Previously On Comics: Oh, comics.

Hello, Previously fans! Kate here with the final Previously on Comics of 2016. And this past week was a doozy, reminding us all that just being in comics is a questionable life choice. Sometimes you spend a morning away from social media for whatever reason–a late morning snooze, an early morning workout–and then you check Twitter, and it’s like…

A few days ago, a couple stories broke at the same time that reminded people of just how questionable comics is as an industry, as well as how questionable some comics journalists can be. In case you missed either, or both of these stories, please allow me to walk you through them.

Renae De Liz and husband Ray Dillon were, by all accounts, doing excellent work on the Legend of Wonder Woman and partway through volume two when they received the unexpected news that it was cancelled. Notable not only because of its quality, but because it was one of the few times Wonder Woman has been actually written by a woman, there seems to be no official word on why the title was suddenly cancelled mid-arc, though speculation abounds that the cancellation was a reactionary, punitive move on the part of DC due to tweets about the new series by Kevin Grevioux on the Amazons–and how De Liz had been pitching the same story for years, only to see Grevioux be literally handed the story she wanted to tell.

The cancellation also came at a time when De Liz and Dillon found out they were expecting their fourth child, and so the loss of what was assumed to be steady income was doubly devastating. De Liz set up a GoFundMe, which you can donate to here, and I’m pleased to note that they’ve raised 250% of what they were asking for.

To me, the situation reaffirms several truths about comics that people in comics don’t like to be reminded of. When a comics creator posts something on social media, even when it’s not overtly critical, it’s considered so horrifically bad that a comics publisher will actually cancel the series to spite them, while simultaneously spiting themselves by losing income and drawing more public criticism for their actions, (the phrase, cutting off your nose to spite your face comes to mind). And at the same time, when it comes to serious workplace issues like sexual harassment and assault, the policy seems to be to ignore it and hope that it goes away.

Another story that broke around the same time is unrelated, but also illustrates some hard truths about comics and comics journalism. It’s a common and well-documented fact that there’s a patronage system in comics where publishers dole out review copies, access, and other perks to outlets who provide the most favorable coverage. This is not something limited to comics. Everyone knows about sponsored content and native advertising. The difference is that when Buzzfeed publishes a “How Would You Die in Game of Thrones?” quiz, sponsored by HBO, they have to disclose that HBO is paying them for it right on the page. It’s right there, under the quiz title. And that’s because of FTC regulations.

Whether this applies to comics is a fair question, and one that even some not-journalists in comics seem confused about. Nick Hanover of Loser City tweeted out the best summary of the issue I’ve found, so I’m just going to defer to him here.

All right. Now, still need a reminder of why you’re here and why you love comics? Me too.

Speaking of sponsored content, Coca-Cola and Marvel teamed up to create these fireplace videos (see the big disclosure at the beginning and the Coca-Cola logo?), which are basically a Marvel-themed version of one of my favorite childhood memories, the Yule Log on PBS. The videos, which are an hour long, include music selections in addition to the crackling fire and other sounds. Tony Stark, Thor, Steve Rogers, Kamala Khan, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. An interesting selection. Kamala’s includes the sounds of her family–soft talking and the sound of cooking. Surprising no one, my favorite is Captain America’s, with the sounds of New York and the 1940s big band version of “O Christmas Tree,” but Baby Groot dancing to Christmas songs is definitely being included on my Yule Log playlist this year.

But in case silly character-related sponsored content isn’t your comics happy place, here’s some more news, outside the Big 2.

Moving away from mainstream comics now–

  • One of the iconic movies of my college years, Sailor Moon R, is premiering in theaters across the country in January, including my old college town, Appleton, WI.  Check here to see if it’s playing near you and to purchase tickets.
  • It was revealed at the Jump Festa Expo that Lionsgate is not only still moving forward with its live action Naruto adaptation, but that Masashi Kishimoto, the Naruto creator, is actually involved in it.
  • Black Girl Nerds and The Black Geeks are partnering up to organize a Universal Fan Con, a con which, will attempt to “integrat[e] the spirit of an inclusive world into the fabric of the Con itself,” which is definitely a goal that I support. You can find their Kickstarter here, and as of this posting, they’re only at about $5,000 of their $25,000 goal.
  • More Free Comic Book Day titles have been announced. I’m linking you to the post on Comics Beat that includes them all in one place, because that’s how I roll. People are apparently creaming themselves over the Red 5 Keyser Soze offering, but I am definitely looking forward to the Fresh Off the Boat special written by Gene Yuen Lang.
  • Blizzard has announced that it’s going to be publishing its own stuff now, including novels, manga, and at least one adult coloring book.
  • A small press based in California is putting together a trans anthology and looking for submissions from transfolk.

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and we’ll see you all in 2017!

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Kate Tanski

Kate Tanski

Recovering academic. Fangirl. Geek knitter.

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