Why I hate the comics industry
Having spent the last couple of years working on an independent comic book, I’m afraid to say that I’ve developed considerable cynicism when it comes to the comic book industry. All talk amongst would-be creators is centered around getting a “deal” and licensing to Hollywood. It’s like the lottery-winner mentality of wannabe professional athletes, that hope that this thing you do — this hobby — will grant you the fame and riches you’ve always deserved.
I have to say, I was a lot happier when I was alone in my apartment, banging out scripts with no thought of audience, or business, or marketing, or any of that. I just wanted to tell a good story — my day job pays the bills. This is why I’m beginning to drift more towards prose, as prose gives me that same alone in a room feeling. If I want to publish, I can self publish — I don’t have to worry about jumping through all the terrible hoops you must traverse before you get the golden ticket: publisher support. Which will lead, of course, to some kind of deal with Hollywood.
Mark Millar, author of such books as The Ultimates and The Authority, has written an editorial on a forthcoming bust in comics. The language he uses to describe the industry is not unlike the language I hear many would-be pro’s I know use. There’s a heady preoccupation with money, and a “our generation of writers is the best ever” arrogance that I’m not sure I agree with. You can read it here.
