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TOP 10 Worst Things To Happen In The History Of Comics

Started by Mister_Comics,

176 posts in this topic

BassGMan

BassGMan

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What were the worst things to happen in comic history? Bad ideas that ruined comics.

 

I think that overall, comic books are just old fashioned. At least to kids today. So the answer is time. The passage of time has been the worst thing to happen to comic books. But if I had to pick specifics, I'd have to say that the internet and video games, along with not just TV, but every dang DVD you can ever think of, as well as electronics and all kinds of portable musical gadgets have just made comic books look like an ancient art form. And comics aren't interactive like many other things are today. They just "sit" there. I don't really buy the argument that the price of new comics has hurt the comic industry, although it hasn't helped. But video games, and DVDs, and electronics aren't free either. And if a kid really did want to get into comics, there are ways of getting them in bulk for very cheap as we all know. Everyone knows about Ebay, all anyone needs to do is buy a bulk lot of 90s to current common comics for a quarter a piece. Comics are cheap. Not new at the stores, but where there's a will, there's a way. Also I agree with a previous poster about the lack of comics in convenience stores these days adds to the lack of exposure of them. But if they had continued to sell, they'd still be there now. At least you can still find new comics in many large bookstores.

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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Also I agree with a previous poster about the lack of comics in convenience stores these days adds to the lack of exposure of them. But if they had continued to sell, they'd still be there now.

 

That's a pretty simplistic view of a complicated economic scenario.

 

Comics didn't just "stop selling" at the newstands, younger readers basically got priced out by Direct Market buyers, who were older, wealthier, and far more addicted to their hobby.

 

Once Marvel and DC realized what a cash cow Direct Sales was (fanboy grumbles about price increase, but still pays) they jacked cover prices to the roof and haven't slowed down since.

 

The kids just took one look at the $2 cover price at the 7-11, laughed and went home to play Nintendo.

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Timulty

Timulty

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1. The crazy price escalation, perpetuated by the direct market.

 

That would definitely be one of my picks. The Direct Market looked like a saviour, but all those years of rampant price increases, designed to drain the aging fanboys of their paychecks, absolutely killed any "real world" pricing model.

 

Now, the only people who would pay cover price for a new comic are the true addicts; anyone else just laughs.

 

Once again, refer to my post about Marvel. makepoint.gif

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comicdonna

comicdonna

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What were the worst things to happen in comic history? Bad ideas that ruined comics.

I can think of three right off the bat...

 

1. Comic Code

 

2. Spider-Man clone story line.

 

3. Death of Superman

Pressing

Trimming

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Wrightson fan

Wrightson fan

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I second Joe on his porn comic reference, but I will follow the soft core route. The tidal wave of 90's -early 2000's bad girl comics. There is nothing wrong with admiring a beautiful woman, but it was hard to be taken seriously as a comic collector with all the nude, semi nude Shi's, Lady Death's, Glory's, Cavewoman's, Dawn's, ect. I think you get the picture. Nothing like having this plethora of books perpetuate the image that we all lived in our parent's basements and had never seen an actual woman naked before. I for one was glad to see it go...and then Frank Cho shows up and starts it again...... tongue.gif

 

 

 

Scott

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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The tidal wave of 90's -early 2000's bad girl comics. There is nothing wrong with admiring a beautiful woman, but it was hard to be taken seriously as a comic collector with all the nude, semi nude Shi's, Lady Death's, Glory's, Cavewoman's Dawn's, ect.

 

Yeah, and if I didn't already stop buying Moderns around 1991-92, that BS would have almost killed me. I can't even imagine going into a LCS when that "softcore porn" stupidity was in full gear, or the kind of freaks it dredged up.

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BassGMan

BassGMan

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I second Joe on his porn comic reference, but I will follow the soft core route. The tidal wave of 90's -early 2000's bad girl comics. There is nothing wrong with admiring a beautiful woman, but it was hard to be taken seriously as a comic collector with all the nude, semi nude Shi's, Lady Death's, Glory's, Cavewoman's, Dawn's, ect. I think you get the picture. Nothing like having this plethora of books perpetuate the image that we all lived in our parent's basements and had never seen an actual woman naked before. I for one was glad to see it go...and then Frank Cho shows up and starts it again...... tongue.gif

 

 

 

Scott

 

During the early/mid 90s I used to eat this stuff up. Not all of it, but the better books like Linsner stuff, some Lady Death, some Shi and Vampirella and etc. As a non-reader, someone who goes for the art and covers especially, I most definitely preferred the "bad girl" and mature/adult titles over other new comics at the time. I mean seriously, although they are just cartoons, I enjoyed viewing scantily clad babes over muscled men in tights any day. Are you taken any more seriously buying books showing a giant muscular green guy, dudes in multi-colored spandex and armor, weird looking monsters and other strange looking guys in funny costumes? I think a man admiring a cartoon man in a colored uniform with a cape is harder to take seriously than a guy viewing a scantily clad babe. At least one makes sense to most adults. Either way, you are probably looked at as a guy that is hard up to get a date.

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