oz@rlgvax.UUCP (THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ) (10/12/84)
An interesting point was made in a recent article, that we are addicted to comics and that we will read things that we know disgust us, and that Jimbo will continue to write things that disgust us, just because of this addiction. Well, right off the bat, I doubt that we can get Nancy Reagan to come and visit us at our rehabilitation homes, nor do I think that the NEW TEEN TITANS will ever do a story on it. That aside, I think that there is some truth to that. I have been reading comics for over 20 years now (a frightening thought for it proves that I have been reading them for a long time, and that *I* have been around for a long time! In the 60's I used to buy every comic that MARVEL put out. I remember the day that my brother, Broome, and I bought 6 copies of CONAN #1 (at $.20 per if memory serves me correctly) because we were so excited about it and we knew it would be a hit. In some ways comics have matured, in other ways they have digressed. I find it strange that there is so much discussion about MARVEL on the net. Now, in the 1980's, they have become what DC was in the 60's, a comic company that is primerally resting on its laurels, rather then producing superior product. Yet because they are the biggest, we discuss what we liked about them, and spend a lot of time discussing what we don't like about them. The only thing that keeps my interest in comics going STRONG is the alternative comics, and even among the netters, they don't get much discussion. I am curious as to why this is so. FIRST comics has such an excellent line that I buy just about everything that they produce. COMICO has some EXCELLENT comics. Even stately Disneyesque DC is producing some comics that take some chances and are interesting. Jim Shooter and crew are not going to change, unless they hear from us (in sales) that we are not interested in the types of comics that they are producing and that we want something else. For all our complaints, SECRET BORES *is* one of the best selling MARVEL comics. Why? Because so many of us are being BLACKMAILED in buying it as we are afraid that we will miss some "continuity" in the "MARVEL universe." FSCK the MARVEL universe, I'd rather take the METRO into downtown DC for my $.75 then let Jimbo take my money and say that his TRASH is a success. There are many GOOD comics out there. Let us demonstrate with our letters, and with our money that this is what we are interested in and that we will not continue to support inferior products. Since everyone else is busy with "cute" sign offs, I shall accomodate: "Dear Auntie Emm: Hate You. Hate Kansas. Taking the dog. - Dorothy" OZ seismo!rlgvax!oz
acsgjjp@sunybcs.UUCP (Nick Danger) (10/13/84)
> An interesting point was made in a recent article, that we are addicted to > comics and that we will read things that we know disgust us... I'd have to say the same for usenet news. Some of us have become "info- junkies" and read every article ever posted. Why? (I don't know. He's on third, and I don't give a darn! :-) ) Anyway, I'd rather read the comics or the Usenet news than read my Electromagnetic Theory textbook... > For all our complaints, SECRET BORES *is* one of the best selling MARVEL > comics. Why? Because so many of us are being BLACKMAILED in buying it as we > are afraid that we will miss some "continuity" in the "MARVEL universe." Maybe so, but who is Marvel's target audience for this comic? (or all of their comics?) Has anyone conducted a study on who buys comic books? And why do I see these ads for SEEKRIT WORZ (tm) action figures all over the place when I read my Spider-Man (nice to see him with the old suit!)? My guess for the stereotypical Marvel comics buyer is around 10 years old (although some of us serious collectors are older). He sees these ads and screams "MommyMommyBuyMeTheSecretWarsDoctorDoomFigureIGottaHaveIt" and won't stop until he gets his plastic doll, complete with message shield, and arms that fall out after three months.....(I don't know how well those things are put together, but if Jim $hootee and Marvel are out to get rich, my guess is that they aren't put together well at all.) So why am I still getting the rest of the series? Well, perhaps they should be worth something a few years from now. (If Marvel Universe #1 is going for $6, and Spidey #252 (which I don't have -- I started collecting at #258) for $7, how much is Secret Wars going to sell for in 1989?) Show me the way to go home...I'm tired and I want to go to bed..... -- From under the smogberry trees.... Jim Poltrone (a/k/a Poltr1, the Last of the Raster Blasters) uucp: [decvax,watmath,rocksvax]!sunybcs!acsgjjp ARPAnet, CSnet: acsgjjp%buffalo@CSNET-RELAY "The web of life connects each of us to the other..."