Geekier Than Thou

When I was younger, I really liked punk music, and I wanted to know more about the punk scene.  I didn’t have a chance to learn much in my small, quiet Midwestern town, but when I went to college, suddenly there was a much broader world open to me.  I made a couple friends who were punks, and they invited me to some shows.  I went to those shows, and then I never went back.  I kept listening to the music, but the mean looks and rude treatment from scenesters who thought I was beneath them because I didn’t dress a certain way and couldn’t answer questions about zillions of obscure punk bands alienated me permanently.  I didn’t go to another truly punk show for a very long time.  I wasn’t (and still am not) interested in pretending to be something I’m not just to fit in with an elitist group of people who think that only if you conform to their standards of the scene can you be one of them. 

This is why the idea of excoriating “fake” geeks makes me so angry.  The desire for everyone in your scene to like exactly the things you like and to present themselves ONLY in exactly the ways you prefer is exclusionary and, frankly, ridiculous.  The comics industry needs as much new blood as possible, and if you don’t like what those other people create or read, then you don’t have to look at it or hang out with them.  Without new blood, the industry will die.  This is not me being alarmist.   The traditional comic geek is growing old and will eventually be gone.  That doesn’t mean those people aren’t worth keeping.  But it does mean that the comic industry as a whole needs to encourage demographic diversity.  Women, children, people of color, and LGBT folks are all groups that need to be better served by the comic industry as a whole - and welcoming those groups with open arms can do nothing but good things for the industry.  Excluding them, however, means that our industry continues to dwindle.  People will only stick around for so long when they are being made to feel unwelcome and less than everyone else in a scene.  Diversity doesn’t make your interest less YOURS and it doesn’t make you unwelcome.  It just brings in new people for you to talk to about your interests and learn about their interests and makes you a more well-rounded person.

That’s how I feel about cosplayers.  Cosplaying is not really my thing.  I usually dress as something nerdy for Halloween, in a way that at a con would be considered cosplaying, I suppose.  I’ve been Black Canary, Catwoman, and Silk Spectre I.  Those costumes may be revealing, but I wore every single one of them because I was interested in the character (Black Canary in particular was my favorite because she’s my favorite DC heroine). But when it comes to dressing up for cons, I’d rather not.  I was in a cosplay group last year where I dressed as a female version of the 9^th Doctor.  Putting together the costume was fun, and meeting a bunch of other women who were also really into Doctor Who was great.  But at the end of the day, I don’t go to cons to cosplay.  I go to cons to work – to meet creators, check out what folks are doing, do meetings, etc. – and being in costume is not really conducive to that, most of the time (because of my own discomfort with being professional in costume, not because I don’t think anyone should do it). 

So it’s not my thing – but I LOVE seeing cosplayers.  Above all, I love seeing people dressed as characters from things I’m working on, whether they’re huge fans or just love the aesthetic.  It doesn’t matter to me if they’ve bought every issue or watched every episode or know the entire history of the character.  It takes enthusiasm to put on a costume, and that enthusiasm is valuable to the comics industry, because that enthusiasm can be broadened.  Someone who digs the aesthetic of a character, whether they know anything about them at all or not, can be encouraged to get to know more about that character by a welcoming industry, NOT by an industry that tells them they are worthless because they don’t already know everything.  And anyone who has talked to cosplayers knows that almost all of them put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their costumes – and 100% of the time in my experience, it’s because they love the character they’re dressing as.  That is passion we as an industry should be welcoming, regardless of their interests. 

Oh, you like that manga?  Have you seen this amazing comic by so-and-so? It’s super rad.

Oh, you wore that costume cuz it looks cool?  Did you know that character kicked major ass in this miniseries?  It’s awesome. 

What’s so hard about that?  Cosplayers’ passion does nothing to harm the industry at all.   

But no matter how you slice it, sexism harms comics as an industry and us as a community.  I have yet to read any blog post or Facebook tirade about those awful fake geek guys that are ruining comics.  It’s clear that for many of the people who fear fake geeks, that fear is focused on women.  Maybe it’s because some women teased them about their interests when they were younger, and they see attractive women who don’t seem to be “real” geeks as a threat.  I get that we all have our scars.  But judging strangers based on their appearances and your assumptions about what a geek should look like is no better than other people excluding you because they think you look like a geek.  The next time you meet someone who your geekdar is telling you is not a “real” geek – take a second to think about what that says about you and to think about ways you can both converse to enhance your geek experience.  Because the best part of geek culture is that we as a community LOVE to talk about what we love – and we don’t all have to love exactly the same parts of being a geek. 

