Comments on: Late Comic Hall of Shame http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/ Independent Opinions on Comics of All Kinds Fri, 24 May 2013 23:50:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: dissenter http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-99049 dissenter Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:36:25 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-99049 Offered without comment:

http://www.ifanboy.com/content/articles/Late_Comics__Jim_vs__Jim

]]> By: Brian http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90456 Brian Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:51:04 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90456 In Jeff Smith’s Bone, there was a year between the issue that became the last chapter of “Old Man’s Cave” and the issue that was the first of “Ghost Circles.” I can’t recall which specific issue numbers these were.

The delay was due to Smith working with Nickelodeon for the proposed Bone animated movie (and wrestling it away from them when they wanted to add Britney Spears and Fone bone’s magic growing gloves). That return issue was double sized and included pin-ups, plus variant covers by Alex Ross, Frank Miller, and Charles Vess.

Obviously, the delay didn’t kill the Bone series, but it might’ve been the case for a less popular (or lower quality) indie.

]]> By: Sebastian http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90451 Sebastian Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:11:05 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90451 These are the late items on my current preorder list (and the months when they were originally solicited in Previews). Don’t know if they qualify for any “Hall of Shame”, but they’re all currently between 3 and 11 months late (except “Artesia”, which is 18 months late but was recently resolicited).

Image
Brit #6 [2007-11]
Fell #10 [2007-08]
PvP #40 [2007-11]
Special Forces #2 [2007-08]
Texas Strangers #3 [2007-03]

Slave Labor
Gargoyles #9 [2007-11]
Gargoyles – Bad Guys #2 [2007-10]
Wonderland #6 [2007-10]

Archaia
Artesia Besieged #3 [2006-08]
Mouse Guard – Winter 1152 #4 [2007-11]

Oni
Courtney Crumrin and the Prince of Nowhere [2007-08]
Multiple Warheads #2 [2007-08]

Others
The Bomb #1 [2007-04]
Myth-told Tales #1 [2007-11]
Sinbad – Rogue of Mars #3 [2007-09]

]]> By: Johanna http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90437 Johanna Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:29:11 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90437 Oh, yes, how could I have forgotten Hepcats?

]]> By: Jeff R. http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90435 Jeff R. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:39:42 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90435 Miracleman, of course. Even disregarding the potentially infinite wait on the rest of Gaiman’s run, the Moore/Totleben issues were coming out on a barely annual basis, thanks to the latter’s eye problems…

Also, Hepcats.

]]> By: Kevin Lighton http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90420 Kevin Lighton Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:59:57 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90420 The Epic translation of Akira had a two year gap between issues 33 and 34.

]]> By: Rob Spencer http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90419 Rob Spencer Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:35:58 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90419 Morrison’s Authority. Pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to be a 2-issue miniseries.

]]> By: Dave http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90413 Dave Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:58:51 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90413 Johanna, you’re absolutely correct on your Watchmen observation. Everytime I hear that excuse trotted out I just want to scream: “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy!”

How about: “I’ve read Watchmen. Watchmen is one of my favorite comics. Civil War, you’re no Watchmen.”

Yeah, I feel better now….

Kevin Smith has already been mentioned but don’t forget his Spider-Man/Black Cat project. And Mark Millar’s The Unfunnies is another – over 2 years between issues 2 and 3 for a 4-issue mini-series.

Both of these were projects where I had pre-ordered and pre-paid through mailordercomics.com but the good folks who run that outfit were classy enough to honor my request to cancel my orders and credit my payment (no big deal since I spend about $150 with them).

What’s more significant is that, while neither were very good (unless you enjoy funny animals making jokes about prison rape), I would have gone ahead and bought the complete series based on pure momentum had the issues come out on time. But the long gap between issues enabled me to come down to earth and get rational enough to DISPOSE OF THE ISSUES I HAD ALREADY ACCUIRED ON EBAY (!) months before either series were completed – and I never looked back.

