|
|
|
|
|
|
Comic Book Club
2008-04-30 08:31:51
|  |
Picture a late-night TV talk show—only instead of Jay or Conan, the hosts are three comic geeks. Instead of celebrities, the guests are… other comic geeks. Instead of a glitzy TV studio, the show takes place in a tiny black-box theater. And in spite of the modest circumstances, the concept takes off and sustains a loyal weekly audience. This is Comic Book Club.
It was probably about a year ago that I found myself in the CBC audience for the first time, with my previously-mentioned coworker/pal Jen. Since Jen is friends with everybody and had already been a guest on the show, she introduced me to the three hosts and suggested that I go on the show as well. Time passed. I attended another CBC, this one at Comic-Con International in San Diego, where the crowd was standing room only. More time passed, and at some point, host Alex Zalben invited me to be on the show. In the interim, CBC hosted more impressive guests, like Saturday Night Live cast members. I was like, “are you sure you still want someone like me on your show?” Somehow they did, and so a couple of months ago, I wound up on their stage alongside writer Fabian Nicieza and penciler Reilly Brown, to commemorate the end of the series we’d worked on together, CABLE & DEADPOOL.
Being on the show was a lot of fun, and I find it impressive that hosts Justin Tyler, Pete LePage and Alex Zalben have managed to combine comics, theater and comedy in a way that appeals to a wide range of audience tastes and backgrounds. And that makes them good subjects for a Q& A session with Comics for All. I shot some questions to Alex Zalben, and here’s what he had to say.
Nicole: Give us a bit of a rundown on Comic Book Club and how it got started.
Alex Zalben: Well, I knew Justin and Pete through the comedy world; We had all done sketch or improv together at various points… But I didn't know they were comic book fans until I saw Pete walk in with a bag from the local comic shop, then same thing with Justin the next day. I pitched them on the vague idea, "Comic Book Talk Show," which I had been thinking about for a while, they loved it and we figured out how the whole thing would work. About three weeks after I first talked to them about the idea, we were performing the first show, and haven't stopped for the past year and a quarter.
Nicole: Who is the audience for CBC?
Alex Zalben: Anybody who has ever felt young at heart, or known the spark of true love will enjoy this show. Kidding (actually, hope I'm not totally kidding). We're trying to hit the complex Venn Diagram between comedy fans and comic book fans. You know, geeks? That being said, we get all sorts of people, from very varying age groups and backgrounds every week, which is pretty cool.
Nicole: What kind of feedback has your show received from people who consider themselves comic fans, vs. non-comic fans?
Alex Zalben: Great, actually, across the board. I'm always really happy to hear from non-comic book fans, "Wow, I didn't know what you were talking about, but it was really funny!" I actually like hearing even more, "I've never read or bought a comic book before I saw your show, and now I'm completely hooked." We've actually gotten a couple of those, and I always feel like a successful coke dealer. From the comic fans, they love it, too. There's not a lot of outlets for fans to gather in an intimate setting, and positively discuss comic books. You have message boards, which are, you know… Kind of negative sometimes? And comic book shops, which, beyond the local, don't quite encourage hanging out the way they used to. Hopefully, we're providing that gathering place for 'em.
Nicole: Have you noticed any changes in your audience since the show began? E.g., the size, the composition, the way they respond to the show or anything else?
Alex Zalben: Well, definitely the size of the audience. I like to say that our audience members start treating it like a comic book… They have to collect all of 'em. So we definitely see the same faces coming back week after week. Also, the longer we've done the show, the more people we get who say they just found out about the show, and can't believe that we've been doing it for so long. Our brilliant viral marketing scheme of "not telling anyone" is finally paying off!
Nicole: How do you select your guests?
Alex Zalben: There's two big ways we get guests. First is, if I like a writer or artist (or editor), I'll just track down their info, tell them I'm a fan, and invite them on the show. The second is, we've had enough guests on the show who had a good time that they tell OTHER potential guests about the show, and then they get in contact with me. I like that, because it's slightly less work. As for the comedy guests, it's a lot of the people the three of us meet through doing comedy, end up professing their secret love of comics and we offer to make it public and shameful.
