Comics History - Speaker Deck

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1 THE TAO OF COMICS

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WHY? 2 should we care about comics? should we study comics?

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ORIGINALITY OF THE MEDIUM Comics represent a unique and powerful form of communication Comics tell stories and involve readers in ways that no other medium - not plays, novels, or ﬁlm - can duplicate “what we’ve got is the most portable, limitless, intense, personal, focused, intimate, compelling, wonderful visual medium in creation” Jim Shooter 3

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DO COMIC BOOKS TELL STORIES IN A NEW WAY? 4

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NEW FORM OF LITERACY Visual Literacy - the ability to understand pictorial information has become one of the most basic skills in the latter half of the 20th Century Challenge the supremacy of the purely printed word Blur the boundaries between the picture and the word - both must be read as an integrated whole 8

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HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Until the spread of the television, the comic book was the dominant element in the culture of American youth In 1947, 95% of boys & 91% of girls between the ages of 6 and 11 purchased comic books; 87% of boys & 81% of girls between the ages of 12 and 17 purchased comic books. Safe to say that comic books have touched the lives of nearly everyone alive today 11

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HIGHLY REFLECTIVE OF CULTURE/POP CULTURE Time from production to publication extremely short with comics (publication frequency is also much higher compared to other media - books, etc. Comic books are more “nimble” - current events, themes, social concerns, etc. can be included in comic book story-lines very quickly Far more reﬂective of currents events/popular culture - ﬁne grained representation of current events/popular culture 12

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WHAT? 15 is a comic anyway?

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WHAT? 17 is a graphic novel then?

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THE GRAPHIC NOVEL In recent years, some people have attempted to “rehabilitate” the image of comic books by using a different term - graphic novel. For creators - graphic novel distances comic books from their periodical and commercial foundations For publishers - graphic novel elevates the status of the medium and facilitates entrance into bookstores, libraries, and universities. 18

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COMIC BOOKS 19 VS. COMIC STRIPS

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22 production perspective distribution perspective design perspective cultural perspective COMIC BOOKS VS. COMIC STRIPS

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PRODUCTION PERSPECTIVE little difference between comic books & comic strips both essentially products of the printing press (even though paper quality, paper size, and binding vary) digital production & distribution may change this in the future. 23

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DISTRIBUTION PERSPECTIVE comic books and comic strips come from two different media categories: comics strips were a component of the newspaper medium comic books were part of the magazine medium comic strips are still tied very closely to newspapers, while comic books (because of the direct market) are no longer associated with magazine distribution digital is changing everything 24

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DESIGN PERSPECTIVE comic strips and comic books have different (and unique) formal aspects - their “language.” speciﬁcally, comic books and comic strips use encapsulation differently 25

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ENCAPSULATION: 26 choosing certain moments of prime action from the imagined story and encapsulating, or enclosing, renderings of those moments in a discrete space

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29 COMIC STRIPS COMIC BOOKS very few panels many panels the panel is the only unit of encapsulation units of encapsulation include the panel, the page, the two page spread, and the inset panel. layout is normally rigid layout can be creative composition is usually simple composition can be complex

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CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE The clearest difference between comic books and comic strips is their differing roles in our culture. The exist for different purposes and serve different audiences 32

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33 COMIC STRIPS COMIC BOOKS exist to sell newspapaers exist as products in their own right, as promotional tie-ins, and as literary and artistic expressions comes to readers “unbidden,” as a supplement within the newspapers readers must actively seek them out most Americans read comic strips fewer and fewer people read comic books readers derive brief pleasure and go on about their lives can be a way of life for fans (fandom subculture); are designed to be periodical no stigma stigma attached to reading, following, enjoying comics

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gold, silver, bronze (and beyond) 34 A CHRONOLOGY OF COMICS

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35 DATES “ERAS” 1897-1937 Platinum or Pre-Golden Age 1938 - 1955 Golden Age 1956 - 1970 Silver Age 1970 - 1985 Bronze Age 1986 - Present Modern Age 1992 - 1999 Chrome/Chromium/Copper Age 1999 - Present Post-Modern Age

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GOLDEN AGE DC Action Comics #1 1938 36

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SILVER AGE DC Action Comics #1 1938 37

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BRONZE AGE Jack Kirby’s Fourth World (Kirby leaves Marvel) 1970 38

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MODERN AGE Watchmen/Dark Knight Returns 1986 39

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CHROMIUM AGE Speculation - Death of Superman 1992 40

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POSTMODERN AGE Marvel Ultimate Universe 1999 41

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COMICS, IN THE BEGINNING from prehistory to the golden age 1

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RODOLPHE TÖPFFER the father of the comic book 2

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Rodolphe Töpffer (January 31, 1799 - June 8, 1846) Aspired to be a painter - became teaching- director of boys prep school. Published a number of scholarly literary analyses 1832 - appointed as chair of Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres at the University of Geneva 3

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7 Histoire de M. Vieux Bois (Les Amours de Mr. Vieux Bois or Monsieur Vieuxbois) Created 1827, ﬁrst published 1837 Published in the United States as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck - as a newspaper supplement (1842) 30 pages, each of which had between one and six illustrated panels & associated text

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8 Töpffer published a total of 7 works: Histoire de M. Jabot (1831/1833) The adventures of a middle class dandy who attempts to enter contemporary Upper class. Monsieur Crépin (1837) The adventures of a father who employs a series of tutors for his children & falls prey to their eccentricities. Histoire de M. Vieux Bois (1827/1837) Monsieur Pencil -(1831/1849) An escalating series of events beginning with an artist losing his sketch to the blowing wind and almost resulting in a global war. Histoire d'Albert (1845) The adventures of an inexperienced young man in search of a career. After many attempts he ends up as a journalist in support of radical ideas. Histoire de Monsieur Cryptogame (1845) The story of a lepidopterist who goes to great lengths to replace his current lover with a more suitable one. Le Docteur Festus (1831/1846) A scientist wanders the world, offering assistance. He is blissfully unaware that disaster marks his path.

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12 THE FOUNDATION OF THE MODERN COMIC BOOK the newspaper comic strip & the pulp magazine

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25 THE BIRTH OF THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY the funnies, dell publishing, & eastern color printing

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The Funnies (1929) - Dell Publishing (printed by Eastern Color Printing) 16 page tabloid-format collection of comic strips that came out regularly on Saturdays sold for 10¢ (later reduced to 5¢) contained original material - not reprints lasted on 36 issues 26

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Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (retired U.S. Army Major) forced to retire from the army - began writing pulp adventure and military stories. 1934 - founded National Allied Publications wanted to publish comics with original content - was unaware of the failure of Dell Publishing’s Funnies 29

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Detective Comics (1937) Wheeler-Nicholson was forced into partnership with Donenfeld & Liebowitz Detective Comics #1 was released by a newly formed company: Detective Comics Inc. By late 1937, Wheeler-Nicholson turned National Allied Publications over to Donenfeld to cover his debts In 1938, Wheeler-Nicholson sold his stake in Detective Comics Inc. Donenfeld 31

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34 the birth of the SUPERHERO (oh yeah, and the golden age too)

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35 june 1938 (cue dramatic music)

