Actually, it's 18 years, not 27.
Well, I'm done with Comic Book Resources Forum (even with the new rules). Their response to the megaessay (link in my sig) was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Then again, this board has also been less that encouraging, too. A certain fellow who insists on writing like he's Wolverine and all the nutjobs who have embraced Superman Returns, in particular.
Here was the parting note I left at the afforementioned forum, and a link to the threads that really burned me. I hope I don't need to leave another one here.
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=109853
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=112138
Threads like this prove many of my points. Even the title of this thread is based on something I never said.
Thread after thread, board after board. "Geek". "Idiot". "Loser". "Fool".
Cruelty and name-calling from small, petty-minded people is exactly what the industry now prides itself upon, and what the bulk of the dwindling fanbse has turned into.
That's it, then. There's really no hope for the industry. The sarcastic, mouthy fanboys win again, as they have for years and years.
I only hope that someone out there has read, understood, and enjoyed my work. If even one person has read and understands, then I've won.
Perhaps you'll change your tune when once-great characters like Spider-Man fade away under a pile of "shocking" changes, "growth and change", dumbed-down movie "adaptations", and diminishing sales.
If and when Spider-Man dies, history will probably blame the character himself for failing, instead of the fanboys and fanboys-turned-writers who killed him because they couldn't get past themselves. And that's tragic.
Let me guess. Once I post this, there will be an onslaught of replies. Replies that call me "fool" and "idiot", and which laugh at me and mock me and try to reassure everyone that everything is fine, and that Spider-Man--and the industry--has never been better.
This is not a message board for people who enjoy comics to have scholarly discussions. It is an insane asylum run by the inmates, just as the comic book industry itself has become.
Fine. Great. Enjoy your trip on this sinking ship. And make sure to pack your luggage with heavy weights, so it'll sink even faster.
I'm done. Have fun.
I'm done. I love Spider-Man and all these other great characters (and will continue to read/research and buy back issues), but in terms of the here and now, they're dead to me.
There's just nothing left for me to enjoy. A big part of that is the attitude of the fanbase (as seen on the afforementioned forum) and the creators.
Nothing is sacred.
The anal-retentives rule, and even the dumbest stories and ideas (which should be ignored) are dredged back up.
Shocking change is "good" and "necessary".
People are obsessed with notions of "continuity", when all that really matters is continuity of character and theme. So, as a result, we get slavish devotion to the stupidest little details from 40 years ago, but the big,
important stuff, like a character's most basic personality and motivation--is thrown right out the window.
No one cares about the children or the future. All anyone wants is instant gratifcation, "realism", and "growth". Many aging readers insist that the stories be written for them, so they won't get bored and grow up, up and away from comics.
The Direct Market, in conjunction with the aging fanbase that's constantly demanding 'growth" and realism, has turned an all-ages, general market product into a specifically-tailored, niche-market product with ever-dwindling sales.
Most of the rest of my reasons (far more than the 10 required in this thread) are summed up here:
http://redeeminggwendy.blogspot.com
would fit perfectly within continuity despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, which you have exhaustively chronicled. Right away, there were posters who defended that story, one who said that we don’t really know how long Gwen might have been in Europe between ASM #94-ASM #98 and that she could’ve gone to France while she was staying over in London considering the geography of the two countries. Of course, they seemed to have forgotten that Gwen having the affair with Osborn sometime between ASM #61-#62 and having the babies between ASM #94-#98 was the official word from Marvel after the fact and that it was based on Madgoblin’s own theory of how he thought it might fit. However, it’s pretty clear by reading the actual story itself coupled with JMS own comments that he intended the one night stand to take place sometime between ASM #90 and ASM #94 and that she was pregnant somewhere between ASM #115 and ASM #120 because JMS discounted the ASM #116-#118 as a retelling of Spectacular Spider-Man #1, even though that story made references and was tied into current storylines. I guess all one can do is to quietly laugh and not let it get to you.
