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AICN COMICS STM: Q&@ with AGENTS OF ATLAS' Jeff Parker & CLONE SAGA's Tom DeFalco! Bug writes THE TINGLER! + Tons of PREVIEWS!!!

turd by Cronkit	Jul 6th, 2009 07:21:42 AM

Five by Cronkit	Jul 6th, 2009 08:00:06 AM

Dark Black Bolt. by Gatsbys West Egg Omlet	Jul 6th, 2009 08:02:18 AM

Dark Night Thrasher. by Gatsbys West Egg Omlet	Jul 6th, 2009 08:03:10 AM

^^^ thast every kid by Gatsbys West Egg Omlet	Jul 6th, 2009 08:05:12 AM
on the Iron Man imdb talks.
Finally a slow week by Series7	Jul 6th, 2009 08:08:35 AM
I will actually have money in my pocket after wednesday to buy pizza rolls and jolt cola. Well shit I need to buy that like $6 Savage Dragon crap they pooped out last week still.
oh yeah. by Gatsbys West Egg Omlet	Jul 6th, 2009 08:09:50 AM
Dark Dark Beast.
has anybody else quit comics because of the price? by wallyman	Jul 6th, 2009 08:11:17 AM
I had been collecting comics since 1969,cut it out cold turkey a while,when most of them jumped to $3.99,just could'nt afford it anymore.And Final Crisis did'nt help any
I quit comics because of the quality... by Modulok	Jul 6th, 2009 08:18:14 AM
That shitty, too-clean-cut 'Ultimate Spider-man' style crap you find in almost all Marvel these days - you need to go to one-off trades or indies for old-school style quality
Hoo Hah Comics? by RenoNevada2000	Jul 6th, 2009 08:33:59 AM
Why not just call it VaJayJay Comics?
wallyman by Laserhead	Jul 6th, 2009 08:55:50 AM
I've quit except for Morrison's Batman and Robin. Anything else I really want I'm waiting for the trade. They priced me out, in the sense that I no longer see any value for my dollar. I've got some disposable income, but 3.99 is just ridiculous for the slight amount of story most comics offer (nowadays).
Savage Dragon pooped out too many Obama covers by FeralAngel	Jul 6th, 2009 09:28:46 AM
I mean, Larson used his cartoon character to endorse a presidential candidate and HE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT IT. Good god. Then after the Teleprompter won, Larson crapped out a few more covers including one showing Obama punching Osama in the face. Wow, Muslim-on-Muslim violence - can't beat that. Larson blew his rep and his cred with his creepy-Obama-fanboy obsession. The only comics I buy now are manga. Especially Full Metal Alchemist. Kicks ass and is worth the price.
I quit comics because of the ads by newc0253	Jul 6th, 2009 09:31:14 AM
just kidding, i buy the trades instead.
I' by Series7	Jul 6th, 2009 09:58:46 AM

m tired of those by Series7	Jul 6th, 2009 10:00:35 AM
Stop smoking ads, and say no to drug ads. They don't even say what they are talking about. Especially that one with the snails and the salt which is just kind of gross to look at and is a double page spread a lot of the times. Fucking annoying. I hate those Above the Influence and Truth crap, plus they are probably funded by Marlboro.
18th and it feels so good by ironic_name	Jul 6th, 2009 10:01:04 AM