Nicole: I saw Comic Book Club at last year's San Diego Comic-Con International, and the size of the audience was astounding (in comparison to the weekly New York audience, which is enthusiastic but fairly small). How did that experience affect your perspective of the show's reach?
Alex Zalben: Justin bought a mansion, then realized he didn't have any money. Pete went insane. I just assumed they were there to see us and not the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Sing-A-Long happening right after our panel.
That out of the way, it was such a great experience, it definitely jazzed us up for doing more Cons. We certainly realize we can't pack 700 people into a 50 seat theater every week, but we'll definitely do it a few times a year. Maybe even a few times somewhere, sometime soon?
Nicole: How do you think Comic Book Club influences what its audience reads or purchases?
Alex Zalben: We definitely try to concentrate more on books we really like, rather than books we hate. There's nothing really to be gained by keeping someone away from a bad book (other than it's usually pretty funny to talk about bad comics). If we really like a book, in particular something that's under the radar, we'll push it as much as we can.
Conversely, when there is a book that is super-hyped and poorly done we love to, um... gently... inform the audience that it isn't all it has been made out to be. I've definitely talked to people who have bought books we've recommended on the show. So probably not across the board, but every sale counts, especially for the smaller books.
Nicole: Your show is sponsored by Midtown Comics (an NYC retailer). What do you think are some of their strengths as a retailer?
Alex Zalben: The money back is great. For those who don't use Midtown, you get $20 back from every $100 you spend, which is what drew me in. They also are very clean, well lit, well organized and well stocked. You know exactly where the new releases are, last week's releases, the back issues, the trades, everything. The flow of the store is extremely well laid out, so that the first time I went in, I knew where to find everything, without ever having to ask. And when I have had to ask, the employees actually help you out! Can you tell I've had some bad store experiences?
Nicole: Your show has a segment called "The Stack" in which you discuss some of the comics being published that week. How do you make your selections for The Stack? How do you select what to read for your own enjoyment?
Alex Zalben: For The Stack, we decide either: what is something we have the strongest opinions about (either positive or negative); or what is going to be the funniest to talk about. When there's a book that's just solid, maybe the middle of an arc, we may all like it, but there's not a lot to actually say other than "that was good." If something resonated very strongly with one or more of us, then that's a book we need to talk about. In particular, if there's a book that one of us hated, and the other two loved, that's going to make for a really good discussion. Then there's the funniest thing… If a book is just totally ridiculous, or had something we can make a bit out of on the show, then, although we may not actually review the book, it still plays well in front of an audience. As for my own enjoyment? I don't actually like comics. They're for nerds. Joking (OR AM I?)… I actually just like a title that gives me something I haven't seen before, or does it in a true, heartfelt way. If I love a writer or artist from their previous work, I'll give it a try. Or, if I'd heard that other people like a title from message boards or blogs, I'll definitely look at it as well. Some of the best stuff I've found are things that other people like. I guess it's not ALL negative on the Internet?
Nicole: What do you think the comics industry should do so that more readers are aware of comics that might interest them?
Alex Zalben: Make the stories really, really, REALLY good. You can market as much as you want, spend millions on TV commercials and at the end of the day, your best advertisement is one guy who loves a comic book. I know it's so basic, but you really need people to love these stories.
People who like a story will, most likely, not talk about it or casually mention it. People who love a story will talk about it. All the time. To everybody. And I'm not talking about the next shocking death, or the BIG EVENT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, I'm talking about good stories that make people fall in love with the characters.
Stories that are based on emotion, based on things real people do and feel. And it's not just one title that should be good… Make as much of the line good as possible. Make comics that are close to the author's hearts, and not just selling toys or video games. If a random reader wanders into a random comic book shop and picks up a random comic and it's good? They'll pick up another one. If that one is good too? Well, then maybe they're hooked. So keep the quality up, not just the bottom line, and readers will flock to comics. Oh, and make sure they go to Comic Book Club every week. That'll help, too.
