National Pie Tragedy

As most of you know, January 23rd – today, unless my medication needs adjusting – is National Pie Day. Since I include a piece of pie in almost all of my cartoons and have done so for years, one would naturally assume that I would be a fundamental part of this great celebration. But I have been snubbed.

All across the land people are rejoicing, families are gathering and giving thanks, congregations are praying, school children are singing about pie. But not one word is being uttered about Bizarro, which celebrates pie not just on a single day in January, but all year long. I wasn't asked to ride in a parade atop a pie made of geraniums, I wasn't interviewed by USA Today, I wasn't a guest on Larry King Live. I wasn't even called by some corny morning DJ to talk live on the air about what this day means to me. Instead, my wife and I will celebrate quietly in our tiny Brooklyn apartment with our two cats and a half-dozen (vegan) pies.

I blame capitalism. Greedy retailers have taken all the meaning out of National Pie Day and turned it into a money-grubbing orgy of merchandise and services. What once was a meaningful celebration of a time-honored staple in every person's life, has become another way to line our pockets with soul-draining cash and fill our homes with useless baubles and electronic gizmos to distract us from the real meaning of pie.

Let us not forget on this special day, that pie is not about cash and gifts and merchandise. It's about flaky crust. It's about juicy fruits and syrupy goodness, shared with family and friends. It's about the bounty of Mother Nature's Bosom, flowing forth with fruits and vegetables and grains, captured at their paramount in a round, portable disk of life-giving flavor.

Without pie, we would be nothing more than a nation of cartilage-gnawing barbarians.

http://www.piecouncil.org/national.htm

Diamond 2007 Chart Position and Sales

Near the end of his discussion on the ICv2 Diamond Sales Estimates for December, Tom Spurgeon remarks:

There also seems to be growth at the bottom of the comic sales chart, a slight shift of 20 or so place for equivalent sales, which is a phenomenon I don't know that I've seen convincing analysis on, but I would imagine has to be encouraging.

Ask and ye shall receive, Tom!

I looked at ICv2's Sales Estimates charts for all of 2007, grabbing the sales figures for positions 1, 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300. (I also did the graphic novel charts for positions 1, 10, 50, and 100.) Here's what we get:



(The Y-axis on the chart is on a logarithmic scale.)

The only thing that jumps out at me is that for comics, for every position but 50 & 1, the Jan 2007 numbers are darn close to the Dec 2007 numbers.

Frankly, I was expecting to see more connections. I thought that high numbers at the top would mean low numbers at the bottom, as the big selling titles would eat away at the mid and lower ranks. This is slightly true, as we can see that the highest numbers for 150, 200, 250 and 300 come in October, when positions 1 & 10 are at the lowest.

But every time I thought a pattern was emerging, along came a data set for the month which quashed the pattern.

(In case you're wondering, the big numbers at position 1 in the beginning of the year are from Civil War #s 6-7, then Captain America #25.)

As far as the graphic novel position data goes, it seems to be completely divorced from anything.

Does anyone else see anything different in the data?

(There is also no doubt a better analysis to be made, such as adding all top 10 slots and comparing to the total of the bottom 50 or something like that. This is just what I came up with for a quick look...)

New Library Comics: Week of January 14, 2008

Here's a list of the comics we added to our library collection last week:


Azuma, Kiyohiko. Yotsuba &! / Houston, Tex. : ADV Manga, 2005- vol. 5

The best American comics 2007. / Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006-

Brown, Jeffrey (Jeffrey David), 1975- Incredible change-bots / Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, c2007.

Elfworld / [San Francisco?] : Family Style ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2007-

Emond, Steve. Emo boy / San Jose, CA : SLG Pub., 2006- vol. 2

Fillbach Brothers. Maxwell Strangewell / Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse, 2007

Flight / Orange, CA : Image Comics, c2004- vol. 4

The Ganzfeld. New York : Kaput Press no. 5

Georges, Nicole J. Invincible summer : an anthology / Bloomington, Indiana : Microcosm Publishing, 2007.

Gothic classics / Mount Horeb, Wis. : Eureka Productions, 2007

Hernandez, Gilbert. Chance in hell / Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics, c2007.

Hickman, Jonathan. The nightly news : (a lie told in six parts) / Berkeley, Calif. : Image, 2007.

Hinds, Gareth. William Shakespeare's King Lear : a graphic novel / Cambridge, Mass. : Thecomic.com, 2007.

I keee you!! : a collection of overheards / Baltimore, MD : Atomic Book Company, 2006.

Isaacson, John. Do-it-together silk printing / Bloomington, Ind. : Microcosm Pub., 2007.

