A Downward Spiral to Oblivion

[FlamingCarrot]

LETS GO YANKEES!!

[s-man]

LETS GO YANKEES!!

 

...and so, the Spiral continues toward Oblivion...

[PovertyRow]

but sometimes I think his frustration with some of the posts by other forum members shines through too easily

 

Those who know me might say just the opposite.

 

Apparantly no one here knows you.

[s-man]

but sometimes I think his frustration with some of the posts by other forum members shines through too easily

 

Those who know me might say just the opposite.

 

Apparantly no one here knows you.

 

[codfish]

Personally I think comics have gotten better since i started collecting in 1979. Back then most kids i know were reading xmen and i started with The Invaders which i think is still one of the best series of that time. the next best thing was the odd Marvel and rare DC book (from 79-mid eighties i was a marvel zombie) there was some good Hulk story arcs and Secret wars (the first one) Alan Moore's superman stuff. Frank Miller's Daredevil is still one of the best of that time.

 

now it is much easier for me to find a comic to fit my various tastes. i can find fun stuff, mature (and by mature i mean most teenagers or young kids would find them to boring or complex to read NOT sexual), and action packed. I can find losts of wonderful artists and coloring.

 

lets rattle off some:

 

chris sprouse, alan moore, greg rucka, greg land, mike deodato, terry dodson, adam huges, jim lee, mark silvestri, chuck dixon, steven t. seagle, and so one and so forth.

 

there is alot of magic in the silver and gold ages of comics too but i really have to admit that the story telling was not as good as it is today. i mean how could someone say the batmite or mr tawny were flashes of genious? or how about the "million dollar penny" story from the early days of wonder woman?

 

then there was the numerous crime comics filled with terrible art and brutal stories. these books almost crushed the industry and throughout the 50's circulation was really low. so i think the idea that circulation is lower now than then is silly.

 

if anything the comic industry's biggest problem is saturating the market with too much stuff. you can't buy it all. not just because it is so expensive but so volumous.

 

price has gone up for sure and it is frustrating for people like me but look at vidoe games. with all that i buy new in one month might buy me one xbox or PS2 game. or how about your standard paperback ... here in canada the cheapest new paperback is maybe 8.99 and that would be for a relative unknown. a common author like jeffery deaver will cost you a whopping 11.99! and what about magazines? If i were to subscribe to one of the top science periodicals for a year it would cost me in the hundreds of dollars. when i last bought that mag it was over $18 canadian PER WEEK. time magazine is almost 100 dollars a year here.

 

not enough ok if i go fill my tank full of gas it costs me over $30. a movie 7.99 and up. a dinner for two at a "inexpensive" restaurant $25 and up. a six pack of beer .... nearly $14.

 

as for content ..... there is alot that i would say is not really "attractive" to kids but they still buy it. there are still walt disney related comics, archie, cartoonized superhero books that cater to younger audiences, etc. by no means are comics focussed to kids but that is because kids are too busy with computer games, computers, and much worse.

 

alot of the car thefts in my province are committed by kids. kids still seem to have the desire to tresspass and destroy property. i planted a tree in my yard when i first moved in a few years ago. my mother got it for me as a house warming present. well my yard did not have a fence and that worried me because i know little boys penchants for vandalizing young trees. needlest to say the tree is three feet shorter now. somehow it survived ..... my dogwood was not as lucky.

 

no comics ar enot the cause of childhood deliquency, nor is the industry spiralling down into nothing. it may have to cut down in size in order to survive but that is not necessarily a problem. as long as there is a core of collectors and fans comics are here to stay.

 

now the number of collectors may be diminishing but that is hardly the fault of the product or who it caters to.

 

and so forth.