Assorted 2018 - 04 - HD

An old-school style Good vs Evil superhero comic would be something of novelty, wouldn't it? These days it seems to be all about what attention can be grabbed; (Comic publisher): "we're taking (long time comic book character ) and reintroducing them as (rather arbitrary change)!!! (Me and possibly others): "Yeah, that's great and all, but is it really adding to the character's story, or is it some kind shock value thing to increase book purchases?" (Some random internet stranger): "You're not, (abritrary change the character now has), so you just don't get it!" (Me and possibly others): " That doesn't answer my question."

Joshua Brumley

I'm reminded of one of my friend Jared's favorite shirts: "ALL ART IS POLITICAL. YOU'RE JUST BAD AT MEDIA ANALYSIS."

Christen Lester-Jones

Classic Trek did feature some ham-handed editorializing. But its better episodes were free of it or wove it properly into the story.

John Trauger

I'll partly disagree with that. I as a reader can be do deep in my own political bias that any hint of opposing thought triggers me when I read it. Yeah that would be on me. I can also be a writer who is so deep in my politics that I must feature it, warping character, plot, or storytelling around said politics. That's on me as writer, not the reader. And there's a spectrum here. It's not a hard on/off, yes/no, reader or writer is 100% wrong.

John Trauger

Did George quote DBZ Abridged Vegeta?

John Trauger

I think that it is important to recognize the difference between the creative team and the marketing team. It is a crowded marketplace and people's attention spans are short. The marketing folks know that they have around 10 seconds to attract new readers to the products. The marketing folks know that they need headlines that will cause folks to read their press releases and generate internet-chat. What attracts more attention: Comicbook Company launches new teen super hero book! or Comicbook Company launches new teenage (insert gender or minority here) super hero book! Lion Forge Comics is my current favorite publisher. They heavily market their comics as being inclusive with a wide mix of genders, ethnicities, etc... However, the creators themselves are focused on telling good stories. </insert>

"promptly disappeared in a puff of logic." - Douglas Adams, THGTTG

Foradain

Correct, but like, not sarcastically

Hilda Leyes

Please don't put me in a position where I have to delete comments due to arguing. I don't like doing it, but I don't want to have to moderate and that's basically my only option if things get heated o_o;

Dan Shive

That said 'buy our comic because we don't have a social agenda' is a waaay stupider selling point than 'buy our comic purely because of our social agenda'. Neither of them is as good as 'buy our comic for the cool story (which happens to be kinda political in nature)' but at least the condescending woke points are like, content.

Sindri

Here I am reading a comic about a dozen people of varying degrees of gender fluidity with barely a scrap of heterosexuality in sight, because the story and characters are all great, and I suddenly transition into a reactionary manchild because I don't like it when a multi-billion dollar corporation ignores or removes all story and characterization from their media in order to stuff in more condescending woke points.

Sindri

Cry more, buddy

Hilda Leyes

Old fashioned comic book politics were mostly things like 'stop doing genocide' or 'you can be a badass space explorer while also simultaneously being black'. Comic book politics today seem to be mostly things like 'this super team has 20% more trans people than the previous super team with the most trans people so you should buy our comic instead of theirs' or 'comic books have always been exclusively about racist white ment therefore it falls to me to create the first ever comic with a strong female lead lol u mad nerds?'

Sindri

And then there's the TNG one that was sort of like murderous Hippies, because that's how they acheived Hippieness? Or something? Maybe they don't count. They wore mostly white.

Dan Shive

You have a point. Come to think of it...WHICH Space Hippie episode? I can think of at least 2.

Ian Robert Darling Burns

"ESPECIALLY Spock's Brain and the Space Hippies episode" is the correct response regardless of whether it's actually true (though it probably is, hippies were a subject of political discussion and such)

Dan Shive

I do not know this Spock's Brain of which you speak :p Space Hippies were...well they were clearly trying to get at SOMETHING. Probably. Maybe.

Ian Robert Darling Burns

Even Spock's Brain and the Space Hippies episode?

John C Butler

Eh. Everyone who didn't live through, say, a war, talks about the days of their youth as "The Good Old Days." The truth is, there have always tings that were bad and good about the past. A big part of being nostalgic for "The Good Old Days" is either a longing by the young for a sanitized version of a time that didn't really exist or a longing by the... less young for a time when THEY were young and vital and felt like they could take on the entire world themselves. For the latter, "The Good Old Days" really were, because it was when they were young.

John C Butler

Captain America punching out Adolf Hitler. Every Star Trek ever. That kind of old fashioned.

Ian Robert Darling Burns

That George, so barely flappable. I wonder what comic(s) Dan had in mind.

Stephen Gilberg

Typically, most complaints boil down to the following: Preachy = "I disagree with you" Good ol' fashion storytelling = "I agree with you"

Well said!

Jim Avery

The FIRST ISSUE OF ACTION COMICS in 1938 had Superman clobbering a domestic abuser and taking down a corrupt senator. COMICS BEEN POLITICAL SINCE DAY ONE YO.

McZed