THE EXPERIMENT PART ONE -- By Joseph Illidge

[Blake Petit]

THE EXPERIMENT: Part One of a six column miniseries

THANK YOU

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/38/JOEinSD.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/38/JOEinSD.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>My name is Joseph Illidge. I used to work at DC Comics in their Editorial department, and before that I worked at the now-gone but never forgotten Milestone Media, Inc., and before that I collected comic books for as long as I can remember.

As some of you know, I left the comic book industry in a bit of a fit, and decided to speak out about various things happening behind the veil of the DC Universe.

Almost five years have passed, and my feelings toward the comic book industry (and life) has changed.

But enough of that sappiness. Blake Petit has been kind enough to give me this forum to write a column, and I’d like to use it to examine various aspects of the industry, the culture, and the consumers/fans that are an ingredient of the fuel that keeps the business going.

While I will sometimes shy from naming names, sometimes I won’t, and while I will do my best not to slander anyone, sometimes my content will imply opinion.

So, to wrap up this prologue, I’d like to thank the people at Comixtreme and you, the readers, for taking the time to read this, the first of six columns, that in some ways will thematically link, and hopefully make a macro-statement. I wish I could say it’ll be as groundbreaking as what Grant Morrison’s doing with Seven Soldiers of Victory, but who knows, so I’ll just do my honest-to-goodness best.

<center>“Thank you, Joe Casey.”</center>

I stopped collecting comic books after Thanksgiving of last year as part of an experiment (no pun intended) to see if I could stay away from the four-color narcotic that I’ve fixed on since the first grade.

That experiment was prompted by a few things.

One: I noticed that every time I walked out of the comic book store, I spent almost twenty-five dollars for eight comic books that would provide one hundred minutes of entertainment. Considering the amount of groceries that I could buy with twenty-five dollars, I didn’t consider the entertainment time proportionate to the cost.

I used to talk with people who would say “Yeah, I used to buy comics, but they got too expensive.” And I would say “But Morrison’s X-Men is great. You have to read it.” or “The Ultimates is the Avengers, but better. You have to read it.” But each person I had that discussion with was unbending, and then, before you know it, I became the person on the other side of the discussion. I had to laugh to myself when I discovered the role reversal.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/18/batman-hush-tpb2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/18/batman-hush-tpb2.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>Two: BATMAN: HUSH.

No joke.

I bought the first issue of the year-long story, was intrigued, stayed with it, then started getting bored, and just when I was about to bail, I learned that Nightwing was going to be in the next issue. Now what fan wouldn’t want to see Jim Lee’s first crack at that character? So I stuck around, and before you know it I’m at part ten (or eleven, Hell, I don’t remember) and the end with (Spoiler alert if by some miracle there is someone reading this who gives a flying patootie but was either in a cave or stranded on an island when HUSH came out) a Jason Todd gone bad was frakkin’ (Thank you, Battlestar Galactica) awesome!

I said to myself “Okay, this is cool. DC has balls. This will really rock the Batman mythos to its foundations. I have got to go back to see how this plays out.”

Thirty days later, turns out it was Clayface, and the real thing is that the Riddler discovered Batman’s identity, and Batman dissed and dismissed him.

For me, and every other person I spoke with who read HUSH, that was really anticlimactic, and for me, life imitated a cartoon as my face turned into a lollipop with the word SUCKER in all caps.

A one year, twenty-five plus dollar investment, for the Riddler finding out who Bats is, and Bats just brushing it off.

Three: THE FILTH

I go on record saying I have madd (yep, two “d”s, ‘cause it’s slang, for the madd people out there who don’t realize you don’t spell it with just one “d”) love for Morrison. Ever since a girl named Lori convinced me in my senior year of college to start reading DOOM PATROL and ANIMAL MAN, I’ve been under his pop magic spell. Madd team books still pale by comparison to his JLA run, and his run on X-Men is nothing short of revolutionary and definitive, and I liked every issue of THE FILTH, except for issue thirteen, which I felt answered less questions than I hoped and would have liked.

No lollipop head this time, just bewilderment on my part.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/21/WC_3PO_COVER.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/21/WC_3PO_COVER.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>Anyways, Four and final: JOE CASEY AND WILDCATS 3.0

Joe Casey’s run on WILDC.A.T.S. Volume Two and WILDCATS 3.0 is one of my favorite runs in comics from the last eight years. I bought every issue, and then got the trades and gave the original 3.0 issues (that were collected) to a friend.

