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Orlando Teuta Jr Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 17 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 1043
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 2:50pm | IP Logged | 1
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Good points. However, while we're pointing fingers at the editors
and the talent, we also need to look at ourselves, the fans. It seems
like we no longer follow the characters, but instead we follow
the talent. How many times have we heard that a book is being dropped
from our pull list because the writer or artist of the book is being
replaced. This is seemingly done without any idea of what the new
creative team will bring to the book. So of course, the money guys are
going to wait on the talent to finish "growing their roses" because we
the consumer wouldn't buy it if anyone else was writing or drawing it.
Since the talent, not the characters are the stars, the suits have
little choice but to cater to these un-professionals. Because 1, we
will still buy it no matter how late, and 2, we won't buy it if anyone
else works on it, heck in most cases we wont even give the new talent a
chance.
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Joe Zhang Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 12857
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 2:52pm | IP Logged | 2
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"Warren Ellis is for the most part a pretty fast writer. When his books ship
late, it's the penciller who's the weak link.
For instance, Transmetropolitan shipped on time, every time."
That's my understanding too, Eric. But Ellis doesn't seem to expect
much from his pencillers as far as timeliness is concerned, which is
why I see him as culpable too.
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Lance Hill Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 22 April 2005 Posts: 991
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 2:53pm | IP Logged | 3
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QUOTE:
is the extra time taken by guys like Ellis, Bendis, Cassady, Hitch and many others really being used to produce those late comics, or are they being spent on "extra-curricular activites"? |
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How many late comics has Bendis been responsible for? The only instance I can think of is the Ultimate Six mini-series, which he extended by one issue.
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Joe Zhang Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 12857
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 2:56pm | IP Logged | 4
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Same reason as I gave about Ellis, above.
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Eric Kleefeld Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 21 December 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4422
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:01pm | IP Logged | 5
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I don't think you can hold the writers responsible for the lateness of artists.
There the culpability is on the artist for being late and the editor for not
taking any corrective action or hiring faster people to begin with.
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Joe Zhang Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 12857
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:03pm | IP Logged | 6
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But writers, at least at Marvel, are more powerful than even the immediate editors.
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Orlando Teuta Jr Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 17 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 1043
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:08pm | IP Logged | 7
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"But writers, at least at Marvel, are more powerful than even the immediate editors."
Yup, and like I posted earlier, this partially the part of us, the fans.
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Jason Fulton Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Posts: 3938
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:08pm | IP Logged | 8
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I would think a writer would want a faster artist on a book - they're losing money when 'young hot flavor of the month artist #34763746' is too busy playing his Xbox.
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Joe Zhang Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 12857
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:09pm | IP Logged | 9
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The writers just load up on other assignments, which probably forces other writers out of business.
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Darren Taylor Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 22 April 2004 Location: Scotland Posts: 6033
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:17pm | IP Logged | 10
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"Maybe good books that are late sell better than bad books that are always
on time."-Jon
Jon, I am reminded of the Eddie Murphy skit about "the best god-damn
crackers ever!" turning out to be just plain ole regular crackers with
the perspective granted from a few days in the desert;-)
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Thomas Mets Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 05 September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 898
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 3:19pm | IP Logged | 11
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I've directly written to Joe Quesada about various issues, and the one
time he wrote back, he said to mind my own business without actually
saying those exact words.
---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
Do you have his exact words?
Which brings us back to the question Byrne is posing: is the extra time
taken by guys like Ellis, Bendis, Cassady, Hitch and many others really
being used to produce those late comics, or are they being spent on
"extra-curricular activites"?
---------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- --
Depends on the "extra-curricular" activities. I believe Brian Hitch's
problems were because his girlfriend had a very difficult pregnancy.
http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/rage/10380 9463245165.htm
It's interesting that Ellis & Bendis are the writers on the list as
they're two of the most prolific in comics. Other late writers like
Kevin Smith & Joss Whedon have other day jobs which pay more, and
justly take precedent over their comics work (of course- there is the
issue of why Smith was allowed to do montly mini-series instead of
original geaphic novels.) And it's interesting that Cassady & Hitch
are the artists mentioned, because I honestly believe that they're two
of the five or so best artists working in comics. I'd honestly have
been disappointed if they were replaced midarc with other artists, and
believe that would hurt the sales of the trade paperbacks in the long
term.
That's my understanding too, Eric. But Ellis doesn't seem to expect
much from his pencillers as far as timeliness is concerned, which is
why I see him as culpable too.
---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
Ellis can be blamed for choosing late artists like John Cassady, and JH
Williams, and editors who give him notoriously late artists. However,
in the case of Planetary, that could rightily piss off the fans who buy
the books for the creators, not the characters. And JH Williams is the
third of the five or so best artists in comics in my opinion (Jon
Romita Jr & George Perez being the other two.)
How many late comics has Bendis been responsible for? The only instance
I can think of is the Ultimate Six mini-series, which he extended by
one issue.
---------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- --
He also took responsibility for Ultimate Secret #3, and 4 which became
late because Bendis extended a New Avengers arc by an extra issue, and
artist Steve McNiven had to draw that, and I believe begin work on
Brian Singer's Ultimate X-Men arc.
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Joe Zhang Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 12857
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Posted: 25 September 2005 at 5:27pm | IP Logged | 12
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"
Depends on the "extra-curricular" activities. I believe Brian Hitch's
problems were because his girlfriend had a very difficult pregnancy."
Call me a cold-hearted monster, but that would be an acceptable excuse
only if it was Hitch's girlfriend drawing the Ultimates. Or her pediatrician. There is no such thing as paternity-leave.
Edited by Joe Zhang on 25 September 2005 at 5:28pm
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