Fyi: Important News! [Archive] - Comic Book Resources Forums

Papergirl

03-31-2005, 05:11 PM

I just had a long talk with the other mods here about CBR and the future of the Vertigo Forum here. In particular, the popularity of the Vertigo board versus what is in the best interests for CBR as a whole.

While we were discussing this, it was pointed out that Vertigo has probably the LEAST number of posts per week. That's not a good sign. Other forums have been wiped out of existence for less reason than that!

At the same time we were talking about THAT, the idea to replace with a bigger drawing subject came up. Needless to say, one thing led to another, which led to yet another, and...

*sigh* No, I'm not pregnant.

Sheesh. Is that ALL you people think about here?

And, no, I'm not being replaced as mod. Just let me get on with my story, will ya?

Right, then. Where were we? Oh, yes!

So... Due to low posting numbers here, this board will be cleared away as of April 30, 2005, to make room for another, more popular forum. This will give you plenty of time to save off any posts you want to keep or find any links that were posted that you might want in the future. And, since I happen to be a huge fan of said subject, I will remain the moderator.

Prepare for the Hello Kitty Forum.

Don't bitch and moan to ME about it. You only have yourselves to blame for this. You didn't post nearly enough to keep Vertigo going.

~Bev

Forsaken_One

03-31-2005, 05:43 PM

Isn't it a bit early for an April Fools post? :D

Papergirl

03-31-2005, 06:01 PM

Isn't it a bit early for an April Fools post? :D
Who said anything about April Fools? This is serious. We're trying to revamp CBR and bring in more posters.

With going to the subscription plan, we figure we'll lose a whole bunch of people. Hello Kitty is quite a popular character world-wide and will draw in fans to replace the Vertigo ones that leave. Which would be most of this forum, I'm sure... Especially since we're already behind every other board as far as posts go.

*sigh* It's really just rotten timing, hon. Sorry.

~Bev

Slyfoot

03-31-2005, 06:51 PM

Wait, CBR is replacing Sandman, Hellblazer and Fables with HELLO KITTY?

Verily it sucketh.

Papergirl

03-31-2005, 06:52 PM

Wait, CBR is replacing Sandman, Hellblazer and Fables with HELLO KITTY?

Verily it sucketh.
You underestimate the world-wide appeal that Hello Kitty has, lover. She has a message of love, peace and acceptance to spread, and that appeals to a wide range of people. Young AND old!

~Bev

Slyfoot

03-31-2005, 06:56 PM

You underestimate the world-wide appeal that Hello Kitty has, lover. She has a message of love, peace and acceptance to spread, and that appeals to a wide range of people. Young AND old!

~Bev

I like "Hello Cthulhu" better (http://www.hello-cthulhu.com/)

Cthulhu will eat Hello Kitty's soul.

Papergirl

03-31-2005, 07:02 PM

I like "Hello Cthulhu" better (http://www.hello-cthulhu.com/)

Cthulhu will eat Hello Kitty's soul.
Then remember to post that when the new Hello Kitty forum is opened up. :)

~Bev

Forsaken_One

03-31-2005, 09:21 PM

Does Hello Kitty have a comic? If so, who publishes it?

bitplayer

03-31-2005, 09:58 PM

The only thing I know hello kitty from is some dolls my nieces have. Im sure there is plenty of people willing to talk about what exactly a hello kitty does though.

For how long though I dont know. Heh.

:p

Apathy Boy

03-31-2005, 10:39 PM

Hey, is anyone else pissed off that Keanu Reeves has been cast as Hello Kitty in the movie?

Forsaken_One

04-01-2005, 12:02 AM

Hey, is anyone else pissed off that Keanu Reeves has been cast as Hello Kitty in the movie?
Hell, it'll be better than the last two Matrix movies.

dancj

04-01-2005, 04:00 AM

IO'm not convinced - there are several boards with fewer posts than the Vertigo board

atoningunifex

04-01-2005, 04:39 AM

All is not lost, tho. I hear that Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman are set to team up with Dave McKean and Bill Sienkiewicz to do a fifteen issue Hello Kitty graphic novel.

So maybe you can squeeze in some vertigo talk that way.

MarkSullivan

04-01-2005, 06:31 AM

I like "Hello Cthulhu" better (http://www.hello-cthulhu.com/)

Cthulhu will eat Hello Kitty's soul.