A primary theme throughout WC 3.0 was consumerism, and I read Casey’s introduction in the first trade paperback.

And that was the moment it clicked for me. The damn obvious truth.

I was a COMIC BOOK ADDICT, in caps. A consumer. A drone. An “Every Wednesday dot dot dot” guy.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/38/CSPACE_cover.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/38/CSPACE_cover.jpg" align="left" border="0"></a>I didn’t like the feeling of realizing that. I mean, why did Greg Rucka’s novel CRITICAL SPACE cost less and give me more entertainment time and fulfillment than any Wednesday’s bundle of pamphlets?

The answers were and are obvious, and equally so was that I was changing as a consumer, and I needed more than three dollar pamphlets that were one-sixth or one-twelfth of a story (decompressed storytelling, dontcha’ know), so I went to trade paperbacks, which kept me going for a while.

But that’s the equivalent of a pothead only smoking a sandwich bag’s worth of The Chronic once a month instead of smoking a dime bag a week.

So I decided to go where I always feared to tread, and pledged to stop buying the stuff for a year, then go back with renewed enthusiasm and interest. I’m on month seven as of this writing.

The epilogue to this story is that I was going to make an exception for THE ULTIMATES Volume 2, since Volume One was my high-quality Hollywood cocaine, but that would be like a drug addict saying “I’m staying away from all drugs, but once a month, I gots to have me some crystal meth.”, so alas, I have no idea what’s happening in Volume 2, but I’ll find out when I buy the first trade in December of this year.

So that was it. No buying comics or surfing industry-related websites for a year. In true 60’ Marvel fashion, a comic book taught me something, and my sincere thanks to Joe C., who enriched my life with good stories, and a wee bit of truth, and my apologies to him for not buying issues of THE INTIMATES (because word is it’s on the chopping block, and that is a damn shame) and, or INFANTRY.

<center>“Thank You, Brandon Thomas”</center>

Circumstances that I can’t get into detail about have redirected me back to the industry to conduct some research.

Don’t make that face. No, really! It’s research.

Anyways, on my first day back, I learn that a columnist bud of mine named Rich Johnston became a dad. Frakkin’ cool.

On my second day back, I see an article at another website written by Brandon Thomas called “Stop Sayin’ “N*****…”. Now, since I’m a Black man (West Indian-American), I was intrigued by the article’s title, and was compelled to read it.

And I did.

And I was disgusted.

Now, I don’t know if John Byrne is a racist, and I haven’t bought his stuff for years because it’s not worth my money, but that article (coupled with various rumors I’ve heard through the years) gave me enough pause so that:

A: There is no way in God’s green earth that I, as a person of color, will ever purchase something done in part or whole by Mister Byrne again(and he’ll probably slam me for this, to which I say “Bigger and better people than you have tried, and I’m still here.”), else I see the word “N*****” or “SUCKER” flash on the cover of said book at me, and

B: It answered a question I’ve had rolling around for some time.

“Wouldn’t it be cool to do a column, but do you really want to go back there, and who are you to think you have anything interesting to say anyway, and who cares, and do you have the time?”

Long question, I know, to which Brandon Thomas’s column gave me the answer:

“Yes, no but I will, somebody, someone will, and I’ll make the time.”

Industry columnists are a dedicated, passionate group of people, and I am honored to be among them for as long as I have something to say that I think you will find interesting, and I promise you that they won’t be stories you’ll get anywhere else, and at least two of you out there will be provoked to think about the subject I’ve brought up after you’ve surfed your way to the next website.

And, so, a final “Thanks!”

Next time on THE EXPERIMENT: Part Two: STILL “POWER GIRL”, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS (WITH APOLOGIES TO PAUL SIMON), in which I discuss All-Star Comics #76, big breasts, my time as an editor on BIRDS OF PREY, comic company protocol, and individual identity for fictional characters, among other things.

[Cardiac]

Nice column. I completely agree on the Filth by the way.

[Andrea Speed]

Welcome, Joe! Good to have you here, and I'm looking forward to your columns.

(And I agree - Critical Space rocked. Very good book.)

[Ronée]

Welcome aboard!

As the resident columnist that discusses the topics that others shy away from, I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Scott A. Williams]

Hey Joe. Great to have you aboard, I always love when new columnists come aboard and share their perspective. Well, not always, but in this case .

