The People’s Publisher

So, Red Herring and other media sources are reporting that Stan Lee Media, a zombified version of its former dot-com glory, has lurched back from the dead. And, no, they don’t want brains (though they might be in need of them): they want co-ownership rights for little known Stan Lee characters such as Spiderman, X-men and the Incredible Hulk.

So Stan Lee Media is now suing Marvel (not Stan Lee himself, who calls the lawsuit “baseless”) for a smooth $5,000,000,000. Jim Nesfeld, now Chief Executive Zombie at Stan Lee Media, is leading the charge. And what is his connection to the comic world and its fanbase, you might ask?

“I’m what they call a vulture.”

Indeed you are, sir. In the famous words of Stan Lee: ’nuff said.

The full article is here, though you can Google to your heart’s content if you want other versions.

On the brink of global destruction? Feel as though you’re in need of a hero? Forget what colors are on the American flag? Until recently the easiest answer to all of these questions was Captain America. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, I’ll kindly remind you that “Cappy” recently became a sniper victim. As the country mourns one of its greatest heroes (and possibly Hitler’s greatest rival), Stephen Colbert says his farewell with a perfect segment.

(Thanks to Scott Lew for the write-up!)

Whenever there is an impending paradigm shift in media (whether that be in art, music, architecture, etc.) the old guard starts rallying and shrieking from the top of their hills about how the medium is decaying. This is happening in movies right now.

At the end of 300, the audience all began to clap. They loved this film. No, it wasn’t a complex story, nor were the characters especially faceted or deep… but it reached them. The new visual language, coupled with the simple dialogue and simple theme created an experience that was powerful for them, whether the critics can see the value or not. 300 is a lot like a myth or legend. It is supposed to be simplistic to drive home one message or experience in a powerful enough fashion that it will be remembered. The entire story of the Spartan battle is the stuff of legend, and therefore it is perfectly fitting that it should be dealt with in such a fashion. If the film was truly “all style and no substance” as the critics claim, why is it resonating so powerfully with so many people? The answer is simple- it is a new kind of film, with a new kind of value to be judged against a new set of criteria. I think this scares the poop out of modern film critics the same way that the critics of the modernist art movement were scared. They don’t share the common experience necessary to properly watch and judge this kind of movie. So they must condemn it, because if they don’t nip this kind of filmmaking in the bud, they may soon find themselves and their critiques obsolete…

Fortunately for those of us who “get” movies like 300, the evolution of media has never been halted by critics, no matter how much they scream and jump up and down. In the end, it is the fans who decide- and if the weekend box office projections for 300 are any indication, the people have spoken and those critics would be well served to start learning to like this kind of filmmaking!

The 2nd annual New York ComicCon was a couple of weeks ago and had a few interesting panels that relate to Z2H. Graphic novels have become the bred-winner of the family while Digital Comix are STILL the talk of the town. More recaps of the event can be found HERE or HERE.
If you’re really bored, check out this “behind the scenes” clip by the McCloud Family Tourcast. Its a bit slow, but cute and revealing to see comic book artists in their “natural habitat.”

RIP Cap’n Merica….or until the movie comes out and they bring him back to life.

Okay, will somebody please explain once and for all what’s so great about Superman?

I’ve _really_ tried to give him a chance over the past few decades, but he just strikes me as such an unsympathetic character. As his alter ego he is so frustratingly timid its painful to read. And as Superman he is so powerful there is usually little doubt that he will beat the crap out of whatever villian is in his way eventually. I just can’t bring myself to care about this guy. The jeopardy never seems especially serious, the personal problems never seem insurmountable… He’s kind of a goody two-shoes weenie in how he deals with the world. How can we relate to this guy on a human level? How can we care about what happens to him (and by extension, care to buy the comics)?

So what am I missing? I get the whole “iconographic/trailblazing/nostalgia” thing… but why read him now?

He is a beloved character and has many die-hard fans who will defend him to the death- but these arguments seem to so often come down to:

Me: what’s so great about him?
fan: He’s… well, he’s just Superman!

So I get it. He’s important. But how can the writers make him _real_ for today’s audience? I don’t know…

Thoughts?

Howdy folks. Friendly neighbourhood Creative Director here again…
I’m curious about the new Marvel/jeep collaboration. I can’t decide if this is an icky example of crass commercialism infiltrating the comic industry again, or a legitimate forum for fans to contribute to the medium.

(For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, check out: https://www.patriotadventure.com/ ) Marvel is creating a new comic where the central figure is a Jeep vehicle and the content of each subsequent panel is suggested by fans. If a fan’s suggestion is used in the comic, they get some swag from the two companies.

The reason I am not sure how I feel about this project is the strangely restrictive way they are going about it, and the way they are presenting the work. I find the site layout pretty confusing (as do many others according to the forums I’ve checked out on the issue.) I gather they are trying to make the contest as open to as many different people as possible… but can you really feel a sense of ownership in a comic when you’ve only contributed one line of dialogue? And can you really create a compelling, worthwhile story when you have the double constraint of having to go panel by panel with no established arc AND having to fit the Jeep promotion in there? I dunno…

I guess I’ll find out when the book is done! I don’t have a huge problem with comics or films designed around a product or property if the writers and artists are given enough latitude to make sure the story comes first. After all, a good story is a good story whether it has Nike swooshes and pepsi cans in it or not… But will this book turn out to be a kick-ass story created by a hundred fans that just happens to have a jeep in it, or will it be another “Hamburgler adventure” to throw on the pile of ads disguised as comics?

