The Flash
Creators can leave comics comics at any time; sometimes at a moments notice, other times after a tenure of years. Wayne Markley looks at some creators who stuck around, creating a legacy that survives to this day on such books as The Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, and The Flash.
Walt Disney Comics Digest #1. The cover of my copy of this issue is pretty tattered.
New Avengers #5
Westfield’s Roger Ash looks at the differences between traditional comic storytelling and “Decompressed Storytelling” as it relates to Marvel Comics’ New Avengers #5 and The Thanos Imperative #5. And he includes Dave Sim’s Cerebus as well.
by KC Carlson
PREVIOUSLY ON NEVER-ENDING STORY (part 1) (part 2): After intense creative experimentation in the early 1970s, superhero comic books largely stuck to the basics by the end of the decade. There were more creative surprises ahead, but for now, comics’ biggest conflicts were behind the scenes, as a failing distribution system, combined with a poor physical product, would force comics to come up with creative solutions to stay alive. Meanwhile, many comic creators were restless, especially the new, younger talent who had been entering the field over the last decade or so. They also wanted better physical presentation for their work, including ever-expanding formats to experiment with — as well as better working conditions and more return for their creativity. Plus, the effects of growing intelligent critique and criticism from a more vocal fanbase would help push creators into even bigger flights of fancy. All of these factors seemed to indicate that interesting times were around the corner as the 1980s began.
by Wayne Markley
2009 has been a very interesting year in the comic book business. It has been a time of changes in both creative and the business ends of comics. There have been some excellent books and there have been a number of flops. Marvel and DC continued with their major epics (Dark Reign and Blackest Night) and superheroes dominated the comic book world. What follows are some random thoughts about the comics book industry in 2009. They are not in any particular order or topic. And they are all just my opinion and do not reflect the opinions of Westfield or anyone else. So away we go.
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