Comic Book Club takes place on Tuesday nights at The People’s Improv Theater in New York City. Their website is http://www.popcultureshock.com/cbclub.
|
New York Comic Con; or, Please Don’t Hit My Unborn Baby with Your Lightsaber
2008-04-24 13:00:18
I had a fun time at the New York Comic-Con this past Sunday. Marvel didn’t need me to work at the booth, so after stopping by to say hello there, I spent some time at the Friends of Lulu/MoCCA table (MoCCA: Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art), then walked around to see the sights.
Sunday was Kids’ Day, and I was happy to see so many families and kids. (Some of the art on display seemed surprisingly cheesecakey for a day that was presumably for the youngsters, but I doubt anyone was traumatized.)
I hung out a bit with friend and colleague Jen Grünwald. She showed off her newly-acquired Wolverine doll with long limbs and a little pointy tooth. We talked with friendly Scott Adsit, comic fan and "30 Rock" cast member, who Jen knows through Comic Book Club (more on that in a later blog post). He admired my camera, which I was happy about because I admire his TV show.
At one point, a young fellow approached me and Jen to ask if I was Alanis Morissette. I tried to assure him that I’m not, but he stared at my pregnant belly suspiciously, probably guessing that Alanis Morissette was pregnant and trying to keep a low profile. (I could see the next day’s headlines: Alanis Morissette Shocker: She’s Pregnant—and She Likes Comics!). By way of explanation, he offered: “…because you REALLY look like her.”
Here’s something that might not have occurred to me prior to Alanis Morissette’s first hit, but became painfully obvious after: If someone looks like a celebrity, they probably know it already and do not need you to tell them.
With so much to see and do, I wasn’t too surprised that people weren’t looking where they were going. However, with pregnancy making me a little more cautious about personal safety than I would otherwise be, I do wish they had paid a little more attention to where they swung their lightsabers and other costume accessories. We New Yorkers are actually much nicer than the stereotypes suggest, but there is one thing that is certain to anger us, and that is not paying attention to your surroundings. Especially when those surroundings include pregnant ladies and you are twirling a big stick around absentmindedly.
While I wasn’t busy dodging plastic weapons, it was nice to say hello to a few artists and others I don’t see all the time:
Artists Reilly Brown and Jeremy Freeman kindly gave me a piece of original art from CABLE & DEADPOOL in which I had a guest appearance. Actually, I told Jeremy I wanted to give him something for it, and he breezily said, “Okay, 20 bucks!” Then I realized I didn’t have 20 bucks. I got the art anyway. Thanks, Jeremy!
The folks at the PBS Kids Go! booth told me how much people seemed to be enjoying their WORD GIRL comic that I edited, which was really nice.
David Hahn introduced himself to me and, coincidentally, also gave me a few pages of comic art in which I made an appearance. (He drew the art that I use as a headshot here.) After I thanked him and we parted ways, I noticed that the name on my badge had been facing inward. How had he known it was me? Later I learned that my colleague Lauren had told him how to identify me in a crowd: “Pregnant. Looks like Alanis Morissette.”
Back in the Saddle
2008-04-23 10:08:37
Comics For All started out as a blog intended to help navigate parents, teachers and newcomers-to-comics navigate what Marvel had to offer. From there, it sort of became an occasional commentary on comics and their accessibility in general.
But even in the less-than-a-year since I started the blog, a tremendous variety of resources have been cropping up everywhere that address those topics more thoroughly and regularly than I’m in a position to do. I think this is awesome. In fact, I think it is so awesome that I’m going to leave it to others to address those topics for right now.
My husband and I are about to become parents soon, and as such, I’ve been giving lots of consideration to my priorities over the next couple of months before the baby arrives. I understand that as an expectant woman, I can get away with a lot of things. Rather than testing that theory by, say, punching strangers in the face*, I’d rather use that advantage and my remaining time here in the office toward blogging not about a specific theme, but about whatever happens to strike my fancy, with whatever frequency I have something to say.
I hope that you find it interesting.
*But thank you for the suggestion, Reilly Brown.