What do you think?

Cheers!

Jessica Leigh Clark
Creative Director - Zeros 2 Heroes

Okay, forgive me here, but I’ve got to go on a bit of a rant… (when you’ve been stomping around grumbling about something for the past two hours, you know the only way to get it out of your system is with a good rant ;-))

I was reading canadiangeek.org today and they mentioned in a blog post that they were offended by a booklet entitled “how to get girls into your store” by “Friends of Lulu.” I went to check out the “Friends of Lulu” website and was very disturbed with what I found there.

This organization’s mandate is to encourage women to be more involved in the comic industry and to promote more comic content and stories geared towards women.

(here is the rant part ;-))

Stories geared towards women?!
What does that even mean?!! Graphic adaptations of “Pride and Prejudice”?
Who are these people to dictate what content is “female content” and what isn’t?

(okay, rant part over)

I think when you break things like art and literature into categories of sex like this (women’s stories vs men’s stories) you are doing your own cause a disservice. If the objective is equality and equal opportunities for men and women in the comic industry, the last thing you want to do is start singling women (and their tastes) out.

The slogan on the webpage is “Comics are for everyone!” and shows a picture of a proud looking girl holding drawing implements.

Are they really suggesting there is a prevailing sentiment to the contrary in this day and age?

It reminds me of a conference I attended when I was 7 years old at Simon Fraser University- it was called “Women Do Math” and its objective was to convince young girls that math was possible for them to comprehend. Even as a 7 year old girl I was able to twig into the fact that something wasn’t right with a bunch of women telling me (with my 100% math grade) that I “could do math.” Of course at the time I could only articulate my disconcertion with the slogan as “Well Duh!” Now when I see slogans like “Comics are for everyone!” It makes me wonder as it did back then- just where are all the people implying it is otherwise?

I’m all for breaking down barriers WHEN THEY EXIST! You’d better believe if someone was refusing to publish my comic on the grounds that I was a woman, or refusing to sell me Batman because its not “girl content” I’d be the first up in arms… But these people are fighting paper dragons. No one is stopping women from buying Batman, or Marvel Zombies, or any other of the “men-centric stories.” No one is stopping women from starting publishing companies, or writing comics, or creating art.

Neil Gaiman in his forward to the “Friends of Lulu” booklet suggests that comic shops are uncomfortable environments for women and paints a picture of a dank, seedy hole peopled with overweight, unkempt leering men. While I don’t doubt that somewhere there is a comic shop that fits this vision to a tee, I’m certain the same could be said of almost _any_ business. I’ve encountered travel agencies and restaurants that match this description… I’ve yet to encounter a comic shop like this. I think this is another example of creating false obstacles for the purpose of making a point (or at least exaggerating the truth.) The “Friends of Lulu” booklet suggests that a “well-lit, clean store with a diversity of titles” will attract more women. I would like to suggest that a “well-lit, clean store with a diversity of titles” will attract more _people_ period. Statements like “women don’t like shopping in filth” render the whole debate absurd and obscure any actual issues that organizations like “Friends of Lulu” exist to combat.

I have been a creator and connoisseur of comics my whole life, and the only gender-related obstacle I have ever faced in my pursuit of this passion was when my comic “Black Betty” was yanked from my university newspaper because the campus women’s group mistakenly thought it was created by a man (I signed my name J. Clark back then… but that whole story is a subject for another rant!) I’ve found the patrons and operators of comic shops very friendly and helpful on the whole (and the filth-levels quite manageable

I think the folks at “Friends of Lulu”, while well intentioned, are not giving women enough credit. I think the barriers preventing women from fully participating in the comic industry that they outline simply do not exist, and that by insisting women need a leg up to be taken seriously as artists/creators, and by insisting comic shops are not carrying books of interest to women, they are doing a great disservice to those of us who already are creators and fans of comics.

Fact of the matter is, some women love comics, and some don’t.
And there is nothing wrong with that.

I’m curious as always to hear other thoughts on the matter, this is just my opinion of course, but it is a subject I feel strongly about and have encountered with friction throughout my life, so I figured it was about time I weigh in!

…and now for something Completely Different!

We all know how talented our Lotus-crew are — but the more I get to know them, the more I discover just how MULTI-TALENTED they are. For example, did you know that our very own “Editor” is regularly interviewed for print and radio, teaches with the Royal Conservatory of Music (are you blushing yet?) and the coolest thing of all — he has a band … “the/les Poo-TeenZ”.

This is a sneak pic from a gig last week. Enjoy

We’ve posted a little Yuletide cheer over at our main page - you can check it out at the main site.

Very best of the season,

Everyone at Zeros 2 Heroes