I think that the video I posted previously shows the mess DC and Marvel are in. At some point in the early 2000's Marvel decided to start publishing comics by using people who had never read a comic before and had little to no experience in writing.
As in the good old days what Marvel does DC does!
"No good quality artists around" ? Bull shit. All the old guys and gals got booted out and are either retired or working by tidying up new artists work or for smaller companies -some seem to be having to make a living solely by commission drawing!
Also, I see good artists out there who are far superior than some of those employed by the "Big Two" but the big problem is that the no experience "new talent" 100 per cent have a political agenda that they MUST put in their books. They do not care if Marvel goes out of business because they can move on to their next fad to destroy.
Marvel seems to recognise that its titles are failing like crazy but then decide to give the failing creators or newer ones who do not even know what a comic is more titles. Editors do nothing but put their names into books. Bad creators equal failed books so giving failed creators even more books will result in...more failed books.
It is almost soul destroying to watch and senior Marvel Comics executives sit on their asses, taking the pay cheques while becoming more moronic by the month.
DC's Dan Didio blames comic fans for the fact that their reprints of comics from 30 plus years ago are selling better than their new books...but accepts DC has some responsibility in this (D'UH!). No good artists when Jim Lee is flying a desk and doing anything other than what fans want to see: MORE Jim Lee drawn comics.
As I said and wrote over ten years ago, the money men have taken over and they do not care about comics because the merchandise is worth far more! Get rid of the comics where you have to pay creators, editorial staff and printers and just sell or licence out merchandise products. New money for old rope.
Creators falling behind schedule because they are too busy on social media and travelling to shows as celebrities where they do little but get drunk is nothing new. It shows the amateurism that has taken over in comics. Did Kirby, Kubert or the Buscemas go off drinking when work had to be done? No, they worked. There is a story that Joe Kubert was drawing in his studio one day when his wife brought in the kids and pointed at him:"That is your father" she said....he was working non stop and the kids never saw him.
Professionals have been replaced by amateurs -in the UK many years ago. Everything went downhill in the US and UK when the fans started getting into companies.
I once sold a series (4 issues) to a publisher in the 1990s. I had written all the scripts and even produced rough lay outs and a lot of character sketches.The artist, who had worked in British comics was keen. First issue was a bit late but the publisher was happy...weeks passed and the publisher asked where the other issues were. I had asked the same thing and the artist told me, quite casually, that he had gone through a string of bad days due to getting drunk. I explained the situation. He promised to pick up the work.
Long delays and...yes, he had been "over-indulging the ale".
The publisher made it clear to me that he was no longer interested so one paying job gone.
Another artist created a similar situation but this time the reason was that his new girlfriend thought comics were childish.
The one thing I always did with artists I worked with was give them weekly updates on who I had spoken to, any possibility of new projects and so on. On one occasion I phoned an artist, who had worked in British comics, and the phone was answered by his mother who told me that he did not want to talk to me as I was negative. I thought that she had mistaken me for someone else but no. Her son, a man in his early 30's did not want to hear any updates as it "upset him". Another artist got the work I had phoned to tell this particular artist about and I still get disbelief from people when I tell them that he had sent mummy to talk to the nasty man.
I have worked in comics for decades and writing scripts or drawing I have done from the time I get up (take out the time to eat...and the food goes cold! and uh "functions") I would work until 2-3am. I still do but eye sight problems (macular myopathy) and so on means I need to stop every so often. This morning, at 0230 hours I was drawing character sketches, writing notes and so on.
Really, if you think working seriously in comics is an 0900 to 1700 hrs job....find other work. Over 30 years of comic events and every single one of them was work -no going off to the bars to get so drunk that staff complained about behaviour or the audience at your panel got insulted because you were hung over and were also falling asleep.
Comics today seem to be more about amateurism and shoving your own political beliefs (right wing or left) down peoples throats. Comics are entertainment and escapism and should be fun. You are letting people leave aside the shootings, bombings and political outrages and other daily problems if only for 10 minutes.
THAT is your job as a comics creator -to offer escapist entertainment and fun. Yes, I used the "F" word. Comics should be FUN.
Bosses at DC, Marvel and elsewhere have forgotten that as well as forgetting that the most important people out there are the comic fans. They are the ones that give their money for the entertainment that is supposed to be on offer.
