Thursday, February 01, 2007
In Case You Were Wondering ...
Occasional Superheroine provides an insider's view on how DC made a fateful decision to redirect the Supergirl brand:
I was directed to this post by Shelly.
Though I haven't posted recently, I've been following the various entries about Supergirl with interest. The Occasional Superheroine's post is definitely worth reading in its entirety, (as is Shelly's reaction to it).
While this doesn't surprise me in any way, seeing my suspicions about this matter confirmed has been a definite downer.
Of course, the whole crap with the current Supergirl started when Leonard Kirk was pulled off the book about 5 years ago and replaced with Ed Benes. Kirk's rendering of Supergirl, assisted by the very capable Robin Riggs, was one of the most realistic and yet attractive illustrations of a teenage girl I've ever seen in comics. There was never a sense of "exploitation" in his pencils -- just a sense of humanity and fun.
In contrast, Ed Benes's version of Supergirl was pure sex.
At the time, the book was going to be cancelled and frantic brainstorming went on as to how to revitalize the character's image. It was thought that Kirk's rendering was "too boring" and could not compete in an industry full of Witchblades, Fathoms, Lara Crofts, and the sexy Mutant-of-the-Week. The word was -- we need a hot new artist.
So this one idiot came up with a brilliant idea:
"Hey, you know that guy from 'Gen 13?' His stuff is really good, nice and sexy. Look at the body on Fairchild. Wow. Maybe we can use him?"
Based on this suggestion, Benes was put on the cancelled "Supergirl" as an experiment.
Sales went through the roof.
Supergirl was now one hot piece of ass. As were all the female characters in the book. Including the granny.
"Supergirl" was still cancelled, but based on the sales, a new path for the character was set.
And you know who came up with the idea of putting Ed Benes on "Supergirl?"
...
I did.
I was directed to this post by Shelly.
Though I haven't posted recently, I've been following the various entries about Supergirl with interest. The Occasional Superheroine's post is definitely worth reading in its entirety, (as is Shelly's reaction to it).
While this doesn't surprise me in any way, seeing my suspicions about this matter confirmed has been a definite downer.
Comments:
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You know, maybe it's just me, but I'm sick to death of all this stuff. Telling tales out of school and such. It's really ruining comics for me.
It's like seeing the magic man behind the curtain. Once you start doing that, you no longer believe in the magic anymore. I'm sick of people wanting to "expose" the magician's tricks for me. Just let me be able to enjoy the magic show, you assholes! Let those of us who want to believe in the magic do so. We aren't hurting you, so stop hurting us!
Sorry about the rant. It's just how i feel.
It's like seeing the magic man behind the curtain. Once you start doing that, you no longer believe in the magic anymore. I'm sick of people wanting to "expose" the magician's tricks for me. Just let me be able to enjoy the magic show, you assholes! Let those of us who want to believe in the magic do so. We aren't hurting you, so stop hurting us!
Sorry about the rant. It's just how i feel.
Your comment made me think of Bismarck's remark about politics being like sausage; everybody likes the result but we prefer to remain ignorant about how it actually gets produced. (Because if we knew, it'd gross us out.)
Being an academic, I enjoy learning about how certain editorial and artistic decisions were implemented. Insiders giving up details doesn't turn me off: bad art, bad writing, and pernicious storylines do that, for me.
Being an academic, I enjoy learning about how certain editorial and artistic decisions were implemented. Insiders giving up details doesn't turn me off: bad art, bad writing, and pernicious storylines do that, for me.
That's cool and I respect your right to "learn the magician's secrets."
I guess, for me, it's just become way too wide spead. You can't go anywhere online today and just find folks talking about the work. Everyone seems to get into the politics of it.
If that type of stuff was at certain places, which you could go and I could avoid, I probably wouldn't be bugged by it so much.
But even places i liked to go before, which did talk about the work (like here, for example) link stuff stuff like this entry, making it almost impossible for those, like me, who only want to enjoy discussion of the work. Not the people making it, not the politics of why it's made, just the work.
I guess I just have always used comics as an escape from reality-television watching, papparatzi dirt-digging, sociopolitically bile spew mindset that seems to be everywhere today. But now, it seems, I'm to be denied even that "safe haven."
And it just makes me a little sad (and a lot angry).
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I guess, for me, it's just become way too wide spead. You can't go anywhere online today and just find folks talking about the work. Everyone seems to get into the politics of it.
If that type of stuff was at certain places, which you could go and I could avoid, I probably wouldn't be bugged by it so much.
But even places i liked to go before, which did talk about the work (like here, for example) link stuff stuff like this entry, making it almost impossible for those, like me, who only want to enjoy discussion of the work. Not the people making it, not the politics of why it's made, just the work.
I guess I just have always used comics as an escape from reality-television watching, papparatzi dirt-digging, sociopolitically bile spew mindset that seems to be everywhere today. But now, it seems, I'm to be denied even that "safe haven."
And it just makes me a little sad (and a lot angry).
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