Tag: Comics

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Brought on by a conversation with the ever-lovin’ Jeff Lester this afternoon, I’ve been wondering about the current Comic Internet Tastemakers, and who they are these days.

Actually, what I’m really wondering is, are there Comic Internet Tastemakers these days? Are there sites that set the conversation and can break creators/series on a reliable basis? Are there writers whose recommendations the masses can’t pass up?

CBR tends to set the news agenda, if only because of scale and access. But in terms of actually tastemaking, is it Comics Alliance? Someone/somewhere else? Is ComicsInternet 2014 too decentralized for the idea to even make sense?

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Also, Carlos Valdes (currently on Broadway in Once) has been landed the series regular role of Cisco Ramon, an engineering genius and the youngest member of the team of scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs. Per some DC lore, this handy lad may be fated to become the Justice Leaguer known as Vibe.

Yes, that’s right: Vibe is going to be a character in the CW’s projected Flash series. I am worryingly on board with this decision.
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Over the course of the next month, I’m going to put up a bunch of interviews in the 30-40 minute range—I’m aiming for two a week, but I may end up with a few more—with people in and around comics, talking about what they do and why. I don’t have a script, preferring to let the conversation go where it wants to go, but I did ask each person how they came to comics and what their comics community is like. Beyond that, it’s anything goes. This won’t be exhaustive or comprehensive, because there are literally not enough hours in the day for that. But hopefully it will be a lot at the very least.

There aren’t words to say how excited I am about David Brothers’ new comics podcast.
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If a single butt warranted editing, it’s concerning to speculate how Marvel will handle legitimately graphic scenes in upcoming “Miracleman” issues released through their app. In issue #9, a character gives birth over multiple pages of the book, with great attention to the scientific details of child delivery, including a display of parts that would now be covered by purple panties. In issue #15, a character goes on one of the most violent rampages in superhero comics history, destroying the entire city of London. People are torn apart, impaled, skinned and tormented by a rain of severed hands and feet. Will this content be similarly edited, and if so, what does that mean for the creative integrity of the story? These moments are intended to be shocking, to make readers feel, to connect us to the ideas of power and villainy – mature themes, to be sure, and thought provoking ones that set the stage for Moore’s later work on acclaimed titles such as “Watchmen.” If these moments are at risk of being censored, the story of “Miracleman” becomes something else, a work out of sync with the vision of its creators.

CBR takes up the story of Marvel’s censorship of Miracleman in its digital format. So far, this has been downplayed as Marvel because it’s “only” in digital, and there’re “parental advisory” (that is, uncensored) editions also available from some – but not all – digital outlets.

There’s more to be addressed here, including the fact that (a) the creators apparently didn’t know that Marvel was censoring the digital editions, and (b) the censored editions are euphemistically called the “mass market” editions of the work. What, if anything, does that mean about the eventual bookstore collections?

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That said, it’s important clarify exactly what’s going on here. Fast Company broke the story of the API in a kind of confusing way. The way we read it, Marvel is opening up its data store, not its content library (in other words, developers won’t have open license to build apps featuring Marvel characters, so we won’t be seeing an authorized, fan-created Hulk vs. Punisher deathmatch anytime soon).

What we are likely to see are apps that make it easier for casual and hardcore fans alike to track their favorite characters across different media; custom infographics that turn the data into beautiful visuals; and the opportunity for retailers to package specific storylines and data more easily on their websites.

The catch, according to the terms of use, is that opportunities for third party developers to commercialize the data through paid apps, ads or in-app purchases are significantly constrained, and Marvel has final say over how developers can promote the apps. Considering Marvel’s historical reputation of grasping tightly to its IP ownership claims, terms like these raise suspicions in the creative community.

From here.

“What if we outsource development work to the fan community? We can make it seem like we’re being generous!”

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Marvel Comics is unveiling its programming interface (API) and developer platform in a beta version tomorrow morning, swinging wide the gates to the Marvel universe of comic heroes to fans and developers around the world. The API–which will include comic book artwork, character histories, creator insights, and expanded stories–will grant members access to an expansive database of Marvel’s library of 75 years of comics, including over 30,000 comics, 7,000 series, and 5,000 creators. This move gives developers the tools to create their own Marvel-based apps and digital offerings.

From here.

File under “Things I need to get my head around.”