Writer/editor/publisher Robin Bougie learns that Cinema Sewer, his comic/magazine hybrid about porn, cinema, and porn cinema, was recently torrented en masse. … The creator intended for his art and writing to be experienced with the smell of paper and the smudge of ink. Uploading scans not only infringed upon Bougie’s rights as a publisher, but the very act of moving print to digital usurped his creative control as an artist.

Yet when I followed the link to Bougie’s angry post, I saw this:

On the one hand, downloading rare out-of-print movies that no one can get otherwise seems to be a perfect use of the technology. And music downloading makes a whole hell of of sense. Bands make all of their money from touring so giving the music away and getting lots of new fans is brilliant marketing.

But what the f**k do I get out of someone else giving away everything I do? Nothing. It’s not “free advertising” for my next big tour or something.

That seems like a pretty big contradiction. The maker of that “rare out-of-print movie”, if they’re not currently working on a new film, similarly doesn’t get any “free advertising” benefit. So if you’re going to bitch and moan about people giving your stuff away — although the issues torrented include some that are out of print, just like the movies he mentions, and he has since had the torrent removed — maybe you shouldn’t say in the same post that you think it’s fine to do the same thing in other media.

Also, when someone suggests that maybe Bougie could put out some digital material to satisfy the apparent demand, he says he wants his work only in print. To many modern readers, that’s the equivalent of saying “I only want my music heard on record albums” — whether that’s what you want or not, customers are going to take your content where they want it, in a format that satisfies them.

Bougie later softens his stance to admit that if the torrent had only been out of print issues, he wouldn’t have had that much of a problem with it. Also, after some small-band musicians point out that they’re also being harmed by downloading, he apologizes for that comparison in his post.

Comic creator Alex Robinson also comments:

Eventually I told myself that as someone who has copied plenty of CDs from the library I couldn’t really take the moral high ground. I also realized that my book was several years old and a little on the expensive side so maybe there was something to the “free advertising” angle in this case. Still, it does seem an ominous sign of things to come.

In short, I think many people’s opinion on the subject boils down to this: Getting stuff I want for free? Cool. People getting something I’m involved in for free instead of paying me? Sucks.

That’s selfish human nature, but it would be nice if people thought through this a little more before getting outraged in public.

Update: (11/19/2009) This is one of those rare yet wonderful online discussions where people actually talk through things and come to better understanding of each other’s viewpoint, as can be seen in the comment thread at Bougie’s original post. Unfortunately, the torrent site admins aren’t nearly as mature. They’re now trying to encourage people to spread the download because they got mad at Bougie expressing his opinion.

And Jason Marcy is a really cool dude. You should check out his comic.

I started looking at the various manga blogs and websites for recommendations. The majority of which were written by women. Understandably the recommendations leaned towards female interests which left me frustrated in trying to find titles that suited my interests. I suddenly understood what it is like for women new to comics having men recommend things to them. It quickly becomes confusing and overwhelming.

I think you can maybe take the idea “a woman recommended this, so it’s geared to female interests” a little too far — I know female manga readers who love books that are supposedly aimed at males (based on the original Japanese publishing plan) — but I do think that risks being true at this site. I mostly read “girly” manga, because that’s what I enjoy, but that’s why I am so glad to have Ed Sizemore’s contributions, to balance me out and provide a more well-rounded view of the format.

And for Mr. Doom, if you’re looking to step from superheroes into manga, you might start with Rurouni Kenshin, a historical samurai story with lots of people with exaggerated abilities. Or Wolverine: Prodigal Son, a manga take on the superhero character.

Most of the guys who ask and answer “how do I get my girlfriend to read comics?” don’t really mean it. What they’re really asking is “how do I get my girlfriend to like the comics I like?” So of course they’re not recommending manga — they don’t read it themselves. And they don’t want the girl they like to know about comics they don’t understand.

I think there should be a new rule: any such “how do I get a woman to like comics?” column MUST be accompanied by a matching column about “how do I get a man to like knitting/ scrapbooking/ quilting” or other feminine craft of your choice. Yes, it would be about as pointless, but reading about a geek trying to crochet a Transformer would amuse me.

Update: I forgot to say, although it shouldn’t need saying, that the main reason those articles are silly is that there is no magic comic everyone female likes. Some read Sandman, some read Witchblade, some read Strangers in Paradise, some can’t stand any of the above. The best way to introduce anyone to a new medium is to figure out what other entertainment they like and go from there. Consider what movies or TV shows or books someone enjoys, and then target your individual recommendations appropriately. In other words, think of them as a person, not a gender.

It’s a motion comic illustrated by Tomm Coker (Daredevil Noir) in which sound powers the Captain’s starship and weapons. Yes, she’s a heroine who fights evil with music, just like Dazzler.

