Ok, so I am a major comic fan. Being raised by the military machine in Japan during my youth, I’d spent my life surrounded by them. They made my life more colorful because they let my brain go into that gorgeous world of art and imagination. Even though I’ve matured, my taste really hasn’t. I still collect comics and manga, and have now even straggled into manhwa – I seriously can’t wait to get my hands on Ghostface by Hyung Min Woo!!!
I know that there are millions like me, because I see them frequent comic shops and even conventions like Comic-Con (though I’m now turned off by the HUGE Hollywood crowd). But the one thing that I can say is that I’m a snob when it comes to comics. No matter how great the plot, if the graphics aren’t good then I can’t read the book. One image will start to bug me, and then I’ll spend my time picking apart the book. So, I don’t get the ones which have unappealing art because I’ll do the creator an injustice. I’ve heard that some readers are the exact opposite. But the one thing that’s constant is that all comic fans are fanatic about them.
Today, I was reading May’s issue of Inc. magazine, and came across an article talking about some business books being converted into graphic novels. I reread the article twice and looked at the provided image. While the intention is pure, I am having a really hard time wrapping my head around the concept. Comics are made to be enjoyed. Their creators believe in their stories. And they bring our dreams to life. How do you get an artist to draw comics that fit something so non-graphic as a business book, or for that matter “The Art of War”? Is it just me, or is everyone jumping on the comic bandwagon missing the point? I’d love for people to be drawn into a world that I adore. We geeks have big hearts.
After attending my last Comic-Con a few year ago, I can say that we should start checking some people’s intentions for getting into the graphic world. I’m also a technical communicator, so I know what those business books are like. And never in a million years would I put the comic treatment to them! Perhaps it’s the purist in me keeping my two worlds apart. I want my childhood dreams to be safe in the world of comics. I’d hate for capitalism to ruin a perfectly good thing.
