Year: 2014

Originally published May 25, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1436

The phone rang on my desk in the direct sales department at Marvel Comics. I’d been working there less than a week, but I’d quickly learned that whenever the switchboard got a phone call that they didn’t know what to do with, and they didn’t want to bother editorial with it, they invariably kicked it over to direct sales. More specifically, since I was the new guy, they kicked it over to me. “Direct sales,” I answered.

A kid’s voice on the other end said, with no preamble, “I was wondering, if Superman raced the Silver Surfer, who would win?”

“The Silver Surfer,” I said without hesitation.

“Okay, thanks,” he said, and hung up.

Of course I said the Surfer. I worked at Marvel. If I’d been working at DC, I would’ve said Superman. What else would you expect?

Continue Reading “On writing DC vs. Marvel” →

Originally published May 18, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1435

I’m heading out of town shortly and am pressed for time this week, so a couple of quick observations…

Continue Reading “BID Mailbag: DVD coding” →

Originally published May 11, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1434

According to Bob Zmuda, long-time confidant and co-conspirator of Andy Kaufman (a performance artist before anyone knew what a performance artist was), Kaufman told him how he had always aspired to be a wrestling villain. He wanted to be one of those guys who swayed arrogantly around the ring while everyone booed. Zmuda pointed out the obvious drawback to this aspiration: Kaufman, from a physical point of view, would make as credible a wrestling cad as Don Knotts. Even those who nursed the belief that wrestling wasn’t scripted wouldn’t buy the notion of scrawny Kaufman lasting more than five seconds with the monsters of the mat. To Kaufman, however, that was merely a stumbling block, an obstacle to be overcome. He wanted the publicity; he wanted to be noticed; he wanted to be booed. And as we all know, he found a way: He started wrestling women. No one could comprehend why he was doing it, and he pìššëd øff a lot of people, and it wasn’t especially funny, and it dámņëd near killed his career—probably would have if he hadn’t died (or… did he?)—but you know what? While it was all going on, he put on a hëll of a show.

Keep that in your mind for a minute…

Continue Reading “Dave Sim on a “Tangent”” →

Originally published May 4, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1433

There are certain rules that govern readers of superhero comics and the comics themselves. Certain things that are simply “understood” as not being something one discusses in polite company. A sort of “Extraordinary Gentlemen’s Agreement,” if you will. However, I do not now, nor have I ever claimed, to be a gentleman, so I figured I’d mention the top ten topics which we generally gloss over when reading comics:

Continue Reading “The “Rules” of Superheroes” →

Originally published April 27, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1432

So we’re talking about the CBLDF this week.

Now of course, it’s not as if I’ve never discussed it before. Indeed, the last time I did, it prompted J. Lyle of North Carolina to wonder in “Oh, So,” in part:

I’m very glad that someone brought up this particular point about CBLDF. It certainly seems to me that CBLDF mostly defends the right of retailers to carry pornographic comics. I know that is not always the case, but it is a strong impression that CBLDF gives to the public.

Continue Reading “The CBLDF: Perception vs. reality” →