Every year, we send out a survey to some of our favorite creators and ask them questions about the year in comics. We had an incredible response this year, and got creators from all corners of the comics world to weigh in one what they loved about comics in 2016. Every day this week, we will be sharing a different question from our questionnaire.
Hopefully these inspire you to check out some new books, and to give some other books a second look.
Our fourth question: What are you looking for from comics in 2017?
James Harren (Artist, “Rumble,” “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth”) – More great translations of manga and European books. More great Image books from singular cartoonist voices. Collaborations are great, but I want to see more artists not watered down by myopic writers working on their TV pitch. I’m also looking for Richard Corben’s new stuff next year. “Rat God” was bananas. And at 76 he’s still making us all look like rubes.
Steve Orlando (Writer, “Supergirl,” “Virgil”) – I am very excited to see Sina Grace and Allessandro Vitti’s work on “Iceman,” as well as the continued growth of DC’s Young Animal imprint and upcoming work there from Tini Howard and Mads Visaggio – as well as “The Dregs,” coming from Black Mask Studios, by Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler, Eric Zawadzki, and Dee Cunniffe, which I think is one of the best new comics I’ve read in a long time. I’m also very excited for the initial releases from Lion Forge, headed by Joe Illidge and Desiree Rodriguez.
Caspar Wijngaard (Artist, “Limbo, “Assassin’s Creed: Locus”) – I do love the medium, but it’s upsetting and unsettling how much hate and negativity still insists on rearing its ugly head. I hope we as creators continue to tackle it head on in 2017, champion diversity and celebrate progressive storytelling.
Sonny Liew (Artist, “Doctor Fate,” Writer/Artist, “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye”) – I’ve got a couple of friends working on books for First Second. I don’t know if they’ll be out in 2017 but both look like really intriguing titles – Antoine Revoy’s “The Playground” and Brian MacDonald’s “The Land of the Dead.”
Rafer Roberts (Writer, “Harbinger Renegade,” “A+A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong”) – A bunch of new publishers like Aftershock and Black Mask and Z2 started making good inroads with quality comics from both well-known and up-and-coming creators in 2016. I hope to see more of that kind of thing continue next year, where more and more good comics (and good gig opportunities) are made available.
Dan Watters (Writer, “Limbo,” “Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame”) – I’m really excited for DC’s Pop-up imprint stuff, both the continuation of the Young Animal books, which are definitely some of my favourite books on the shelves currently, and the new Wildstorm titles. Aside from my nostalgia for those characters, I think it’s definitely high-time for them to return; the idea of militarized superheroes I think has definitely taken on new context in the 2010s (particularly in this absolute toilet of a year,) and hopefully these books will return with a lot more new to say about the militarized, commodified world around us.
Donny Cates (Writer, “The Paybacks,” “Interceptor”) – Speaking as a fan here, I’d really like to see some the power hitters do some more creator-owned stuff. A new Bendis c/o book would be killer, or in that same wavelength, Dave Marquez stepping into something like that would be amazing. Also, of course, I’d like to see the opposite as well. Get Terry Moore on a Marvel book! Get Nick Pitarra or Geoff Shaw on Hulk! Put Logan Faerber on a Green Lantern series! Put my dude Ian Bederman on a Ghost Rider book! I love the idea of singular voices on big stuff, and big voices on singular stuff. I’m always going to be there for that.
Moritat (Artist, “The Hellblazer,” “All-Star Western”) – The coloring in american comics is quite exciting. I am really paying attention to color artists!
Ryan Ferrier (Writer, “Hot Damn,” “D4VE”) – More new voices. More diverse voices. More hope. Less hatred. Less fear. Less risk.
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Sina Grace (Writer, “Iceman,” Artist, “Lil’ Depressed Boy) – X-Men Blue and Gold, no joke. Pretty much anything Image has to offer.
Brian Schirmer (Writer, “Black Jack Ketchum”) – Hope. We look to be heading into a bleak future, at least in the short term, and one small way to combat that will be via art that not only inspires and entertains, but also reminds people that all is not lost.
Tom Scioli (Writer/Artist, “Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe,” “Super Powers” backup in “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye”) – Comics is way overdue for a major shakeup in every aspect. The aesthetics and reading experience have changed very little since the 1940’s. There’s a breakthrough that’s sitting there right under our noses that we keep overlooking. Maybe 2017 is the year.