The comic fans are not there to be insulted or given "pamphlets"
As in the good old days what Marvel does DC does!
"No good quality artists around" ? Bull shit. All the old guys and gals got booted out and are either retired or working by tidying up new artists work or for smaller companies -some seem to be having to make a living solely by commission drawing!
Also, I see good artists out there who are far superior than some of those employed by the "Big Two" but the big problem is that the no experience "new talent" 100 per cent have a political agenda that they MUST put in their books. They do not care if Marvel goes out of business because they can move on to their next fad to destroy.
Marvel seems to recognise that its titles are failing like crazy but then decide to give the failing creators or newer ones who do not even know what a comic is more titles. Editors do nothing but put their names into books. Bad creators equal failed books so giving failed creators even more books will result in...more failed books.
It is almost soul destroying to watch and senior Marvel Comics executives sit on their asses, taking the pay cheques while becoming more moronic by the month.
DC's Dan Didio blames comic fans for the fact that their reprints of comics from 30 plus years ago are selling better than their new books...but accepts DC has some responsibility in this (D'UH!). No good artists when Jim Lee is flying a desk and doing anything other than what fans want to see: MORE Jim Lee drawn comics.
As I said and wrote over ten years ago, the money men have taken over and they do not care about comics because the merchandise is worth far more! Get rid of the comics where you have to pay creators, editorial staff and printers and just sell or licence out merchandise products. New money for old rope.
Creators falling behind schedule because they are too busy on social media and travelling to shows as celebrities where they do little but get drunk is nothing new. It shows the amateurism that has taken over in comics. Did Kirby, Kubert or the Buscemas go off drinking when work had to be done? No, they worked. There is a story that Joe Kubert was drawing in his studio one day when his wife brought in the kids and pointed at him:"That is your father" she said....he was working non stop and the kids never saw him.
Professionals have been replaced by amateurs -in the UK many years ago. Everything went downhill in the US and UK when the fans started getting into companies.
I once sold a series (4 issues) to a publisher in the 1990s. I had written all the scripts and even produced rough lay outs and a lot of character sketches.The artist, who had worked in British comics was keen. First issue was a bit late but the publisher was happy...weeks passed and the publisher asked where the other issues were. I had asked the same thing and the artist told me, quite casually, that he had gone through a string of bad days due to getting drunk. I explained the situation. He promised to pick up the work.
Long delays and...yes, he had been "over-indulging the ale".
The publisher made it clear to me that he was no longer interested so one paying job gone.
Another artist created a similar situation but this time the reason was that his new girlfriend thought comics were childish.
The one thing I always did with artists I worked with was give them weekly updates on who I had spoken to, any possibility of new projects and so on. On one occasion I phoned an artist, who had worked in British comics, and the phone was answered by his mother who told me that he did not want to talk to me as I was negative. I thought that she had mistaken me for someone else but no. Her son, a man in his early 30's did not want to hear any updates as it "upset him". Another artist got the work I had phoned to tell this particular artist about and I still get disbelief from people when I tell them that he had sent mummy to talk to the nasty man.
I have worked in comics for decades and writing scripts or drawing I have done from the time I get up (take out the time to eat...and the food goes cold! and uh "functions") I would work until 2-3am. I still do but eye sight problems (macular myopathy) and so on means I need to stop every so often. This morning, at 0230 hours I was drawing character sketches, writing notes and so on.
Really, if you think working seriously in comics is an 0900 to 1700 hrs job....find other work. Over 30 years of comic events and every single one of them was work -no going off to the bars to get so drunk that staff complained about behaviour or the audience at your panel got insulted because you were hung over and were also falling asleep.
Comics today seem to be more about amateurism and shoving your own political beliefs (right wing or left) down peoples throats. Comics are entertainment and escapism and should be fun. You are letting people leave aside the shootings, bombings and political outrages and other daily problems if only for 10 minutes.
THAT is your job as a comics creator -to offer escapist entertainment and fun. Yes, I used the "F" word. Comics should be FUN.
Bosses at DC, Marvel and elsewhere have forgotten that as well as forgetting that the most important people out there are the comic fans. They are the ones that give their money for the entertainment that is supposed to be on offer.
The comic fans are not there to be insulted or given "pamphlets"
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