Tuesday 24 January 2012

WHAT'S WRONG WITH U.S. COMICBOOKS THESE DAYS? LEMME TELL YOU...

Images copyright their respective owners

What's wrong with modern-day American comicbooks?  Well, it's obvious, isn't it?  They're sh*te!  You don't need me to tell you that.  But why are they like that, you may wonder.  One word: Adults.  Yep.  Adults are/is the problem.  (You can sort out the grammar for yourselves.)


Once upon a time, comics were produced for a readership of kids from about 5 to 14.  There were a few older people who read them as well, of course, but most of them tended to have no friends and smelt a little odd.  What's more, the readership constantly renewed itself; once you grew too old for comics (usually when you discovered girls, Melvin), another batch of kids were right behind you, ready to take your place in the scheme of things.


Then MARVEL COMICS hit the scene and things changed forever.  Suddenly comics were cool, not to mention interesting.  The comics buying public couldn't get enough of them, and, what's more, were reluctant to give up on them even when the siren call of the opposite sex first made itself heard in the hearts, minds and loins of pimply-faced males everywhere.  So they continued to read and collect them well past the age that former generations of readers had traditionally abandoned them for other pursuits, even into adulthood.


This created a problem.  No grown-up wants to be associated with childish interests, so the readership expected  - nay, demanded - that their comics grow up with them and reflect their 'adult' tastes and sensibilities.  Also, some of the fans became writers and were only too happy to oblige, being of a like-minded opinion.  On top of that, they wanted to be seen not as purveyors of simple kiddie-fare, but as creators of an artform that was socially 'relevant' and worthy of serious consideration.


That's when the decline set in.  Eventually, characters like SUPERMAN and SPIDER-MAN got married (no, not to each other) because the 'creators-who'd-once-been-fans' were married and wanted to write about subjects of which they had experience; that reflected their lives and those of their friends.  Embarrassed by their origins as ephemeral amusement for children, comics became too serious (to say nothing of pretentious) in their quest to be regarded as 'legitimate' literature.  Add to that the direct sales market and the ever-increasing cost of what had once been the cheapest form of entertainment available, and whatever remained of any childhood or young teenage readership simply dissipated over time.


That's the 'Reader's Digest' account, but you get the gist.  So what's the solution? Simple. Publishers need to get back to producing mass-marketed, inexpensive comics for children (and those who keep the spirit of childhood alive within them).  Forget fancy and expensive paper, socially relevant themes, 'arty-farty', clear as mud, photo-realistic artwork.  Simply give people what they're crying out for - good, old-fashioned, entertaining tales to divert attention from life's harsh realities and which will take readers on a rip-roaring, magic-carpet ride into worlds of fantasy and enchantment.

Remember... comicbooks once sold in their millions when the above recipe was the order of the day.  Something to consider perhaps?  (The above covers represent, to me, examples of when comics were more-or-less at their best.)

8 comments:

Don Hudson said...

Excellent post and great choice of covers! My opinion is no more celebrity writers and stop killing off the main/supporting characters!

Kid said...

Thanks Don. Something certainly needs to be done before the declining audience disappears completely.

Anonymous said...

There are too many good comics around to dismiss them all as "sh*t". Try Spider-Man, Avengers Academy, Sergio Aragonés Funnies, Journey Into Mystery, Punisher, Planet of the Apes, Jennifer Blood, Captain America, Action Comics, Batman, Simpsons Comics, Wolverine and the X-Men, Aquaman, Snarked, Batwoman, Batgirl, Green Lantern.....

Kid said...

Well, obviously I'm indulging in a little hyperbole for the sake of effect, but I'd certainly exempt Sergio Aragones' comics from the description. However, I bought a few of DC's new 52. They're still lying unread in a corner. I browsed through them and nothing about them compelled me to proceed any further. Same goes for the few Marvel's I still buy. They just seem so...uninteresting.

However, I devour my Marvel Masterworks and Omnibus editions, and I enjoyed DC's recent Jack Kirby sampler. Modern comics just seem so underwhelming by comparison.

Nick Caputo said...

Kid,

I agree that much of mainstran comics has been devestated by a lack of appeal to kids, an indulgence of the authors interests and - especially - a lack of storytelling skills. I do look over and read a few new comics (thanks to my brother John, who still collects and likes a lot of the stuff), but I find too much of it devoid of personality. Too many big events have replaced strong writers and artists - folks who grew up on things other than comcs and brought those experiences to their work. That's why I can revisit the stories of Lee, Kirby, Ditko, Wood and so many others.

Gee, you really got me started!

Kid said...

And you feel free to continue, Nick. Always a pleasure.

Mike said...

Not really into US comics at all, but from what I've seen of golden-age covers there used to be a "big event" in every issue! I imagine stands (with a newspaper blowing past them and a 'jukebox' yellow cab parked behind) awash with headlines like "THIS is IT! the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN! the FANTASTIC FOUR versus THE DEVIL!". These days the covers are just a picture of a character and a reminder that the story is part of yet another mega-crossover so don't forget to buy all the other titles with it.

Kid said...

Another part of the problem is that comics nowadays are 'paced' for the collected edition instead of a self-contained issue. I just find them uninvolving.



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