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Welcome to the first edition of Comics-Op, comics from a semi-insider perspective. What "semi-insider" means basically is that sometimes I'm just as shocked as you are with the latest comic book developments, and sometimes I just sit on big news with my mouth shut and a Kool-Aid smile on my face for months. My hope is that Comics-Op will be the mid-point between these two extremes, taking you along for the ride.
Let's just jump into it, shall we?
Archie Andrews To Get Married, Only Play In Band During Weekends
Will the marriage storyline that starts in
Archie #600 rival such classics as the weddings of Superman and Spider-Man? Now is the time, my friends, to reserve your issue of this instant classic through Previews before the unwashed masses read about it in their local newspapers in August and go speculation-crazy. But don't just buy it for the investment. Do it to satisfy the question that has been raging through the skulls of the fanboy zeitgeist for over 65 years:
Betty or Veronica (or Cheryl Blossom)?
Comics-Op had a chat with Victor Gorelick, President/Editor-in-Chief of Archie Comics about this important upcoming issue:
C-O: Will Archie #600 settle once-and-for-all the burning eternal question: "Betty or Veronica (or Cheryl Blossom)?"
VG: We will certainly examine who Archie chooses and why. Of course there will be repercussions from Archie's choice. But remember that their friendships go very deep.
C-O: Will Reggie be invited to wedding, considering all the mischief he has caused over the years?
VG: No matter how difficult Reggie can be at times, he is one of the gang and it wouldn't be an Archie wedding without him. Who knows, maybe Reggie might act more grown up.
C-O: For our hardcore comic book fans out there: would this story be considered "in continuity?"
VG: Archie doesn't have the type of continuity that some of our competitors follow. If you pick up any Archie Comic you should be able to understand what's going on without reading every Archie story that has gone on before. However, we have done a series of very popular stories featuring Memory Lane, this story will fit in with that past continuity. Each story stands on its own and the "Archie Gets Married" story line will both fit in with past continuity and be its own 6 part story.
C-O: In our uncertain economic times, Archie's decision to get married involves a degree of optimism that other comics out there might currently lack. In fact, one might say that Archie Andrews is an incurable optimist. What's his secret to happiness? What is the zen of Archie?
VG: Archie is every man. He was created as the every man, and anyone can be optimistic. It's not like Archie hasn't found himself in some tough spots, but he always looks for ways to make things work out.
C-O: Big Ethel is one of my favorite characters. Will we be getting an Ethel appearance at the wedding? Please say yes.
VG:
All the kids you have known and loved from Riverdale High will have some part in this story. It's a major change in the status quo and the repercussions will touch the lives of all our characters. I am really looking forward to this story and I can't wait to hear our fans' reaction.
Archie #600, written by Michael Uslan and drawn by Stan Goldberg, is currently being solicited through Diamond's Previews and is set for an August 19th comic specialty shop release.
Who do you think Archie should propose to, Betty Veronica, or somebody else? Write to me at
valerie.dorazio@gmail.com and let me know; your response may be used in a future column!
Mark Sable is Jason Bourne (Not Really, But That Sounds Cool)
"I hope the TSA enjoyed the waterboarding in issue 3. At least they know comics aren't just about superheroes."
--
@marksable
Unthinkable scribe
Mark Sable talked candidly with Comics-Op about his harrowing run-in with the TSA, working with Mark Waid, and yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre.
On Mark Waid and the Boom Studios process:
"He was very up-front as to what their deal was, and said 'I can offer you some mentorship' – and really followed through on that."
"...he's probably the best editor I've ever worked with."
"Boom's deal is a 50/50 one, so they own half of it. As opposed to when I was working with Image, I owned 100% of it – at the same time, I was responsible for the costs. I mean, Image paid for the printing cost, but I had to pay at the very least for the colorist, the letterer...and that could add up to a significant amount of money. Plus, I had to either pay the artist or give the artist a percentage of ownership...With
Unthinkable it's a straight 50/50, so we both have veto power over one another. But they're picking up the tab, which is really significant. And the other service they're providing is really good editorial service. You know, not just finding an artist, but story editing."
Me: "So you really feel that Boom Studios had your back?"
Mark: "Definitely."
