Waid Interview
Came across an excellent Mark Waid interview on Sotocolor. What really set this head and shoulders above a lot of interviews was the depth of the questions and the relatively short length.
One response from Waid piqued my interest:
Are mainstream comic fans interested only in nostalgia? If we take a step back and give a broad sweeping overview mainstream comics are about super powered good people beating up super powered bad people. It’s been done for almost eighty years now and since the formula hasn’t changed in that time I would say Waid’s right.
Of course these North American superhero comics are just a very small part of the world graphic novel market and perhaps if more mainstream writers did books that didn’t conform to this perhaps they could reach that potential reader market.
When I hear “nostalgia” and “comics” together I immediately think of the wondrous comic strip reprints we’ve been privy to the last few years. I’ve read from industry folks we’re in a “golden age of reprints” and with such amazing works as Prince Valiant, Mickey Mouse, X-9 Agent Corrigan, Rip Kirby and so many more I heartily agree. It’s not just the availability of historic content but the quality of production that makes each of these a treasure. As well these further fuel Waid’s argument and illustrate how non-superhero comics continue to flourish.
Scott VanderPloeg works in I.T. but lives to eat and read. Currently Editor-In-Chief of Comic Book Daily. His ramblings can be found at eBabble.
For those readers who are wondering, no, Scott is not 87 years old. Despite the fact that nostalgia makes him think of Prince Valiant.
First off there is probably at least 3 times as many die-hards left as Waid claims unless he thinks all the 60K+ that read ASM are the same 60K+ that read Batman are the same 60K+ that read X-Men etc, etc. The small number he uses to reinforce his point then has the opposite effect.
What is wrong with producing for this market if it is a viable one. Publishers have realized the arch produced for the monthly transfers into future sales of graphic novels and potentially leads to other profitable endeavors like toy lines (DC Direct does this well).
How is the print distribution system targeting just these die-hards? Surely the big publishers have tried other concepts and have even widened their reach through big box book stores and on line places like Amazon.
If he wants to create new things then let him go out and try it. If these things don’t sell for him then he shouldn’t blame the monthly Batman readers.
I tend to agree that “nostalgic” fans are the biggest demographic… evidence of this is all around us. But I also agree that there is nothing inherently wrong with this… But I guess the problem is that people don’t live forever and once this audience is gone… the comics medium will most likely follow, unless the medium can somehow appeal to those behind us.
There will always be art and stories but the comic book medium itself hasn’t figured out how to sustain itself. Current books are not written for kids, they are too expensive for kids and they can’t capture the kids attention in any meaningful way.
I’m also not convinced of digital formats. I don’t read Ebony magazine or the Outdoor Woodsman… Digitizing these magazines is great but it does not make me want to read them any more. Likewise, digital comics are not going to make a non-believer see the light.
A nice interview, refreshingly insightful thanks to the well thought out questions…
Oh my… What a bold new look for CBD! It’s bad enough that old designers like me are being replaced by templates… but the templates also get credit? Oh, what a cruel, cruel world. No wonder I’m so twisted and bitter inside.
Despite the decimation of the creative process, looks pretty good… Any way you can put the # of comments up front as reference…? The only other problem is… how am I supposed to hide all this boldness from my boss?