comics befuddlement

[egypturnash]

So I was at the bookstore tonight with ultraken being bad and browsing graphic novels off the rack. I skimmed the collection of the much-lauded 'Herobear and the Kid'.

I do not see what people see in this self-indulgent, saccharine stuff. I didn't in the first issue. Even less so after discovering the backstory of it tonight, and seeing (a) three or four glowing quotes at the end of every issue's worth of story in the collection, and (b) almost half the book taken up by design sketches.

Let the comic speak for itself, man. I can see having review puffery on the back of the actual issues of the comic; the package has to be its own advertising to some degree. But having those in the middle of the collected book is just plain wrong. And then being so in love with the previous versions of the project that you fill up almost as many pages with old concept sketches, parts of the HB&tK film pitch, several pages on your working method, pinups you've done for other artists' books, completely unrelated doodles, and whatnot? Sure, I like seeing a few pages at the back of the collected volume with design roughs, early explorations, and guest art, but this is way over the line into self-love.

(oh, shut up and work on your oh-so-brilliant comic, Peggy. Shame messy stuff like this with tightly chaotic art and script, not with snide masturbation asides.)

Comments

[mandrill.livejournal.com]

I don't think much of Herobear and the Kid either. Nice artwork, but the story and characters aren't very interesting. I suspect the concept sketches are added to pad each issue out. Can you believe Herobear has been optioned for an animated feature? Of course, now that 2D is "dead," I wonder if the film will even get made?

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yes, I can, given that it looks like the creator's been shopping it around as one for at least five years. It's got elements that are quite precisely designed to appeal to soulless executives who want to recapture the lost magic of childhood. In fact, I bet some version of that phrase would be in the trailers, and probably was part of his pitches.

Oh, every issue has concept sketches, so all the stuff at the back of the collected volume is what you would've gotten if you had bought the individual issues? Okay, it's vaguely less masturbatory. But that still means that every issue must've been about 1/3 preliminary art...

[inkthought.livejournal.com]

I like it because it looks like animation. It was the first comic book I was ever convinced to read, because of this look. I haven't seen the one you're talking about, but I agree the story is weak. Still, I think the poses and drawings have worth... and charm.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

It does have some nice visual moments because of the animation feel... but geez, the story is so saccharine it's a cancer risk. And I can't enjoy a comic book that has lovely art and bad story, or the other way around; comics are words and pictures, and all the visual pyrotechnics in the world can't distract me from a hollow core.

[paka.livejournal.com]

I've never seen it. But I can easily see there being a cult-like devotion to cult-like devotion to, is that a comic book under all that?

[eselgeist.livejournal.com]

at a glance, i missread ultraken as "ultrakraken" which struck me as the coolest name evar.

herobear is pretty slick, i think. though yeah, just get on the with storytelling, already. save the filler and masturbation for the 10 year retrospective, etc.

speaking of which... *backs to work*

[ultraken.livejournal.com]

Ultrakraken... I have to agree that's pretty cool.

[wolphyn.livejournal.com]

But "ultrakraken" seems kinda redundant. *grin*

everyone has to start somewhere

[acertaindoebear.livejournal.com]

Hoosht!

Well, Herobear certainly taint John Marc DeMatteis' "Moonshadow" -:P

I'm personally awaiting the film adaptations of "A Fine and Private Place" (Peter S Beagle), "To Reign in Hell" (Steven Brust), "Zod Wallop" (William Browning Spencer), "Expiration Date" (Tim Powers)

When "Robert's Rules of Order" comes out by Vertigo, that'll be the apocalypse, for sure

Until then, life is good -:D