On the inspiration for Unthinkable:
"I have to preface this by saying that I lived in New York during 9/11, and I try to be as sensitive as possible in dealing with that. [
Unthinkable] is not a 9/11 conspiracy book by any means. That said, right after 9/11, a lot of people said, "oh my God, this is something right out of a Tom Clancy novel, or a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. The government took that line of thought very seriously and started at least one think-tank that basically took that idea and said...'well, let's get the best thriller writers together and come up with worst-case terror scenarios.'
So that's the real-life program, and I know that Brad Meltzer was one of the writers who was in it."
On writers and their responsibility to the public:
"Hopefully what I'm writing is not polemical, but I do think I am saying something about that idea of writers and their responsibility. That it's not as simple as free speech and that's it – and that if we even talk about it, 'oh my God we're advocating censorship.' I think it's a lot more nuanced than that. I mean literally, there was a book where Tom Clancy had a commercial airliner crash into the Capital. You had a book before Oklahoma City where somebody blew up a Federal building,
The Turner Diaries, which I reference in the comic book. Then you have this meta-thing of me writing this...now I'm putting myself in that same position. I'm putting scenarios out there that are of my own invention."
On his experience being stopped by the TSA:
"They went through my bag, and they took out the comic and the script [for
Unthinkable]. And the minute I saw that, I knew there was going to be trouble...because if you look at the very first page of the script, it's basically a synopsis of everything that went before...in it, it's got the words "9/11," "terror," "terrorist," "we're living in a police state," and it's describing that terrorist attacks have happened. I mean thank God I used the passive voice...
"The problem then became, once they looked at the script, that they sat down and literally read it."
"Trying to get across to a member of the general public, let alone a security person, that a) comics are about something other than superheroes, and that b) people actually write scripts for them (is difficult)..."
"Thankfully it was a paper document (they found) and not the electronic document, because there were so many reference links. And if you clicked on them...for example, there was a link to a picture of a suitcase nuke..."
"It was a harrowing experience."
The first issue of
Unthinkable is on stands now, and #2 will hit June 24th. Yeah, I know you're tempted to just "wait for the trade," but that doesn't help Mark. Either of them.
Bayou Makes Historic Awards Sweep; Zuda Critics Say, "Yeah, I Guess that's OK, if You Like that Sort of Thing"
Bayou, the acclaimed Zuda webcomic by Jeremy Love, made a historic sweep of the Glyph Awards last week, winning all five categories it was nominated in: Story Of The Year, Best Writer, Best Artist, Best Female Character, and Best Comic Strip. The Glyphs were announced on May 15th at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, and recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year.
The win comes just as the first collected "hard copy" edition of
Bayou – and of any Zuda.com webcomic – is set to hit stores in June. We talked to
Bayou creator Jeremy Love about the book, the awards, and Zuda:
C-O: What's your reaction at such a stunning sweep of the Glyph Awards? Were you shocked?
JL: I was pleasantly surprised and grateful for the recognition. I was happy just to be nominated, to actually win in every category is phenomenal. Big thanks and gratitude should also go to my collaborators, colorist Patrick Morgan and title screen illustrator Jill Stafford. What they contribute makes this thing truly special.
C-O: Some people see Bayou's big win as a "validation" of sorts for the Zuda imprint. Others see the fact that a webcomic took home five awards as speaking volumes regarding the increasing importance of digital media in the comic book industry. What are your feelings on that?
JL: I don't think we need awards to "validate" Zuda, but it certainly sends a signal that what we're doing on the site is serious comic storytelling. Bayou is not a lark for me. I'm putting in as much effort as I would a print comic. The digital media is the future, one way or another. If I can be a part of the beginning of something larger, I'm all for it.
C-O: Are you excited about the release of the Bayou trade paperback in June? Do you think it will open up a whole new audience for your comic?
JL: I'm very excited about the book release. I'm hoping we can expand our readership as well as give loyal readers a version they can carry around and show to friends. I also hope it will catch the eye of casual shoppers in bookstores and comic stores who never heard of Zuda. I'm lucky to have the best of both worlds on the web and in print.
Thanks, Jeremy!
