Yesterday’s post on the death of American comics elicited its fair share of comments. One reader who decided to offer his two cents ended up contributing gold when he turned out to be an industry veteran.
Consider commercial sculptor William Paquet‘s insider account of the US comics industry’s collapse:
Heads up: This isn’t the last time we’ll hear a firsthand account of Vertigo’s shenanigans. The foregoing was only one slice in comics’ death of a thousand cuts.
To follow up, I asked William if anyone else on the inside realized what was happening.
And Vertigo rears its head again.
At that point, I flashed back to my misspent years of reading Sandman. And something about that lead editor’s name struck a chord.
A paradox: How does one demand to speak to the manager when one is the manager?
On the subject of impossible statements …
Behold! Oldpub legalism in all its glory!
Speaking of that other collapsing industry, OG readers will remember way back in the day when rock star Vertigo writer Neil Gaiman disavowed Sad Puppies after they helped Sandman: Overture win a Hugo.
Anyway, jaded as I am, Karen’s critique of William’s Hellblazer sculpture made me do a double take.
Sane art director ftw!
Which highlights another destructive trend that American comics and oldpub have in common.
By now it’s a familiar story: Artistic failures beget business failures that soften up an industry for Death Cult infiltration. Competent men interested in the business’ purpose are phased out in favor of women mainly interested in themselves.
That’s the death of a thousand cuts.
If you see it happening in your field, it might be time to start planning your exit.
Thankfully, newpub has arisen to fill the void and serve the forgotten male reader. And that service doesn’t get any more personalized than in Neopatronage, where you decide what kinds of entertainment you want made!
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