Yes. But then again, Cthulhu will eat everyone's soul, right? So none of us will be around to post about it here. Oh, the horror!

Ayo

04-01-2005, 09:39 AM

Hahahahaha.

And

hahahohohaheeheeheh HA!

hamsterdance

04-01-2005, 02:12 PM

Uh...the pay-site plan is a joke right? I didn't see any announcements on CBR saying they were moving to a subscription model.

stealthwise

04-01-2005, 02:18 PM

Hehe, I'd buy the Gaiman Hello Kitty graphic novel...

... *realizes how sad he's become*

....

:(

:D

Forsaken_One

04-01-2005, 02:19 PM

Uh...the pay-site plan is a joke right? I didn't see any announcements on CBR saying they were moving to a subscription model.
Yeah. Yeah it was. As is the closing of this board most likely, since Wildstorm has less posts than here. And since Hello Kitty isn't really a comic book afaik.

Papergirl

04-01-2005, 03:25 PM

Yeah. Yeah it was. As is the closing of this board most likely, since Wildstorm has less posts than here. And since Hello Kitty isn't really a comic book afaik.
All I will admit to is that, yes, the closing of this board was a joke. Relax, folks. :) Do you REALLY think I'd just LET them close it down without a hell of a fight? ;)

Off for the weekend, folks. Have fun, but please don't eat the furniture. Other mods will be looking in while I'm gone...

~Bev

FunkyGreenJerusalem

04-06-2005, 02:36 AM

Am I the only one who is kinda annoyed that it was all a joke.

I've got a lot to say about Hello Kitty and nowhere to say it.

And on an intellectual level vertigo comics these days aren't that far off Hello Kitty.

Papergirl

04-06-2005, 03:22 AM

Am I the only one who is kinda annoyed that it was all a joke.
Hmmmm.... I think so.

I've got a lot to say about Hello Kitty and nowhere to say it.
You can use this thread! I'll leave it stickied for a few more days, just to make sure everyone knows that, yes, I was just teasing.

And on an intellectual level vertigo comics these days aren't that far off Hello Kitty.
Heh. This explains why I've been spending my money on all the OLD Vertigo stuff. I spent $85 at the comic shop in Orlando this past weekend, and 95% of it was on old Vertigo back issues and trades! I even finally picked up The Compleat Moonshadow. Also picked up Bigg Time.

~Bev

FunkyGreenJerusalem

04-06-2005, 03:30 AM

You can use this thread! I'll leave it stickied for a few more days, just to make sure everyone knows that, yes, I was just teasing.

You should have re-named it the Hello Kitty Board for the day - then we could've all sat back and been depressed over how many how views the board got.

Heh. This explains why I've been spending my money on all the OLD Vertigo stuff. I spent $85 at the comic shop in Orlando this past weekend, and 95% of it was on old Vertigo back issues and trades! I even finally picked up The Compleat Moonshadow. Also picked up Bigg Time.

~Bev

It's a bit sad isn't it.
I've got no problem with the big hits at Vertigo, but there used to be some delightfully odd stuff that got published by Vertigo.
Then again, someone with a column at CBR, while discussing It's a Bird by Seven T Seagle, that it was the sort of book that you think Vertigo used to publish but never actually did.

But then again, when you do go back and look at MoonShadow or Mystery Play the times do seem to be a changing.

dancj

04-06-2005, 04:37 AM

FunkyGreenJerusalem

04-07-2005, 12:31 AM

To be fair, Moodshadow was just a reprint of an Epic comic.

People remember the good stuff - There was a lot of really bad stuff in the early days of Vertigo. These days there may not be as many real standout comics (though I suspect with hindsight we'll realise there are), but there definitely aren't as many clunkers.

MoonShadow may have been a reprint, but look at the density it has, and several projects at the time had.
(and I don't just mean size).

Don't get me wrong, I love what's out at the moment, but the stuff back then wasn't just intelligent, it was also intellectual (if I can say that without sounding wanky).
Then again, a lot of the failed projects were way to intellectual without being intelligent stories.

In some respects I just don't see vertigo pushing the edge of the comics medium as much anymore.
Pushing it for where comics are at now, sure, but not pushing the medium as a whole.

dancj

04-07-2005, 04:52 AM

it was also intellectual (if I can say that without sounding wanky).

I'm not sure you can

In some respects I just don't see vertigo pushing the edge of the comics medium as much anymore.
Pushing it for where comics are at now, sure, but not pushing the medium as a whole.

