Eric Canete on the reaction to ASM 611

[Mister Mets]

Erik Canate, the artist of Amazing Spider-Man #611 posted an entry on his blog, about the divided reaction to the issue.

And I can't tell whether or not the love/hate split for #611 goes right down the middle, but I wonder if there's any way I can cajole Marvel's editorial offices to just alienate the remaining 50% by letting me do just that - 13 issues back to back.

Let's ask, shall we?


In the mean time, here's 11 pages of the issue in black and white for your viewing pleasure. For the full effect (the AWESOME and HILARIOUS plot by JOE KELLY, word balloons, colors, etc.) *and* in order to support my plight in making every Spiderman fan nervous for a year, please pick up the issue out on your local comic book stores' stands now. Then do me a huge ol' favor and write an e-mail to Marvel's Stephen Wacker telling him how you're part of the progressive/forward thinking 50% and how ecstatic you'd be if I could go on a year-long tear regarding the Sinister Six.

And to those who have already bought the issue, thank you SO MUCH for your patronage and for all the kind, supportive, and congratulatory e-mails. I am genuinely appreciative and I owe you folks a ton.

Have a great week.



PS - Are there really people boycotting the Spiderman books because of some event that's happened like Marvel did a whole rewind on Spiderman's history or Aunt May is now a super-spy? Really?! A boycott?! Wow, you guys are hard core.

It also includes eleven pages of black and white art from the issue.

[Jim Thompson]

Originally Posted by Mister Mets

PS - Are there really people boycotting the Spiderman books because of some event that's happened like Marvel did a whole rewind on Spiderman's history or Aunt May is now a super-spy? Really?! A boycott?! Wow, you guys are hard core.

Wow -- talk about being divorced from a portion of one's audience.

[whiteshark]

I have not read ASM#611 just saw the preview so i can not really coment much about the art.
As soon as i read the story i will coment in the art.

But from the preview i saw the art being stylized was right with the tone of what i expect in a funny story with the team up of Spider-Man and Deadpool.
But cant say much because i have not read ASM#611 so far.

[HULKquist]

Originally Posted by Mister Mets

Erik Canate, the artist of Amazing Spider-Man #611 posted an entry on his blog, about the divided reaction to the issue.

And I can't tell whether or not the love/hate split for #611 goes right down the middle, but I wonder if there's any way I can cajole Marvel's editorial offices to just alienate the remaining 50% by letting me do just that - 13 issues back to back.

Let's ask, shall we?


In the mean time, here's 11 pages of the issue in black and white for your viewing pleasure. For the full effect (the AWESOME and HILARIOUS plot by JOE KELLY, word balloons, colors, etc.) *and* in order to support my plight in making every Spiderman fan nervous for a year, please pick up the issue out on your local comic book stores' stands now. Then do me a huge ol' favor and write an e-mail to Marvel's Stephen Wacker telling him how you're part of the progressive/forward thinking 50% and how ecstatic you'd be if I could go on a year-long tear regarding the Sinister Six.

And to those who have already bought the issue, thank you SO MUCH for your patronage and for all the kind, supportive, and congratulatory e-mails. I am genuinely appreciative and I owe you folks a ton.

Have a great week.



PS - Are there really people boycotting the Spiderman books because of some event that's happened like Marvel did a whole rewind on Spiderman's history or Aunt May is now a super-spy? Really?! A boycott?! Wow, you guys are hard core.

It also includes eleven pages of black and white art from the issue.

It's dickishness like this that really makes me think twice about staying with the title. Yeah, I know, I'm reacting to what a creator has said, and not the material he created, but wow - the cluelessness these people have in treating fans is amazing. I hope Wacker and Joe Q. take a long look at rehiring him, because I don't think alienating the fan base any further is a boon to sales.

[Jim Thompson]

Originally Posted by HULKquist

It's dickishness like this that really makes me think twice about staying with the title. Yeah, I know, I'm reacting to what a creator has said, and not the material he created, but wow - the cluelessness these people have in treating fans is amazing. I hope Wacker and Joe Q. take a long look at rehiring him, because I don't think alienating the fan base any further is a boon to sales.

I'm not sure either Wacker, Joe Quesada or any of the rest of the creators currently associated with the book see comments like that as being questionable or potentially damaging.

[ShaggyB]

is it sad that the art looks better in black and white?

[ShaggyB]

Originally Posted by Jim Thompson

I'm not sure either Wacker, Joe Quesada or any of the rest of the creators currently associated with the book see comments like that as being questionable or potentially damaging.

because they arent.

If you are boycotting, its not going to make you come back.... but then again the current direction wasnt making you come back either.

If you are on the verge of dropping it may make you.... but so could the next issue... so is it a big deal? not really.

If you are loving the book.... it wouldnt phase you at all. Youd still love the book.

[bulletproofsponge]

I like this guys site. is he on the forum?

[Jim Thompson]

Originally Posted by ShaggyB

because they arent.