Each “issue” is 2-3 minutes long, and there are four available so far. Captain Lights wants to “harvest the sounds of the universe” while avenging the destruction of her planet by the evil sound-stealing Lotar when she crash-lands on a planet with no music. Oh no! How will she recharge her spaceship? Given the title, the synthesizers, and the premise (shades of Back to the Future!), I’m having 80s flashbacks. But episode four is still kind of inspiring in its message.

Drawing Down the Moon
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As an art book, the appeal is seeing Vess’ amazing fantasy images in detail, lingering over their beauty. But in case you’re not familiar with his work or are curious about just what’s in the book, you can read the whole thing online. That’s a great way to let customers try it out without cannibalizing sales, since the art book market won’t find online images a suitable substitute for the print book.

Gownley DJs

Jimmy Gownley, creator of Amelia Rules, did a guest spot as DJ for a radio station that’s a must-listen for any fan of his comic. (It’s about 12 minutes of time.) He talks about his model for my favorite cast member, Amelia’s Aunt Tanner, and plays one of my favorite songs ever, Melissa Ferrick’s “Happy Song”, “about being happy but there’s an anger to it”, as an inspiration for Amelia’s character. Plus he says very insightful things about Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello and creativity and storytelling.

Losing the Experienced Reviewers

Why it’s so hard to make a career of reviewing: fans hate you, PR people attempt to manipulate you, and writers leave for the publicity business because that’s the only way they can make any money. The author is talking about video game reviewing, but his question, “Is this still a viable occupation — financially and spiritually — for adults? Was it ever?” is equally valid for comics.

The answer, in most cases, is “no”. That’s why people like me do this as side work to day jobs, whether related (freelance writing of other kinds) or less so (in my case, software testing). So what’s the big deal? Here’s his summary:

… there is a craft to writing about games. And that craft only comes from having years of experience; from rolling up your sleeves, paying your dues, and honing your critical instincts. Yet our oldest, most valued craftsmen and craftswomen are slowly being exiled. … These are the people who defined the very vocation from which they can no longer make a living.

1. Readers, when made aware of the situation, want to know if a reviewer got something for free, especially when it comes to a recommendation as to how the reader spend her money. Based on this one comment, public relations folks want the reviewer to be honest as well.

2. It’s the good folks, the trustworthy ones, who are up in arms about the perceived double standard (since disclosure rules don’t apply to traditional media: print, TV, etc.). That ignores just how much abuse there was going on, in terms of lots and lots of freebies, adding up to serious money, that wasn’t being revealed. If someone got a free trip to Disneyland and then wrote about what a great place it was to take your family on vacation without saying they didn’t pay, I’d find that unethical. (Since I’m getting ready to take a Disney World trip, I’ve been using sources that are clear about spending their own money to research their books and websites. Which gets back to point one.) If the blogverse didn’t have such bad apples in some corners, this wouldn’t have been necessary. It’s very unfortunate that the good ones are the ones most upset by this, because the unethical won’t pay attention to it anyway.

3. It is a double standard, and I fully support all media being required to reveal free gifts and comps. But that’s unlikely to happen, because the more traditional media is older and has more pull in making the rules.

4. Not all bloggers object to this. In the NY Times article, a mommy blogger says:

“I think that bloggers definitely need to be held accountable,” said Ms. Young. “I think there is a certain level of trust that bloggers have with readers, and readers deserve to know the whole truth.”

Although she also said that “if she doesn’t like a product, she simply won’t write about it,” so she’s not looking to get off the gravy train, either.

Some have raised the spectre of paying tax on review copies and Amazon link revenue. Small businesses, which include blogs and websites as soon as the owner demonstrates a profit motive, should already be paying tax on income from advertising and Amazon payments. I look forward to seeing official guidelines, if released, on how to treat review copies, although I think they most likely fall under “gifts”, not income. (Disclaimer: I am not an accountant.)

While I’m quoting, if you’re looking for an example of why some people find review copy revelations obnoxious, check out Chris Butcher’s post. And it worked — I’m jealous he’s got a copy of What a Wonderful World and I don’t. (I’m teasing him, of course. Because I’m flattered he linked back to me.)

Update: As James identified, my entry was Bonus Entry 05, which describes the “Hukka vs. the Bob” backup story from Atari Force #20. It is my favorite comic because it shows great skill and never fails to make me laugh. It’s not actually wordless — but the only dialogue, except at the end, is “Hukka” and “Bob” in various tones and styles, so I count them as sound effects.

As described here, it’s seven pages in which “A young Chris Champion buys Hukka a robot Personal Pal named Bob. He leaves them to play while he is in his study cube. Hukka rides Bob but gets upset when Bob puts him through the ceiling. Not being able to read the “do not immerse in water” label on Bob’s back, Hukka attempts to flush him down the toilet. Bob becomes vicious and chases Hukka. Hukka finally gets Chris to help.” Here are the credits: Keith Giffen (plots & pencils); Robert Loren Fleming (plot & dialogue); Karl Kesel (plot & inks); Tom Ziuko (plot & colors); Bob Lappan (plot & letters); Andy Helfer (plot & edits); Communist China (plot & take-out).