$3.99 Comics by Nucking Futs	Jul 6th, 2009 10:49:35 AM
Yes, comics are too expensive now. Most of the titles I like to read have jumped to $4, but there are still some quality comics, stories, and art in some $2.99 books. What I don't like is the fact that every single Avengers book is $4 now, along with Hulk, Wolverine, and all the new GI Joe books. At least Green Lantern and Captain America are still $2.99 but how long will that last? I'm sure with Blackest Night and Reborn, they'll jack the mini series price up to $3.99, and they'll think that us consumers will just get used to paying an extra buck for our titles.
$3.99 buys you 22 pages of story at most by Nucking Futs	Jul 6th, 2009 10:51:02 AM
The new GI Joe books save the ads for the last few pages, but for $4, you are getting just 22 pages of story and art.
The Clone saga is nothing by Rufferto	Jul 6th, 2009 10:55:10 AM
compared to what they've done to Spider-man in recent years.
All of IDW's books are expensive by Rufferto	Jul 6th, 2009 11:02:34 AM
They are all four bucks. The industry is just seeing how much they can bleed out of the remaining fans and serious collectors while giving you a more inferior product then there was when the prices were reasonable. I seriously think it's because after all this time they have failed to attract newer readers.
I quit reading my Sarah Palin comics by Snookeroo	Jul 6th, 2009 11:24:00 AM
two-thirds of the way through.
Comics are too expensive by Snookeroo	Jul 6th, 2009 11:52:17 AM
because they're too over-produced. There's no reason to use such expensive paper stock, or have a team of 40 people working on an issue. Simplify the production process -- issues are missing their deadlines because the artwork is over-worked; simple linework merits detailed coloring - or, complex linework needs simple coloring..but unbelieveably complex pencils, layered with unbelieveably complex coloring equals a time-consuming, expensive, indecipherable mess.
I would have just cut down by wallyman	Jul 6th, 2009 12:37:48 PM
But comics are like a drug to me,There was a lot I hated giving up (Walking Dead,Captain America,X-Factor....)But if I go in a comic book store I,m like a junkie,I end up dropping a shitload of money.The one thing good to come out of it,is that I am back to reading novels which I pick up at thrif stores ,e-bay,and fleamarkets for little of nothing and they last longer than a good crap.I do miss comics and will more than likly start buying lots on e-bay.
good point, Snookeroo by Laserhead	Jul 6th, 2009 12:46:40 PM
Remember when comics took like, four guys to make? I don't need my comics to look airbrushed. Particularly when there's only about three pages of story happening.
All These Things Undone by v1cious	Jul 6th, 2009 01:46:54 PM
would someone explain the ending? i don't get it.
Big Ups to the Ambush Bug! by GrantChastain	Jul 6th, 2009 02:01:44 PM
Congratulations on your work there, sir. Glad to see you've jumped into the pool and are now producing comics of your own. If you end up out on the Left Coast for this year's SDCC, let me know. The first beer's on me! ~Grant Chastain
comics are $10 in the au. shut the fuck up about $4 comics. by ironic_name	Jul 6th, 2009 02:24:34 PM

