Gorton Returns… and Hero By Night criticism
Today’s guest comic by Kyle at soldoutcomic.com — in reference to this classically awesome Yirmumah.
This fellow apparently doesn’t like Hero By Night, and says “it sucks. bad.” That’s fine, from the get go I said it wasn’t for everyone. I do take issue with him saying I’m acting “high and mighty” about it. Sheesh, forgive me for being excited about something I’m working on, and the manner of which it came about. That was a great adventure for me!
Normally, I wouldn’t even reply to criticism of this level, I mean, he thinks my art sucks but he’s a 17 year old Anime clone who’s got a lot to learn about cartooning and art himself, but I digress.
My main beef is, and I don’t want there to ever be a mistake on this matter, my target audience isn’t REALLY super hero comic readers. Also, hey, of course I went on and on about how great and excited I am to be doing it. I’m having a lot of fun, and tons of people ARE digging it. I also think it takes a sort of cocky attitude to make something you’re doing GREAT.
For people who don’t GET IT… I’m setting out to create a new icon. Of course I want it to seem familiar to seasoned comic collectors, retailers, etc… but my main thought of coming up with Hero By Night back in 2003 was that the bigger companies just weren’t cutting the mustard with what they could have done online. The “genre” of super heroes doesn’t even exist in webcomics, so I was going to really put something out and try to make an impact with webcomics back then. I decided to do Yirmumah instead.
Do I hate Marvel or DC or criticize them for their current super hero titles? Naw. It is what it is and what it’s become. But another one of my more recent babblings is that, the #1-#5 comic books are only selling 150,000 copies. No one in comics should be HAPPY about that. It’s a damn shame. Now, saying that, I’m not implying that I think Hero By Night will be some crazy break out hit, I’m just saying i sure wish comics like Spiderman, Batman, Xmen (the usual suspects) were selling a lot more. It’s not to say, either, that they haven’t done GOOD things. People all over LOVE the movies, but like the 17 year old anime clone kid said, they don’t rush out and buy the comics after watching the movie. The same audience who love those movies.. they’re watching the HEROES tv show and digging it. (I know I am!)
One of the best things for the future of the iconic comics has been the Justice League animated shows. I just bought both first season dvds. And DC has actually peaked my interest with this 52 series. That’s going to be one heck of a collection when they’re done and I’ll surely buy that up….. but here we are with the OTHER problem… there are no comic book stores. Well, if you live in a bigger city or town, maybe. But the small shops in the small towns are all gone. The direct market is swallowing itself up, and the big companies keep aiming RIGHT for the same readerships and see the net as only some promotional tool THAT audience. That’s where I definitely know better. I’m kind of fed up with a lot of the “artsy fartsy” crowd in webcomics who are so down on “super hero” anything, or roll their eyes at it. And I’ve made no apologies to also hating the term “pamphlets” when referring to monthly comic book magazines.
I wish I could give my 9 year old son a copy of Xmen, Spiderman, Batman, without him getting bored. And we’re talking about a kid who loves non-fiction and real life stuff.. but these “talky” super heroes of today where it goes on for 22 pages, 28 pages of ads, and nothing happens…. he’s just not feeling it. He does read Star Wars comics and NOVELS though. Hand him a Spiderman, he’ll browse it, but just can’t follow it. So yeah, I just think there is some sort of x-factor that the comic books today are lacking. Adults and teenagers can follow them just fine.. but you have to sort of BEEN a comic book reader. What I’m getting with Hero by Night are people who don’t regularly read comics or NEW readers online, kids who have never really picked up an ongoing title or followed the characters.
So, I’m happy to hear from people who haven’t read comics in ages who are digging on the online Hero By Night stuff. Heck, it’s not even the actual BOOK yet! The webcomic is great, but the book series ends up kicking ten more shades of butt, in my opinion.
Oh, and as far as my art sucking!? Ninja, please. I’ll be the first to admit.. I’m not the BEST out there. No friggin way! Every night I sit down to draw, I feel the shadows of greater men before me… or thinking readers might look and scoff and think “yeah, but he ain’t no steranko!” — Every day I’m learning, growing, moving.. I don’t want to be a clone of anyone else. I’ve studied the fundamentals from the masters, and I still don’t have it. I may never have it. I’ve never ever said my work was the BEST. But every time my pencil touches the paper, brother, you’d better believe I’m trying my damnedest. I tell myself many times.. hey, Kirby was 44 when he drew Fantastic Four.
