Mike’s Winter Thoughtbox

My “Thoughtbox” article is kind of a bucket for article ideas that I find interesting, but tend not to support a full-on piece. It’s kind of a Grab Bag for my head, I guess. Anyway, let’s see what’s cooking in my cerebellum…

If you have the distinct pleasure of having creative people in your life, or, if you are one of those who wants to/is making a living being creative, this time of year can sometimes be a bit frustrating, especially if you made any creative-output related resolutions for 2011. Here in LA, it is kind of a mixed bag, with actors, producers, writers and directors getting ready for the opportunities of pilot season while at the same time those same people–especially the actors–sigh into their cups, frustrated that 2011 wasn’t the breakout year they vowed to have.

Working in comics is like other creative professions inasmuch as it takes an enormous amount of courage and commitment to make a living doing it. I can imagine that it is like other professions in entertainment media, where a budding comic creator is reminded of all the success he or she is not having every time they visit the comic book store.  In my acting life, I am constantly reminded of TV commercials I didn’t get while watching shows featuring actors I have been to class with, or seeing old friends on billboards on the way to work, helping me realize that I have a long way to go.

Of course, there’s a flip side to all of this–the fact that I know the folks in these shows and on these billboards is proof that “success” actually does happen: you just have to stay focused. Same thing with comics, I would think.  When I go to a comic book convention, I hear, over and over, the same kind of advice: if you can do anything else, do it, if you can’t, then commit everything you are to the craft.

Today, everyone wants their “content,” their shows, their books, their movies, they want it wherever they are, whenever they want it and many really don’t want to pay for it. And what’s more, there are more places to get quality work for free than ever.  I was at a big seminar with high profile agents and casting folks, and they kept talking about how they would just go on Funny or Die and YouTube to find possible clients. Makes sense; a lot easier than driving down to Hollywood to sit in some seedy garage theater with one exit that is impossible to get to once the lights have gone down. And with so many people uploading stuff every day, it really can be a great way to find new voices and characters.

Same thing with comics. You’ve got a thriving webcomic scene, and, yes, though comic book piracy continues to be a problem, there are lots and lots of legitimate comics to be had for little or no money.  And, of course, there’s music.  Lots and lots of ways to get music.

The point is, that while it’s already hard enough to get paid for what you love to do, there are way more ways to put your stuff out for free than in years past. So you can have the thrill of sharing your talents with literally millions of people…but not necessarily make a living out of it. Which is both kind of wonderful and teeth-grindingly frustrating.

When I read a comic, it’s nice to remind myself that I am reading something that is far more than “just” a comic.  I am reading the results of committed individuals who were hell bent on getting their work into my hands. I am witness the aftermath of hours and hours of illustrating, of sleepless nights not knowing how the story will end, of agonized hopes against hopes that the project will go through in the first place. It’s really kind of awe-inspiring.

Conor made an interesting point during the “Dark vs. Light” video podcast. The guys were talking about how comics were more adult in nature because the fans were older, and the creators were basically just writing the stuff they knew this older audience would like, and to persist in doing that could very well make it harder for younger fans to get into comics.

Now, that may or may not be true, who knows, but it got me thinking…like, if you have kids and you are comics book fan, it’s like, your duty to make sure your kids gets a chance to explore comics. Because, honestly, how are they going to discover them without your help? It’s not like comics are 35¢ more, you know?  There are single issue comics that cost more than a McDonald’s Happy meal.  I understand that a lot of kids are going to get introduced to these characters through the cartoons, and I guess that’s a good thing for the companies that own those characters, but I don’t think it necessarily means it’s a good thing for those creators actually making the damn comics that inspired those shows in the first place.

I touched on this a few months ago when a co-worker of mine said she was looking forward to X-Men: First Class not because of the comics, but because of the cartoon that she used to watch as a kid. I admit, I’ve never seen any of those cartoons. Way after my time. I was a GI Joe/Transformers/Robotech/Thundercats kid. And when I saw Transformers the first time, it sure as hell wasn’t because of any Transformers comic book–it was all about going back to that cartoon.  And guess what? I never picked up a Transformers comic book after seeing the movie, either, I don’t care, at all, about those comics.

Why should I? I have no experience with them, and my Transformers-fix, such as it was, was totally addressed by seeing the first one.  (And then poisoned by the second, then just drained by the third.)  The cartoon was the beginning of my relationship with the characters, I did not need to reach out in a third, expensive medium to experience more stories.  The notion that comic book inspired films and TV shows necessarily result in a sustained growth in related comics does not seem to hold up, at least it did not do so in my experience.

It used to be that parents were outright hostile to comics. I remember my mom used to hate my comics and I honestly did not understand why. I mean, I think she even threw a few away, thinking I would not notice! Later, as I showed her my drawings and talked about the story lines, when she understood that comics were a point of departure for me, a source of inspiration, she understood, and has been kind of cool about it. I even got her Persepolis for Christmas a few years ago. I doubt she read it, but still.

But now, now I feel like parents have to actually put comics in the hands of their kids to expose them to the characters, to the medium.  Otherwise, when would they read them? Why would they read them?

I mean, all is not lost, one need only look to the manga shelves in your local bookstore (if you can find one) to see kids reading Yu-Gi-Oh! and other titles (Molly’s going to kill me for that, I know there are tons of titles, I just can’t think of them right now).  Ironically, maybe it will be Japanese manga that introduces kids to American comics.

I’d be really curious as to what the parents out there think about how they introduce comics to their kids and whether or not kids find them all that interesting when compared to their iPod touch. (Check out Josh’s Guide to Kid’s Comics for some great suggestions, by the way!)

You know…I was going to add a few more thoughts to this article, but you know what, maybe just those two are enough for this winter day. Thanks for reading, see ya next week, with the last Grab Bag of the year!

 


Mike Romo is an actor in Los Angeles who is quite happy with how things are going, thankyouverymuch…though is looking forward to a new year. You can reach him through email, visit his Facebook page, connect with him on Google +, and collect his tweets on Twitter.

Comments

  1. It definitely takes effort to get your kids going on comics. All the Marvel movies are a good piece of exposure, but there is so much more out there. My kids have loved reading Amulet, Reed Gunther, and the old Barks and Rosa Duck books among others. I have been increasingly found myself trying to buy more stuff that I can enjoy with them or that they can read on their own. Like Owly and Super Dinosaur. At the end of the day it is all about finding books that we can all enjoy together that makes the biggest impact.

    • Interesting enough it was through Comic books that got me into the ‘super hero movie’ genre. I started reading when I was around 8 years old (about 30 years ago) and have except for a few years here and there read comic books much of those intervening 30 years. (even Transformers…I remember the 4 part mini series from Marvel with fondness and may still have my original copy somewhere). My problem is the images on the current crop of comics are, while totally awesome and boobilishis, not really something i want my 10 year old girls looking at. I’m somewhat nervous about letting my ten year olds even look at a Witchblade issue let alone actually read it, and have you seen Emma Frost lately? For a 38 year old guy in the midst of a 20 year marriage I’m good with it and can even say that at one time in my life I had a major crush on Jean Grey, Rogue, and Storm but to let my daughters view these curvy women in the comic. Not so cool at least through my Daddy tinted glasses.

      It’s not all bad of course, I did let my daughter read the first few issues of Marvel’s Spider-Girl and she enjoyed it. I’m pretty sure one of my daughters will be getting Bendis’s young adult comic (can’t think of the name of it off the top of my head but I just saw it listed here on iFanboy). So it is pretty difficult getting kids into comics (especially the girls).

      Great article btw keep it up.

  2. Before my first was born (I have a six year old and an 8 year old – both boys), I dreamed of him reading comics alongside me and on his own, but like many things about raising a child, those thoughts have been dashed on the rocks of life. Oh, I still buy them the occasional Sonic or Star Wars or some other kid comic occasionally, and I keep an eye out on anything kid-friendly coming out. They’re also well-versed on the big guns’ histories, have watched any number of superhero cartoons past and present, and, have been to the shop many times. Everything said above is true. You can’t expose kids to any comics (except kid stuff and a few others like Bone) today. More importantly, in today’s world of Internet, Wii, etc, in addition to books, movies and 1,000 TV channels to choose from – and you know what? even if all that wasn’t out there – there is no guarantee that today’s kid stuff will get kids eventually interested in the adult stuff. It’s not about the books. It’s about the kids.

    I’ve always been a reader. So my interests in Bugs Bunny and Disney comics led to Spider-man and the like. One of my kids isn’t interested in reading comics. He’d rather go outside and play. Do I discourage bike riding for comic reading? No. I couldn’t if I wanted to, and you parents out there know why. Maybe he’ll change. Maybe not.

    Most of the comic industry appears to be sincerely interested in creating material for all ages. The key now is advertising. You have to get your product name out there wherever kids are going to be. Forty years ago, Bugs Bunny cartoons were enough to get kids to buy Bugs Bunny comics. Now the rabbit comics, which had little competition with other media back then, have to compete with rabbit online games, rabbit DS, rabbit DVDs and rabbit TV shows. Who’s going to win?

    Lastly, whether you’re a parent or not (well, the parents will laugh and you non-parents will understand us a little better), check out this article: http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/25/the-star-wars-divide-a-tale-of-two-costumes/. I don’t know if I’m allowed to put this out there, but it’s a genuine, absolutely true look at kids today, and one way adults need to see them in order to understand their thinking.

    • Man, that blog was great. I Have a 5 year old daughter and I can totally relate. That’s exactly how I was for this halloween. In a way. She went to the superhero section on her on but since I’m a big Batman fan I was trying to nodge her toward the Batgirl custome. For a while she agreed and I was all happy and proud that my daughter was going as Batgirl but later on she changed to Wonder Woman and I was ok with it but then she finally decided to go as Supergirl, I think mainly because she has blonde hair like my daughter. I didn’t mind since it was a superhero character and a DC one to boot, but I was a tiny bit disappointed it wasn’t Batgirl.
      “Parents try, with varying degrees of success, to shape our kids’ pop culture tastes.” so true!

  3. I think since I exposed my 5 year old daughter to comics since she was 3 she really enjoys them. She has her own short box and all with a growing collection.
    I read to her every night and I let her pick books or comics and for 90% of the time she picks excitedly picks comics.
    I love that Tiny Titans exists, she loves that comic and I do as well. It does a great job with “grown up” jokes, example after Flashpoint: robin asks Cyborg what he is doing with his boots and Cyborg responds, “oh, I just need a Re-boot!” And that comic has been the gateway to other all ages comics.
    I also take her to my comic shop almost every Wednesday and she picks out an issue or two she wants.
    It’s great to see her find the new Tiny Titans with enthusiasm.
    I think reading to your kids before bedtime, books or comics, and having a good time while doing it can really influence them continue reading later in life.

  4. Wow, great comments, guys.Thanks for that blog link, too!

    Sorry to be late in replying, I was out all day for a work thing…I think it’s great you all are thinking about this stuff with your kids. I have really fond memories of my dad taking me to the comic book store to get me a single comic after my haircuts. It was such a cool thing, with every comic just a world of possibility. I think it’s a fun experience for kids to have, walking into that shop and seeing all of those books…

  5. I think kids are reading some comics, but its not the stuff found in the direct market that we pay attention to. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (comic-like) and things like Pocket God which i saw just passed 500,000 downloads on the app store and others.