If you are boycotting, its not going to make you come back.... but then again the current direction wasnt making you come back either.

If you are on the verge of dropping it may make you.... but so could the next issue... so is it a big deal? not really.

If you are loving the book.... it wouldnt phase you at all. Youd still love the book.

I'd never presume to speak for someone else, so I'm not sure they feel as you describe or not. If they do, I find that unfortunate, as it doesn't seem to be an attitude that will help the book during the bad times.

Stan Lee, for example, is very good at treating his customer base, both current and potential, with respect.

[JZ040488]

i thought 611 was sickkkkkkkkk. i'd like to see somemore of that artwork

[rick]

Originally Posted by Jim Thompson

Wow -- talk about being divorced from a portion of one's audience.

What do you mean?

The boycottors have made it very clear that they are not going to read Spider-Man again until they get their way and have Spidy regressed back to the way they like him.

If we take them at their word, we have to assume that they are NOT a portion of the audience.

[stephen wacker]

Originally Posted by Jim Thompson

I'd never presume to speak for someone else, so I'm not sure they feel as you describe or not. If they do, I find that unfortunate, as it doesn't seem to be an attitude that will help the book during the bad times.

Stan Lee, for example, is very good at treating his customer base, both current and potential, with respect.

When your thesis is "I don't like the book, therefore it must be going through bad times" then it's not surprising you see everything so dramatically. I have no doubt that if Stan were still the editor there would be many fans apoplectic at every invented, perceived slight. To pretend otherwise is naive.

Not sure your age, but as you get older you tend to realize that not every piece of entertainment can be catered specifically to you. You can choose to get mad at that-- it's certainly your prerogative-- but there's plenty of good Spider-Man stuff out there...and good comics in general.

Also I suspect Eric doesn't know much about the current conflict and drama surrounding Spidey messageboard fans -- we certainly never spoke about it, so when you or someone later in the thread imagines that you have to clear your opinions through Editorial someone please mention, it's not true. I'm pretty indifferent to whether or not someone likes the marriage. If it wouldn't affect their ability to do work I like, It's not my concern.

Finally Eric is a genius..at least at comics. Probably sucks at other genius stuff like math and message board moderating. You'll see more of him in a Hammerhead story coming up in Web.

Wacker

[Jim Thompson]

Originally Posted by stephen wacker

When your thesis is "I don't like the book, therefore it must be going through bad times" then it's not surprising you see everything so dramatically. I have no doubt that if Stan were still the editor there would be many fans apoplectic at every invented, perceived slight. To pretend otherwise is naive.

I'd agree with this, except I didn't say whether I thought the book was currently going through bad times or not, anymore than I said my thesis was "I don't like the book, therefore it must be going through bad times." My thesis, if any, is that one should cultivate all the good will they can, because when times get hard, one's going to have need of that good will, and in this, I think Stan Lee is very effective.

Not sure your age, but as you get older you tend to realize that not every piece of entertainment can be catered specifically to you. You can choose to get mad at that-- it's certainly your prerogative-- but there's plenty of good Spider-Man stuff out there...and good comics in general.

Methinks thou doth protest too much here, as I never even implied I want your product catered to my particular needs, or think that it ought to be. Neither am I "mad" at anyone over the editorial decisions made. I just don't personally enjoy the product right now.

Also I suspect Eric doesn't know much about the current conflict and drama surrounding Spidey message board fans -- we certainly never spoke about it, so when you or someone later in the thread imagines that you have to clear your opinions through Editorial someone please mention, it's not true. I'm pretty indifferent to whether or not someone likes the marriage. If it wouldn't affect their ability to do work I like, It's not my concern.

First off, my current issues with your product have nothing to do with the marriage. Secondly, I didn't accuse anyone of anything other than being ignorant of what a portion of the fan-base thinks about the character -- and I wouldn't have thought that if he hadn't forwarded his opinion, and Mets decided to share it.

[Theophilus]

Originally Posted by rick

If we take them at their word, we have to assume that they are NOT a portion of the audience.

Well, there's several people on this board who were boycotting and broke down and liked what they read.

So as a general rule, I say you view anyone who cares enough to disparage your product as a potential customer.

And one thing that really wins people over is treating them with respect instead of being dismissive. At the end of the day most of them might agree to disagree, but simply saying you understand their concerns but are going a different direction and you hope they'll give it a shot goes a long way.

[Jim Thompson]

Originally Posted by rick

What do you mean?

The boycottors have made it very clear that they are not going to read Spider-Man again until they get their way and have Spidy regressed back to the way they like him.

If we take them at their word, we have to assume that they are NOT a portion of the audience.

I'm looking at this from the perspective there are a minimum of three audiences any company ought to be aware of: current customers, former customers and future customers. Without ever wanting to suggest the rightness or wrongness of what any of those audiences feelings or opinions are, I'd certainly want to be aware of what those feeling opinions were, so that I'd be in a better position to forward the company's positions.