Time for comics to hit the web. by hallmitchell	Jul 6th, 2009 02:56:17 PM
The price and value for money is a big reason why Manga outsells DC and Marvel combined.
THE TINGLER! by Series7	Jul 6th, 2009 03:14:43 PM
Better be better then the actual Ambush Bug series that DC left us hanging with. Bad idea for me to pick that up, especially since I am not a fan of DC.
The comic industry in a nutshell by Snookeroo	Jul 6th, 2009 04:16:43 PM
1) Over-produced. I mean, painted covers are nice, but once you've seen one... 2) No enticement to buy the book. When is the last time you saw a comic cover from DC/Marvel that said anything about the story inside, or had any kind of hook that made you want to pick up the book? Comic covers have become little more than a rendering contest. Who can uber-illustrate these characters in various reposes? Hells bells, when is the last time you saw a comic book cover with an actual word balloon on it? 3) Distribution. Even if a company gets the comic produced/distributed on time, there's no guarantee that it's going to make it to the outlets. The Diamond monopoly can sit on it's thumbs and wiggle all day long, and there's not a friggin' thing anyone can do about it. If I were a large comic book company, I'd be looking damn hard at a different way to get my books to market. 4) Distribution (part II). For most of it's history, comics were distributed to the mass public at large. However, those outlets (Mom and Pop stores, 7-Elevens, grocery stores, etc.)are no longer available. Comics are singularly distributed to comic book stores. Period. That means sales are completely dependent on destination shoppers. No impulse purchases -- which means that a generation of potential buyers is being missed simply because they never come in contact with the product. They don't know comics exist, in any meaningful terms. 5)Too much product. There are too many versions of the same thing. God help you if you're trying to actually start reading comics cold turkey. There's no clear way to break into the medium -- everything is cross-titled, variant covered, epic-arched to the point of incomprehensibility. Creating all of those titles costs a lot of money -- money that would be better-spent improving a more narrowly focused lineup. 6) Audience appeal. There are, of course, exceptions, but comic books as a whole have inserted unbelievable violence and gore as a substitute for well-crafted stories, in a poor attempt to be "adult-oriented". There is little character development or real tension that comes from the writing itself. If the comic companies are going to appeal to a wider audience (and they need to do that to survive), they're going to have to write stories that appeal to a broader audience. That doesn't mean that have to "dumb-down". It just means they have to write stories with more interest instead of more blood. The easiest path is the one that leads to more complexity, and the comic book industry has sprinted down that path like the Flash. It's easy to become complicated and over-done. It's hard work to keep it simple (but good). And the comic book companies have definitely taken the easy route.
$4 is absurd. by Homer Sexual	Jul 6th, 2009 04:27:33 PM
I am trying to wean myself from the many borderline comics I buy, because they are seriously not worth $4. It's just so hard. X-Factor: Bad: All the stupid, horrid future stuff. I was seriously going to quit until Shatterstar appeared, and YES! David is rekindling the S-Star/Rictor romance, so they've got my money for a bit longer. Magazines give HUGE discounts to subscribers...comics...not so much.
Borders by Series7	Jul 6th, 2009 04:33:41 PM
Actually has a comic rack.
Enough with spending money on Comics! by ZodNotGod	Jul 6th, 2009 04:48:08 PM
You are fucking retarded to waste another penny on comics. Go find a free program, Cdisplay.com....and then go to your favorite bit torrent sites, type in your favorite and go nuts with the downloading. And don't give me the indignant shit about it being illegal, we all do it.
Snookeroo by Continentalop	Jul 6th, 2009 05:50:08 PM
Great points. I have always been a fan of simplicity over undo complexity...be it a comic, a movie or a sentence. To me a lot of these comics are doing what Nietzsche said about poets, "intentionally making there puddles muddy so they look deep."
Comics need a serious shake-up by Toilet_Terror	Jul 6th, 2009 06:51:22 PM
Question: why can't you find (child appropriate - I wouldn't even give a kid a Batman comic these days) comic books in non-comic book stores these days? I can find awful Archie comics at the grocery, but that's it.
Homer - Shatterstar/Rictor romance? by Nucking Futs	Jul 6th, 2009 08:30:06 PM
I haven't read any X-Factor recently. The only X books I've been keeping up with in the slightest are Cable and X Force. So, Shatterstar and Rictor are both gay? When did this all happen??
RE: Rictor/Shatterstar by rsanta74	Jul 7th, 2009 12:27:40 AM
Rictor is bisexual. This is something that has been hinted at for years. He's had stuff going on with Boom Boom, Wolfsbane, and & (I think) Monet (once.) However, it's also been suggested even in X-Force (iirc) that he and Shatter might have been a bit more than just friends. Peter David got closer to saying it outright early in his current X-Factor run and confirmed it just last issue (#45) with the Shatterstar/Rictor kiss.
Used to buy Spiderman but... by DrMorbius	Jul 7th, 2009 12:49:46 AM
since they came out with the BRAND NEW DAY garbage I'm done. Thanks MARVEL, for saving me a shitload of money. If more people give up on you, you'll need to go to $5.00 or $6.00 to make up for losing loyal customers.
I like to by Grippy Longstocking	Jul 7th, 2009 06:00:05 AM
...tape each issue of Atlas to this lifesize replica vagina that I got in Reno, so that I can simultaneously read and fuck it.
Also by Grippy Longstocking	Jul 7th, 2009 06:13:41 AM
I agree completely with Zod. Why waste money on books you might not even like? Download the overpriced shit that you are addicted to. Spend that Big 2 cash on indies and shit. Really support the industry. And before someone says "well why not just walk into a shop and steal the comics?" Fuck you. You are an idiot. It's called Piracy, not theft. It's not theft if nothing tangible is stolen. If anything you'll wind up spending more money than before, just on better books that you'll be happier owning.
Bug's TINGLER Scripts Rule by Buzz Maverik	Jul 7th, 2009 07:51:57 AM
I've been lucky enough to get to read 'em. They're funny, well paced, modern but true to the source, with great characterization and some nice vintage-B-horror beats.
Return of the clone by Mr.FTW	Jul 7th, 2009 11:50:51 AM
