I Call Bullshit
Go read Larry Young's latest "Loose Cannon" column at Comic Book Resources. I think Larry Young is fantastic - he's the Stan Lee of the 21st century, except a lot savvier. He has the blueprint for modern comics - great passion, great ideas, great execution, great marketing, great business. And he makes it look easy. If you cloned Larry Young, and handed one out to every comics publisher out there ... comics would be fixed.
That said ... I call bullshit, Larry Young.
I mean, how else to account for what passes for comics criticism, nowadays? When was the last time you read something online or in print that wasn't a bunch of negativity, or, at best, dissembling? Where is everyone's passion? Where is the enthusiasm? I mean, if you don't like what you're reading, here's a thought: stop.
Where's everyone's passion, Larry? It's at the Brill Building. It's at Double Articulation. It's at Jog - The Blog. It's at Zilla and the Comics Junkies. It's at Comics Should Be Good. It's at Quality Control. It's at Buzzscope. And that's just the start - look to the right to see a lot more.
I keep hearing about the general negativity in the WeboComicsBlogoNet, but I don't see it. There's a lot of passionate criticism out there right now. There's a lot of people writing about the things that excite them and the things that make them glad to read comics. There's a lot of people taking it seriously, trying to bang the drum for the comics they like. Tarring them all with the snark brush is like opening the back of Previews and assuming it's all tits-n-vampires.
... And in true Larry Young style, I am going to stay "on message":
Where is the enthusiasm, Larry? It's at Focused Totality.
7 comments:
That's weird, because I know Larry reads a lot of blogs, and he then links to them on his web site. Almost every day. He's done it with stuff I've written, and although I haven't loved everything he's published, I do try to point out things I think you should buy and why. I get burned out as much as anyone, but I still love comics and try to point out ones that are under the radar. That's a strange thing for Larry to write. I wonder if it's just a bad day for him.
What Greg said. I don't get it either. I'm constantly astounded by the amount of passionate, intellegent comics criticism that bloggers devote HOURS and HOURS of their spare time to out of a sheer love of the medium. Where is all this writing (even the snark) coming from if not from a passionate engagement with the industry? You tell 'em, Mark!
Larry or someone seems to do this every once in while to kick everyone whose been slacking in the ass and get things moving again. At least that seems to be what happens. There's a lot of good stuff out there. Maybe it's not as easy to find as we think?
"Larry or someone seems to do this every once in while to kick everyone whose been slacking in the ass and get things moving again. "
Exactly.
Mark should post the couple private emails he sent to me telling me that he sees I'm right, after his adrenaline surge calmed down and he re-read the thing. :)
I'm most curious about the phenomenon that occurs when someone decries something they haven't read, or extrapolates a specific from a general. After all, that one was mostly about PLANET OF THE APES and Bill Clinton's relationship with the media...
Not every off-hand observation is A POISON DART MEANT JUST FOR YOU, one feels the need to remind folks in the mezzanine.
Lar
Mark should post the couple private emails he sent to me telling me that he sees I'm right, after his adrenaline surge calmed down and he re-read the thing. :)
Not hiding anything here - I wouldn't consider referring to private emails withoput your permission. Especially emails containing the phrase "this should stay between us". :)
I did exchange emails with Larry, and got a clearer sense of what he was talking about. Re-reading the article with more "backmatter", I see what he's driving at. I don't know "I BLAME NIXON" communicated what Larry intended - I don't think I'm the only one who had a strong reaction to it.
More later. Why post in comments when I can squeeze a whole freakin' post out of this? :)
Well, sure... "this should stay between us" was MY post to you, not yours to me, hee hee.
But, yeah, seriously, anything that furthers the conversation and gets folks thinking critically instead of mamby-pamby-i-ly.
Lar
Hi nice reeading your blog
Post a Comment