
bettman (nhl side) goodenow (nhlpa side).
they put both of their heads on characters, bettman on magneto's body and goodenow on dr. doom's body. thought it was a funny random reference.

 

[iloveclones]

I don't suppose you could scan and post those pics could you?

 

[newnoiseimage]

im at work, so maybe when i get home ill take a snapshot.

 

[DBM]

I'm a little confused.

BEWARE SPOILERS




I just read Wolverine #25 last night. As near as I can tell Baron Strucker had "lost" at the end of it and no longer has control of HYDRA and was about to be beheaded.

But over in Thunderbolts he's running around masterminding stuff and running HYDRA just as he always has.

How is that happening?

The stock answer is that these series take place at different points in time. And I can understand that and accept it. Except that all indications show both series taking place at about the same time, namely the "present." With "present" being described as shortly after the events of Disassembled/begining of New Avengers. Especially since Wolverine (as seen in his own mag) shows up in New Thunderbolts.

Now, I'm not wanting fanboy attacks or bashing as an explanation. In fact, I don't even want an explanation about this, I'm just using it as an example to get to a further point.

Marvel seems to not want to be "bogged down" by continuity. But they also keep saying that they want the comics to be "accessible" to new readers. I have to wonder though if Marvel isn't shooting themselves in the foot here. If a casual reader (which I don't particularly believe exists anymore) picks up Wolverine and like the story and then decides to pick up New Thunderbolts, they find two stories taking place at more or less the same "time" (comic time and real world time) that handle the same characters but in ways that don't particularly match up. In Wolverine, Strucker is shown as useless, failing, and practically impotent as a villian. In New Thunderbolts he's strapping, powerful, and capable of holding his own against the new Swordsman and Wolverine.

It's confusing to say the least.

Its as if one hand of Marvel has no idea what the other is doing. And we're the ones who suffer.

I'm just ranting a bit.

 

[iloveclones]

I wondered about the Baron Strucker thing too. Not so much the almost beheading thing (it depends on what happens to Madam Strucker by the end of the story). But the way he is portrayed in TB is completely different.

I'm not one to bash Marvel. I like 90% of the stuff I buy, errors and all. I think it adds to the enjoyment when they take the time to hit continuity right on the head, but it doesn't detract from it when they don't (for me, anyway)

That being said, I think they made a decision (a while ago) that sticking strictly to continuity straightjacketed them creatively. I happen to agree that that CAN happen. I know a lot of people write it off to lazy writers. But I would rather them spend their time writing good stories than pouring through long-boxes for details. (Of course, that doesn't apply to making errors like that for two stories running concurrently. ) But I would agree (to maybe a lot of people's surprise) that I think they've gone too far in the direction of "anything goes."

 

[Gambit8370]

Please.

It's the Purple Man thing all over again.

And what? A month later?

Just sloppy if you ask me.

Do these books have the same editor or no?

 

[DBM]

Do these books have the same editor or no?

Probably not, though I'd have to check to know for sure. I imagine Wolverine is with the X-Editor and T-bolts is with the Marvel Heroes editor.

 

[Gambit8370]

Probably not, though I'd have to check to know for sure. I imagine Wolverine is with the X-Editor and T-bolts is with the Marvel Heroes editor.

That different editing groups thing leaves them open to a lot of continuity flubs.

They should seriously re-think a different editing structure.

 

[DBM]

That different editing groups thing leaves them open to a lot of continuity flubs.

They should seriously re-think a different editing structure.

I seem to remember back in the day when the editor-in-chief made sure all the editors kept their stuff together. Ah, the glory days.

 

[X]

I seem to remember back in the day when the editor-in-chief made sure all the editors kept their stuff together. Ah, the glory days.

How I love you, Jim Shooter.

 

[DBM]

I wasn't able to buy my comics on my lunch break today.

UPS lost my store's order somewhere.

They better ****ing find them by tomorrow.

 

[iloveclones]

I wasn't able to buy my comics on my lunch break today.

UPS lost my store's order somewhere.

They better ****ing find them by tomorrow.

I hate those days. In the immortal words of Randy Jackson: "I feel for you, dog."

 

[DBM]

I don't know how many people get the Mile High COmics email newsletter, but for those who don't Mile High Comics currently has all TPBs and Hardcovers for 40% off with free shipping when buying more than $40 worth of stuff. Mile High often overprices back issues but their TPBs and Hardcovers are usually retail priced so this is a really good deal.

 

[iloveclones]

Thanks DBM. Just ordered a crapload of stuff!

 

[DBM]

Thanks DBM. Just ordered a crapload of stuff!

No Prob. I ordered a bunch of stuff too.

 

[DBM]

Ever wonder if comic book writers/artists can deduct comics they buy as business expenses by calling them "research?"

 

[Elijya]

Ever wonder if comic book writers/artists can deduct comics they buy as business expenses by calling them "research?"

lol, possibly. I do know if you work in the industry, often you get comp copies of books that are free, dunno if you get to choose what you get or if it's random handouts.

I know when Kevin Smith wrote the Superman draft, he said he was given access to the DC comics archive