Hey Kids, Comics!

This article in an Arizona paper claims that kids who don't read traditional 400 page text laden books will read comic books.

Gee, you think?

Why is this newsworthy? I mean, sure, it's nice for the medium to get a little positive press and a pat on the back that says, "yes, Virginia, comic books aren't going to melt your mind". I mean, really, comic books have always been an alternative to books, even for the cool kids who would never admit to reading them (or in fact did read them, just not the super-hero books). They would still pick up a horror comic if there was one ot be found, or a Calvin & Hobbes or something and kill some time. They're kids. Video games are just interactive cartoons, at heart. The technology has changed, not the impulses.

I think comic books would still appeal to, and be bought by, kids if the accessibility to the material was improved greatly. Prices are waay too high on individual issues and finding them is often very difficult for many people. This is one of the reason Manga is doing so well, but you all know that already.

In a recent post on his blog, Mark Cardwell talks about letting kids have access to stuff like the Ultimate line of books or the same kinds of stuff that got us all into the hobby because of their 'whoah!' factor. Morrison's Doom Patrol, Moore's Swamp Thing...these were books that were instrumental in keeping me into comic books, not Marvel Adventures.

I'll stop there. Nobody needs another 'fix the industry rant'. I guess every blogger does it at least once, right? Anyway, I got it out of my system.

mike