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June, 1938 - Action Comics #1 Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster Published by Detective Comics Inc Siegel & Shuster were paid 10$/page for a 13 page story - $130 dollars in total. 38

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Timely Comics Martin Goodman Published pulp magazines including All Star Adventure Fiction, Complete Western Book, Mystery Tales, Uncanny Stories, and Star Detective Contracted with a comic book packager called Funnies Inc. (to supply him with original material) Marvel Comics #1 (1939) 41

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Contained several new superhero characters: Human Torch (an android), Angel (a costumed detective), and Namor the Sub-Mariner (mutant anti-hero) sold out its ﬁrst print run of 80,000 copies 2nd print run sold approximately 800,000 copies. Based on the success, Goodman hired Joe Simon & Jack Kirby as an in-house staff. 42

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THE INNOCENT, SEDUCED from the golden age to silver age 1

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9 Dr. Fredric Wertham

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10 1948 "Horror in the Nursery" (Collier's Weekly) and “The Psychopathology of Comic Books” (American Journal of Psychotherapy) Wertham presided over a medical symposium entitled “The Psychopathy of Comic Books.” Comic books were "abnormally sexually aggressive" and led to crime Children — overseen by priests, teachers, and parents — publicly burned several hundred comic books in both Spencer, West Virginia, and Binghamton, New York.

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ASSOCIATION OF COMICS MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS Formed on July 1, 1948 to regulate the content of comic books in the face of increasing public criticism Most famous for their “Publisher’s Code” Comics that complied with the code were offered a "Seal of Approval." ACMP & Publisher’s Code was largely ignored by publishers (both big and small) 12

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1. Sexy, wanton comics should not be published. No drawing should show a female indecently or unduly exposed, and in no event more nude than in a bathing suit commonly worn in the United States of America. 2. Crime should not be presented in such a way as to throw sympathy against the law and justice or to inspire others with the desire for imitation. No comics shall show the details and methods of a crime committed by a youth. Policemen, judges, Government ofﬁcials, and respected institutions should not be portrayed as stupid, ineffective, or represented in such a way to weaken respect for established authority. 3. No scenes of sadistic torture should be shown. 4. Vulgar and obscene language should never be used. Slang should be kept to a minimum and used only when essential to the story. 5. Divorce should not be treated humorously or represented as glamorous or alluring. 6. Ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group is never permissible. 13

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16 Dr. Fredric Wertham

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17 Seduction of the Innocent: The Inﬂuence of Comic Books on Today’s Youth (1954) Cited overt or covert depictions of violence, sex, drug use, and other inappropriate content within "crime comics" The book asserted, largely based on undocumented anecdotes, that reading this material encouraged similar behavior in children. Public opinion was stirred up by way of excerpts published in Ladies’ Home Journal

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Analysis of the advertisements that appeared in comic books - Wertham objected to not only the violence in the stories but also the fact that air riﬂes and knives were advertised alongside them. Claims that retailers were forced by publishers to sell comic books with which they were uncomfortable - news vendors were told by distributors that if they did not sell the objectionable comic books, they would not be allowed to sell any of the other publications being distributed 18 OFTEN OVERLOOKED

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1954 - Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency Wertham called as star witness Industry professionals called to testify as well - most admitted there were excesses and declared comics needed to be made more suitable for children William Gaines - publisher and co-editor of EC Comics - unapologetic The Subcommittee concluded that American kids were being “fed a concentrated diet of crime, horror, and violence” which had to be eliminated 19

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Oct 25, 1954 - Comics Magazine Association of America (Comics Code Authority) Based largely on the 1948 Association of Comics Magazine Publishers code The CCA had no legal authority over other publishers, but magazine distributors often refused to carry comics without the CCA's seal of approval Most established publishers shifted their focus (away from crime & horror) - only a few publishers went out of business 20

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Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals. Policemen, judges, Government ofﬁcials and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority. No comic magazine shall use the word horror or terror in its title. All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted. Divorce shall not be treated humorously nor represented as desirable. Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable. 22

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23 Dr. Fredric Wertham?

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In 1954, there were 625 titles published annually; by 1957 there were less than 475 - why? 1. Implementation of the Comics Code - crime & horror were among the most common and lucrative comics 2. The rise of television - fewer people were reading as their primary form of entertainment 3. Over saturation of the market - more publishers than the market could actually handle 24 THE DECLINE OF THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY

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THE SILVER AGE the rebirth of the superhero 25

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27 Carmine Infantino Julius Schwartz Gardner Fox

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28 Flash Comics #1 Jan, 1940 Gardner Fox (writer) Harry Lampert (artist)

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30 Showcase #4 Oct, 1956 Gardner Fox (writer) Carmine Infantino (artist)

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34 Martin Goodman began using the globe logo of Atlas, the newsstand-distribution company he owned, on comics cover-dated November 1951 United 59 shell companies under one corporate umbrella Atlas followed popular trends in television and movies — westerns, war dramas, & drive-in movie monsters

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36 Jacob Kurtzberg Stanley Martin Lieber

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Stanley Martin Lieber - Stan Lee Lieber was hired by Goodman (his cousin’s husband) to be Timely’s errand boy First published work - text ﬁller "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge" in Captain America Comics #3 (May 1941) Used the pseudonym Stan Lee (which would later take as his legal name) In 1941 (when Joe Simon and Jack Kirby left Timely, Goodman made Lieber (who was 19 years old) the editor-in-chief of the comics division 37

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Jacob Kurtzberg - Jack Kirby Began writing and drawing for Eisner & Iger, an on demand comic book packager. 1941 - created Captain America with writing partner Joe Simon Cut a deal with Goodman that made him Timely’s Art Director Left Timely to work for National Comics (DC) - returned to Atlas in 1958 39

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40 In the wake of DC’s success, publisher Martin Goodman assigned Lee to create a new superhero team Together with artist Jack Kirby, Stan Lee created The Fantastic Four #1 (1961) Instead of the teen focused perfect superhero archetypes, Stan Lee gave the characters ﬂaws - they regularly showed their humanity.

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41 In the wake of DC’s success, publisher Martin Goodman assigned Lee to create a new superhero team Together with artist Jack Kirby, Stan Lee created The Fantastic Four #1 (1961) Instead of the teen focused perfect superhero archetypes, Stan Lee gave the characters ﬂaws - they regularly showed their humanity.