People in Comics Outreach: Tracy Edmunds
2008-02-20 09:46:53
Tracy Edmunds co-writes a column called All Ages Reads for Newsarama, the comics news site. Aside from the general coolness of advocating the importance of quality all-ages comics on a major comics site, Tracy’s column also stands out because her co-writers are actual kids: her daughters Shelby, age 12, and Sarah, age 9. All Ages Reads is soon to return to Newsarama after a recent break.
In addition to her columnist gig, Tracy is also a reading intervention teacher working with students in grades 3-5 and an educational author and curriculum developer. Says Tracy: “My favorite comics at the moment are Glister by Andi Watson, Fables and Jack of Fables, and Rex Libris. I collect art and toys featuring cephalopods and cute monsters.”
Tracy answered my List of Revealing Questions about accessibility in the world of comics.
Where is your favorite place to get comics?
Comics Toons and Toys in Tustin – a small but awesome comic shop!
What do you like about your favorite place to get comics?
They have everything, and I mean EVERYTHING crammed into that shop. The people are really nice and we chat a lot. I always find something new and spend way too much money. I really look forward to driving down there once a week.
How do you decide what comics to read?
Every Tuesday I read the new comics list and make a shopping list to take with me to the shop. I read several internet comic sites and blogs regularly, so I’m pretty aware of what’s coming way ahead of time. I buy things that I think the girls will like, as well as stuff my husband and I like. If I see something new I’ll flip through it and decide if I have extra cash to drop that week.
What (if anything) do you do to get comics to people who will enjoy them?
I donate graphic novels to the school library all the time. They’ve built quite a nice little collection off of me! I also have a pile of them in my classroom – I teach struggling readers in grades 3 – 5 and they really love comics because the text is supported so much by the art. I also tend to give them as gifts – there’s a graphic novel out there for everyone.
What do you think the comics industry should do so that more readers are aware of comics that might interest them?
As much as I love my comic shop, there’s a limited audience there and they’re already buying comics. More comics and graphic novels in bookstores is a good start – I think they need to be shelved not only in the graphic novel section but also on the “regular” shelves. If a reader is browsing the biology section and looking for books about bees, they should come across Clan Apis, which is a fantastic book about bees.
As far as getting the works out to kids, I think Scholastic Book Fairs and Book Clubs are a great way to reach a really large number of kids, as well as building graphic novel collections in school and public libraries. Parents and teachers need to see that graphic novels are “real books.”
If you’d like to read more of Tracy’s writing, you can find previous All Ages Reads columns archived at http://allagesreads.blogspot.com/ along with semi-regular news about all-ages comics and graphic novels. Says Tracy, “I also try desperately to keep up my Big All-Ages List [http://comicsintheclassroom.net/oo1all_ages_list.htm] at Comics in the Classroom.
“I think it’s an exciting time to be involved with the comic art form, especially for young people. There’s so much great work coming out that we can hardly keep up with it all!”
Recommended Reading - 1.23.08
2008-01-23 15:29:31
It’s a short list this week:
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #9
All Ages
Shell-head, in All-Ages form!
Marvel lllustrated: Picture of Dorian Gray #2
Rated T+
We’re very proud of this book. The story is still provocative and the art is beautiful. Sometime I will write more about the Marvel Illustrated line of comics. But not today.
Young Avengers Presents #1
Rated T+
When Young Avengers came out a few years ago, it was a breath of fresh air: in the best Marvel tradition, it focused on youthful heroes and had a strong emotional pull. Now the team is back, with writing by Ed Brubaker and art by Paco Medina. I’m looking forward to this.
Recommended Reading – 01.16.08
2008-01-16 15:28:22
| |
Last Wednesday Marvel offered only a few selections for All Ages or new readers, but this week there are all kinds of choices. We give you:
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #16
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this series is a great starting point for any readers who are new to comics and enjoy classic, engaging super hero stories. It also features a strong, fully-clothed teenage girl in the leading role, and a supporting cast of teenagers who look like real teenagers.
IRON MAN AND POWER PACK #3
Cute kid heroes doing heroic stuff.
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #35
It features everything that people love about Spider-Man, except the controversy.
MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #20
This issue is about Giant Girl and Ant-Man.
MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE #7
This issue reprints two previously-published All Ages titles from Marvel – Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #29 and Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #33.