Yes, There's Been A Hiatus . . .

But hang on.  Janelle's on her way.

Mad Cap Maxie

Presenting, for just the second time anywhere, "Mad Cap Maxie," by Michael C Lorah and Patrick Brosseau.

(And Shotgun readers, even if you hate my script, give some love for the awesomeness of Mr. Pat Brosseau's artwork and lettering. You can see more of Pat's short comics and illustrations at his art blog: http://oddsnsods.tumblr.com/)

Indiana Nerd by Kimmi Markovich

It’s already the second decade of the new millennium, eleven years after 2001, two years after 2010, and forty nine years out from 2061. These years are important from a geek standpoint, as they are the years in Arthur Clarke’s series of novels painting a picture of that space future we all imagined when we taped glow in the dark stars to our bedroom ceilings. It’s kind of sad to me that 2001 and 2010 have come and gone and we haven’t realized many of the aspirations that one of the greatest science fiction writers thought feasible. I guess progress isn’t as easily conceived and implemented. No worries though, we are making science fiction more realistic and less fiction every day! I never would have thought I would have a touch screen phone space phone. Remember when the touch screens at the museum were the coolest when you were little? And now most of us carry a better one around in our pocket.

I geek out on the Star Wars. Yes, there are many other things I enjoy, like organic chemistry, micronutrient metabolism, and comic books, but Star Wars has been my one true geeking love for a long time. It all started in first grade when the obviously underfunded Catholic school I went to only had used, taped up books. However, the Return of the Jedi picture book caught my eye, and I would park it on a beanbag to read it over and over. My voracious appetite for Star Wars continues to this day, much to the dismay of my conservative mother, who is holding out that it’s still a phase. I guess a 25 year old who is not into the traditional timeline of what you are “supposed” to do wasn’t what she had planned for a daughter; that and the whole “No, I’m a woman of science” discussion. Being labeled a geek was never a good thing for me, I didn’t have lots of friends, I got beaten up and teased, but it never really mattered once I rode my bike down to the library. I used to get lost in far away worlds or get wrapped up in learning about the inner workings of our own. Yes, I did want to be pretty and not have a weird haircut, glasses, and a frightening lack of hand eye coordination but all of those pressures really slipped away once I walked into the Lake County Public Library. Reading, to me, made everything seem okay, like these characters assured me that one day I would be really happy. 

What It Feels Like For A Girl (In Comics) Part 2 by Janelle Asselin

Welcome to part 2 of “What It Feels Like For a Girl (In Comics),” my sharing of anecdotes about how we ladies experience the industry.  In Part 1 you heard about some of my experiences, and now it’s time for you to hear from other women in the industry.  Some of these are pulled from the survey I did as part of my thesis while others I solicited from a variety of women in the industry.  All of them are anonymous, which means in some cases, you’re hearing stories that these women wouldn’t ordinarily tell.

· I was a comics critic several years ago, and in a comic-book shop for an event. When I went up to the counter with my purchases, the clerk remarked that I had extraordinary taste for a girl. I didn't want to tell him anything about myself, so I took it as a compliment, although it was an extremely back-handed one, and deeply insulting. He continued, however, to remark, loudly that I had really good taste and that he knew how hard it was for girls in comics. Of course he was flirting, but he did not also realize that he was being pedantic, protective, and silencing in an attempt to be charming and supportive. Then he suggested I look up my own work, as a critic, if I were interested in women in comics. 

· I worked in a comic book store for 7 years and there were many male customers who refused to listen to my suggestions and could not believe that I would know anything about comics.

· Once when my boyfriend and I were babysitting his 9-year old niece and two older nephews, we decided to take them to our LCS. We were pretty excited to share our interests with the kids and just maybe get them interested too. The boys wandered off to look at toys and the niece, an avid reader, made a beeline for the week's comics. But my excitement quickly turned to dismay, because we couldn't find a comic that was both interesting to her and safe for her to read. "What about this one?" she asked, holding up a comic with Little Red Riding Hood on the cover--she knows what she likes, and fantasy and fairy tales are her favorites. "Nooo," I said, "I don't think so." I flipped through and my impression from the cover--that this was a T&A comic--was confirmed by the interior pages. She asked why not, and I know she's a smart kid, so I explained that I could tell by the way the girls on the cover were drawn, with big boobs and broken backs and tiny clothes. Just in case she ever goes to a comics shop with her mom, I want her to know what to look for and what to avoid. We grabbed a copy of Batgirl instead.