This happens for good series, too… Jack Staff is one that I will no longer buy in singles but the significant difference there is that when a TPB is solicited I’ll place an order. I used to really enjoy Palookaville and Optic Nerve, too – and in their defense, they usually come out in a timely manner after they’ve been solicited – but when that adds up to one issue a year, what’s the point? I’ll wait for the collection, even if that means one book every 5 or 6 years.

To Johanna’s comment that free-lancing is hard – Yeah, I agree. I don’t know if I have what it takes to be self-employed and accountable to noone but myself. I was a lousy student in school for the same reason. Maybe creative endeavors of this type are not for everyone. And to Tim O’Shea’s observation about creator’s excuses – yes, we all have problems don’t we? The difference is, I still have to show up for work on a regular, predictable basis or I will find myself without work to show up for!

]]> By: Johanna http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90409 Johanna Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:05:18 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90409 Tim, you raise a good point. Freelancing is hard — in most cases, you don’t have other workers around you to set expectations or examples, and you set your own schedule, which means you need a lot of willpower.

But as can be seen from these lists, there are also some people who seem to show up over and over, regardless of what challenges they might have faced.

And yeah, UWvH was superheroes, but it didn’t try to be more than it was.

]]> By: John Mundt, Esq. http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90408 John Mundt, Esq. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 05:19:04 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90408 I have to go with Frank Miller’s “Ronin” #6 from back in the day. The first five issues came out without much problem, but that last one was so late that I think an entire school year had passed!

]]> By: Tim O'Shea http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90406 Tim O'Shea Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:14:53 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90406 I stopped complaining publicly about late books years ago, because invariably the creators would start unloading a list of personal problems/family crisis situations with an implied air of “how dare you complain when I have this _________ problem in my life!”

Don’t get me wrong, I understand family matters more than a stinking comic book, but at some point it seems like a creator is digging up long dead relatives to excuse lateness on a latest issue.

Me, I’m still trying to fathom that rare superhero comic book reader Draper Carlson actually wrote: “Oh, yeah, I was liking UWvH, although it was just a big fight.” It’s the closest you’ve come to being a pure fan-girl in years, woman. :)

And I don’t think it’s the creators are playing video games always, I think sometimes they are developing the far more lucrative games instead of getting their comic books done.

Finally, I think some editors learned an important lesson with Kevin Smith. Don’t release an issue of the project until you have an entire arc or miniseries in the can.

]]> By: Charles RB http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90404 Charles RB Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:58:01 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90404 I had the Battle Chasers trade. It was alright, but I wouldn’t have bothered if I’d just got #1 and had to wait for the rest that long.

“I just remember being amazed that creators actually admitted playing video games rather than working.”

Seriously?!

]]> By: Mike http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90403 Mike Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:55:05 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90403 What about “Ministry of Space”?

]]> By: Johanna http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90402 Johanna Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:13:46 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90402 Oh, yeah, I was liking UWvH, although it was just a big fight. But Hollywood came calling for its writer… which tends to be the case more often than not these days.

]]> By: Wayne http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90401 Wayne Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:09:34 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90401 Battle Chasers was AWESOME!

]]> By: Dave "The Knave" White http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90400 Dave "The Knave" White Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:01:39 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90400 Gotta go with Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk – the current issue is what, two years late now? Can’t believe that didn’t make the list.

]]> By: david brothers http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90396 david brothers Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:16:29 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90396 Yeah, the Watchmen excuse is a great one, ’cause it was basically a month late.

In the scheme of things, a month late isn’t really that bad.

The only reason why I remember Battle Chasers exists is because I like the story about Joe Mad discovering Final Fantasy and dropping his comic.

]]> By: ADD http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90394 ADD Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:01:40 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90394 Kevin Smith’s Daredevil.

And the 1963 Annual, of course.

]]> By: James Schee http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90393 James Schee Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:43:59 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90393 Hah I don’t really remember the title Battle Chasers that much myself. (something about big robots?) I just remember being amazed that creators actually admitted playing video games rather than working.

]]> By: Johanna http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/comment-page-1/#comment-90392 Johanna Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:16:35 +0000 http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/04/12/late-comic-hall-of-shame/#comment-90392 No, I think people just remember the good comics more. I’d forgotten that there was a title called Battle Chasers, let alone how late it was.

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