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SILVER TO BRONZE the emergence of the “human” hero 1

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2 Jack Kirby Stan Lee

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3 “The characters would be the kind of characters I could personally relate to: They’d be ﬂesh and blood, they’d have their faults and foibles, they’d be fallible and feisty, and - most important of all - inside their colorful, costumed booties,they’d have feet of clay” Stan Lee

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Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug 1962) Written by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko Lee wanted to feature a teenager as the main character - as opposed to the sidekick. Goodman wasn’t terribly interested in the idea - so he put the story in the ﬁnal issue of a book that was being cancelled. 5

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comix are born 10 THE EMERGENCE OF THE INDEPENDENTS

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underground comix have their roots in Tijuana Bibles Pornographic comics popular from the 1920s to the 1960s created anonymously - for both the sake of copyright infringement & the illegality of much of what was depicted. Bypassed traditional/mainstream comics distribution 11

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16 the impact of COMIX on the mainstream

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21 CHALLENGING THE COMICS CODE a transition to the bronze age

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United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare encouraged Stan Lee to use Marvel to educate youth about the dangers of drug use Lee convinced the publisher that the lack of a CCA seal would not hurt sales - and would garner Marvel some good press 22

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Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85 (1971) Green Arrow’s teen sidekick (Speedy/Red Arrow) developed a heroine addiction, and was forcibly made to quit Approved under the new Comic Code Authority guidelines The stories were critically acclaimed, with publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek citing it as an example of how comic books were "growing up". 23

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gwen stacy and the darkening of marvel 24 THE DEATH THAT CHANGED MARVEL

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26 Giant Sized X-Men #1 (1975) All new international and multi-ethnic cast of characters: Russian, German, Canadian, African, Native American attempt to relate fantasy to real world concerns of the late 60s and early 70s characters ﬁghting to defend a world “that feared and hated them” because of their genetic differences

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the new economics of the comic book industry 27 THE BIRTH OF THE MINI-SERIES

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1978/1979 - severe winter storms (disrupted production and prevented many comics from making it to retain outlets) & economic downturn DC’s parent company cancelled more than half of the existing titles (DC Implosion) In 1979 DC began experimenting with a new idea - the mini series World of Krypton - written by Paul Kupperberg, with art by Howard Chaykin & Murphy Anderson 28

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THE ROAD TO THE MODERN AGE the rise of the independent publisher and the birth of the direct market 1

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INDEPENDENT ALTERNATIVES newave, ground level, independent, and alternative 5

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NEWAVE COMICS/COMIX coined to refer to even less visible and more independent type of comics that started in the mid 70s quarter or half page - commonly referred to as mini- comics produced completely independent of publisher or editor - truly “homemade” medium eventually migrated online 6

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GROUND LEVEL COMICS Term ﬁrst coined by Star*Reach publisher Mike Friedrich in 1974: “...to denote overground genres being exploited with an underground sensibility” (Mainstream-ish) Science ﬁction & fantasy adventure stories Star*Reach offered creators: total control and ownership of characters they created very few editorial restrictions 7

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INDEPENDENT COMICS independent - any new publisher that attempted to compete with established publishers by offering genre ﬁction comic books intended for a mainstream audience Independent publishers were revolutionary in that they: often took risks on stories that didn’t ﬁt into the mainstream superhero framework (eventually revolutionized the the medium) allowed creators to retain control of their intellectual properties paid royalties to creators 9

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ALTERNATIVE COMICS most often authored by a single creator (who acts as author & artist) presents a very personal vision - many are autobiographical or put more emphasis on author than character self-published or small press works that resist mainstream genre ﬁction and celebrate their roots in the comix tradition. Alternative comics were able to thrive because of changes in comic book distribution - the Direct Market 11

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THE DIRECT MARKET the changing face of comic distribution 13

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16 Problems with new-stand/drugstore/supermarket distribution system: inconsistent titles shipped every month haphazard and inconsistent display unsold issues returned for reimbursement at the end of the month (and pulped) Discouraged many readers from becoming fans because it was almost impossible to follow a particular character or shoreline from month to month

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approached major publisher - if they would give a 50% discount, he would keep unsold issues rather than returning for reimbursement Formed Sea Gate Distribution - distribute comics to the emerging specialty comic stores Offered comic shops a 40% discount if they bought from him Shipped stores exactly what they wanted in the quantities they wanted. 17 PHIL SEULING

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Publishers embrace the direct market distribution system: they could take advanced orders from retailers print quantities that more precisely matched demand they didn’t have to take returns from retailers emergence of direct market only offerings: Dazzler #1 (Marvel), Tales of the New Teen Titans (DC), Camelot 3000 (DC) Encouraged new publishers comic stores became centers of comic culture 18

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isolated comic books and their readers from mainstream culture isolated comic books from potential new readers - Saturday morning cartoons became the dominant vector for introducing comic book characters to new readers The health of the industry (at all levels) became inextricably linked with the direct market Eventually led to an out of control culture of collecting (speculation) 19 DOWNSIDE TO THE DIRECT MARKET

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NOTEWORTHY DIFFERENCES CONDITION - Direct market shops were designed speciﬁcally to keep comics in good condition (vs. spinner racks) - contributes to collector culture CULTURE OF KNOWLEDGE - store owners had a far better understanding of their inventory (often being collectors themselves). Customers were far more knowledgeable (pull lists) CONTENT - direct market shops catered to a more mature audience. Comics with content that was deemed inappropriate for drug stores/grocery stores/news stands PRICE - older customers were typically willing to pay several times more than the average customer of a drug store/grocery store/news stand 20

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21 ONE DISTRIBUTOR DIAMOND TO RULE THEM ALL

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Late 1970s - regional distribution (Donahoe Brothers in the Great Lakes region, Paciﬁc Comics Distributors in Southern California, and New Media/Irjax in the Southeast) Early 1980s (beginning of direct market targeted comics) - emergence of better organized and more competitive distributors (Diamond Comics Distributors & Capital City Distribution) Mid 1980s - peak in the number of distributors (20 companies nationally). Diamond and Capital City were the largest distributors - operating nationally with a distributed warehouse system. Early 1990s - unsustainable growth (speculators market). Diamond & Capital City move from decentralized to centralized model. Era of buyouts and exclusive contracts. Mid 1990s - Most distributors either go out of business or are purchased by Diamond. Era of Diamond monopoly 22

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23 THE EVENT

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25 WHY?

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THE RISE OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL 26

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Richard Kyle - as early as 1964 (CAPA-ALPHA #2, a newsletter published by the Comic Amateur Press Alliance), he advocated using the term “graphic story” or “graphic novel” 1976-1978: Several works published that explicitly used the term “graphic novel” 1976 - Bloodstar by Richard Corben (adapted from a story by Robert E. Howard) 1976 - Beyond Time and Again by George Metzger (collection of serialized underground comics that were published from 1967 to 1972) 1976 - Chandler: Red Tide by Jim Steranko (digest sized publication that referred to itself both as a “graphic novel” and a “visual novel”) 1977 - Racket Rumba by french artist/author Loro (noir-detective spoof) 1978 - Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species by writer Don McGregor and artist Paul Gulacy (ﬁrst graphic novel sold in the direct market) 27

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Not the ﬁrst graphic novel - but widely considered the standard bearer for the format Consists of four short stories — "A Contract With God", "The Super", "The Street Singer", and "Cookalein" — all set in a Bronx tenement in the 1930s created a deeper understanding of the medium's worth and wide storytelling potential 28 A Contract with God 1978 Will Eisner

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY the business of comic books 1

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IP: 2 legal monopolies over creations of the mind, both artistic and commercial

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copyright Gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period - including its publication, distribution, and adaptation Copyright applies to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete and ﬁxed in a medium. 3

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trademark a distinctive indicator used by an individual or business to identify that the products or services delivered to consumers originates from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or services from those of other entities. 4

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patent set of exclusive rights granted by a national government to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for a public disclosure of an invention the invention must be new, inventive, and useful or industrially applicable. 7

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17 WHY DID DISNEY ACQUIRE MARVEL? WHY DID WARNER BROTHERS RESTRUCTURE DC?