In closing my ranted response to a 17 year old anime cloner - keep on keepin on, my friend. I’ll be the old man now who tells you that you have a lot to learn and experience before you’re at a level to truly understand markets and the histories of comic books and their makers. And I promise you this.. you won’t forget my name, will you? For better of for worse, even if you hate me, my name will be etched in your brain, and that makes me smile a little. Maybe someday we’ll meet at a comic book show, and when you tell me who you are, I can yell at you… TETSUO!!!!!!!!! and you can answer me by yelling “KANADA!!!!!” — then we will truly know just how far apart our generations are.
Back to the drawing board!
Pssst… New Hero By Night today. Enjoy it, won’t you.‘
November 15th, 2006 at 8:05 am
Mmm. I woulda left a comment on that blog about what a sad little teenager the guy is, but that woulda required me to have a myspace account.
Sooooo…..what a sad little jerkward that guy is. I guess he missed how some people like to try new things. And that 100 episodes of slightly-different episodes based on the flip of a card is not the height of innovation.
November 15th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Ninja, please.
That makes me chuckle.
November 15th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Hmm, I’ve even noticed that some Manga has gotten too talky, even. I remember reading Spawn when I was younger, and some issues I read hardly at all… because there would be pages of text. Not to be down on the whole thing, but I usually read a book if I want to read text. Which is to say, I think I’ve noticed the same thing– a bit too much text in modern comics. I think maybe– too much explanation?
Anyhow, look at this quote:
“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”
Machiavelli.
(been reading a bit of him.)
So take heart, you know you’re doing -something- when you generate emnity.
November 15th, 2006 at 11:40 am
Way to pull off the Akira reference.
That movie is batshot insane.
November 15th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
I love Akira. I remember how hard it was to find a VHS copy of that film when I was in middle school, even harder to get the comics… I was a manga early adopter! heh…
November 15th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
Looks like most everyone (myself included) is tearing that Naruto fanboy a new one on his little “blog”.
November 15th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
You know … I probably shouldn’t say this since you’re running my ad for “Shades” at the moment, but I think you may hav been a bit hasty in your response. Judging by the DeviantArt page, that column seems to have been written by a 17-year old girl - not exactly the target audience for HbN, I wouldn’t have thought.
Whatever you think of her views and, more importantly, the way she expressed them (admittedly a pretty personal attack in places), we older hands shouldn’t feel compelled to respond in kind. Jesus, if we did, Rob Liefield would be replying to personal web rants 27 hours a day!
And let’s be honest, you’ve got the last laugh anyway. HbN is going to be published and, you’re right, the way you landed the gig is reason enough to be pumped up about it.
Now … please don’t pull my ad!
November 15th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
Hah.. I just saw that. Apparently it’s a girl. I feel kinda bad for linking it, but well, if you’re out there online and you want to have an opinion and just lay it out there like that, you should probably be prepared for a reaction.
Again– she doesn’t have to like HBN, it’s cool. It’s not for everyone– but she did get my intentions all wrong.
November 15th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Well, I didn’t have time to do research– when it boils down to it, it doesnt matter who said it, I just wanted to clarify my position on the industry and why I’m pumped up about HBN. Sometimes a heavy handed response is just the only way.
I’m just a very opinionated creator… and hey, people can disagree with me all they want, it’s cool. I wouldn’t pull your ad over that!? hah.
Isn’t it even curiouser now why she would comment on it at all the way she did? Even more reason for me to take a minor break and clarify that I’m not saying superheroes suck, or my clarify what my position is, so that other people don’t make the same mistakes.
November 15th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
You didn’t really think you could go very long without the “Llama de Drama” coming to visit you again, did you DJ? Hehe
November 15th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Your art doesn’t suck, mano.
Tell that kid to take a peep at the original TMNT comics, then look where THAT went.