Jason, 1965- I killed Adolf Hitler / Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics ; London : Turnaround [distributor], 2007

Kim, Derek Kirk. Good as Lily / New York : Minx, c2007.

Kindt, Matt. Super spy / Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, c2007.

Knapp, Bill. A thorn in the side. / Lafayette, IN : Carbon-Based Books, 2007.

Lat. Town boy / New York : First Second, 2007.

Lay, Carol. Goodnight, Irene : the collected stories of Irene Van de Kamp / San Francisco, Calif. : Last Gasp, 2006.

Marzocchi, Leila. Niger / Seattle : Fantagraphics Books ; [Bologna, Italy?] : Coconino Press, c2006- no. 2

Millionaire, Tony. Sock Monkey : the inches incident / Milwaukie, OR : Dark Horse Books, c2007.

Morse, Scott. Scrap mettle : fast art / Berkeley, CA : Image Comics, 2007.

Nilsen, Anders, 1973- Dogs & water / Montreal : Drawn & Quarterly ; New York : Distributed by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

Petrucha, Stefan. Beowulf / New York : HarperTrophy, c2007.

Road, Cristy C. Distance makes the heart grow sick : a book of postcards / Brooklyn, N.Y. : Croadcore ; Portland, Or. ; Microcosm Publishing, c2007.

Robel, Nicolas. Joseph / Montreal : Drawn & Quarterly, 2007

Ryan, Johnny. Johnny Ryan's XXX Scumbag party. Seattle : Fantagraphics Books, 2007.

Schulz, Charles M. (Charles Monroe), 1922-2000. The complete Peanuts 1965-1966 / Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, c2004-

Staros, Chris. Chris Staros' Yearbook stories, 1976-1978. / Marietta, Ga : Top Shelf Productions, c2007.

Strip AIDS U S A : a collection of cartoon art to benefit people with AIDS / San Francisco : Last Gasp, Ron Turner publisher, c1988.

Takahashi, Rumiko, 1957- InuYasha / San Francisco, CA : Viz, LLC, c2003- vol. 31

Taniguchi, Jirō. The walking man / Wisbech, Eng. : FanFare, 2004.

Tomine, Adrian, 1974- Shortcomings / Montréal : Drawn & Quarterly, 2007.

Vaughn, J. C. Antiques, the comic strip / [written by J.C. Vaughn ; art by Brendon and Brian Fraim. Timonium, Md. : Gemstone Pub, 2007.

Weird science / Timonium, Md. : Gemstone Publishing, c2006- vol. 2


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The Big Three Return

There has been much speculation over the past year or so on the death of self-publishing, particularly for the comic book serial. Not surprising, as many self-publishers have either gone to established publishers (e.g. Linda Medley), gone to the Web (e.g. Phil & Kaja Foglio), or essentially given up (e.g. Mark Oakley).

I think that 2008 will be a make-or-break year. Three of the biggest names in self publishing have new projects starting up: Jeff Smith with RASL, Terry Moore with Echo, and the granddaddy of all Dave Sim with Glamourpuss.

The success of these three enterprises will tell us a lot about the viability of self-publishing comic books in the current era. Will their fans take to their new projects? And if so, will they buy the periodicals or wait for the inevitable trades? (Sim claims that the collection of Glamourpuss most likely won't come out until 2012 or thereabouts.)

However it goes, 2008 should make for an interesting year in comics publishing.

New Library Comics: Week of January 7, 2008

Here's a list of the comics we added to our library collection last week:


Abel, Duane M. Zed : backstage pass : a cartoon collection / Carrollton, Ohio : Published by Corkey Comics, c2005.

Brubaker, Ed. Point blank / La Jolla, CA : WildStorm Productions, c2003.

Brubaker, Ed. Sleeper / La Jolla, CA : WildStorm Productions, 2004-2005. vols. 1-4

Chippendale, Brian. Battlestack galacti-crap foods. [Sunderland, England] : Reg Vardy Gallery; School of Art, Design, Media and Culture; University of Sundrland, 2005

Eisner, Will. Fagin the Jew / New York : Doubleday, 2003.

Fortier, Ron. The Boston Bombers special / Plymouth, Mich. : Caliber Comics, 1997.

Gaiman, Neil. The absolute sandman / New York : DC Comics, 2006- vol. 2

Graphic witness : four wordless novels by Frans Masereel, Lynd Ward, Giacomo Patri and Laurence Hyde / Richmond Hill, Ont. : Firefly Books, 2007.