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COMIC BOOK WARS the ﬁght for marvel 18

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PEARLMAN & MARVEL 1986 - Marvel is sold to New World Entertainment (movie studio) 1989 - Marvel is sold to Pearlman (MacAndrews & Forbes) “Pearlman described Marvel as “a mini-Disney in terms of intellectual property” Used the company to generate short term cash in order to inﬂate its value so he could take it public 1991 - Pearlman took Marvel public (he retained 60% of the shares) 20

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MARVEL’S EXPANSION BINGE Fleer Corporation - trading card company Skybox International - trading card company Panini Group - Italian sticker maker Welsh Publishing - producer of kid’s magazines based on licensed properties Malibu Comics - comics company Heroes World - comics distribution company 21

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TOY BIZ Toy Biz - toy manufacturing campany owned by Avi Arad and Isaac Pearlmutter 1990 - Toy Biz exchanged equity for an exclusive, perpetual royalty-free license to make toys based on Marvel characters Beneﬁcial for both parties: for Toy Biz, it eliminated royalties that would have cost the comapny a lot of money Marvel’s cartoons were essentially 30 minute infomercials for Toy Biz Marvel’s stake in Toy Biz gave it a much higher return than it would have made from royalties 22

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24 disaster for marvel? you bet

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25 vs.

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Carl Icahn - made his billions during the 1980s in the junk bond market Corporate raider - best known for his hostile takeover of TWA in 1985 Initially appeared to be Marvel’s white knights quickly became clear that Icahn only wanted to: 1. Buy Marvel’s distressed bank debt 2. Bankrupt the company (wiping out its debt) 3. Converting his bonds to a controlling interest 4. selling the post-bankruptcy Marvel for a tidy sum 26

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the end of the comic book industry? 27 MARVEL DECLARES BANKRUPTCY

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Under Marvel’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan: 1. Andrews Group Incorporated (which was controlled by Pearlman) would invest $365 million in Marvel 2. Toy Biz Inc. would become a wholly owned subsidiary of of Marvel 3. Marvel’s lender group would provide a total of $160 million to ﬁnance Marvel’s new strategic investment program and working capital requirements Strategy to keep Icahn from taking over the company (forcing shareholder and bondholders to go along with the bankruptcy plan) 28

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Bondholders, led by Icahn, claimed that the bankruptcy as a default Pearlman was forced to give up the company - Icahn was elected chairman of the board of Marvel Entertainment. Joe Calamari (former Executive Vice President of Marvel Entertainment) is named President Pearlman walked away with his proﬁts - between $200 and $400 million. 29

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Joe Calamari disagreed with the Toy Biz deal Broke a series of contracts - ﬁred Avi Arad (who was head of Marvel Studios) The prospect of completely loosing their licensed prompted Ike Pearlmutter and Avi Arad to put together a group of investors and a plan to get Marvel out of bankruptcy Under the plan, Marvel would merge with Toy Biz - the plan was approved and the takeover was completed by October 1997 Toy Biz cleans house and ﬁres a host of Marvel executives and editors 30 MARVEL vs. TOY BIZ

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AVI & PEARLMUTTER’S VISION FOR MARVEL Focus on the intellectual properties of Marvel - comics and comic characters Get rid of companies (acquired under the Pearlman reign) that didn’t have anything to do with comics - trading card companies, etc. Get Hollywood to make big budget movies based on Marvel characters 31

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THE END OF THE MODERN AGE the beginning of the post-modern 1

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RECONSTRUCTING HEROES recovering from the deconstruction 2

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4 THE AGE OF NOSTALGIA 1994 - Marvels (Kurt Busiek & Alex Ross) 4 issue limited series - retold many of the most famous events in Marvel chronology told from the perspective of an everyman - a newspaper photographer who followed the exploits of the heroes who inhabited the world Signaled a desire for a return to a less complicated continuity.

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CONTINUITY: 9 “Historical fabric” of the comic book universe. The canon of the universe.

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ASTRO CITY 1995 - Kurt Buseik & Brent Anderson (with painted covers by Alex Ross) Featured characters created in the mold of classic (Golden Age) Marvel & DC characters The series is an anthology that focuses on different characters living within Astro City, using a wide range of viewpoints. Combination of Golden/Silver Age & Modern Age ideas 10

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1963 Alan Moore - 1993 6 Issue limited series published by Image Affectionate (though sometimes biting) homage to Silver Age Marvel comics (and Silver Age industry) Included text pieces (a la Marvel’s Bullpen Bulletins), ﬁctional letter columns, and period advertisements 11

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SUPREME Originally created by Rob Leifeld - a violent, egotistical Superman archetype Rebooted by Alan Moore in 1996 Moore used Supreme to celebrate the Silver Age Each issue contained commentary on storytelling, comics history in general, and the Superman mythos in particular 17

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HEROES REBORN 1996 - ongoing titles for Fantastic Four, Captain America, Iron Man, and The Avengers were cancelled Restarted at issue #1 - complicated alternate reality story-line Characters' origins and histories were revised and updated circa mid-nineties for modern audiences After a year, titles were re-integrated into the main Marvel continuity 19

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JOE QUESADA marvel reborn 20

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Joe Quesada - Editor-in-Chief of Marvel (2000) Has been involved in the creation of three successful imprints: Marvel Knights - aimed at older readers MAX - aimed at adult readers Ultimate - aimed at teen readers Placed a greater emphasis on the sale of trade paperbacks 21

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THE ULTIMATE BIRTH birth of the ultimate universe 24

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Intended to attract and serve new readers beyond the existing Marvel fan base stories and characters have been adapted to reﬂect the differences between the present and past continuities Characters are generally more youthful Characters with fantastical origins are re-imagined to ﬁt a more plausible (by comic-book standards) framework Edgier and more relevant story-lines 27

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DOLLARS & CENTS the business of the comic book industry 1

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THREE INTERACTING STAGES PRODUCTION: those entities that create the media message. In comics, this is associated with the publisher (either mainstream or independent) DISTRIBUTION: deals with the business of transporting comics from the printing presses to the various outlets that sell them EXHIBITION: includes all retail outlets where comics are sold 2

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PRODUCTION makin’ comics 3

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ARTISAN: 4 Those comics created by individuals - who typically do all of the creative work producing the ﬁnished story (writing, art, etc.) INDUSTRIAL: Refers to those places where comics are created as a collaborative product, with the tasks of developing comics divided among writer, artist, inker, letterer, and colorist - and supervised by an editor

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❶ EDITORIAL CONFERENCE The editor and the writer (and sometimes the artist) discuss ideas. Established writers tend to be more independent of this process. However, even with established writers, the editor has to make sure that the product is in accordance with company policy and coordinates with other events in the company’s “universe” 5

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❷ PLOT SUMMARY The writer creates a plot summary that can be very brief or very detailed, depending on the working relationship with the artist (and their own inclinations). Occasionally, the writer who does the plot summary is not the writer who does the ﬁnal script. 6

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❸ PENCILING The artist does the breakdown of the story into panels, the layout on the page, the composition within the panels, and the pacing of the story. Not only requires art skills, but storytelling skills 7

