Sunday, July 30, 2006
Blogathon
My wife Marlena blogged her little heart out for 24 straight hours yesterday, with no breaks or help from guest bloggers. It turned out really entertaining, I'm really, really proud of her. She also posted updates of an illustration of Wonder Woman I was doing as she typed, It's a pretty neat step-by-step of all the hideous mistakes I make while trying to create something visually interesting.
Check it out here... It'll be the really long numbered blog, from 1 to 49.
The best part is she did this to raise money for Friends of Lulu. A non-profit organization promoting women buying comics and working in the industry.
What? What? Women and comic books?
I know a lot of people in the industry moan about the current status of things and how great the sales boom was in the 80's - 90's. But no one seems to care that the sales boom they are so reminiscent of was because people were buying comics like they were bonds, not books. No one was actually reading them, they just thought they could put their kids through college or retire with them. When these people realized, that that was not necessarily the case, they dropped comics like a hot potato... why? BECAUSE NO ONE WAS READING THEM!
Right now is a really great time for comics, because the books are BETTER. There are so many different stories and genres on the shelves now that there is literally something out there for everyone.... EVERYONE..., but somehow comics still languish behind other blockbuster media like movies and video games.
There are several reasons for the state of the industry, but mostly I think it has to do with the stigma that comics are low-brow beat-em-up's for young boys. And sadly, there is a lot of great work that gets missed because of that misconception.
Friends of Lulu is one of several organizations dedicated to change that. Marlena devoted 24 straight hours of her life and the slow death of a perfectly good weekend to support them and support comics, and several fantastic people joined her cause with very generous donations. If you still wish to make a donation supporting her blogging marathon you can do so in the next 48 hours by creating a user account, logging in and donating here.
Or, if donations aren't your thing, go down to your local comic shop and buy a graphic novel for your friend that doesn't read comics. Buy something that will change his or her perception of comics, something that that person will really enjoy, based on their personal tastes, and just give it to them with no strings attached.
Spread the word folks... Comics are great.
Check it out here... It'll be the really long numbered blog, from 1 to 49.
The best part is she did this to raise money for Friends of Lulu. A non-profit organization promoting women buying comics and working in the industry.
What? What? Women and comic books?
I know a lot of people in the industry moan about the current status of things and how great the sales boom was in the 80's - 90's. But no one seems to care that the sales boom they are so reminiscent of was because people were buying comics like they were bonds, not books. No one was actually reading them, they just thought they could put their kids through college or retire with them. When these people realized, that that was not necessarily the case, they dropped comics like a hot potato... why? BECAUSE NO ONE WAS READING THEM!
Right now is a really great time for comics, because the books are BETTER. There are so many different stories and genres on the shelves now that there is literally something out there for everyone.... EVERYONE..., but somehow comics still languish behind other blockbuster media like movies and video games.
There are several reasons for the state of the industry, but mostly I think it has to do with the stigma that comics are low-brow beat-em-up's for young boys. And sadly, there is a lot of great work that gets missed because of that misconception.
Friends of Lulu is one of several organizations dedicated to change that. Marlena devoted 24 straight hours of her life and the slow death of a perfectly good weekend to support them and support comics, and several fantastic people joined her cause with very generous donations. If you still wish to make a donation supporting her blogging marathon you can do so in the next 48 hours by creating a user account, logging in and donating here.
Or, if donations aren't your thing, go down to your local comic shop and buy a graphic novel for your friend that doesn't read comics. Buy something that will change his or her perception of comics, something that that person will really enjoy, based on their personal tastes, and just give it to them with no strings attached.
Spread the word folks... Comics are great.
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