Lewis, Jon. Ghost ship / San Jose, CA : Slave Labor Graphics, c1996- no. 1

McInturff, Don. The mighty offenders / [Richmond, Va.] : Young American Comics, 2004-

Owen, James A. Starchild / Mesa, AZ : Taliesin Press, c1993- no. 12

Stoops, Tracy. Dark fury / Plymouth, Mich. : Webb Comics, [2002]- no. 1

Styrk, John. Boomtown scabs / [Belleville, Mich.?] : Boomtown Press, 2005- nos. 1-2

Tagami, Yoshihisa. Grey / San Francisco, CA : Viz Comics, c1988- no. 1

Takemiya, Keiko, 1950- To terra -- / New York : Vertical, 2007- vol. 3

Van Lente, Fred. Cowboys & aliens / Los Angeles, Calif. : Platinum Studios, 2006.


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Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Today's cover hails from 2006: Disney's Comic Zone vol. 2, featuring Art Balthazar's Gorilla Gorilla.

(Standard disclaimer about double-names gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Favorites of 2007 - Comic Books

Last Tuesday I presented my picks for my favorite graphic novels and manga of the past year. Today I complete my wrap-up with my favorite "pop" comics from 2007:

Superhero Comics


All Star Superman by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

If the twelve-year-old Dave from 1982 to come forward in time twenty-five years, this is the sort of comic that he would be delighted to see. As such, All Star Superman tickles not just my inner twelve-year-old super-hero itch, it also appeals to thirty-seven-year-old Dave's desire for intelligent, well-crafted stories with gorgeous artwork. It is also the work of a maturing Grant Morrison, trading the surface flash of his JLA and the showy weirdness of Doom Patrol for something with more subtlety.




Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane by Sean McKeever, Takeshi Miyazawa & David Hahn

Where A-S Superman strikes at my inner-twelve-year-old boy, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane appeals to my inner twelve-year-old girl. I don't think there was a single issue of this that when I finished I didn't say to myself: "That was a darn fine comic." These out-of-continuity tales of MJ & Peter in high school had just the right amount of angst, sentimentality and humor. The title was canceled with McKeever's departure for a DC exclusive (where so far his talents are being wasted on drudge like Countdown). Although Terry Moore has been tapped to restart the title sometime in 2008, it remains to be seen if this will come to pass since apparently Spider-Man no longer loves Mary Jane in the Marvel Universe.




Marvel Adventures The Avengers by Jeff Parker, Juan Santacruz, Raul Fernandez, & Leonard Kirk

Issue #12, featuring "Ego, the Loving Planet," was quite simply the most fun super-hero comic of the past five years (at least). Add in issue #9's story featuring the Avengers transformed into M.O.D.O.C.s with one of the most brilliant covers of the year, the Giant Size Special featuring Parker & Kirk's Agents of Atlas, and several other enjoyable done-in-one stories. Would that all of Marvel's super-hero comics be this enjoyable to read!




Love & Capes by Thomas F. Zahler

Super-heroes as romantic comedy have been done before, but Zahler's take in Love & Capes is so spot-on that it rises to the top of the pack. All the main characters are intelligent and nice with a sense of humor about themselves that they're easy to like and root for. Zahler's art is done in an attractive animated style in an eight-panel grid, and he packs in a lot of story and characterization into each issue.




The Spirit by Darwyn Cooke

Cooke successfully updates Eisner's The Spirit for the modern age while still remaining a classic feel as The Spirit. Plus, his art is very pretty to look at.




Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith

Smith's Shazam! miniseries was a comic not without its faults, but it makes it onto this list on the pure power of Smith's version of Mary Marvel. Every time Mary appeared on panel, the comic raised its normal entertaining level up to pure delight.



Other Comics


The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman

The most graphically-innovative comic of the year, and also the angriest. Hickman's The Nightly News requires a shift in the way that one normally perceives and reads comics, requiring that the reader enter a level of engagement with the material that reject a surface experience. The comic also frequently lies to its readership in its tale of secret societies, violence and corporate media, which again forces a closer reading of the material. It remains to be seen if Hickman's approach will work with other material, but for this subject matter it's near perfect.




Glister by Andi Watson

An all-ages title that works on multiple levels, Watson's Glister is an engaging story of a precocious girl who deals matter-of-factly with the strange happenings in her life, including literal ghost writers, wandering houses, and missions to faerie. It reminds one of cherished novels of childhood without seeming derivative.




Honorary mention: not at the top of the list, but still greatly enjoyed this past year were Fables and Jack of Fables; DMZ; Y, the Last Man; Captain America; Green Lantern's "Sinestro Wars"; Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: After the Fall.