Episode 1607 Talkback - Comic Talk
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
In which the premature passing of Darwyn Cooke is marked and mourned by the Geeks; the new logo of DC Comics is analyzed by a professional graphic designer (and two mere laymen); a Murd is Muddled; and idle chatter is exchanged on the subject of comics recently read. Listen in good health! (1:19:06)
Listen here.
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Comments
I knew Darwyn, though not nearly as well as many others. I probably spoke more with him on the phone than I did in person. But he was a very generous and genuine person. He had his problems, but they were far outweighed by his positives, and his work speaks for itself.
As for the DC logo, I'll repeat some of what I said on another thread: I think the change is more about looking better small—as in as an icon on a smart phone. The old bullet was great for the time, but if Glaser was designing it today, he'd have different factors to consider. That bullet is harder to read the smaller it gets. It looks great in print at an inch tall, but make it a quarter-inch tall and it’s practically illegible.
I think this new logo has lots of problems, and I agree with most of @Dani’s criticism of it. It's simply not bold enough. And I love negative space, but there’s too much negative space there. The smaller you make it, the better it looks, and it should look pretty good as a phone icon. But, yeah, it's going to look terrible on-screen as it is.
I also agree with Dani on Lumberjanes. I'm a few months behind, but it’s a ton of fun. I was sad when Noelle left the book, but the other writers have picked up the reins capably. As for Spider-Gwen, I started with the first issue and skipped all the Spider-Verse stuff that set the world up. They do a OHOTMU style entry at the end of each issue, and that helped me catch up pretty quickly. Not sure if they’re included in the trades though.
Anyway, thanks for finally getting around to my Muddle the Murd. I was surprised that I was successful. I thought Murd would get the Rom question for sure, after poking around in that fabulous brain of his. I am greatly looking forward to all thoughts on DC Rebirth, as well as the Preacher BOMC. If it is indeed a large cast of geeks that show up to record that episode my glee will only be heightened!
I'm with Pants, I don't really care about the new DC logo that much, I just hope they do well...at least better than they've been doing. On the other hand, I can see Danni's points. It does look a little wonky.
Oh, sorry to hear Murd got muddled. I would've thought he'd get that ROM Spaceknight one. I mean if he got that 'Abraham Lincoln' one...
Lumberjanes? I've heard good stuff about it, but it's not within the power of my budget to get it. Same goes for Gotham Academy. Spider-Gwen? I liked the first couple of issues, but like Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, when they re-started again with a new #1, I'd had enough. I also liked it's companion Silk, but when they kept taking Stacey Lee off the title, I dropped it. I vaguely remember enjoying reading a couple of those T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents issues, but I don't know where they are now. The Vision? Very consistent and really makes you want to read the next issue. I just got #6 in the mail a couple of weeks ago, but since I read alphabetically, I won't get to it for a few days.
Odd that no one mentions the LGBT emphasis in Lumberjanes. They just keep saying it's "perfect" for little girls. Why do fans of this book rarely mention the LGBT theme? The stories are heartwarming at their core and would be a fine entry point to comics for LGBT youth. Do we not want everyone to know about it?
And frankly, I would prefer people read the book with no preconceived notions, and not thinking of it as “A Book for LGBT Girls.” I don’t want it to become pigeon-holed as “that book is for them, not for me,” as people are wont to do with things.
It's not that a book like Lumberjanes shouldn't have these themes present, or that the creative team isn't talented, but the steady drumbeat, nearly every issue, is beginning to feel like the authors have an agenda they're pushing. Are there any straight relationships mixed into the group? Or is it just a man-less feminist daydream adventure here? And with it being a series that takes place in a sleepover camp for young 'Girl Scout' types, it occurs to me that it might be a bit problematic that a book aimed at kids puts such a strong emphasis on the sexuality of the characters. Your mileage obviously varies.
My point is that proponents appear to think that this theme isn't worth mentioning. Sometimes I believe that's intentional. You may consider that a compliment, or that it "shouldn't be necessary" or that it might "pigeon-hole" it, but I think it not only is a disservice an under-served demo (LGBT youth) NOT to highlight it, but that kind of face value disclosure might benefit protective parents who aren't quite certain their kids are ready for such themes, which might also be considered a disservice to them.
Just two cents. Don't shoot.
As to your last paragraph, I think comics—particularly indie comics—are best served in the long run by their audience finding them, rather than by actively trying to seek out a specific audience. So I don't blame the publisher for not playing up the LGBT aspects. And maybe you don’t run in the same circles I do, but I see plenty of people on Facebook (and the shared links I see there) talking about the LGBT elements of Lumberjanes.
As far as benefiting protective parents, I believe (and I think you’ve expressed this opinion as well) that it’s ultimately the parents’ responsibility to screen what their children are exposed to. Let them read it for themselves and decide, rather than dismiss it out of hand based on what someone else says.
Sidenote: I'm of the opinion that kids can handle a lot more than most parents think. I believe that more often than not it’s much less about what kids are ready to be exposed to than it is what their parents are ready or willing [Edit: or able] to explain. But that’s neither here nor there.
I apologize for spoiling some of the story elements without better warning on that second post.
I'm not about to say the LGBT aspects of the book are intentionally obfuscated. Obfuscated by whom exactly? The publisher? The creators? Every reviewer on the internet? I don’t think there’s any grand conspiracy at play here. If Boom! Is downplaying it, they are probably doing so to keep the book from being labelled. They certainly want the book to reach as large an audience as possible. I follow Noelle Stevenson, but not the current writers, so I can't say if they're talking about it or not. Regardless, how could Boom! and the creators stop people from discussing it even if they wanted to?
No worries about the spoilers. It doesn't bother me.
My youngest is 16 years old. The age of consent is upon me.
I read and watched a lot of books (and magazines, if you know what I mean) and movies that by most standards I shouldn’t have when I was a kid, so I don’t stress out over it. Again, we have boundaries, they’re just pretty wide.
That was a great Muddle the Murd. Not because Murd got muddled, but because those were very well written questions. So thank you submitter, for writing questions that IMO, were well suited for Muddling the Murd.
Regarding the DC logo talk - I like the logo a lot. I'm happy with it. I feel like, in the comic book world, concerns about branding and rebranding aren't really a concern. How often do we see other graphic elements in this medium change or get modified? I agree that in other industries it's a concern when you rebrand yourself often, but I don't think that's the case in comics.
I will admit that I don't normally agree with Danni. Sorry Danni, it's nothing personal. I will say that I didn't find your comments about the logo negative in the slightest. As a professional cartographer, I'm often asked about the design of maps. You just can't turn off the brain, and separate "professional" from "opinion" when you are a professional. I was happy to hear your take on the design of the DC logo. So, thank you for giving your professional opinion.
IIRC, the same issue had a story where Franklin Richards asked Reed about God... it went to some very interesting (in a good way) discussions about the nature and balance of science and religion, especially considering how much crazy science and all-powerful deities take up real estate in the Marvel Universe. :smile: