Comics Now . . . and Then
The magazine is called Comics Now! so I’d like to launch my column here with a commentary on the current state of comics and how it is really not that different from the state of comics ten or even thirty years ago. When I started reading comics in the 70s the medium was in an interesting place. Comic books were showing up in convenience stores on spinner racks and in supermarkets as part of three packs. This was a change from the newsstand-centric distribution model of the previous decade. Comic book companies were flush with great artistic talent (Romita, Kane, Buscema, Windsor-Smith, etc.). Fans also had a great publication in the Comics Buyer Guide and it seemed like every new TV season brought comic characters into the schedule. The times were ripe for a new age in comics.
Fast forward twenty years and the situation remained the same except for the players. Comics distribution had changed from the spinner racks to direct market outlets. The companies were again flush with great talent (McFarlane, Lee, Keown, etc.). Fans turned to Wizard to get the latest news and reviews. Movies and television continued to mine comic books for stories and character to use in their new seasons.
Another ten years forward and it seems the situations are still the same. Comics are once again poised for a new age. The outlets have continued to expand to now include traditional book stores and online outlets. The trade paperback and the re-release of old material is helping prepare a new generation of caretakers for our hobby. The talent pool is as deep and wide as ever with new artists and writers. Comic fans have a great new magazine, Comics Now!. Television and movies continue to use comic stories and characters. It seems the beat goes on . . . and on . . .
The real difference is me. There was an innocence in the color, adventure, and characters of my youth. I loved it when my heroes left NY because that meant I did too. The cliff hangers at the end of each issue were suspensful since message boards and Previews hadn’t been thought of yet, you had to wait. There was a real anticpation for the next issue. Was Aunt May really going to marry Doc Ock? Comic readers shared and traded comics with friends in the neighborhood. Local comic communitites were sprouting up all over, but they were not connected. I think the strongest memory of my 70s comics was the hero. Comic books provided a sense of escape and they depicted a world where justice did prevail and the evil doers were punished. The adult comic world is very different in this age of Previews, message boards, news sites, and in the expanded coverage traditional media gives comics. Artists and creators seem more important than the characters at times but we now have a truly global community. As an adult I expect a certain return on my comic investment. The story and art need to be worthy of my hard earned dollars. My hobby has plenty of familiarity and comfort but my adult tastes and expectations have changed my view of comics. I still love them, just in a different way.
Sean Wheatley has been reading and collecting comics for over 35 years. Send comments and suggestions to: Seanwheatley1@earthlink.net