Part of that is that it doesn't need doing as much these days. When Vertigo started, mature comics had only really been big for a few years and a lot of people were still finding their feet. As a result some people went overly gritty, some went overly intellectual and some went overly arthouse as everyone tried to suss out what worked. Now we're out the other side of this and Vertigo comics are just being themselves and doing what they do well.

Maybe Vertigo comics seemed more inovative than other comics in the early days because they needed that innovation. Now Vertigo doesn't really need to be any more or less innovative than any other imprint

FunkyGreenJerusalem

04-08-2005, 12:56 AM

Maybe Vertigo comics seemed more inovative than other comics in the early days because they needed that innovation. Now Vertigo doesn't really need to be any more or less innovative than any other imprint

Why stop innovating?

Current Vertigo is fine, but I wouldn't say perfect.

I say keep innovating until the comics are recognised as a story telling medium on par with books and film.

Also, if Vertigo doesn't need to be more innovative than any other imprint then why do we need vertigo?

stealthwise

04-08-2005, 01:05 AM

In some respects I just don't see vertigo pushing the edge of the comics medium as much anymore.
Pushing it for where comics are at now, sure, but not pushing the medium as a whole.

To be fair, they have to be sure that the books will be able to sell at a certain level. Experimentation is great, but if you push it too far, you're going to lose your audience completely. Hell, if Seaguy was written by anyone other than Morrison (not that it might have been, let's just say his name wasn't on the cover), I doubt it wouldn't have sold the mediocre number that it did.

Apathy Boy

04-08-2005, 04:18 AM

Wow, I can't believe you folks turned this into a serious discussion. Colour me impressed.

From a creative standpoint, Vertigo is far more innovative today than when it started. Original Vertigo didn't explore many genres beyond horror or superhero and a lot of the writers seemed to be trying to ape the style of Gaiman and Moore.

By contrast, today's Vertigo publishes comics in a variety of genres from a variety of distinct voices (for example, I can't imagine Brian Azzarello fitting in with the Vertigo stable of writers in 1994). Today's Vertigo is also far more willing to experiment with formats. Anyone remember VERTICAL?

Where original Vertigo was innovative was in its branding. Mature comics were not new to DC. After all, almost all of the original Vertigo line were pre-existing titles (and coincidentally, almost all of them declined in quality after they became part of Vertigo, but that's neither here nor there). But by lumping them together as a single entity, Vertigo achieved the mainstream industry's biggest breakthrough in reaching the coveted "grown-up" demographic.

The blueprint established by Vertigo - the style of writing, the target marketing, the trade paperbook program - has been extremely influential and is responsible for what the industry looks like today.

dancj

04-08-2005, 04:47 AM

Why stop innovating?

You should never stop innovating, but in the beginnning Vetigo was trying to form its identity.

Current Vertigo is fine, but I wouldn't say perfect.

Also, if Vertigo doesn't need to be more innovative than any other imprint then why do we need vertigo?

Because Vertigo supplies certain types of comics that no-one else is providing.

Dan

FunkyGreenJerusalem

04-08-2005, 06:25 AM

Now I love Y: The Last Man and Fables etc.

But are they as exciting as The Invisibles, Sandman or Preacher were?

I guess I just feel that the books today are what I feel the standard good comic should be, the rule rather than the exception, and that Vertigo should still be pushing it further.

MarkSullivan

04-09-2005, 07:46 AM

From a creative standpoint, Vertigo is far more innovative today than when it started. Original Vertigo didn't explore many genres beyond horror or superhero and a lot of the writers seemed to be trying to ape the style of Gaiman and Moore.

By contrast, today's Vertigo publishes comics in a variety of genres from a variety of distinct voices (for example, I can't imagine Brian Azzarello fitting in with the Vertigo stable of writers in 1994). Today's Vertigo is also far more willing to experiment with formats. Anyone remember VERTICAL?

Where original Vertigo was innovative was in its branding.

I agree with all these points. The genre diversity of present Vertigo is definitely miles beyond Vertigo at launch, and I don't think that's fully appreciated in these kinds of discussions.

But I also agree that there was a creative excitement present in early Vertigo that just isn't there today. Probably a lot of that was historical--the state of mainstream comics at the time, and the creative focus involved in defining a new style and a new imprint. You can't recapture that feeling, no matter how many times you revisit the Dreaming, Swamp Thing, etc.