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❹ SCRIPTING creating the script for the comic - including dialog, narration, and scene descriptions (very similar to what you might see in a movie script) 9

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❺ LETTERING The letterer uses the writer’s script as a guide for where to place word balloons, captions, and sound effects 10

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❻ INKING Taking artist’s pencils and going over them with ink. The role of the inker is to add texture and depth to penciled art. Sometimes penciler does their own inking. Sometimes inking is skipped in favoring of coloring. 11

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❼ COLORING Colorists add color to the ﬁnal artwork. Common to add color digitally - using software like Adobe Photoshop. Sometimes artists color their own artwork 13

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❽ POST PRODUCTION Art director (possibly editor) oversees in house touch ups, corrections, book design (creating the entire package), cover design, etc. 14

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CREATORS 15

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WORK FOR HIRE: creators are commissioned to design characters and stories for the publisher. As part of the arrangement, the publisher not the creator) copyrights the characters featured and the stories told in their publications. EXCLUSIVE CONTRACTS: Creator becomes a permanent employee of a particular publisher - steady paycheck, health insurance. Ability to work on character or book over a long period of time. Beneﬁcial for the publisher because it signals creative stability to fans, retailers, and distributors. 16

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OWNERSHIP CONCENTRATION who owns what 17

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Marvel & DC have the burden of having to return a large proﬁt Much of what they sell is what is popular - as opposed to being cutting edge or pertinent to smaller interest groups One genre Other genres are relegated to other publishers imprints of mainstream publishers - Vertigo, MAX 19

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DISTRIBUTION gettin’ comics to where they need to go 20

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22 Diamond offers 3 kids of distribution deals: 1. Diamond acts as sales agent - Diamond takes a percentage of the cover price plus fees for speciﬁc services. Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image have this kind of deal. Diamond is purely the middleman 2. Consignment - Publishers warehouse their inventory at Diamond’s facilities at the publisher’s expense. Diamond controls the terms of sale and discounts. 3. But/Sell Arrangements - Diamond buys inventory from the publisher to sell to the retailers - with the distributor taking all of the inventory risk

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Diamond's monthly catalog of comic books Lists almost every comic book scheduled to go on sale (approximately) 60 days in advance (when books appear in Previews, they are said to be solicited) Gives retailers an advance look at what is coming - and decide what they are going to order Creators/publishers whose work does not appear in Previews are at an incredible disadvantage 23 PREVIEWS

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EXHIBITION sellin’ comics 24

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THE BOOKSTORE Bookstore chains - Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc. In early 2007, bookstores sold the most graphic novels and trade paperbacks - and continue to show the fastest growth Responsible for about $220 million dollars in sales, while comic shops reported about $100 million dollars in sales Bookstores have the potential to break the hold that the direct market has on the comics industry 25

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1 fans & fandom

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2 the letters column

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Section of a comic book where reader letters (to the publisher or the editor) appear - letter columns, letter pages, letters to the editor, letters of comment Target Comics #6, published by Novelty Press in 1940 The ﬁrst DC comic to include a letters column was Real Fact Comics #3 (July 1946) Early letter columns tended to be fan letters from younger readers - simplistic questions (where Superman put his Clark Kent clothes when he was in costume) 3

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Letter columns came into their prime in the 1960s, when readers' letters became longer and the discussions more sophisticated Important differences between DC & Marvel letter columns: DC rarely printed the entire letter (much more selective in what they published) - editors referred to readers as “them” Marvel published letters in their entirety - letters were often critical or offered detailed suggestions - editors were inclusive, referring to readers as “us” or “we” 5

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The Brave and the Bold #35 (1961) DC Editor Julius Schwartz decided to publish the full name and address of letter writers Created a sense of community among readers - many became pen pals or organized meet ups Precursor to the comic fan community website 7 BUILDING FAN COMMUNITY

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READER PARTICIPATION Publishers took advantage of the letter columns to solicit feedback & suggestions from readers Fans were asked to weigh in on a character’s uniform changes or submit their own uniform designs - the winning entry actually becoming the character’s new costume For team books like The Avengers or Justice League, fans were asked which characters should become permanent members, team leaders, or kicked off the team 8

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“We don't score hits with every issue. Sometimes a story has ﬂaws or just doesn't come up to snuff. Which is why your letters are so valuable to us in producing these comments. . . . So don't let anybody tell you your letters aren't important, people. They are vital to these magazines.” Len Wein (Powerman #24, April 1975) 9

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LETTERHACKS For many fans, having a letter printed was a badge of honor — especially if it was in one of the more high-proﬁle letters pages Fans whose letters were published regularly became well-known throughout the industry by virtue of their letters - became mini celebrities in their own right A small number of these Letterhacks actually parlayed their letter writing success into a career in the industry (Kurt Busiek, Ralph Macchio) 10

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11 the fan community

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marvel speaks to fans 12 BULLPEN BULLETIN

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15 the creator site

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16 THE CONVENTION

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Fan conventions (“cons”) date back to the mid/late 1930s - First World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 Informal (non-commercial) comic fan “meet-ups” - often facilitated by letters columns Detroit Triple-Fan Fair - ﬁrst commercial comic book convention (organized by Shelton Dorf in the mid 1960s) Golden State Comic Book Convention - August 1st, 1970 (also organized by Shelton Dorf) Basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego - attracted a modest 300 attendees 17

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18 San Diego Comic-Con

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WHY ARE CONVENTIONS IMPORTANT? (for the development of fandom) 19

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20 Fan - Creator Interaction

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21 Panels, the New Letters Page

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22 Cup ‘O Joe

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THE LCS building comic culture, locally 23

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24 the local comic shop

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INTERNATIONAL COMICS britain, canada, mexico, france, india, japan (and beyond) 1

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MANGA irresponsible pictures 2

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manga - irresponsible pictures/whimsical pictures nowhere else in the world (Japan) do comics appeal to a wider audience or achieve greater ﬁnancial success Manga widely targeted at extremely diverse audiences: Shōnen manga - targeted at young male audience (10-18 yrs) Shōjo manga - targeted at young female audience (10-18 yrs) Seinen manga - targeted at an adult male audience Josei manga - targeted at an adult female audience Kodomo manga - targeted at children 3

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There exists some noteworthy differences between manga and western comics: Lower Production Values - manga is almost always published in black & white on much lower quality paper Scope - Manga is usually published as anthologies of several hundred pages. Each publication may contain several serialized features. Style - manga is intended to be read very quickly 7 MANGA vs. COMICS

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HISTORICAL ROOTS OF MANGA irresponsible pictures? 8

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10 HOKUSAI MANGA 1812 - Hokusai published the first volume of his manga - Quick Lessons in Simplified Drawing etehon (art manuals) - a convenient way to make money and attract more students drawings of animals, religious figures, and everyday people - often with humorous overtones 15 volumes published (12 during his lifetime & 3 posthumously)

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14 STORYTELLING MANGA little red books

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The manga magazine publishing boom started with the Russo-Japanese War (1905) The manga industry (as a storytelling medium) really took hold in Japan until after World War II - escapist litterature Post World War II - Japanese pay libraries. Cheap “red books” (so-called because of the gaudy red ink used on the covers) became staples of these vendors 15

