*old man voice* These kids today and their newfangled technology

[Brandon Hanvey]

This pretty much pants the picture of what I thought Marvel (and probably DC) thinks of digital comics.

A panel discussion between Ira Rubenstein, executive vice president of Marvel’s Global Digital Media Group, Dave Roman, cartoonist and associate editor of Nickelodeon Magazine, and Stuart Levy, chief executive officer of Tokyopop.

Roman: Most people I know and that I’ve talked to don’t read books more than once. There is that collector mentality, but that’s a very niche comic book mentality that has to do with rarity and collectibility that will not exist digitally. The idea of a rare digital file may never really happen. So the idea of convincing somebody to pay for a book when so much reading online is free…that’s the reason newspapers are dying, because a newspaper would want to charge for their content – for like an editorial or something – but some blogger can do it for free, and for the most part people don’t care.

Rubenstein: But Dave, I think there’s a difference. No one can write about Spider-Man or X-Men except for us.

Roman: I disagree.

Levy: Totally.

Rubenstein: Those are our characters. How could someone else write another Spider-Man story?

Roman: Because fan fiction is becoming so powerful. I’ve seen the power of fan fiction. Working at Nickelodeon, there are people out there doing ‘Avatar’ comics that are soooooo much better…

Rubenstein: But that’s like saying YouTube is a real entertainment channel. It’s not.

Roman/Levy/like five people in the audience: It is.

Via: Four Color Forum

[K'Nort]

Wow. I have no use for most online content, but even I know you don't want someone like that running your digital media section.

[dingo]

That's a worry.

[DubipR]

Stupid beancounter running that department. He doesn't see the real picture... that's so sad. This is why Iger hired Lasseter to run Animation at Disney, to flush out the lawyers and accountants who were running it. Marvel and DC should do the same.

[howyadoin]

"The power of fan fiction."

There's a phrase to keep people awake at night.

[thehod]

Originally Posted by howyadoin

"The power of fan fiction."

There's a phrase to keep people awake at night.

You don't know.. the power of the Dark Side.

[Michael P]

"The Dork Side" is more like it.

[Ontir]

"Mr. Rubenstein, the Future. The Future, Mr. Rubenstein."

The power of fanfic is a reality though, and one that worked strongly against "Superman Returns." How many times did people decry the film, because it wasn't (in their opinion) as good as Sandy Collara's fan film?

The thing is, the big companies can make a profit, a good profit, embracing the new technology. Ad sales have been a part of comics as much as any other magazine. That won't change with digital comics. When the digital work is collected into the paper volumes, for those who want them, things like limited run, 1st edition will apply to the spec market as they do now. Failure to embrace the future is a fatal mistake for the industry. They need to listen to Scott McCloud. He's the guy who not only sees the future, but is inside enough to lead the industry to it.

[Michael P]

Originally Posted by Ontir

The post of fanfic is a reality though, and one that worked strongly against "Superman Returns." How many times did people decry the film, because it wasn't (in their opinion) as good as Sandy Collara's fan film?

None that I was aware of.

[StoneGold]

Originally Posted by Ontir

"Mr. Rubenstein, the Future. The Future, Mr. Rubenstein."

The post of fanfic is a reality though, and one that worked strongly against "Superman Returns." How many times did people decry the film, because it wasn't (in their opinion) as good as Sandy Collara's fan film?

I'm guessing just you.


As far as I know, the only thing that worked against Superman Returns was Superman Returns.

[Supermancho]

Originally Posted by Ontir

"Mr. Rubenstein, the Future. The Future, Mr. Rubenstein."

The post of fanfic is a reality though, and one that worked strongly against "Superman Returns." How many times did people decry the film, because it wasn't (in their opinion) as good as Sandy Collara's fan film?

I've only known Sandy Collora's first Batman film, And that guy fills good the costume.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Originally Posted by howyadoin

"The power of fan fiction."

There's a phrase to keep people awake at night.

I used to be that way too, but then I read this great x-men fan prose story which started with the conceit that the Fatal Attractions story ended differently, and followed Exodus about - as the books themselves totally ignored him and his potential - and set up for and showed a better way for 'The Twelve' storyline to play out.
It was great watching all these minor bits of continuity that I'd either forgotten or hadn't even noticed come together in a swirl of prose that echoed the subtle caption box style of Claremont - but in a way that almost out Claremonted Claremont.

And Typo told me about this one called 'Gamma Rage', and it even motivated him to start writing.

[howyadoin]

Originally Posted by FunkyGreenJerusalem

I used to be that way too, but then I read this great x-men fan prose story which started with the conceit that the Fatal Attractions story ended differently, and followed Exodus about - as the books themselves totally ignored him and his potential - and set up for and showed a better way for 'The Twelve' storyline to play out.
It was great watching all these minor bits of continuity that I'd either forgotten or hadn't even noticed come together in a swirl of prose that echoed the subtle caption box style of Claremont - but in a way that almost out Claremonted Claremont.

And Typo told me about this one called 'Gamma Rage', and it even motivated him to start writing.

I wanna see a prose story that starts with the conceit that good writing is important.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Originally Posted by howyadoin

I wanna see a prose story that starts with the conceit that good writing is important.

This one was close (yes, it's real) - but instead of 'good', it went with 'purple'.

[Michael P]

I've read some fanfic that wasn't terrible. I've even read some that I've enjoyed. But I haven't read any that's ever topped the best of the actual material on which it was based. And I certainly haven't read any that made me proud to be human in the same way that, say, The Sandman or Peanuts does.