November 15th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
dude, you art sucks. so does mine. I’m just glad that I suck bad enough to make a decent living drawing and coloring said sucky art day in and day out. It’s rough. Maybe I’ll throw out a little Panic At The Disco lyric in the hopes that it has some relevance across the HUGE generational gap here, “if you talk you better walk, you better back your shit up….”
November 15th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Maybe all the posting over at her LJ did get out of hand.
For my part, I think I’ve mended fences and made a new friend.
My new friend is also a girl. She likes anime. I do not. I like to occasionally have my salty balls licked. She is not into ball licking.
But it turns out we do have one similar source of enjoyment… poonani.
The internet brings people together.
November 15th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
So, you’re not doing anything funny anymore, hell, you’re not even really drawing yirmumah anymore apparently, what’ve you had, like 2 WEEKS of guest strips? AND you’re trolling LIVEJOURNAL tags for people mentioning your name, now? I understand that you’ve invested a lot of cajones in your new business model, and good luck with that, but you gotta realize that HBN takes a LOT from the Phantom, the Shadow, and Batman. You’re not really doing anything new, so good luck on getting enough of an audience.
And blogging about how much some little girl doesn’t like you on her LJ page is… well… pathetic. Sorry, man.
November 15th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Hey Derek, get lost.
I already have enough of an audience. And HBN, was built to have a nostalgic feel.
You’d of hated living in the golden and silver age of comics when every character was inspired by another companies efforts. Hell, Fantastic Four was Challengers of the Unknown just spiced up with powers…
All I ask is, if people are going to talk any talk, no matter what their age, that they be informed enough to know what the the fuck they’re talking about.
November 15th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Also, Derek– you guys shouldn’t ever assume someone is surfing around looking for tags or search engines— I found the link by opening up my Wordpress posting page, and it has listed incoming links. So, yeah, THINK before you assume and post. Same to that kid posting on her blog about that.
November 15th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Ninja, please.
That’s my new favorite catchphrase.
DJ - you don’t have to defend yourself to the likes of Derek. There is nothing worse than debating someone who is almost completely ignorant of the subject at hand. Criticism and opinions are one thing, but spouting off about something you don’t know anything about is another.
HBN rocks. Nuff said, ninja.
November 15th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
Yeah, I mean, I really don’t give a crap if there are people who don’t like Hero by Night. People seem to show their true colors of course. I mean, Derek would seemingly be upset that I haven’t made anything “funny” here. Or that I’ve had 2 weeks of guest comics or taken a break on Yirmumah as if it’s some sort of crime?
I appreciate the people who are happy that I’m happy with what I’m doing. We’ll get back to dick and fart jokes soon enough I’m sure–
November 15th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
I like it. This reminds me of that Penny Arcade comic where the punch line was “It’s not for you!”
I wouldn’t expect a child who isn’t interested in classic comic art to like HBN. If it isn’t a plotless half hour waste of time with loud nonsensical music in the background, it probably wouldn’t interest her at all.
I like it and I read practically everything. HBN isn’t Yirmumah. I hope it that the two don’t merge.
You’re just getting started here and there is already children wanting to stop and go to the bathroom.
Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t get too distracted. Leave the dismembering of the critics to us crazy bastards who don’t pick up a pen any more.
The pen may be mighter than the sword but the sword ends the conversation forever.
November 15th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
Even if you felt justified by putting the link to that girls’ personal journal, it was really rude of you to link her art page. Considering she’s still a kid, what kind of person are you to compare what you’re doing to what she does? I read through the comments everyone left her, and she says she does it as a hobby, whereas you do this kind of thing all the time. I just don’t think this whole entry was very mature.
November 15th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
Ninja, please.
November 16th, 2006 at 12:40 am
DJ, Why do you hate women so? It seems your hatred comes through even when you think they’re men. Which would seem to indicate that you’re an equal opportunity responder, but is actually PROOF of your total misogyny. HATER!
November 16th, 2006 at 12:46 am
Hey… I forgot… it’s still SHUTHFUUPMO! heh..
November 16th, 2006 at 6:57 am
I’m still trying to figure out how a “nanowrimo” isn’t a really, really small wrimo.
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