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Osamu Tezuka (1928 - 1989) - deﬁned the modern medium (language, storytelling techniques, form, etc.) Took inspiration from animated ﬁlms of Fleischer Studios and Walt Disney Tezuka’s success made is acceptable for serious artists to work as professional manga creators - mangaka 16 OSAMU TEZUKA

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Challenges to bringing manga to the west: Design differences - Japanese read from right to left instead of left to right. Production problems - switching to a left/right ﬂow results in printing and composition issues Cultural conventions - cultural idiots represented certain barriers to easy interpretation 22 MANGA IN THE WEST

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Lone Wolf & Cub (1987) - reprinted by First Comics Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima - 7000 page epic beginning 1970 series about a ronin who brings his baby son, the only surviving member of his murdered family, on a quest for vengeance upon those who framed him Frank Miller contributed covers (and an introduction in the ﬁrst issue) 23

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Akira - Katsuhiro Otomo Started in 1982 (published in Young Magazine) Ran for 8 years and reached more than 2000 pages Story of young psychics and bikers living in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo Otomo directed an anime version in 1988 - attracted attention because of its high production values. 25

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bande dessinée 26 FRANCO-BELGIAN

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The French and Belgians have always embraced the comics medium as art Claude Beylie (French ﬁlm scholar) argued that comics deserved to be held as the “ninth art” putting it on even footing with television and seven other arts by Italian ﬁlm critic Ricciotto Canudo In the Franco-Belgian tradition, comics are bande dessinée (“drawn strips”) - also referred to as BD Stripverhalen (“strip stories”) in Dutch 27

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Georges Prosper Rémi (1907 - 1983) - used the pen name Hergé Debuted on January 10th, 1929 in the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle as part of the youth supplement (Le Petit Vingtième) Catholic and conservative newspaper from Brussels, led by abbot Norbert Wallez Published a series of other (less popular strips) in the pages of Le Petit Vingtième 29 HERGÉ

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Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (originally known as Les Aventures de Tintin, reporter du Petit "Vingtième", au pays des Soviets) Published in 1930 Political satire - expressing Hergé's distrust of the Soviet Union and poking fun at its claim to have a thriving economy Bolsheviks are represented as the villains (atheists) Hergé used Moscou Sans Voiles (Moscow Unveiled) written by Joseph Douillet, a former Belgian consul in Soviet Russia 32

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35 wild and crazy gauls ASTERIX & OBELIX

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36 RENÉ GOSCINNY René Goscinny (1926 –1977) Served in the French army, and eventually became the illustrator for the 141st Alpine Infantry Battalion Collaborated with Albert Uderzo on a series of projects including Oumpah-pah Launched The Adventures of Asterix as a strip in Pilot (French comics periodical) in 1959

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38 BANDE DESSINÉE ALBUM The successful reception of strips like Tintin and Asterix led to an important development in the solicitations of bande dessinée - the album hardbound collections of strips - encouraged the idea that the bande dessinée were keepsakes worth reading instead of disposable ephemera also helped nurture the professional standing of creators nd fostered a favorable repute for the burgeoning industry

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The album system of bande dessinée publication prospered because: 1. Creators were paid both for their serialized work appearing in periodicals as well as royalties from the album reprints - it became possible to make a living being a creator 2. Copyright laws protected a creator’s ownership of a character or a strip, so the agreement to have a publisher print (or reprint) a strip was not tantamount to surrendering ownership of the IP 3. Because a creator could make their living at their profession and they were always linked to their creation, fame and notoriety began to emerge around the most talented creators 39

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1949 law establishing a review board for the censoring of French comics (reacting to the ﬂood of imported comics ﬂowing into france after WWII) The law resulted in an unlikely alliance between Catholic educators and the Communist Party Board set limits on the amount of material that could be imported for publication - forced publishers to rely on native talent Board was undermined in the 1960s as the French counterculture movement turned their attentions outside of France - especially underground American comix (R. Crumb) 40 COMICS REVIEW BOARD

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MOEBIUS the next generation of french comics 41

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Jean Giraud - Meobius (Gir) Came to prominence as the artists of the Lieutenant Blueberry - published in Pilote (starting in 1963) co-founded Métal Hurlant - a horror and science ﬁction comics anthology magazine - later franchised in the U.S. as Heavy Metal Later work rejected traditional realistic depictions in favor of Nouveau Réalisme 1988 - collaborated with Stan Lee on Silver Surfer Epic Comics project 42

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48 CANADIAN COMICS stories from the great white north

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The Canadian comics industry is wrapped up in the country’s attempt to maintain a distinct national identity (in the shadow of the United States) Distinct difference between the comic industry in French speaking Canada and English speaking Canada Import of U.S. comics into Canada started in the 1930s War Exchange Conservation Act (1940) stopped the import of non-essential materials (including comic books) 49

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Maple Leaf Publishing - Better Comics #1 (1941) Other publishers soon followed and began offering a variety of books: sports, humor, westerns, war, adventure, detective, and superhero Some publishers side stepped the War Exchange Conservation Act and published Anglo American - purchased Captain Marvel scripts from Fawcett Comics and had Canadian artists redraw them before publishing and distributing them in Canada 50

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Triumph-Adventure Comics #1 (Aug. 1941) Created by Adrian Dingle and published by Hillborough Studio Demi goddess who protected the Inuit people First Canadian national superhero - one of the ﬁrst femals superheroes (predates Wonder Woman by several months) 52

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wartime protectionism could only keep American comics at bay for so long As soon as the second world war ended, American comics ﬂooded the country again By 1947, the American publishing industry had reasserted itself Canadian publishers might reprint American material, but no original Canadian material was created. 56 CANADIAN COMICS IN THE WAKE OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

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THE CANADIAN COMICS RESURGENCE The Canadian comics publishing industry saw a resurgence in the late 1960s and early 1970s The result of: rise of fandom/cycle of domestic nationalism Emergence of the small press model Emergence of the underground/alternative/comix scene 57

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Orb Nos. 2-5 (July 1974 – 1975); Power Comics No. 4 (Nov. 1977) Science ﬁction story - adventures on Mars, etc. Originally the creation of the writer T. Casey Brennan and the artist John Allison Character was later revamped by Orb publisher James Waley and the artist James Craig. 59

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Captain Canuck - Originally developed by Ron Leishman (later with Richard Comely) Self published by Richard Comely (under the Comely Comix banner) First issue was published in July of 1975 - attracted much media attention (domestically and internationally) Took place in the future (1990s) when Canada was a superpower because of its natural resources Character worked for CISO (Canadian International Security Agency) 62

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Cerebus the Aardvark - created by Dave Sim Self published by Aardvark-Vanaheim Press 1977 - 2004; 300 issues Throughout its run, book shifted from a sword and sorcery parody to a platform for socio-political commentary Negotiations regarding DC buying Cerebus took place from 1985 - 1988; DC offered $100,000 and 10% of all licensing and merchandising, which Sim rejected. 64