The first collected trade paperback volume of
Bayou is on sale in comic shops this Wednesday! When you look for it, remember that it's roughly the dimensions of one of those "Garfield" paperbacks...yes...now you've found it.
Good job! Or buy it from Amazon and help support Big Business.
COMICS-OP's QUESTION OF THE WEEK (a.k.a. "filler")
"What would be your dream comic book to write and/or draw, and why?"
Jeff Lemire: "
Hellblazer...my favorite comic book character since I was thirteen, and really fun to draw."
Martha Thomases: "A revived Dakota North. Because no one knows her like I do."
Brendan McGinley: "Let's step with regret around
Deadpool or
Green Lantern and go for the one that can only be done in dreams: I'd love to script LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND Marvel-style for Winsor McCay. The man was the first genius of comics, but more artist than writer. He took his characters amazing places and through such tremendous scenes, I wouldn't want to touch that or impose artificial plot to a surreal strip, just scrub up...hmmm, actually, you know what? Leave that alone. It's better off the work of one man. Ok, let me write
Deadpool."
David Gallaher: "Strictly from a fan perspective, I would love to write the original 'classic'
New Warriors. Speedball, Nova, Justice, Firestar, Namorita, Night Thrasher. For my money, the first run of that series, in particular, the first 25 issues - are full of win! As a writer, it'd be a lot of fun to tap into what those characters were all about."
Shannon Smith: "Like most thirty something nerds I'd be lying to you if I said it was not something I had put some thought into. On one hand you have the prestige titles where you want to be a part of them just so your mom can tell the other ladies at work that her little angel wrote
Superman. But honestly, the existing property I think I would most enjoy and do the best job with would be
Star Wars. I don't mean some post-prequel expanded universe garbage, I mean the real
Star Wars. Luke, Han, Leia and the gang hopping around the galaxy having amazing adventures. It would take place after
Star Wars but before
Empire and anything goes. Monsters, aliens, gangsters, pirates, space fights, lasers, robots, awesome costumes, feathered hair etc. etc. A farm boy, a princess and a smuggler having ridiculous adventures across the galaxy. That's the dream gig."
Amin Amat: "It's a 3-way between
Thor,
Batman and
Power Pack. Why?
Power Pack because it was a title I enjoyed when i was a kid, and would like to help bring that same emotion and excitement to the current generation of kids out there.
Thor and
Batman for the dynamic over the top superhero art I'd have to produce which would be a lot of fun and a big challenge considering those before me that have drawn those same characters.
Scott O. Brown: "Every story I write is because I want to and am ready to write it, so it's hard to think of anything as a "dream comic book." I do have one particular story that I'm not ready to write. I would have to feel comfortable enough with it, be "ready", in order to tell that story with emotional honesty and in the best way possible. Then again, I could say that about every story I've not yet written, and about every story I ever have."
Rob at Talkinboutcomics: "I will say
New Teen Titans.
New Teen Titans was huge for me when I was a kid. These days,
Tiny Titans is the only title with
Titans in it that doesn't make me cringe. I would love an opportunity to take what I loved about the old comic and combine it with the best of what we have seen can be done with the characters in books like
Teen Titans Go,
Tiny Titans, and
Teen Titans: Year One. I would like to create something that respected the characters as teens, and made their stories real and accessible for teen and tween readers."
And This Has Been...
The inaugural column of Comics-Op, your pseudo-insider guide to things comic-related.
On a personal note, around this time three years ago, I started my first column – or Internet-related posting-thingie – anywhere. I really had no idea what I was doing, and just played it by ear. I don't think I have any clearer idea of what I am doing (
case in point), but I recently learned how to create an "em dash" on my keyboard. So I'm feeling really confident.
Have a scoop, a tip, an interesting story idea? Email me at
Valerie dot dorazio at gmail dot com and let me know all about it. Have some really tasty gossip? I probably won't be able to use it unless it's one of those gossip things that aren't really gossip but well-planned viral whisper-campaign dealios. But send me the tasty gossip anyway; it will give me personal pleasure.
Valerie D'Orazio is a former editor at DC Comics, is presently president of the Friends of Lulu and is probably best known as the Occasional Superheroine
Comics-Op is ©2009 Valerie D'Orazio
