Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum Page of 2 Next >>
Topic: The decline of words in comics. Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
Andrew Cate
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 February 2019
Location: United States
Posts: 158
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 9:21am | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Andy Rooney moment- 

I remember when I could spend a good 20-30 minutes reading a comic. I can finish a modern trade paper back in that time now.  The shift seemed to have occurred in the early 90’s, but what was the reasoning? Change in target demographic, rise in dynamic art, or was the thought that finishing a comic quicker meant buying your next comic faster?



John Carter 1977








John Carter 2014





Edited by Andrew Cate on 17 September 2019 at 9:29am
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132134
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 9:26am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

…the hell??
Back to Top profile | search
 
Koroush Ghazi
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 October 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1640
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 9:37am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

There's a happy middle ground where the art isn't overwhelmed by the text, and neither is it presented like a storyboard for a movie. E.g.:

Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Andrew Cate
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 February 2019
Location: United States
Posts: 158
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 9:39am | IP Logged | 4 post reply


***** .....the hell??



I can take that comment many ways....

Andrew what the hell are you talking about?

Andrew what the hell are you doing posting John Carter to prove a point?

Andrew what the hell man you make a good point, glad to have you on the Byrne Robotics team!

or 

Andrew......what the hell?


Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132134
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 9:53am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

A representation of the way word usage has shrunk.

We no longer seem even to have time for a "What" in front of "the hell."

Back to Top profile | search
 
Andrew Cate
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 February 2019
Location: United States
Posts: 158
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 10:09am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Fair enough...

To add context I just finished the John Carter omnibus. Wolfman wrote the large bulk of it with CC. Loved it, but not a quick read by any means. 
Back to Top profile | search
 
James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 7581
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 10:12am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

I wonder if we would see an increase in script if the writers decreased the words they use to describe the story and trusted the artists to draw.

Writers write, artists draw.

Seemed to work really well when that was the case before.
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Andrew Cate
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 February 2019
Location: United States
Posts: 158
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 10:19am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Or how about an overlay? Lift it up for those more visual and leave it down for those wanting more descriptive literature and dialogue?
Back to Top profile | search
 
Vinny Valenti
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8009
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 10:44am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

"We no longer seem even to have time for a "What" in front of "the hell."

---

Ha. Here I thought you were referencing Bendis' overuse of the phrase.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Brian Hughes
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 June 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 292
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 10:55am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Andrew,  the reason it all changed is that sales of the Trade Paperbacks of "The Dark Knight Returns" and Watchmen" demonstrated a market for printed collections.

Of course they had to label them "Graphic Novels" to lend them credibility because the masses were afraid to say they read comic books.

And so, as the comic creators noticed this, they began to write for the trades.  They put together six and eight issue story lines with the intention they would be printed later in a trade paperback.

This forced many if not most to have to pad their stories or stretch them out without providing much exposition. 

And so here we are. . . 

Edited to correct mistakes made by my non-fat fingers.  Don't know what's wrong with them.


Edited by Brian Hughes on 17 September 2019 at 10:58am
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132134
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 11:02am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

As I mentioned on a previous occasion, when working with Chris Claremont, Marvel style, I noted that the less he had to do with the plotting/choreography of a scene, the more words there would be on the page.

Most books these days are (I think) done full script, so the writer does all the choreography, and the word count drops.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Stéphane Garrelie
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 05 August 2005
Location: France
Posts: 4226
Posted: 17 September 2019 at 11:25am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

That's a very optimistic analysis. I'ld rather say that the editors and writers suppose that the public doesn't read much books anymore, and try to make the comics as effortless to read as a tvshow or an action blockbuster are to watch. 

Edited by Stéphane Garrelie on 17 September 2019 at 11:27am
Back to Top profile | search
 

Page of 2 Next >>
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login