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Sim became an outspoken advocate of creators' rights in comics, and used the editorial pages of Cerebus to promote self-publishing and greater artist activism The biggest individual supporter of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Eventually began to alienate many of his readers as well as fellow creators Lengthy prose sections (#186/#265) that are incredibly misogynistic & sexist - Sim identiﬁed a "feminist/homosexualist axis" that opposed traditional and rational societal values 65

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66 THE MODERN CANADIAN CONTRIBUTION creators publishers

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HISTORIETAS mexican comics 67

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Mexico has sustained a vibrant comics industry of its own despite the threat of American competition Historietas - little stories The success of historietas has to do with several factors: language barrier social acceptance of graphic storytelling economic factors storytelling structure fan community 68

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Getting comics to Mexican publishers was a low priority for American publishers in the early days of comics 1921 - editor of one Mexican newspaper (El Heraldo) commissioned a strip by a local artist (Salvador Pruneda) - story of a cowboy named Don Catarino. By 1934 newspaper publishers began collecting and reprinting strips Among the most popular were Paquin and Pepin 69 ECONOMIC & LANGUAGE FACTORS

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Mexican audiences preferred ongoing episodic storytelling - which didn’t catch on in the U.S. market until the Silver Age continuing stories would encourage readers to return - developed “brand loyalty” Encouraged a sense of fan community: published reader letters, introduced creator proﬁles (developing a “star” system of cartoonists and writers), sponsored contests to engage readers Techniques later employed by Stan Lee at Marvel during the Silver Age 70 STORYTELLING STRUCTURE & FAN COMMUNITY

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MEXICAN COMICS CONTROVERSY Depictions of violence, sex, and non-traditional content (gender roles) raised the concern of more conservative segments of Mexican society - Catholic Legion of Decency Comision Caliﬁcadora de Publicaciones y Revistas Ilustradas (the Qualifying Committee for Publications and Illustrated Magazines) - 1944 Review all comic titles and related publications once they were issues Within the omissions power to levy ﬁnes, revoke publishing licenses, and recomment prosecution for violation of decency laws 71

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LA FAMILIA BURRON Gabriel Vargas - ﬁrst published in 1948 Drawn by Vargas from 1948 - 1971 Follows a middle class family in Mexico City Much of the humor in La Familia Burron comes from class distinctions Burola (the wife of the family) attempts scheme after scheme to raise her middle class family up from the modest living provided by her husband’s barber salary 72

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KALIMAN Kalimam: El Hombre Increible Began as a radio play in 1963 First comic (created by Rafael Cutberto Navarro and Modesto Vázquez González) was published in December 4, 1965 1200 issues were published (until 1991) - reprints have been published since 1998. 74

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COMIC BOOKS & IDEOLOGY ethnicity, gender, war, & propaganda 1

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IDEOLOGY 2 so what is anyway?

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IDEOLOGY 3 A set of sense-making ideas about how the world works. Ideologies aren’t hidden - as they are composed of taken for granted assumptions about the way in which the social world works

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WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT IDEOLOGY? Ideology is intertwined with issues of power - those who beneﬁt from a dominant idea often wield power in a society. Ideologies are perpetuated through a number of institutions in a society - including mass media comics are produced by individuals (or groups of individuals) who bring thier own preexisting ideas to their work Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the work of comic book creators embodies elements of their ideologies 4

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PREFERRED READING - when the creator’s intent matches the reader’s understanding of the message OPPOSITIONAL READINGS - when the creator's intent does not match the reader’s understanding of the message NEGOTIATED READINGS - where some ideological ssumptions are accepted, and others are rejected 5

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PROPAGANDA 6 ok...what is then?

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PROPAGANDA 7 A series of related communication acts that spread a particular interpretation of an event. Propaganda tries to reach a large audience through the use of mass media and attempts to create uniformity of interpretation among audience members by using what are arguably manipulative techniques

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COMICS & PROPAGANDA Propaganda works best when audiences are not aware they are being exposed to it. comics are a perfect medium to address contentious subjects - the word “comics” already suggests something funny, light, and kid friendly. Perception of propaganda is very subjective - if we perceive that a comic book s advocating an ideology we do not support, we are likely to view it as propaganda. Some of the most blatant propaganda is produced during times of conﬂict (military of political) - second world war & the cold war (both pro and con) 8

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SUPERHEROES IN TIMES OF WAR 9

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WAR COMICS 14

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World War II - Simplistic depiction of war - no superheroes, the “good guys” always achieving victory A few stories might detail the details of an individual soldier overcoming inner conﬂict before engaging in an act of courage After the “simplicity” of WWII, many characters found a new purpose - opposing the threat of “invasion and tyranny” from unnamed “aggressor nations,” “dictator nations,” and “people’s dictatorships.” Cold War 15

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ANTI-WAR COMICS 18

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Scholars cite Harvey Kurtzman as the earliest anti-war creator for his work on EC Comics’ Frontline Combat (1951-1954) and Two Fisted Tales (1950-1955) Majority of the stories took place in the Korean War Kurtzman resisted glorifying war and using racist stereotypes - used death to indicate the futility and horror of war. Insisted in his stories that the enemy is as human as ourselves. 19

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23 GOVERNMENT PRODUCED COMIC BOOKS

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& 25 PROPAGANDA IDEOLOGY

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REPRESENTATION 32

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Ideology serves the interest of the dominant group in a society by defining their role in relation to other (less powerful) members of the society. Subordinate groups are often portrayed in popular culture (mass media) as “The Other” - designation that makes them seem strange, unusual, and distant Definition through negation - “we know what we are by labeling what we are not” As those definitions are repeated (in mass media) over time, they become harder to dismiss representation is central to exploring ideology in mass media 33

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WOMEN IN COMICS of victimization and hyper-sexualization: refrigerators & cheesecake 34

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REFRIGERATORS? In 1999, Gail Simone posted a list outlining a number of female leads & supporting characters who had been maimed or killed in mainstream superhero comics Titles the list “Women in Refrigerators” - in reference to Green Lantern #54 (1994) Drew both criticism and agreement from professionals within the comic industry (both publishers and creators). 35

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DEAD MEN DEFROSTING Ron Marz- "To me the real difference is less male-female than main character-supporting character. In most cases, main characters, "title" characters who support their own books, are male. ...the supporting characters are the ones who suffer the more permanent and shattering tragedies. And a lot of supporting characters are female In response, John Bartol (WiR site editor) wrote an article entitled Dead Men Defrosting when male heroes are killed or altered, they are more typically returned to their status quo after most female characters are altered they are never allowed, as male heroes usually are, the chance to return to their original heroic states. 38

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VICTIMIZATION OR PLOT DEVICE 42

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CHEESECAKE? hyper-sexualization of women in mainstream comics Since the 1990s - hyper-sexualization has become especially pronounced in mainstream (as well as many indy comics) Cheesecake - the depiction of women in highly suggestive clothing or poses, often to the level of anatomical impossibility 43

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WHY? 47

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ETHNICITY 48

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AFRICAN AMERICAN REPRESENTATION earliest depictions almost always shaped by racist stereotypes - the interests of the white majority being served by existing representations harsh caricatures - ignorant savages in need of enlightenment by a white hero or comic relief in an all white cast. After WWII, depictions of African Americans all but disappeared - mostly white creators tried to ﬁgure out how to portray minorities without relying on insulting stereotypes 49

