Thinking About FCBD

What's the right frame for Free Comic Book Day? How do we talk about it? It's certainly anachronistic, by which I mean it has the feel of an oldtimey practice, for me. Like something out of the 60s. But on the other hand, its about the repopularization of comics as a medium. I think the interesting part for me would be, what happens if FCBD doesn't play out at comicbook stores?

What if there's a certain kind of urban insurgency to comics distribution? Like we've seen with Tezuka-sama in the early 50s? What would that kind of insurgency look like for digital comics.

Maybe that's something worth talking to Alex at Archie Comics about. Or Ross at BOOM!.

<I>Image courtesy of</I> PopMatters<I>, from:</I> Elric: The Balance Lost FCBD, 2011.

What, Me Hurry?

I spoke with John Ficarra, Editor of MAD Magazine for about an hour, spaced over two calls, this last week.

The first was the 40-minute interview to cover the PopMatters exclusive of the 20 Dumbest. The second was a word of thanks for the amazing review package. But this second conversation spiraled into a much longer conversation that touched on personal history.

The take-away was inspiration. John is a singular, intelligent and compassionate voice, a profound and a keen intellect. It's easy to understand how MAD benefits from his leadership.

Talking with him there's a sense of timelessness. A sense that, although history is a tilt-a-whirl, the way through is to give yourself that critical distance that allows for a measured response. A sense that if you hurry into opinions or responses, you've already lost the game.

That's most likely why, 60 years on, every page of MAD reads like FEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. (The meadows baby, the meadows). And that, is just about the highest compliment I've got to give.

Homer This Morrow, and Red Cappuccino

"And I can't think of a perfecter way to word than to say I don't want to see the verdict..."

Lee's BATMAN: NOEL

What a sudden and profound joy it was to discover Lee could write as beautifully as he draws.

And more than that, during our conversation a few weeks back, his motivating factors are as vivid as anything. He summons up Tom Waits and Dickens and Eisner with such clear insight that it's hard not to feel cheated when recalling that he hasn't written more.

He's also said some incredibly cool things about my review. [http://leebermejo.blogspot.com/2011/12/pop-does-matter.html] But, to be charitable, the book itself always precedes the review.

To be honest I had a hard time writing the review without referencing our conversation. But I had to leave that material for the feature series.

What a book BATMAN: NOEL is, though. Could there really be a new spin on Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL? And here it is, I hold it in my hand.

Just amazing. Well done, Lee!
Dr. shathley Q | Comics Editor, PopMatters | @uu3y324rdry