Saturday, June 2, 2007

Comic Book Storytelling Shifts


Update: Sorry folks the NY Times put a filter subscription on this story. Dam, I wish I had copied more of text to this post. Live and learn...
This has been out for a few weeks but this item from the NY Times is kinda interesting (see here).
But now it is the comic-book industry that is grabbing ideas from movies and television — in this case not necessarily stories or characters, but the way Hollywood does its work

There’s a new storytelling approach in comic land. Taking a cue from Hollywood, Comic book companies are embracing a season mentality for their stories. This makes sense for properties like Dark Horse’s Buffy comic, which is basically season 8, but its’ also being applied to the regular superhero comics as well especially with big events like DC’s 52. Since movies and TV have been strip-mining comics for ideas for years it seems only natural that comic companies would borrow profitable storytelling models from other forms of entertainment. Also, management of the comic process includes the new role of executive producer, although the comic book version really doesn’t have a title at this point. But, essentially, creators are being hired to perform this very job for many comic book series. It appears to be paying off too.

Who would have though of it: if the comic guys put more time and thought into the interweaving, continuity heavy storylines, they would make more money and produce better stories… Heck, many of the writers work for Hollywood anyway so why not.

4 comments:

Dean Wormer said...

Dude,

I read issue 3 and loved it. I was a fan of Buffy before but the storyline was dense - there is a whole crapload of stuff going on just in that one issue which plays into your observation.

In fact - most of the comics I've read lately are a little more difficult to get into because there's so much more story and an assumption you know what's going on to this point. Remember when they used to "* See Justic League 214 - editor"? Now they don't even bother, seems like.

Swinebread said...

They made an editorial decision to not put references to other comics anymore. When it comes to superhero comic books, I guess they figured what was the point as hero like Spiderman is his 20s but he’s been around for 40 years. Keeping track of continuity that closely is kinda pointless now.

Also remember picked up #1 and #2... :)

Dean Wormer said...

I am SOOOO going to owe you for that!

:-)

Swinebread said...

yes you are... :D