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WHY? 56

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THE FALL OF THE CCA 1

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3 Dr. Fredric Wertham

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THE CCA IN THE 21st CENTURY Despite periodic revisions (1989 being the most recent), the inﬂuence of the CCA began to wane The Direct Market offered an opportunity to sell non-code books to a wider audience - while the newsstand market disappeared In 2001, Marvel completely withdrew from the Comics Code Authority in favor of its own rating system As of 2007, DC Comics and Archie Comics are the only major publishers submitting comics for Code approval - DC only submits comics from their Johnny DC and DC Universe superhero lines 7

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MARVEL RATING SYSTEM marvel replaces the CCA 8

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The ﬁrst Marvel Rating System, implemented in 2001, used the following categories: ALL AGES PG (Parental Guidance) PG+ PARENTAL ADVISORY/EXPLICIT CONTENT Motion Picture Association of America complaints resulted in a new system:, as it holds a trademark on such classiﬁcations as PG and PG-13 ALL AGES PSR (Parental Supervision Recommended) PSR+ PARENTAL ADVISORY/EXPLICIT CONTENT 9

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ALL AGES: Appropriate for readers of all ages. A: Appropriate for ages 9 and up. T+ TEENS & UP: Appropriate for most readers 13 and up, parents are advised that they may want to read before or with younger children. PARENTAL ADVISORY: 15+ years old similar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery. Recommended for teen and adult readers. MAX: EXPLICIT CONTENT: 18+ years old Most Mature Readers books will fall under the MAX Comics banner, (created speciﬁcally for mature content titles) MAX and Mature-themed titles will continue to be designed to appear distinct from mainline Marvel titles, with the "MAX: Explicit Content" label very prominently displayed on the cover. MAX titles will NOT be sold on the newsstand, and they will NOT be marketed to younger readers. 10

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the face of modern indie publisher 11 BEYOND THE BIG TWO

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INDIE STRATEGIES mix of creator owned (ongoing & mini-series), internally developed, and licensed properties (tie-ins, original works, ongoings, etc.). Individual publishers are often deﬁned by their particular mix. 12

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DARK HORSE Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson (Portland, Oregon) Dark Horse Presents - black & white anthology featuring a rotating cast of characters and creators Focused on publishing licensed properties: Aliens, Star Wars, Predator (Buffy, Angel, Fireﬂy) largely steered clear of superhero books - one of the reasons for their success 15

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IDW Founded in 1999 - Idea + Design Works (IDW) Ted Adams, Alex Garner, Kris Oprisko, and Robbie Robbins - media executives and artists Media company - video games, movies, TV, collectible card games, comic books, and trading cards IDW Publishing - comics, children’s books (Worthwhile Books), classic comic strips (Library of American Comics) 2007 - purchased by IDT (communication corporation) 20

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ONI PRESS Founded in 1997 by Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack Creator owned - exclusive original works Coined the term "real mainstream" to suggest that it publishes comic books and graphic novels whose subject matter is in line with the popular genres in other media Avoids superhero genre - unless creator approaches from an unusual angle 27

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IMAGE COMICS founded (1992) by a number of high profile creators as a way to get a larger share of the profits from their creations When founded, Image had two provisions: 1. Image does not own a creator's work; the creator does. 2. No Image partner would ever interfere, creatively or financially, with any other's work. Organized into a system of “studios” - each of which were controlled by one of the partners and completely independent of one another - but all published under the Image Comics banner 34

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IMAGE “STUDIOS” Extreme Studios - Rob Liefeld Highbrow Entertainment - Erik Larsen ShadowLine - Jim Valentino Todd McFarlane Productions - Todd McFarlane Top Cow Productions - Marc Silvestri Wildstorm Productions - Jim Lee 35

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RED 5 COMICS Founded in 2007 - Paul Ens (director of Lucasﬁlm’s StarWars.com and Lucas Online) and Scott Chitwood (co- founder of TheForce.net) Creator owned and internally developed comics with a cinematic aesthetic Many creators recruited from other media - ﬁlm, TV, & web 41

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NEXT CLASS: comics in the digital age 45

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THE FUTURE OF COMICS comics in the digital age 1

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3 WEB COMICS the “new” comix

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not a new phenomenon - creators (mostly indie cartoonists as opposed to mainstream artists) saw the internet as a way of getting their work out to an audience T.H.E. Fox (1986) - published on Compuserve and Quantum Link Where the Buffalo Roam (1991) - published on FTP and usenet Doctor Fun (1993) published on the web Netboy (1994) published on the web Inherited the mantle of alternative & underground comix/comics Models: serialized narrative or “standalone” strip 4

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5 www.abominable.cc

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6 www.kukuburi.com

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7 www.sintitulo.txcomics.com

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9 www.penny-arcade.com/comic

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10 xkcd.com

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No business model - creator isn’t in it for the money Advertising on website Republishing in trade paperback format (the online comics are simply advertisement) syndication in newspapers or magazines original art, merchandising, commissions 11 WEBCOMICS BUSINESS MODELS

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DIGITAL COMICS mainstream on the web 12

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Mainstream publishers attempting to replicate their product online Crossgen COW (Comics on the Web) Subscribe to & view comics in a browser (HTML & Flash) 160 titles (4400 pages) when Crossgen went bankrupt in 2004 Marvel Marvel Cybercomics (1996 - 2000) - user controlled/partially animated, original titles that tied into main continuity DotComics - repurposing published comics for promotional purposes Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited - both original works and existing titles, web based, subscription based DC Zuda - web based, webcomic ethos, creator contributed 13

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DIGITAL COMICS PLATFORMS the digital comics ecosystem 14

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PROBLEMS WITH PLATFORMS will there be a standard comic format that will work on any platform? Balkanization of digital comics - certain comics (in certain formats) from certain publishers only available on certain platforms Destructive to the user experience (why go digital when you can just go to the comic store and get whatever you want) Desktop (downloadable) vs. online - what happens when you don’t have an internet connection? DRM? 16

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DIGITAL COMIC DEVICES not just about the platforms 17

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THE PLACE OF PUBLISHERS Where does the publisher ﬁt into all of this? Will publishers cease to exist? Direct comparisons can be made to the music publishing industry They hold much of the popular IP (characters, stories, settings, etc.) Publishers will partner with platforms or develop their own platforms Cease to be print publishers - become even more media/IP companies (movies, television, video-games, etc.) 23

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PIRACY like all media - comics piracy exists loosely afﬁliated groups of scanners and uploaders small compared to music, TV, or movie piracy Some sites (and torrent trackers) have been pursued by comic publishers Piracy will become far more of a concern for publishers and creators as there is more of a shift towards digital distribution 24

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FUTURE OF THE DIRECT MARKET Does digital mean the death of the LCS? With a shift away from the direct market (trade paperbacks & bookstores), was the writing on the wall for the LCS anyway? Role of the LCS: back issues, possible print on demand services, events (in-store signings) Diamond is deﬁnitely dead (but they were heading that way anyway) 25

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CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CREATOR greater control over your work - potentially more revenue Death of traditional illustration techniques and methods? Death of original art sales? Death of collecting? With a digital comic, what do you have signed? 26