These have been stacking up for a while. Sorry.

Brunetti-Nyer-090709

§ Th Flog blog FOUND Ivan Brunetti’s cover for this week’s New Yorker.

§ Sean Kleefeld explains that Flash was awful when Zuda decided to use it and Flash is still awful, but throws in some analysis of why it may have been chosen:

The situation, I daresay, is similar at Zuda. Using a Flash platform to host comics forces users to their site. That would increase site traffic, which are some nice, easy numbers for managers to understand. This is decidedly NOT the best way to win over users, though, and prevents the users you do win over from becoming as enthusiastic as they might otherwise be. They’re not as likely to recommend Zuda comics as others, not because the comics aren’t good, but because it’s physically and mentally harder to do so.


§ First Second’s Calista Brill speaks out on the art of editing

What an editor is: Someone who provides a second pair of eyes for your work. Think of a good editor as a mildly reactive surface for your work to reflect off of so you can see it better. Both flaws and strengths in your writing that you have been too close to it to see may be a lot clearer to someone else.

What an editor is not: A mind-reader. Although someone with some experience and skill may be able to intuit a great deal about what you’re trying (whether you’re succeeding or not) to say in your story, it doesn’t always work out that way, especially not at first. I’ve found that the editorial process often involves a certain amount of groping around in the dark on the part of both editor and author.


§ When we linked to a Marvel motion comic the other day, it was not met with great acclaim. We’ll say, charitably, that we’re still waiting for D.W. Griffith. And indeed, this piece by Andy Doan suggests that material created for the format, like Spider-Woman may take better advantage of it:

If we can count on Marvel learning it’s lesson from this experiment and producing more motion comics like Spider-Woman rather then X-men I think fans have cause for excitement. Not only is this format great for new fans not familiar with the printed works, I think it offers a fresh enough look at the genre for regular fans. With Spider-Woman they were able to maintain the feel of a comic without crossing the line and becoming a half-assed cartoon (like X-men). Motion comics is another big step towards the digitalization of medium while leaving little of the experience of a comic behind. This format is highly portable and above all does not require trips to the comic store or large amounts of space for storage.


Related: a discussion at the Whedonesque message board.

§ At Graphic Novel Reporter, Alex Simmons asks Are Comics Like Real Books?

crumb genesis§ As if in answer, Jeet Heer provides the first in depth review of R. Crumb’s GENESIS and he makes it sounds, oh so irresistible:

Crumb has returned to the sacred text at the heart of Western civilization, but the result is a comic as unsettlingly drenched in sexualized violence as Tales from the Crypt and as subversively disrespectful to cultural icons as Mad.

§ A film sequel to 30 DAYS OF NIGHT is moving along.

1 COMMENT

  1. It’s not just the visuals that are a problem, the dialogue is written for readers not for actors so it sounds off when spoken aloud. Moreover, when you have Spider-woman speaking with a posh english accent yet using phrases and language as if she’s from New York, it tends to highlight Bendis’s problem with character voice.

  2. PS: the Brunetti-covered New Yorker issue also has column ads for the two Vertigo Crime OGNs, one each for Rankin’s Dark Entries and Azzarello’s Filthy Rich. Which I thought was an interesting piece of marketeering.

  3. The Vertigo Crime OGN’s are also featured online at the New Yorker’s revamped On the Town section. newyorkeronthetown.com