It was considered good enough to reprint in the Best of DC #71 digest, containing the Year’s Best Comics Stories, in April 1986.

Awareness of the film has increased due to a clever viral marketing campaign, a “secret” screening for fanboys and bloggers at Comic-Con, celebrity tweets, and word of mouth.

Sexism is now “clever”? I have a hard time believing that no one at EW was aware of the fracas over all this. I guess it really is true that it doesn’t matter what people say as long as they’re talking about you.

One of my favorite podcasts, 15 Minutes With [Mark] Waid, has a new episode discussing Secret Origins #46 (1989), the story of Fortress Lad. Yes, the Legion of Super-Heroes headquarters at one point was a person. Eww.

As Waid puts it, “there’s an origin to this origin story,” and he tells it — why this issue was all about superhero headquarters, what the story was originally intended to be and why it was replaced. Originally, Gerard Jones and Kurt Schaffenberger did a story about the rocketship the LSH hung out in that was very very different, but since Superboy wasn’t allowed to be connected to the Legion at that point, it had to be changed.

KC comes in because he was working at DC at the time and threw out an idea that became the replacement story, since they needed 12 pages quickly. Thus, Fortress Lad, with art by Curt Swan and Ty Templeton. (If you don’t know the story, Waid tells it, so go listen.)

That story, by the way, was also the first appearance of Arm-Fall-Off Boy.

They’re promoting a “great action hero/comic superhero section” featuring Wolverine, Iron Man and Tony Stark, Invisible Woman, and Spider-Man plus action heroes like the Terminator and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you’re interested in attending, from now until December 31, 2009, you can get a $5 discount on admission (normally $25 for adults). Simply print this post and show it to the box office to get the savings. (And if you go, I’d love to know what you think of it!) Here’s the fine print:
 
Receive $5 off a regular price Adult/Child Admission when you present this offer. To receive this discount, you must print out this offer to be exchanged at the Madame Tussauds Box Office at time of purchase to receive $5 off up to six (6) one day admission tickets to Madame Tussauds Hollywood. Not valid with other discounts, online ticket sales, or other offers. Valid at Box Office Only. Additional restrictions may apply. Not for resale. Only a printed offer will be honored. Expires 12/31/2009. Discounts are subject to change at any time. Other restrictions apply. Promo Code: 9011/9012

Deb Aoki has created a very cool Women Make Comics design for t-shirts and other products. Proceeds go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the Cartoon Art Museum, and Friends of Lulu. I love that it reflects all kinds of women and comics — superheroes, manga, and alternatives.

The problem I’m having is trying to figure out which one to get! I can’t decide between a standard dark shirt or the one with cap sleeves. What do you think? (There are plenty of designs for men, too.)

Ali would be one of the few things I’m sad to be missing, not being at San Diego this year.

While I’m complaining, when is there going to be another Straight Dope book? It’s been 10 years. Did the web make publishing them obsolete?

Google’s logo today, as shown here, is full of DC love — but where’s Superman?

It’s to promote iGoogle comic themes, which sounds kind of neat, except that I don’t know what iGoogle is or why I would need it. In addition to Superman (thus my asking why he’s missing), you can get themes based on Daniel Clowes, Mutts, the Hulk, Vertigo (which includes Spider Jerusalem), Rin-Ne, Popeye, Hellboy, Jaime Hernandez, Tokyopop’s OEL titles, and lots more. Bravo to them for realizing that the comic medium is really diverse!

1. You can’t resell digital copies if you need to make some cash, unlike used books, comics, or other physical media. You can’t donate them or loan them to others, either.

2. If your online content is controlled from a central account, the company might decide to remove copies without notifying you if they change their mind about permissions or availability. This happened to Amazon Kindle readers recently: the electronic edition was rescinded, the books disappeared from the ebook readers, and customer accounts were credited. The ironic part of the whole thing? The titles that were yanked were George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm. Shades of Big Brother!

it’s like Barnes & Noble sneaking into our homes in the middle of the night, taking some books that we’ve been reading off our nightstands, and leaving us a check on the coffee table.

(Note that after much outrage, Amazon said this was a mistake: “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances.”)

3. You never really own anything in such a situation, where one company maintains control of what you can access through your account. This isn’t the first time Amazon has caused problems for Kindle readers. One customer was told he made too many returns, so Amazon cancelled his account, which meant he couldn’t buy any more books wirelessly for the Kindle, the main selling point of the device.

So, if you are going to pay money for digital content, the lesson here is “Make your own backup copies.”