Help me celebrate it, won’t you?
Quick, go here, and click the link provided, too — I mean, if you haven’t already, it’s Savage Critics after all, most of you have probably seen it by now.
I know I’ve said this before, but today I was in the old LCBS, and by God I’m feeling it: that sensation of freedom that you get, from being around all your old addictive substances, and not wanting them anymore. And then realizing that, while you may not be rich, at least you have less stuff you need to buy.
I remember Bendis got a letter once: “How do you manage to write so many comics? Do you have a time machine?”
His reply: “No, I don’t have a time machine…oh, well, actually maybe I do: I don’t drink.”
These are not exact quotes, you understand. But God, Bendis is fantastic, eh? Or at least, when he’s good, he’s just fucking great.
Anyway, it’s kind of like that. Like a time machine for my wallet.
I’m repeating myself, I know; well, I believe I already said I would be repeating myself.
But the sheer variety of things in my LCBS that I desperately want to own is incredible. And somehow I get the feeling that if I asked them if they could get something for me, they might just get it.
Now, Marvel’s gonna get my Oath and Iron Fist and Eternals money, because my friends on the Internet rarely steer me wrong (and also I like what I’ve read of The Eternals), but if that’s all they get from me, then the upshot is that I can afford to buy Lost Girls, you know? So I’ve kind of got a vested interest in putting off any other Marvel purchases for as long as I can, because it helps my opportunity cost situation. Hey, sorry, Marvel: but it’s just business, you know?
DC, you’ll be getting about twice as much dough as Marvel does over the next year or so, because I sense you’d still like to have me as a reader, and I appreciate that. Also you’ve still got Vertigo: and I’ll be picking up that Testament trade, you betcha. Furthermore, I’m still a junkie for all things Moore and Morrison, so you’ll get that too. Okay, make it three times what Marvel gets, or four, or five. Alan’s not happy with you, but I need those Tom Strongs, damn it. Sorry, Alan.
Also, DC: keep employing Darwyn Cooke. Know what I mean?
Sorry again, Alan.
But hey, Internet: today I bought The Complete Bone for a little over forty bucks. Great, eh?
Lost Girls, here I come. Black Dossier, too, one of these days. Oh all right, if it’ll make you happy Alan, I’ll take that money out of the DC fund.
The Marvel fund can pay for Fantagraphics.
Gosh, it’s great not being wanted as a reader!
A Trout In The Milk 
This is what I’ve been saying! It’s foolish to buy comics you don’t particularly enjoy from companies that don’t particularly care whether or not you’re one of their customers!
More power to the independents!
I think the Savage Critics article is bang-on; I’ve compared my Legion fandom to my Blue Jays fandom on more than one occasion. It really is a similar thing. And not a bad thing, either. Why not enjoy things on that level? It can be tremendously satisfying. Sure, it’s not all comic books have to offer, but that’s okay; people who don’t have a sports-fan-like attachment to their favourite characters aren’t getting everything comics has to offer either.
I sort of know what you mean by the opportunity-cost thing, but unfortunately I don’t share the experience. I’ve got two kids and my wife has big plans for the house. So if I spend less money on comics it’s not like I can buy different comics with it; it just means that I’m successfully managing to spend less money on comics.
If I want to watch the Patriots pummel the Bills & Jets, or a Red Sox- Tampa Bay game with half the starters out, I can do that for free. Identity & Infinite Crises cost me… oh man, I don’t want to think about that.
Re Crises: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… the first few chapters looked good, and then I had to see what happened, and it had some fun bits, so maybe I’m not totally to blame and I can stop anytime and… Where was I? Fool me three times, shame on… wait, Morrison & JG Jones on Final Crisis? For real? It’s gonna be so awesome, I gotta read it!!!!!!! But after that, I won’t get fooled again. Really.