Matthew Rosenberg (Writer, “4 Kids Walk Into a Bank,” “Civil War II: Kingpin”) – I think we really need more of those books that bring in new readers and excite the existing ones. We need the next “Saga,” “The Walking Dead,” “Lumberjanes,” or “The Wicked + the Divine.” We need that book that everyone can point to and universally celebrate.
Michael Moreci (Writer, “Roche Limit,” “ReincarNATE”) – As much as I’m thrilled for the strong content coming out every year, I’m hoping comics can make room for books that take more chance and do what art is supposed to do – make people look at things they don’t see, willingly or otherwise. Comics has always blended the line between entertainment and art, and it’s a great mix, but it seems like the needle is pushing a little heavy towards entertainment these days, and it’s been occupied by aspiring to make its audience feel good. Let’s get back to rattling some damn cages. Give me the next “DMZ,” the next “Preacher,” the next “Scalped.” I want that raw book the grabs me by the lapels and gives me a firm shake. Don’t play so nice, comics. Let’s be more confrontational.
B. Clay Moore (Writer, “Savage,” “Aloha, Hawaiian Dick”) – More variety, more original concepts. Hopefully the market continues to embrace companies like Valiant and Aftershock, as they take a new approach to the mainstream, using creators and concepts every bit as polished and well constructed as anything on the stands.
Also looking forward to the continued proliferation of comics-inspired television and film properties. Comics is where many of the best ideas exist, after all.
Rob Williams (Writer, “2000 AD,” “Suicide Squad”) – More inclusion. More ‘comics are for everybody.’ Getting rid of the misogyny that still seems to rear its head too often in the industry. Given some of the turns the world has taken in 2016, I do think it’s up to us to embrace diversity in our work more than ever before.
Brian Hurtt (Artist, “The Sixth Gun,” “Poppy”) – I want to see the tent continue to get larger. There has been an active struggle through the last several years to diversify representation in thought, in story, in characters, and in creators. I see no sign of that diminishing and it’s very exciting to me as a fan of storytelling. A lot of us believe we are in a golden age of comics–I think pound of pound there are more great books than ever–but I also believe that the best is yet to come. I can’t wait to see what comics has in store for me, the fan, in the coming years!
Joshua Hale Fialkov (Writer, “Exodus: The Life After,” “Punks”) – I think we’re in an interesting time for the industry. We need to make a decision about whether we’re in the business of creating ideas or servicing IP’s. I think so much of what goes on is about the latter rather than the former. Taking the opportunities we have to create wholly original, only able to exist in the medium stories is what makes comics amazing. I hope more of us take that opportunity.
Sanford Greene (Artist, “Power Man and Iron Fist,” “Wonder Girl”) – Great creator owned comics!
Ryan Browne (Artist, “Curse Words,” “God Hates Astronauts”) – Well, not to be so focused on my own stuff, but I’m very excited for my new book “Curse Words” to hit stores in January. Charles Soule and I have been working on it for over a year, so hopefully it will be a satisfying experience to have people actually read it.
Continued belowFabian Rangel Jr (Writer, “Space Riders,” “Doc Unknown”) – Hmmm. I think comics are on the right track, seems like a lot of creators are just fucking going for it. So, more of that. More writers/artists just making the kind of comics only they can make, putting all their favorite stuff into comics. Passion! Energy! Insanity! Heart!
Alex Paknadel (Writer, “Turncoat,” “Arcadia”) – 2017 is going to present the human race with some deeply unsettling, once-in-a-century challenges. We’ve seen this medium tackle some of the most pressing issues of our age head on, and I’m ferociously proud to be working at a time when these discussions are being had; however, in 2017 the stakes get stratospherically high. The loose consensus that’s held since 1945 is about to collapse – possibly spectacularly and possibly with a whimper – and that means those of us with a platform, however small, are obligated to get some serious skin in the game if we haven’t before. I would never ask anyone to jeopardize their personal safety or that of their families, but I really hope that publishers and creators remain committed to making challenging art that speaks truth to power.
Ollie Masters (Writer, “Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original,” “The Kitchen”) – I don’t know, 2016 was such a shit year, I’m just hoping 2017 will bring comics that will make it all not seem quite as bad.
Other than that the usual, more comics for more people.