Forgetless: A Review by Vanessa Gabriel

FORGETLESS TPB
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by W. Scott Forbes, Jorge Coelho, Marley Zarcone
Lettering by Johnny Lowe
Published by Image Comics
Review by Vanessa Gabriel

Different things propel one to decide to start reading a comic. Often times it is word of mouth, the following of a long-loved character or the creative team is appealing. But it was the art that drew me to Forgetless. At the time of release, I had seen the single issues of Forgetless at my comic shop a time or two. The cover art was striking. As these things go, I had enough on my pull list, and I passed on purchasing. Little did I know that when I got around to reading the collected edition of Forgetless, the artists who made those covers so striking would soon reign as rulers of my aesthetic.

I first experienced Marley Zarcone’s art in Madame Xanadu #24. She was only on that one issue, but her clean, unique style is unforgettable. That sealed the deal for me and Forgetless. I had to have more Marley, who is one of the three very talented Forgetless artists. Jorge Coelho, W. Scott Forbes, and Marley Zarcone combine to create a powerful aesthetic rarely seen combined into one book; each artist explicitly unique, but all of them as vibrant as the story being told.

There is nothing typical about this book, except for the hipsters. I kid. Nick Spencer writes a provocative and relevant story that just so happens to boast the debauched youth culture of New York City. I am the first one to loathe a ranty teenager. Spencer freshly presses the foolish arrogance of teenage years, and spins it in into various incarnations to give us truly memorable characters. His story examines the alarming, entertaining and sometimes intertwining roles that each of them play in the greatest city on Earth.

In only five issues, Forgetless does what I think comics can do best: act as a social commentary. Models aspire to appear on the cover of Vogue and work as killers for hire on the side, all whilst tweeting vagaries of said hit jobs. You see that perception is everything, and apathy rules the day in the world of social networking. Meanwhile, all three South Jersey teens can think of is getting to a party in the city. It’s the only thing that matters. And one young man gets hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube … by fucking a building, the Empire State Building. It’s an ode to the idiocy and freedom of being a teenager and a poignant example of the Age of Celebrity, as it explicitly illustrates the narcissism consuming our youth culture.

Forgetless is not for the faint of heart. Gratuitous language, Pulp Fiction-style pacing, and NC-17 antics from people not yet 17 years old may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But, if you revel in cynicism, laugh at dark humor, and live for smart references, then I invite you to the biggest party in New York City. Wickedly smart writing, beautiful art, and unforgettable characters make Forgetless stand apart from a sea of books. It is a brilliant addition to any library.

Vanessa Gabriel is a co-founder of girls-gone-geek.com and a member of the Best Shots team.

We Live in Interesting Times . . . For Corporations by Kevin Huxford

Ah, Khuxford. I know that Kevin Huxford of Schwapp Online has been a controversial cat over the years. However, he's also been my friend. Another Best Shots guy that came over to Shotgun, Kevin felt many years ago that he had to split both because he'd become something of a lightning rod. He promptly founded his own blog and enjoyed his gadfly role ever since. One thing that you need to know is that Kevin has a rigid code of principles. And even if you don't agree with it, you should respect it. Today, he takes a hard look at something that affects all of us.
Union membership has waned.

Reality TV, populated by talentless gloryhounds, has supplanted a lot of (openly) scripted entertainment.

The Supreme Court says corporations are entitled to all the rights of personhood.

And the electorate is brainwashed into believing that leaving more money with rich folks and corporations leads to new jobs and trickle down even more than they were in the 80s, it seems.

There's two recent developments where this has become more disturbing to me on a personal level.

Gary Friedrich sued Marvel to try to obtain ownership of Ghost Rider. The merits of his case are, at best, debatable. The Ghost Rider name existed prior to his involvement and testimony says that a lot of editorial direction went into the creation. But there's no doubt he played a significant role in the creation, leading some to believe it would be the right thing for Marvel and/or the studio behind the movie to throw a sum (insignificant to them, but significant to the destitute Friedrich) for his past contributions.

And in come all the folks defending the corporations blindly. The only moral obligation Marvel has is to shareholders (i.e. it is a moral imperative that they maximize profits). If they pay this guy, what about the other contributors? What about cases where it is more difficult to break down contributions? It's not the corporations fault that it's too complicated for them to pay anyone something in consideration of how their past work has now manifested into unforeseen millions of dollars.

