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Trevor Smith
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 3520
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 3:13am | IP Logged | 1
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I remember back in the 80s, groups of comic buying
friends (myself included) would cry "Comics aren't JUST
for kids anymore!". Take note of that very important
word there, "just" - even then, I'm pretty sure we didn't
want them to be not for kids at all!
My wife, principal of an elementary/middle school here in
Turkey, got an e-mail from from a parent last night
following a fundraising book fair, containing photos
taken from some TPBs that were brought home - New
Ultimates: Thor Reborn, DC Universe Alan Moore, Wolverine
and the X-Men the Strangest Heroes of All, and The Mighty
Thor. These were grade two aged kids. Needless to say,
some books came back today and money was refunded.
Now the point could be raised that the parents should
have been monitoring what the kids were buying, or the
school should have been checking books for content, but
seriously, when did we get to the point that freaking
THOR isn't kid friendly, Ultimate line or not? Disney
really REALLY needs to start looking at the discrepancy
between what they're offering up on-screen and what's in
the books. After seeing the movie Thor, why WOULDN'T a
civilian adult just assume the books were kid friendly,
after all?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132279
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 6:05am | IP Logged | 2
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This notion that "comics aren't just for kids," so they can't be for kids AT ALL --- it's been a thorn in my side for decades. I have spent a substantial part of my career being the "voice crying in the wilderness," cautioning that we, as an industry, were making far too many wrong choices.*The utterly selfish mentality -- the worst kind of fan mentality -- that controls the industry now, is the latest, and perhaps last, in a long line of idiotic decisions. * Wrong choices are not new in comics. They date back to the Forties, when the decision was made to hang on to that 10’ cover price as other magazines started to go up.
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Trevor Smith
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 3520
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 6:38am | IP Logged | 3
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I just simply can't wrap my head around it. I know this
topic is one that's constantly addressed here, but I just
don't get it at all. It's a business strategy that would
be SUICIDE in any other arena - pandering to an ever-
shrinking base of consumers rather than going out and
trying to hook a whole new generation that the movies have
made ripe for the picking.
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Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12437
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 7:54am | IP Logged | 4
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The game is long over, just based on my experience. I have raised a 21 year old who grew up loving superheroes and still wants originally comicbook-based products. Born in 1993, by the time he was ready for comicbooks, there was practically nothing for him. I also have boy about to turn 7, and if I thought my older boy had bupkes, my younger son, who absolutely adores everything superhero, and with whom I read the classics, seemingly has even less than nothing.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132279
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 7:57am | IP Logged | 5
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a 21 year old
Born in 1993
That's depressing.
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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17669
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 10:11am | IP Logged | 6
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I think I have told the story about how I planned to give a bunch of comic
books I didn't want to students, and so filled two big boxes and took
them to school. Before handing the books out, I decided I should flip
through each of them. When I did, I realized that for one reason or
another they were almost all inappropriate for kids. (Upon reflection, I
realized this was part of the reason why I didn't want the books myself.
They were filled with superheroes who didn't look or behave like
superheroes!)
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Doug Centers
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 February 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 5466
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 10:35am | IP Logged | 7
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" I also have boy about to turn 7, and if I thought my older boy had bupkes, my younger son, who absolutely adores everything superhero, and with whom I read the classics, seemingly has even less than nothing. "
...
That's sad, but give him the classics it's still new to him. Ahh, the days when comics were truly for all ages. I can still remember looking up words in the dictionary as a ten year old but still able to completely enjoy the story.
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Shaun Barry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 08 December 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 6833
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 11:26am | IP Logged | 8
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I may have posted this story a few years back, but I knew the glory days were long gone when I went into my LCS and tried to look for more kid-friendly comics for my young girls (I now have a young son, too).
Struck by the depressing irony of finding a small rack of comics, tucked away in the far left corner of the store, with a small sign posted sbove: "KIDS COMICS." Surrounded by four walls of the "legitimate" comics, toys and video games.
All decidedly kid-unfriendly and for the (urgh) "adult collector." Which sounds really skeevy to my ears!
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Robert Bradley
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4825
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 12:08pm | IP Logged | 9
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I can still remember the day when "adult comics" were kept behind the counter (and the idea creeped me out) and the "kids comics" were everywhere else.
What the hell happened to the "businessmen" who run the industry?
Edited by Robert Bradley on 27 November 2014 at 12:08pm
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Robert Lloyd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 238
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 12:09pm | IP Logged | 10
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I think that John Byrne is on target on this subject. It's why I can't stand the Marvel and DC of today. The characters are completely unrecognizable. The Avengers and Justice League of today do not resemble the characters that I grew up reading in the 70's and 80's. It's why I really liked the Marvel Essentials and DC Showcase line of paperbacks. It was a format for under $20 you could read at least twenty issues of your favorite character. I don't know if DC is still running their line of black and white paperback collections. It's sad when adults and parents have to look through Marvel or DC product before giving it to young children to read.
I remember when I was growing up in the 70's, when Marvel had it's black and white line of $1 magazines. They had more adult material in them. However, there was a standard of quality and lines they wouldn't cross......not like today.
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Stephen Churay
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | 11
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The sad part is, outside a few, nobody in the industry seems to care.
Not publishers and definitely not the LCS. The fact that comics cater
to 21 and up means they are targeting the group with the most
disposable income. But, where are the new readers going to come
from. Sure there will be a few that start reading while in there
twenties. In fact that number has increased. But, has it increased
enough to ditch the younger demographic all together.
I tell this story all the time. I go to my LCS and pick up my books, in
the process my five year old son asks me for the latest issue of
Captain America. He loves the character. The look on his face as I tell
him, "No, comics aren't for you." is one of confusion then anger. His
response was to voice his desire to punch the comic book makers in
the nether region. I told him if he ever gets his shot, take it. They love
gratuitous violence.
Now, my kid has unfortunately been desensitized to a certain degree.
Him seeing Cap's shadow slam a shield across Baron Blood's neck is
just enough cool and shock factor for him. That's an adult situation he
can handle. The implication is there, but its not graphic. But, I had to
yank one of my issues of the SEIGE storyline away from him before
he caught the image of Sentry digging his fingers into the top of Ares'
skull and ripping him in half with blood and guts over two pages.
That's today's Marvel.
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Greg Woronchak
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 September 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 1631
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| Posted: 27 November 2014 at 2:21pm | IP Logged | 12
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why WOULDN'T a civilian adult just assume the books were kid friendly,
after all?
I think writing super-hero comics that all-ages (and kids in particular) can enjoy is a challenge. It's far easier (I'd guess) for a given writer to create a tale he/she would like to read, with super-hero tropes adapted for their 'adult' sensibility.
Thing is, Movies like Big Hero 6 show how the material could be treated, with mass market appeal. It's really a shame how monthly comics have fallen so far, with the few remaining 'readers' screaming how strong the industry is. Ugh.
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Topic Closed)