Anyway, from this column I definitely look forward to your future work. Your experiment sure does sound like a bold undertaking. Lord knows at this point I really don't have the strength (I'm too important here. Hahaha, no, that's a joke, but anyway.) Can't wait to see where this takes you. Salut.

[DocDoom]

This seems like a great experiment to undertake, i felt very tempted reading this, but then what would i do with 40 extra dollars a week?



Pay bills?

Yeah, right!!

[Joe Illidge]

Hi, guys.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Glad to be a part of the group.

[Cardiac]

Originally Posted by Joe Illidge

Hi, guys.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Glad to be a part of the group.

To be part of the group you must sacrifice one healthy kidney to Cardiac's 'how much salt will it take to break the dialysis machine?' campaign. Until that day, you are merely a poseur.

[Andrea Speed]

No hazing the new guy, Cardiac. That's Brandon's job.

[Cardiac]

Seriously though, welcome to the forums. You'll never leave...

[Bigby Wolf]

Great column Joe. I share some of the same views on comics, now days I am leaning towards the trade format, though I haven't become completely burnt out on single issues. ( I love what DC is doing right now so I still have to pick them up in single format, and of course Ultimates 2, when you finally start reading it again you will be blown away.) The decompressed stories started getting to me, and though I can afford to get pretty what I want (the perks of still living with the parents), I figured I would sacrifice most of the Marvel books and get them in trade, and just focus on the Infinite Crisis at DC so I can actually remember what the hell is going on.

[ExCrystalKid]

Nice column, Joe. I stopped buying, reading comics cold turkey about 3 months ago after a more-than-20-year habit (not including my childhood reading), including a stint as a DC Editor. Y'know what? Despite the knowledge that there is good stuff out there still (Legion, SiP, anything Tomasi edits), I find that I don't miss them one bit. Lots more space in the house, lots more money in my pocket.

And maybe I'm a bit of an elitist. Now that comics are more available to the public through trades and bookstores, and now that each week seems to bring forth a comics-inspired movie, and now that everyone in the friggin' world is saying comics are cool, I don't want any part of it. In addition, after years of complaints that comics companies were horribly corporate when they weren't even close, now they are. Take care. I'll check in now and again.

Bob Kahan
One Wednesday at a Time

[Terry Verticchio]

Welcome to the forum, Joseph.

I wanted to get away from comics for a long time too...then I found Bendis' DD...then I found this site...now I'm a reviewer...yea, I'm well on my way to dumping these things.

[Cardiac]

To me, dumping comics sounds as alien as dumping music or books. I know plenty of people who spend what I spend on comics in a week, on one night's worth of beer, so it doesn't really bother me.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Cardiac

To me, dumping comics sounds as alien as dumping music or books. I know plenty of people who spend what I spend on comics in a week, on one night's worth of beer, so it doesn't really bother me.

Amen to that.

And you can only drink a beer ONCE.

[Joe Illidge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cardiac
To me, dumping comics sounds as alien as dumping music or books. I know plenty of people who spend what I spend on comics in a week, on one night's worth of beer, so it doesn't really bother me.

I hear you, man.

A year ago, I would've said the same thing.

That first month was just like the first month of not eating McDonalds fries, but after you get over the hump, it's smooth sailing.

But to be honest, those last three pages of Countdown to Inifinte Crisis made we want to start buying again.

[Cardiac]

Hmm. I gave up McDonalds fairly easily. Toilet humour ahead!A solid stool is a wonderful thing.

If I ever give up comics, it'll probably be because I start buying my ongoings in trade format, or start reading more indie trades. To 'quit' an artistic format for me sounds pointless.

[EmperorCrowley]

fantastic column.

any link to the "Stop Calling me N*****" article???

[Joe Illidge]

Originally posted by EmperorCrowley
fantastic column.

any link to the "Stop Calling me N*****" article???

Thanks, Emperor.

See what I hope is a hyperlink below.



http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.co...2065575762.htm

[B. Schatz]

Originally Posted by Andrea Speed

No hazing the new guy, Cardiac. That's Brandon's job.

So I move and wait for high speed internets so that I can read things in a timely fashion again, and I find out that I've been slacking at my duties.

To make up for lost time, Joe, I request that you hand over your pants. I assure you, the can of whip cream in my hands has nothing to do with anything.

Oh, and nifty column by the way. TO THE NEXT INSTALLMENTS!