My “content issue” comment was about Tim’s confusion why we chose to run that article. Not on CF’s content. So I was clearing up a content question he had for our issue. Nothing more, nothing less. If anyone is going to Pittsburgh ComicCon, stop by our trivia panel – our third year hosting!

I do get a kick out of the suggestion that CGS is considered a business though. That’s awesome.

Also, not identifying your business connections was a beginner’s mistake. So what? Just admit it, learn from it, and stop defending yourself with t-shirts.

There’s a big difference between saying “they’re two separate ventures” and not giving readers the information they need to know to evaluate connections and potential influences.

Laura – come on – if we’re supposed to take valid criticisms from a “professional” magazine designer, surely Tim can take a valid criticism from a “professional” comics reader. Especially considering I wasn’t the only one who commented on the blunder. Ultimately, it’s a content issue, not a design issue. So it doesn’t really change my opinion.

Johanna – the article does mention the new series. And the picture for the EIC has both Bryan and daughter wearing a CGS shirt. It’s also hard to miss the giant full page ad near the back. lol. There’s no secret that some of the hosts of CGS are behind CN. But it’s a completely separate venture. We want CN to live on its own. It’s not a glory project for the podcast to benefit from. It’s to put out the kind of magazine we want to read. And from our numbers, it seems like others agree.

Did the Comics Now article even mention the series? I just recall it talking about Annihilation, but I had zoned out by the end of the article.

The bigger question hinted at by several commenters is that of conflict of interest. I don’t recall CN explicitly mentioning anything about its guiding staff being associated with CGS, which I would expect as a standard inclusion if the mag covers the CGS podcast. (You know, the way EW says something about having the same corporate parents when they do an article about something at WB.) There are a lot of connections that are only mentioned when third parties know to look for them, as Alan did.

Peter, Laura, and Derek,

You never know when a reader is being exposed to you or your product for the first time. It might be a good idea to state for which magazine you work. Because I have too much free time, I searched for that information. Others might not. Peter and Derek work for Comic Now! and Laura for Comic Foundry.

If anybody cares what I thought at first glance…

http://www.comicscommunity.com/boards/tony/?frames=n;read=167418

Still, we will see with later issues what Comics Now will take to heart. And since I have preordered issue two, I am anxious to find out.

Based on the comment above and even more so the other comment Peter left on the CF blog, I’m gonna go with not so much.

Playing gotcha games with Tim over that fact that he isn’t up to date on a marginal Marvel character is apparently more important than listening to valid criticisms from a professional about the design flaws in your mag. Geez, at least pretend to accept criticism gracefully.

Except he doesn’t know that Nova is being published by Marvel right now and is one of their critical darlings. Makes you go hmmmm… no? :)