Good times, I think I am the the only person in the world who actually like both Ben Riley and the clone saga. I'm ready for a new spin on it. The Ben Riley Spider-Man costume was awesome and I always hated they killed him off and gave that suit to Spider-Girl. I have always thoug MArvel missed a big oppertunity when they killed off Ben Riley, they could have moved that character to somewhere like Chicago to establish him on his own away from Peter. They could have brought Black Cat over too for romantic interest and given the comic a much more adult tone. Possibly even made it a Max title giving fans a much harder, rougher Spider-Man without tarnishing the Peter Parker character or worrying about years of Spider-Man continuity.
Continentalop by Snookeroo	Jul 7th, 2009 11:57:20 AM
Thanks -- unfortunately,I see the same kind of scenario in business all the time. It's a classic case of following the path of least resistance; they (the Big Two) are caught up in paradigms of their own creation -- and they're not looking any further than the next quarter's sales. The comic companies are pandering waaaay too much to the fanboys, and sacrificing their future (and a very viable market) in the process. Here's an even bigger problem -- because of the cost of individual issues, a lot of fans just "wait for the trade". Not surprisingly, more retailers are willing to sell the trades because the profit margin makes them worth the shelf space. However, if nobody buys the individual floppies of say, "Underdog Unleashed" because they're "waiting for the trade", the comic companies see "Underdog Unleashed" as a title that isn't selling. Consequently, they're not going to release a trade of "Underdog Unleashed" -- why would they when the floppies didn't sell to begin with? And so resorting to trade sales only will eventually make the whole process worse -- because trades are so damn expensive. The Brubaker Captain America Ominbus is $75, for cryin' out loud. Who, except for the fanbase that already exists, is going to shell out that kind of money for a comic book? So to me, it seems like the answer lies in making the floppies a better value, with a broader appeal and a better distribution system. But that entails work and creative thinking (and, God forbid, some risk), and the suits at both of the Big Two are never going to look further than beating the last quarter's sales.
When did comic fans become such whiny bitches by Joenathan	Jul 7th, 2009 12:51:59 PM
You guys are embarrassing.
Not Snook or Continentalop by Joenathan	Jul 7th, 2009 12:52:50 PM
but the rest of you out there whining... I spit on you.
Mr. FTW--Great Idea by Homer Sexual	Jul 7th, 2009 01:18:38 PM
The only time I ever read Spider-Man was back in the 80's when he was dating Black Cat and fighting the Rose, Hobgoblin, Spot, etc. Those were actually very entertaining issues despite simple, simple art. I am one of those readers who, while not wanting Norman Osborne to be considered a "hero," also cannot stand boring-ass, goody-good heroes, especially Peter Parker ever since he got married. It wasn't even the fact that he got married, just the whole tone and direction since then. I'd totally read a clone book with Black Cat and a harder edge (as long as he doesn't turn into a savage killer. So extreme, these comic characters). Yeah, that whole Rictor-Shatterstar thing was implied waaaaay back in the old 90's X-Force. Joe, if we're lame, so are you...and $4 really is just too expensive. I am now waay over my $100 monthly budget, around like $150.
You're exempt too, Homer by Joenathan	Jul 7th, 2009 02:04:37 PM
So, FTW. In fact, everybody is probably exempt, except that pirate guy, mostly due to his theiving pirating ways, also, I'm totally team Ninja. No, sometimes I just enjoy being declarative and to stir the pot a little... Green Lantern's powers make no sense and giant green boxing gloves are lame! Mephisto is A devil, not THE Devil! Final Crisis made complete sense! $4 is a fair price for the entertainment provided within each issue!
Snookeroo by Thrillhouse77	Jul 7th, 2009 04:40:00 PM
Good points...BUT! Green Lantern Corps last week had a word balloon on the cover. "THIS IS WHAT IT COSTS!" But it's really the exception that PROVES your rule, because GLC is one of the top 5 mainstream comics being written today.
Joen GL by optimous_douche	Jul 7th, 2009 05:13:06 PM
You'll love my review this week then of GLC. I asked bug to format each paragraph in the shape of a boxing glove.
Joenathan by Snookeroo	Jul 7th, 2009 05:21:00 PM
I wish you were writing for some of these comic titles instead of the dough-heads they have now. Find a way to make some money with that talent, young padawan. Thrillhouse77< br>Here's a great example of a lost opportunity. I just bought the first three issues of Flash Rebirth. I've re-read all three issues several times now and damned if I can figure out what's supposed to be going on. Obviously there's a lot of back-story that's I'm missing, but holey shirts, Batman -- the story shouldn't be COMPLETELY dependent on KNOWING what's gone before. That's just lazy writing...and the artwork sure as hell isn't any help. There's so much excessive lightning and junk in each panel that I can't tell what's supposed to be demonstrated -- which, by the way, is what graphic illustration should do, at the bare minimum. AND, it's taken THREE ISSUES to flow through what really should have been covered in one.
Thanks Joenathan for not including me.. by Continentalop	Jul 7th, 2009 05:27:50 PM
with these new whiners. Joe knows I have been whining for at least 2 decades.
S4 is actually to much to pay by Continentalop	Jul 7th, 2009 05:30:41 PM
Of course it depends on your audience. Adults can afford $4. Kids, no way. So if the comic companies want to go after adults, yeah make each issue $4. But if they want kids, they better lower the prices.
I have to buy TINGLER by Continentalop	Jul 7th, 2009 05:31:54 PM
I am a big fan of William Castle's movies.
One word balloon? by Continentalop	Jul 7th, 2009 05:36:58 PM
In my day you had so many word balloons on a cover that sometimes you couldn't even see the main character. AND THAT IS THE WAY WE LIKED IT!
Hey Ambush by Dr.Zeus	Jul 8th, 2009 08:11:00 AM
Good Luck with the Tingler series. So far my only exposure to Bluewater was the Ray Harryhausen stuff. The Earth vs. the Flying Saucers comic made me want to claw my eyes out. My favorite Harryhausen movie deserved better. At least the art looks better on Tingler than it did on that.

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AICN COMICS STM: Q&@ with AGENTS OF ATLAS' Jeff Parker & CLONE SAGA's Tom DeFalco! Bug writes THE TINGLER! + Tons of PREVIEWS!!!

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