Well, 2003 is drawing to a close, and like many, I am grateful for the new year. For many personal reasons, 2003 did not turn out to be everything I hoped; starting the year with a tax deficit of over a thousand dollars, it seems only fitting that I end it with a virus erasing my hard drive. But I cannot be totally disappointed with the year because 2003 was a good year for comics overall, especially in regards to the many people who stepped up to the plate and did their part for the benefit of the industry. And so with those outstanding individuals in mind, I would like to direct my last column of 2003 to honoring those who I think contributed most to the cause of comics advocacy.
(These so-called "awards" are based completely upon my subjective opinion, so if you disagree, I’d love to hear about it on my message boards.)
To start things off, I would be remiss if I did not direct the attention of my readers to those individuals who do the most to advocate comics every year: the retailers. Retailers bear the majority of the financial burden in comics for the publishers; it is through them that every book is either turned into a bestseller or put on the fast track to cancellation. And what retailer deserves more recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty than James Sime? Owner/operator of The Isotope Lounge in San Francisco, Sime has gone to extreme lengths to make comics seem hip, lengths which he regularly outlines for us all to read in his column The Comic Pimp over at CBR. His latest stunt? Have creator Ed Brubaker arm-wrestle folks for free comics. It may be wild and crazy, but it also seems to be highly effective. The world could use a few more retailers like him, with a genuine passion for what they sell, and I hope to make the trip out to visit his store someday soon.
Though Sime has recently worked as a columnist as well, he cannot claim the title of best columnist advocate, for that distinction goes to Stuart Moore. His dissections of the industry and what makes it tick in A Thousand Flowers over at Newsarama are a vital insight into the state of comics, highly valuable to anyone who wants to help improve that state. And as Moore himself recently stated, that position the industry finds itself in now is not as dire as it might seem to some. His column is a must read for all comics advocates, and fans, worldwide.
Begrudgingly, I must acknowledge the work of another columnist as the best "journalist" advocate: Rich Johnston. While I might be stretching the definition of the term "journalist" to include a rumor columnist, it cannot be denied that he often manages to gather information about the comings and goings of creative teams on this book or that faster than those teams themselves. He is also a master of hype, not just of himself, but of the projects that he adores and of comics in general. While I may not agree with his ideas on how to best advertise comics, he’s at least trying, which is a great deal more than most of us fans and most of the industry itself are doing. Check out Lying In The Gutters each and every Monday for the latest gossip.
Surprisingly, the news outlet that most advocated comics this past year was not of the fan press but instead the mainstream. Entertainment Weekly began providing occasional coverage to comics this year, a fact which helped the industry a great deal. The magazine had been slipping in the odd reference to comics for quite some time, but this year they tackled the industry full force, first devoting two pages in their issues every six weeks or so before moving their comic coverage into Listen2This, the supplement magazine available only to EW subscribers. Despite this move causing a slight drop in the number of people who got to see their comics coverage, EW still devotes more time and energy to covering comics than any other mainstream magazine, and it is read by ten times as many readers as Wizard.
Also in mainstream coverage, no film or TV property did more to draw attention to comics in the past year than American Splendor. This film, as did Road to Perdition, From Hell, and Ghost World before it, proved both to Hollywood and viewing audiences that movies based on comics are not by necessity big budget action films laden with special effects. American Splendor showed movie buffs that comics were a legitimate art form; in a year full of misfires such as League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Bulletproof Monk, the work from the cast and crew of this film stood out and proved a point.
Moving on from the periphery of the industry, we come to the core, the heart of comics: comic book creators and publishers. Without these fine folks, there would be no comics to advocate, and the work of these hundreds of men and women who write, draw, and edit the books that entertain and enlighten us is to be commended. Being forced to choose the one creator I think contributed most to comics this year, I would be hard-pressed to find someone better suited for this honor than Brian K. Vaughan. A year ago very few people had heard of this man, while now he is one of the industry’s biggest success stories. Producing hit books for both of the two major publishers (Y the Last Man for DC and Runaways for Marvel), he has dazzled both critics and fans alike with the quality work he produces. His interactions on message boards has won many over to his writing, since it is clear he recognizes the vitality of the creator-fan dynamic, and he has put his money where his mouth is in offering to buy back copies of Y the Last Man from those who were dissatisfied with it (including being a good sport with one guy who tore up his copy and auctioned it off on eBay).
As an aside to those who care, creator advocate was the most difficult category for me to choose who to honor. Ed Brubaker came very close to getting this award, especially with his aforementioned arm-wrestling stunt, but in the end, it came down to Vaughan getting a bit more publicity via the Tsunami launch (his book being the only one that can be qualified a success) as well as the fact that I had a picture of myself with Vaughan and not with Bru. ;)
Honoring publisher advocates was a similarly arduous chore, since so many publishers went out of their way to try to draw in new readers. It is their livelihoods after all. But the one publisher that did the most while producing groundbreaking, intelligent material would have to be Oni. Oni has expanded their horizons greatly in recent months, exploring every genre of fiction known to man and taking great risks on new talents. When you find yourself next in the comic shop or bookstore, seek out some of their books and just flip through them. You will be astounded at the quality; I guarantee it.
By now you’re probably thinking, "What about me, Steve? The fans are incredible advocates for comics too, and I deserve to be honored for my contribution." Well, that’s why I’m announcing here my "Fan Advocate of the Year" contest. If you think you should be recognized for your contribution to the cause of comics this year, then nominate yourself for this award! Simply send me an e-mail by midnight January 5th, detailing how you went about the task of advocating comics in 2003. I will post what I consider to be the three most deserving entries on my message boards in the form of a poll the next day, and then it will be up to the fans to vote. Whoever receives the most votes will be named the fan advocate of the year and will receive a free trade paperback copy of what I named my best comic of the year: Y the Last Man (by creator advocate Brian K. Vaughan).
So get those entries in soon, and keep an eye out for the results. Most importantly, don’t forget to continue advocating comics in the new year!
