I thought that my Christmas message this year ought to be on comic scans.  I have excluded the emails/full names of the respondees. 

In Scanarama@yahoogrou ps.com, “superherostore”  wrote:

“Just interested in what you are all reading.Chris ”

On 12/24/09, Ian  wrote:

“I dont tend to read new comics anymore (just DWM and DWA and they’re notreally comics). But I have just bought a couple of Crikey! mags. (and Isuppose that thet’s not a comic either! But it is a mag on comics!) 

 Ian ”

In Scanarama@yahoogrou ps.com, Martin  wrote: 

“I’ll buy a comic if it’s going cheap. By cheap I mean 10 cents orless. So No, I don’t buy new comicsI guess the two comics I’ve been most impressed by since I’ve starteddownloading are some of the usual suspects, 100 bullets,Fables, the first volume of Charley’s war, and Watchmen.M ”

And then,this:

Link Subject: [Scanarama] Re: What’s been your favourite comics & reprints of 2009?Date: Friday, 25 December, 2009, 11:17 

“I’m much like Martin–however, in 2005 I tried an experiment. I was flush with money and curious about the state of comics. 

The only modern comics I’d seen since my college days in the ’70s, were the IMAGE books of the late ’80s and early ’90s. I thought (and still think) that they were fockin awful. So in 204-2005, I badgered store clerks at comic shops and bought anything they recommended. At first, I was dismayed, but I kept at it and I began to learn what and where to look.  

90% of the comics I looked at were just awful, but 10% were true gems. I found all the Alan Moore ABC (

 All the Marvel stuff is/was superhero crap. In an effort to be fair, I picked up some of the better ones. Even tho it’s that superhero crap that I have grit my teeth to read, I have to admit, they have some great writing–notably Kurt Busiek and Brian Bendis, who writes dialog that wd work in a dramatic hollywood film–I mean dramatic film, not action film.  

And Marvel shares artists with DC and Wildstorm–such as BRYAN HITCH AND BUTCH GUICE, and the Planetary guy, John Cassaday–did a memorable run on x-men. Oh, the defunct CrossGen’s Steve Epting–he did that great pirate book, El Cazador, that lasted about three issues. You know the one I mean, right? Years ago he did a weak fill-in, finishing up Steve Rude’s great run on his weird non-super hero, nuts–whut wuz iz name? Ah fergits. 

Anyway, I have, like 12 boxes (about 11″x11″x9″– laser paper boxes, small sized–prbly standard now, but I just found these at local print shop–didn’t buy um from a comics store), so like 12 boxes of comics I bought in 2005 (and a little in 2004). And then I moved and money got spent on British comic instead. So since then I’ve only read Usonian comics online at FREE comics sites, like the one I keep sending around (actually a Dutch site, with lots of Dutch and Brit comics as well as USA). 

So I’m not at all current with what’s cool on the market right now. I wish I was carefree and frivolous and could spend $100 a month on comics as I did in 2005. Working for one of the top 4 accounting firms in the world. Yep, that’s right, I spent about $1200 on comics in 2005. Last few years: zero. 

I’m better off. I always have more than I can read, anyway!!! Thanks to Groups like this one, I might add! 

Many thanks for wonderful years of reading and educationAnd a happy new year! ”

Okay,some good points but I get drawn more and more into this question of scanning.  I am asked a few times a week to scan new books I’ve reviewed to offer to groups or individuals to pass around.  My response is NO!!

Scanning of new books is illegal.  It means the small publishers are losing very valuable money that would keep them going.  Decades old comics that are out of print/public domain and would cost a fortune to buy,okay.  I’ve dealt with this before on CBO.

The very idea that putting “remember:if you like the books you read here as scans –go buy them” is some sort of granting a clear conscience is utter crap.  It is STILL illegal.

With CBO I have a position of trust.  Why would publishers send me books knowing I will illegally scan and distribute them??  And I don’t have the hours/days to waste on something like that.  It’s wrong.  My last piece on this topic has gotten me excluded from several groups that have been offering new scans! 

But the moral question of scans [illegal] of new comics?  Small publishers are suffering financially.  I found out this year that the two titles I did for Fantagraphics have been downloaded for free on several sites.  This is what I wrote on Comic Bits Online: 

Stefan X who got in touch tells me that different Adult comic download sites have all my Eros books and he went to each [does your mother know you do this??] site and came up with the following download figures. 

1.  Sizzling Sisters……………..67,569 toto 

2. Maeve…………………………98,765 toto 

3. Two Hot Girls………………198,789 toto 

Thats a total in all of 365,123 downloads on the four sites Stefan visits.  Other sites you have to pay for.  Needless-to-say,money from that many downloads would be very welcome but that’s pure fantasy wishing! 

Let any new comic creators out there take note of this! 

Three days ago I got an email from a member of one of my Yahoo groups who wrote,quite innocently: 

“…I was going to buy Back from the Dead but my pal Greg is getting the downloadable version after Christmas that he’ll be sending round…” 

So,I withdrew the download versions of all my books.  For small publishers such as myself EVERY penny counts.365,123 downloads of the Fantagraphics books would have paid me quite a bit of royalty,not to mention Art Wetherell’s widow or David Gordon [artists on the two series].  

Scans of old,rarer comics that will cost a small fortune to buy is okay to an extent but new titles…no. 

PLEASE think of the publishers involved at small companies who have to seriously cut back on everything to get their titles out there or go under.  They go under and all you’ll have are Marvel and DC comics.  No choice. 

That’s my Christmas message to comic fans/buyers out there. 

Terry 

…MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A GREAT 2010!

Paid a visit to Bristol’s Independent comic Store,Excelsior!,on Wednesday to find them quite busy.  Apparently their games evenings are attracting more people as well.  Interesting to see they have a hundred standing order customers now -and some pretty big SOs they are,too.

By contrast,I met up with Messrs Brown and Northall yesterday afternoon and later on Mr Brown and myself visited Borders while Mr Northall visited Forbidden Planet.  After a while we went to see what was keeping him [but he’d already been in and out].  We were both surprised to find that,on Thursday [The busiest day in comic stores] at 5.30pm there was no one inside other than staff milling around.  At that point I recalled how I’d asked the FP manager at the time whether they’d like to place a regular ad on CBO.  He laughed out loudly and sneered:”This is Forbidden Planet -we DON’T need to advertise”.

Obviously.

I see more ex-FP regular customers in Excelsior! now but all complain that FP just isn’t a friendly store anymore.  And complaints about changes instore [on which I cannot comment as I got fed up and left FP behind me in May].

Sad days but in a recession customers let their feet do the walking and they seem to like Excelsior!

Don’t forget,however,that Area 51 is still in Gloucester Road.

I’ve just had it confirmed from Korea that KOCCA,the Korean Manhwa artists organisation,is not financing a Manhwa exhibition at the 2010 Bristol International Comic Expo.

Mike Allwood and the Expo gang are apparently looking at a Plan B and I hope Dr Jeeyeon Kim of Seoul Graphics will be able to at least advise. 

Normally,I would not mention this unless asked to but there have been messages from members of Chinese Manhua/Korean Manhwa group saying they’ve heard the whole Manhwa even has been cancelled in favour of the Euro spotlight.

Untrue.  There is a Euro theme but there will also be,I hope,a good Manhwa one. 

Any of the Manhwa publishers out there interested in getting involved contact Mike!