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: THE ILIAD #2
This isn’t for younger kids, but it’s a cool way to see a different kind of story presented in comic format. And the art is gorgeous!
All of the above titles are rated for All Ages, except for Spider-Girl (Rated A) and Iliad (Rated Parental Advisory for violence and some suggestive content.)
|
Welcome to Comics. Now Get Out.
2008-01-11 12:04:27
It’s interesting to consider the contrast between art or entertainment that succeeds by being universal, as opposed to appealing to a specific in-crowd. I tend to think of the latter as dangerously close to snobbery, but the truth is I’m just as susceptible to it as the next person. There’s nothing really wrong with a little in-joke now and again. The problem is when you’re laughing not because it’s all that funny, but because you’re so damned pleased with yourself for being the only one who gets it.
Comics are a medium that has the potential to unite audiences by being universal, or to alienate them by being exclusive. It’s strange to me when I read articles in the comics industry press in which comics pros marvel slack-jawed over how comics are becoming “mainstream.” By this, they seem to mean that comics are getting attention from audiences for whom comics are a form of art and entertainment, instead of a lifestyle. This perspective seems completely backwards to me. Didn’t comics start off as one of the most mainstream, widely-accessible forms of entertainment available to the public? When modern comic pros refer to their colleagues and fans as “us,” and the rest of the world as “them,” does that honestly reflect a division that really exists, or is it just another way to draw imaginary lines in the sand that drive away casual readers and make them feel unwelcome?
There are a couple of comic-related things that I’ve seen recently that made me think about these distinctions. One of them succeeds because it takes the relatively esoteric language of comics, and makes it universal. The other is less universal, but it’s presented so skillfully that it seems a real shame that more people don’t have the points of reference needed to enjoy it.
The first item is the art from a gallery exhibit called “Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee,” which opened this week in Los Angeles. (I saw photos at Collider.com, but a quick Google search reveals plenty of other stuff about the show.) The exhibit features the work of 100 artists, doing work inspired by Stan and the many Marvel characters he created and co-created.
Looking at the images from this show, it feels like each artist is inviting the viewer to share his or her own sense of joy and whimsy and unbridled enthusiasm for the characters and their iconic status. The art’s enjoyableness has everything to do with aesthetic quality, and nothing to do with how many years the viewer has been reading Marvel comics.
Contrast that with an article that appeared on the Comics Should Be Good website a few days ago. The piece uses a serious journalistic style to expertly satirize the recent uproar about Marvel’s very own “One More Day” storyline. The story is funny and well-written by any standard, but a lot of the satire relies on specific references that are probably understandable only to the very people that they’re meant to mock. Judging by the reader comments, that wasn’t a problem: the audience recognized its quality and happily went along for the ride.
With that article, the writer made a deliberate choice: he intentionally limited his audience, but that let him focus on the subject with laser precision, and the results fired on every cylinder. I just hope he keeps writing, and on a variety of subjects, so that more people have the opportunity to enjoy his work.
I don’t think that creating something for a wide audience is inherently better than creating something for a limited audience. And we all know that when creative folks—in comics or otherwise—set out to please everyone, there’s a good chance they’ll end up pleasing no one. Some of the best works of art and literature, especially the classics, are better appreciated when you have some background and context. Would so many people today appreciate Shakespeare if it weren’t for generations of English teachers helping kids understand him? For that matter, would so many super hero comic fans have worked their way through years of continuity if they didn’t feel like there was some sort of reward in it for them?
I only hope that the reward they’re seeking is the satisfaction of partaking of something good, and not the false superiority of being part of something that shuts others out.
Tidbits and Recommended Reading – 01.08.08
2008-01-08 13:47:13
| |
News tidbits, in no particular order:
Marvel is launching MarvelKids.com. This is cool. Especially considering the criticism that comic publishers’ websites aren’t easy for newcomers and non-fans to navigate. Or that we’re not paying enough attention to the next generation of readers. This is one step toward fixing that.
I participated in The Beat's year-end survey.
