a question...

Graphite_dragon · Post by **Graphite_dragon** » 04 Jun 2006, 22:40

I've only recently become interested in comics. i have vague memories of enjoying the beano and asterix much younger, but I can only have read them a few times. either way, i've had much more exposure to art in galleries, photography, and straight forward novels- i've always loved both art and creative writing- this is why comics interest me so much, they're a combination of my two passions. I visited megacitycomics in London, and bought the most diverse selection of indie comics I could find. my first annoyance was the face that most of the shop was taken up by superheros or sci-fi. i'm a 18 year old woman, and i really have no more interest in reading comics about aliens than I would for movies about them. so that cut out a large amount of the stuff for me to choose from. I then had to base my selection on solely on the covers because they were all in bags, even the brand new ones... how stupid. i can't imagine walking into a bookshop where you can't flick through the books because they are all in 'protective covers'. surely the most important thing for any artform is the content, not the value- no wonder comics are not more popular in britain when they are treated like geeky-collectors-items before they're even off the shelves! so i found a couple of interesting covers published in Britian, and a couple of the more interesting american ones. i bought them, took them home, and was massively dissapointed. some had terrible art work, some had terrible and predictible storylines or scripts(is that the word you use for comics?!). The ones that did have reasonable art work and scripts were violent and un-original, reminding me of cheap budget adventure/horror movies. The audience for comics in britain seems very limited, and likewise the comics themselves seem very limited. have I just been unlucky? are there comics out there with literature and storylines as good as you would find in a good novel? and art work that stretches beyond the typical superhero or gothic styles? surely this is a massive market that is un-explored.. there must be so much money to be made by someone if they published comics in as many genres as books and films are available, and made them available in high-street newsagents or bookshops. anyway, any suggestions of comics already out there that an 18 year old female student might enjoy and not cringe at?!

Garen · Post by **Garen** » 05 Jun 2006, 08:49

This list may be of interest to you (and I'm not suggesting the title of the page refers to you by any means):

http://www.foldedspace.org/weblog/2006/ ... e_who.html

I agree with what you say about bagged comics and the disappointing subject matter of what I think in comics is called the 'mainstream'. (Though I do know of 18-year old women who like comics and movies about aliens!)

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 05 Jun 2006, 12:43

The problem is that these themes (ie nothing to do with superheroes) were tried before and the audience was found to have been too limited (Crisis, Deadline and Revolver are the three examples that spring to mind) to be fiscally viable.

I do agree that comics un-necessarliy limit themselves to superheroes, but that is what sells. The three examples that I have given were the only ones that I can think of that were not superhero orientated, but some could argue that Tank Girl was a hero of sorts!

Some of the indie comics go a bit more off the beaten track, but Garen has given you a very good starting point. Maus has to be one of the most thought-provoking books graphic or otherwise. And I might suggest looking out for Bolland Strips! which is a collection of one of the best artist's more whimsical work.

Bagged up comics seems to be a recent occurrence and is bizarre as comics are intended to be read. Don't see the point in collecting comics and then not reading them. Defeats the whole purpose to my mind!

Brendan McGuire · Post by **Brendan McGuire** » 05 Jun 2006, 22:30

I think bagged comics indicate that they may have something to hide, something that they are ashamed of. Don't top-shelf magazines come in bags? If it's not that, then the shops must be catering for the more anally-retentive buyer. They stipulate that these precious items may only be viewed in subdued lighting and may only be handled, if at all, whilst wearing unbleached cotton gloves. If we were buying illuminated manuscripts I could understand this behaviour, but we are not; we are buying mass-produced (albeit sometimes bleedin' expensive) ephemera!

Erm, would somebody help me get down off this soapbox, please?

Graphite_dragon · Post by **Graphite_dragon** » 05 Jun 2006, 23:05

Garen- thanks so much for that link, its just what I was looking for! I'm definately going to be saving up for some of those graphic novels. And I described my interest in alien movies and comics badly in mid-rant; I do enjoy them, especially the ones with really fake aliens, they make me laugh, I just enjoy other genres more.

colcool- shame thats the way world works- a market only provides something when there is already an audience for it. it makes sense but still. maybe one day when I'm rich and famous (ha!) I'll invest in a massive publishing and advertising campaign for indie comics.

Brendan- "They stipulate that these precious items may only be viewed in subdued lighting and may only be handled, if at all, whilst wearing unbleached cotton gloves. If we were buying illuminated manuscripts I could understand this behaviour, but we are not; we are buying mass-produced (albeit sometimes bleedin' expensive) ephemera!"- I love that line! I might email the shop that quote. and what everyone else has said about them.

cheers everyone

brisey · Post by **brisey** » 06 Jun 2006, 10:15

In defence of the comic bag and such.At anything from ?2 up to ?10 a pop.Buying a well thumbed through copy is not an attractive propostion and a hard sell for the retailers.

Also don't ignore some of the goodies in the mainstream rack 100 Bullets,Preacher comes to mind.

Graphite_dragon ,when you are Rich and Famous and invest in comics,you will unfortunately become poor and famous.

Graphite_dragon · Post by **Graphite_dragon** » 06 Jun 2006, 22:08

well they could have ONE version of the comic un-bagged, like a tester for make-up. and i bet people said that about tv- "when you are Rich and Famous and invest in television,you will unfortunately become poor and famous" thats the way people become millionaires, selling stuff in highstreet stores that hasn't yet been in highstreet stores. or maybe im justl under neive illusions of youth. or sommat like that.

tonyodonnell · Post by **tonyodonnell** » 13 Jun 2006, 00:58

I liked the list on Garen's link...they are a good selection for people who do not like COMICS. I would have included Will Eisner- A Contract with God, Bryan Talbot's - One Bad Rat, Charlie's War- Pat Mills and Joe Colquohoun and perhaps...any of the collected Modesty Blaise newspaper strips by Peter O Donnell and Joe Holdaway, Romero etc.
European Graphic Novels, the world of Manga and not forgetting non-super hero American Comics. I like super-hero comics but there are far too many for such a small market.

Cap Haggis · Post by **Cap Haggis** » 13 Jun 2006, 12:21

I would also consider such non super hero titles as: Love and Rockets (the Hernadez Brothers) Daniel Clowes books (Ghost World etc which was made into a cool film) Optic Nerve by Adrian Tomine; Harvey Pekars excellent American Splendor series (another film) ; Peepshow by Joe Matt: Seths Palookaville and an off the wall funny Magic WQhistle by Sam Henderson - A good anthology title/publisher for these type of books are Drawn and Quarterly Link below - Have ot agree def check out Will Eisner brilliant stuff - there are allso some good Horror titles at the moment being published by most companies if you like that genre

http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/

colcool007 · Post by **colcool007** » 13 Jun 2006, 16:53

Another one to consider is Preacher. Some fantastic stories in there. Forget Da Vinci code, read the Holy blood storyline. Plus art from some of the best Brits as well. Steve Dillon just keeps getting better.

presterjohn · Post by **presterjohn** » 14 Jun 2006, 01:45

Plenty of comics exist for every taste the hard part is finding them. I am a superhero fan and don't think you can reject titles like

She-Hulk
Manhunter
Wonder Woman (written by the bloke that scripted sex in the City)
Catwoman

If they are a real turn off though stuff that seems to appeal to Woman include

Promethea
Preacher
Sandman
100 Bullets
Gotham Central
Love & Rockets
Strangers in Paradise
Invisibles
Transmetropolitan
Runaways

Check those titles out on Amazon and see what looks interesting to you.

According to what I have read recently though it is Manga that most girls seem to go for. Sadly I would not have a clue what to recommend when it comes to that stuff.