WARNING: the following article is an opinion piece by a very opinionated fellow. The thoughts contained therein do not reflect the thoughts of Multiversity or its staff on the whole (though some may agree with them.) That said, it may not be appropriate for readers of all ages/lifestyles/maturity levels.
Wherein Our Hero Attempts to Tie Up Loose Ends
Alright, first off, this is gonna be the last Hate Mail for a while. Ever notice those “Volume 1” labels on every article (theres one above this very paragraph, in fact)? These were put in place by the powers that be, assumingly, because they knew either A) the concept would burn itself out and not be sustainable in the long term; B) I’d get tired of it or C) some combination of the two. For those keeping score at home, the correct answer is C. Simply put, being angry and confrontational on a consistent basis is making me lose my objectivity for being angry and confrontational. To expand a bit…the line between constructive criticism and being a complete asshole is a fine line for anyone to walk and lately I’ve felt myself slipping away from the constructive crit angle this column was supposed to take since day one and did for a little while…and the asshole slop is a slippery one once you start down it. So I’ve decided it best to cut it off for now and come back in two weeks with a new column that isn’t explicitly written to piss people off…I’m still gonna try and make you think, but in a more roundabout way. Does this mean that Hate Mail Volume 2 will never come into being? Hell no. I am way too opinionated and egotistical to not write a good ol’ rage column now and again…but as a regular occurrence, it’s already gotten old.
However, before I put this baby to bed, I have a few final barbs to get out there. Many of these will be bullet points that some day I hope to turn into decent arguments…but for not they’re just snippets of a less-than-thought-out-thought-process.
So, one last time (for now)…
A Few Things I don’t like about Comics and (some of) the People Who Read or Otherwise Consume Them.
1) Overpopulation of Popular Characters/Series
This one is a VERY old hat critique, but one that might be GROWING in legitimacy. The best example I can cite in modern times is the current status of Deadpool. Namely, how in June, good ol’ Wadey Wilson will be featured in no less than FIVE ongoing or mini-series…and that’s just off the top of my head…in addition to who knows how many guest appearances. For years and years Deadpool was very much a cult character, existing on the periphery of the Marvel Universe proper and much beloved by an admittedly small group of fans (at least in terms of today’s standards.) This more or less constant support for the character by its die hard fans (myself and EiC Matt included) saved Wade from complete cancellation time and time again over the years until his position in the MU was more or less placed in the safe zone with the phenomenal-from-start-to-finish Cable and Deadpool series.
Then came the Wolverine movie…and all of a sudden the uber-violence meets tongue in cheek humor that Deadpool was known and loved for became the new “it” trend in comics (and mass, action based fictional media in general, really) and all of a sudden we have five Deadpool books. While this may prove to be a financial boon for Marvel, it’s basically a death sentence for the character, and here’s why: by diluting the Deadpool “brand”, Marvel loses all the confidence of the original fans of the character. When there are five Deadpool books and at least four are absolutely horrible, it sullies the character’s image in GENERAL, not just within the context of the individual books themselves. Now, I can still get behind the Daniel Way main title, though I know many who cannot…and I admittedly enjoy the IDEA behind Deadpool Corps, as absurd as it is, although the Liefeld art makes it an immediate non-buy…however Merc With A Mouth is entirely ruined by the art and Team-Up has just been horrible in general. Looking forward and hypothesizing a bit: what’s going to happen down the road when Wade’s antics become less popular (granted, this may not happen for a good long while or ever…but I suspect it will) and the original fans that kept him aloft have become so disenchanted with the character that they no longer feel the need or desire to even purchase anything with his name in the title again?
Continued belowNot saying this is a definite outcome…but I wouldn’t rule it out at this point…which is just sad.
2) Asshole Retailers Out to Make a Quick Buck and/or Clearly Pad Their Own Egos via the Bringing Down of Customers
I touched upon this in my column about Boston Comic-Con last week and packed the majority of my statement into the sub-heading anyway, but I’m sure all of you have at some point met a comics retailer you simply can’t help but despise. As much of a faux-pas as this phrase may be within fandom, the “comic book guy” stereotype comes from a VERY real example set by some retailers. There’s nothing worse than walking into a store and immediately feeling out of place. I know for a lot of people, the comic shop is a place of comfort, where they can be free to indulge in their own eccentricities in a safe environment, away from the pre-disposed notions of modern society (I know this was absolutely the case for me throughout most of my youth.) That said, nothing is worse than knowing the place you go to escape and be yourself is a hornet’s nest of egos, inflated prices and unwarranted social judgment. Of course, the existence of these…less than friendly…retailers only makes the ones who actively engage their customers in a friendly way and create a sense of loyalty and camaraderie between seller and customer even more special. I could go on…but I feel my point is made…or made well enough that you can relate it to an experience you’ve had or currently have…so instead I want to say that the woman who runs the New England Comics in Allston, MA is a total sweetheart who has never once provided anything less than 110% positive service…I just wish I knew her name so I can thank her better. However, to cite an example…any comic shop that has “free hot dog with purchase of a comic” days is an immediate winner.
And finally, my favorite subject…
3) Elitism, Distrust and General Antagonism from Fan to Fan
I’ve pretty much beaten this horse to death, but it’s a problem that remains prevalent to me. The biggest enemy to any self respecting comic book fan has long since been OTHER FANS…and that’s just not okay. We can all (myself very much included) work on this. Granted, those who are the guiltiest of the following will probably just call me an asshole and make disparaging comments about my mother and/or taste in movies. You realize, of course, that this proves my point entirely.
Some Things to Remember:
1) Stating a strong opinion and using it to condemn someone else is never wise. Your opinion is no more or less valid than anyone else’s. Things will be what they are and constructive dialogue between holders of divergent opinions should always be prioritized above condemning someone you disagree with. (This is, in large part, why this column is ending…I forgot this one, and will own up to it.)
2) Anonymous criticism on the internet is never okay…and the meaner it is, the less okay it becomes. The thing I love about this site is that, generally, when someone has a legitimate grievance, they own it and stick by it. Using anonymity (or partial anonymity) to inflate one’s own ego and bring down others is never, EVER acceptable and is a sure fire sign of an asshole. Don’t be an asshole.
3) Reading/Collecting/Appreciating comics does not make you any better than the rest of the world. Admittedly, this is a more rare occurrence than the others, but it does still happen…I know, I’ve SEEN it (hell, when I was 15, I LIVED it.) Comics, much like any other form of expression, are a way in which people can relate to the world around them and maybe find meaning in their own lives (or even to just read and enjoy), just like music, movies, sports and any other pass time or hobby. Using them as some kind of status symbol is childish and accomplishes absolutely nothing.
4) Finally, and most importantly…we’re all in this together. Like it or not, our love of comics makes us a community, albeit a widespread, steadily growing and diversifying one based on the current leanings of pop culture, but a community nonetheless. We should embrace each other’s eccentricities, opinions and stances and truly create a community we can be proud of and serves as an example to other subcultures. If the comics community (creators and fans alike) unites, with our combined creative imaginations there’s no telling what we can accomplish together.
And with that, this volume of Hate Mail comes to a close. Check back in a few weeks as I launch a new, currently untitled but mostly defined column that I imagine, much like Hate Mail, will see those who get it, get it and those who don’t get it, flame it.
Joshua Mocle is getting off this Haterade kick and starting over. To read his thoughts about things that DON’T have to do with comics (aka punk rock and burritos), check out soundgrenade.