What It Feels Like For A Girl (In Comics) by Janelle Asselin

Janelle Asselin pretty much rocks.  Best Shots crew member and a co-host of Shots in the Dark, Janelle went on to be an Assistant Editor at Fangoria Comic, an Assistant then Associate Editor at DC Comics, and a Magazine Editor at Disney (for their Marvel kids' line).  Troy and Matt swear that she's one of the best editors around, especially since she worked on "Short Straw".  Janelle recently completed her Master's Thesis, which she'll soon be turning into a book.  Her particular interest lies in the different ways that women participate in and are represented by the comic book industry.

What It Feels Like For A Girl (In Comics) by Janelle Asselin

Sarah Jaffe and Janelle Asselin, Chicago 2008.  You're welcome.

Every person who loves comics has a different experience.   We all have different opinions on where the value is in the industry – is it in the graphic novels that do well beyond our industry’s borders or is it in the superhero books the industry is known for?  My favorite characters are not your favorite characters and if we were those kinds of people we’d probably fight about it on the internet (and maybe I’ve even done that in my younger days).

Within this geeky stew we call comics are the subset of geek ladies.  We are probably rarely what you would expect.  Stereotypes need not apply.  We are young, old, curvy, thin, girly, tomboyish…you name it, you’ll find a geek gal like that.  I think that’s easy for people to forget.  Just like the men in the industry are not all like the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons, neither are women in the industry exactly what you’d expect.  And while the fight rages on for equality and acceptance for my gender in comics and beyond, we are also often blessed and cursed with experiences that male geeks will never encounter. 

So here are some of my favorite and least favorite moments of being a geek woman, so that those of you who may never know what it’s like to be one can maybe spend a minute walking in my shoes.  In part 2, you’ll get to hear from geek women all across the industry who wanted to share THEIR geek experiences with you (anonymously, no less, so expect some scandalous revelations.  That’s probably not true, but who knows what will happen when it’s anonymous?!).  Take a minute and keep an open mind.

The Digital Comics Essay by Michael C. Lorah

Michael C. Lorah happened along in 2004, joining the Best Shots team early in its existence after I saw the incredible sharp and frequently witty observations he made about comics on the Newsarama message boards.  Michael's worked at DC Comics and these days works in the business world.  But he's still cool.  Aside from that, Michael's a whale of a writer, and you'll be seeing several things from him this week.  Here is an essay Michael dropped on the subject of Digital Comics . . .

The Digital Comics Essay

Dear Makers of Digital Comics, I have a few things I’d like to briefly (I know you’re busy) discuss with you.

Firstly, I don’t entirely trust you. I promise it’s not personal; I’d like to trust you, but when I hand you my hard-earned money, I’d prefer to own the file I’m buying from you. If you go belly-up tomorrow, I’d like to still have the stories that I’ve paid for. Personally, I promise to not do any pirating with those files, and I’m sorry that I can’t speak for anybody else on that particular matter.

But on to my main points. I can divide the rest of my thoughts into three easy categories.

1.       Omnibuses

Some of us aren’t big fans of the twenty-page-installments plan to reading. While I’ve no objection to the serial format, it’s not for me and, in twenty years of anecdotal experience at lending comics to people, it doesn’t seem very popular with potential comics readers.

For print collections, considerations including weight, binding, cost and shipping place certain limits on the dimensions of trade paperbacks. Yes, in digital files weight can be a factor, but not an insurmountable one. Print collections and digital collections don’t need to exist in a 1:1 ratio. Two or three five- or six-issue print volumes can easily fit into a single digital compilation.

Readers want a meaty reading experience. Give it to us. Make no mistake that there is a reason I’ve purchased the Planetary Omnibus or Scud, the Disposable Assassin: The Whole Schebang digitally. They’re offering what I want – hundreds upon hundreds of pages.

Manga publishers, you’re already giving us 200 pages, but you can go farther in digital. A seven-volume print series could be a one volume digital series. Marvel, how about Amazing Spider-Man by Lee and Ditko, all of it. DC, Swamp Thing by Moore, all of it. IDW, those Transformers and GI Joe Classics lines would look good in just a few digital sets. Hey, Fantagraphics, all those Complete Crumb books you have – how about just one Complete Crumb!

And will somebody put out a complete Maze Agency digital collection? Thanks.

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