I also joined the board of the organization Friends of Lulu, whose mission is to bring women and comics together. Their motto is “Comics Are for Everyone.” Familiar!
Friends-lulu.org
The New York Times ran two recent articles about using comics as an educational tool.
The first and the second.
And Publishers Weekly Comics Week ran an article about the Marvel Illustrated line of classic literary adaptations, which I work on.
Some of this stuff is from a while back, but I’m slow. Sue me.
Also, this week, Marvel is offering just one All Ages title, so allow me to spotlight it here: MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #7 is new in comic stores, and some newsstands, tomorrow, January 9.
And if you’re old enough for more mature fare, I can’t help but recommend NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. VOL. 2 – I KICK YOUR FACE . Even if the series stunk, which it doesn’t, it still deserves recognition for the title alone.
|
People in Comics Outreach: Karen Green
2008-01-02 15:46:35
Comics for All is back from a holiday-time hiatus. We’ll kick off the New Year with a profile of another person working in the interest of bringing comics and readers together.
Karen Green is the Ancient/Medieval Studies Librarian and Graphic Novel selector for Columbia University’s libraries. I met Karen a few months ago at a Publisher’s Weekly panel about the ways in which comics distribution is evolving. During the Question-and-Answer session, Karen asked the speakers about their thoughts on comics in academic libraries, explaining that she selects the comics for Columbia’s collections, and that their needs are different than those of public libraries.
Karen got my attention because her job involves helping people learn about what comics have to offer… and because I happened to work at Columbia’s library myself back when I was a college student. After the panel, my co-worker introduced Karen and me because of our common interests, and I’ve had the chance to get to know her a bit more since then.
Karen said that she’s been asking around for years about how to help bring comics into academic libraries, and never really got an answer. But when she asked the same thing at November's panel, people started coming out of the woodwork to talk to her about the topic. She also started writing a column at comixology.com.
Karen kindly took the time to answer my usual questions, about how people relate to and acquire comics.
What is your favorite way to get comics?
It used to be to go to a bookstore (I've always bought hardbound titles, never the periodicals). Now I'm too lazy! I'll either buy stuff online or I'll wait to read the copies that I buy for the library. Although, sometimes, when I go to the store we [at the Columbia U. libraries] use as a vendor, I'll find something that appeals to me and buy it right there.
What do you like about your favorite way of getting comics?
It saves time, which I never seem to have enough of.
How do you decide what comics to read?
When I was younger, back in the '80s, I subscribed to Heavy Metal, and it was like a big sampler for me. I'd go out and buy, say, Ranxerox, because I'd really liked the story I'd read there. That's also where I discovered Charles Burns, whom I love. Now, lots of ways.
When I go to Jim Hanley's Universe (our vendor for the library), their staff will suggest things, or something will catch my eye. I've been really, really fortunate here at the library to always have some longtime fanboy around, usually a grad student, who'll tell me, "Oh, you HAVE to read [fill in the blank]!" I also read PW Comics Week religiously, and while I read it primarily for ideas of titles to add to the library's collection, sometimes a review will really speak to me and I'll make sure that I check it out when it arrives.
I also have certain favorites: I'll read anything by Brian K Vaughan, for example, whom I first discovered via Ex Machina, which I wanted to read because it was so NYC-centric. I love stuff that builds on the energy and the craziness of my town.
What (if anything) do you do to get comics to people who will enjoy them?
I'm still working on that! I've had reference consultations for students who are working on comics-themed papers; the person who does triage on consultation requests knows to direct them to me. I love finding material that works with someone's paper topic. I have a subject guide on our library's website:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eguides/graphic_novels/index.html ,
but it doesn't do enough. I've tried to use it to make it clear how difficult it can be to locate stuff you don't already know about: we're a research library, not a public library, so we don't have a browseable "GN section."
If anyone has ideas of how to get the word out better, I'd love to hear them! Eventually, when the collection has some real heft, I'd love to start an event series, where well-known local artists/writers come and talk about their work. But that's down the road a piece, I'd say.
What do you think the comics industry should do so that more readers are aware of comics that might interest them?
So many of the reviews I read emphasize what age level the comics reviewed are appropriate for. That's just not a factor in my world! I'd like to see comics and GNs reviewed the way any other book is reviewed: on its literary and/or artistic merit, on what it has to say, on what its themes are. But, hey, that's just me--that's the sort of info *I* want to hear about.
I remember walking the aisles at JHU with one of their staff, and he told me about The Walking Dead. He said, "It's really popular right now, but I don't know if it's appropriate for an academic collection like yours." So I didn't get it. But I kept on hearing good things about it, so I bought myself a copy of the first volume. And my lord it is brilliant. And it addresses themes that aren't so different, say, from Jose Saramago's Blindness--and Saramago's won a Nobel Prize for Literature! So now I've bought the whole series for our collection.
So, for myself, I don't want to know just what age it's best for or even if it's really popular: I want to know how it works as an artistic creation. Maybe that's just me, but I can't believe I'm alone! And I think that sort of reviewing is what will bring more people like me into the fold.
How have comics affected: a) the nature of your job, b) your overall workplace, and c) your relationship with colleagues and patrons?
The first time I went to NY Comic-Con (the first one, in 2006), I came back to the office afterwards and said, "This was definitely the first work-related convention I've been to where there were so many people dressed up as Imperial Stormtroopers." So, the world of comics is definitely a different milieu than the one I'm accustomed to: trust me, it's a lot different than the annual International Medieval Congress, for example. As such, comics have added a new dimension to my job, but I wouldn't say it's changed the nature of my job itself.
I bring to collecting GNs for the library the same passion I bring to collecting, say, medieval hagiography (that was my area of study in grad school). And I haven't had the chance to change the workplace much--although if I ever get that lecture series started, that may change!
I think there has been a change in my relationship with my colleagues: it's been interesting to see who has been an avid supporter of this new collecting area, who has been an amused onlooker, and who has been aghast. Believe me: comics have not yet reached a level of real acceptance in academia! They're starting to lose their pariah status, but they are not embraced. Scholars are only just starting to see the larger issues that studying comics can afford. Just as film studies took a while--or media studies, or women's studies, or queer studies--this will take a while. So it was good that I already had some stature as a Classics and History librarian; I was able to bring that professional cred to my desire to be the GN librarian as well.
As to how it's changed my relationship to patrons; I think it's too early to identify any large trends. But it's nice to have people who come and talk to me about the collection. It puts a different face on the library as a whole for them. After my first Comixology column appeared, I got a terrific email from a student who thanked me for providing a collection of material he could read when he wanted to take a break from studying--but which he could also use for course papers.
The thing is, all of us who buy materials for the library in various subject areas count on our student and faculty community to bring titles to our attention that we might miss through our usual channels. But for the people who bring comics titles to my attention, who make purchasing recommendations of titles that have had meaning to them, it brings them a certain feeling of validation. Not that the industry needs that, but it sure doesn't hurt. So in a way it tightens the bond between the library and its patrons, and I think that that's only good!
Recommended Reading - 12.12.07
2007-12-11 16:10:34
| |
Here are this week’s picks for new and younger readers!
Single issues, available at comic shops and some newsstands:
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #15
Rated A
IRON MAN AND POWER PACK #2
All Ages
MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #6
All Ages
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK #6
Rated T+
This is the last issue of the series that adapts Dumas’ classic. Read ‘em all!
Collections, available at comic shops, some bookstores, and online:
MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR VOLUME 7: THE SILVER SURFER
Pocket-sized adventures for All Ages.
POWER PACK VOLUME 1
This volume collects the All-Ages stories originally printed in POWER PACK #1-4, AVENGERS AND POWER PACK ASSEMBLE #1-4, and X-MEN AND POWER PACK #1-4.
Next: More People Involved in Comics Outreach!
|
|
About this blog:
A guide to Marvel’s comic offerings for librarians, parents and teachers.
 | About the author:
Nicole Boose is an Associate Editor at Marvel Comics, working on various titles including the Marvel Illustrated classics. She oversees the comics in Marvel’s custom publishing program.
|
Comics
Marvel.com
Movies
Others
Video Games
|
|
|
|
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
save this link
