Blog @ Canadian Geek

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There’s a lot of sayings that go along with the word respect; “You have to earn respect.” “You have to give respect to get respect.” “Respect your elders.” They also all seem to be said as absolutes but frankly, I think they’re all more just starting points or guidelines. Enter into relationships with a mutual respect and over the course of time decide if that respect is warranted or not. Case in point, I recently had a conversation with an elder who was trying to earn my respect but in the process out right lied to me. Killed two out of three of those sayings right there.

Comics are a medium that has long gone without much respect, in my opinion, though I’m baffled to understand why. The only logic I can apply to it is just being uninformed. I have found, generally, that those who “dislike” comics have never read them. Sure there are some that have read a comic or two, probably not very good ones, and were turned off never to look back but a greater majority haven’t even tried.

There are two conflicting opinions about what comics are these days; “Comics are just kiddie stuff” and “Comics are only for adults.” Kinda tough to be both, eh, but those are the two most common sayings I hear from the general non-comic populace. Interesting how something can be only for kids is only for adults at the same time but that’s where over a hundred years of a lack of respect will get you.

When I go and speak at schools, for any first time visit I try and open with my “comics are a medium” speech, to help clarify to those in the room what comics actually are. And it’s not just the kids I’m giving perspective to. Once I finish my mini-speech, facial expressions change to the, “Oh, really? Wow” faces that everyone should have when talking about comics. Frankly, I believe there’s no other medium where the creative output is as high, the creators work as hard or are as accessible to their fans as comics. And yet, so few know than a couple of the big names or even that Spider-Man and Superman are owned by two different companies.

Granted, things are changing in our favour. Personally, I have been invited to speak at more schools and, astoundingly enough, also asked for return visits. Another big deal is the number of conferences I’ve been invited to speak at. This summer I’ll be at three different events spreading the news about my favourite medium and all instances I often hear a phrase that, while said innocently enough, always makes me chuckle;
“Can you tell the kids / talk about the world of comics for 15 to 20 minutes and then answer some questions?”

As many of you know, I can talk about anything for 20 minutes. How I enjoyed Spider-Man: One More Day, how great John Byrne is, how tasty my rice was last night in my dinner. So you can imagine how challenged I must be to talk about the entire medium of comics in just 20 minutes and then field some questions. I, somewhat foolishly, made the comment to a customer the other day that went like this, “Would you ask the Rolling Stones to come and speak about music for 15 to 20 minutes and then field some questions?” to which the customer said to me, “Did you just compare yourself to the Rolling Stones?” Ego aside, the point was more to that no one can speak about any medium for such a short period of time nor would, in most other cases, anyone be asked to.

Many would argue that it’s because comics are such a young medium that people aren’t familiar enough with it to truly respect it but when you look at it against film and television, comics are the oldest of the three. In fact one could even argue that the “art” of comics could date back to the Egyptians making it ridiculously old but really, we’re just looking at the modern day comic book.

It’s been a long road for comics to try and gain respect and an even tougher one to decipher. Why did comics not receive that same acclaim as early film? The appeal to children was there and that may have created the misconception that they were only for kids but film had cartoons and it’s now a mega-industry. Television, really just an extension of film, provides viewing material of all sorts aimed towards children and adults in many genres, just like comics, but they still can’t compare. What is it that held comics back? Here’s my outlandish theory.
Comics are the most complex medium to create, consume and enjoy and, thus, it holds less appeal to the general masses.

More next time.

The Shepherd

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A recent word storm has sprung on the net over the date of this year’s New York ComicCon, which apparently falls on the Jewish festival of Passover. This Rant is going to touch on that, the writer of the initial criticism and about society as a whole, I suppose, so if you are the type who does not enjoy, appreciate or respect the opinions of others in regards to religion, please stop reading now.

I only wish I could feel as passionately about anything as a traditional Jewish observer does about their faith but I don’t. I lack the personal resolve to commit myself so intrinsically into anything that I will always be relegated to the sidelines of absolute beliefs. And while I seldom comprehend one’s absolute devotion to, well, anything, I can respect it. To a degree.

Neil Kleid is a New York based cartoonist who has, at the end of January, taken some offence to the fact that the 2008 New York ComicCon is being held on the weekend of Passover. He posted an open letter on his LiveJournal stating as such.

Without knowing all of the particulars of why a show that had, for the previous 2 years been held in February, moved to April, Neil decided to take the organizational committee to task for allowing the show to occur at the same time as Passover. He actually states that he is “annoyed that the folks at Reed (Exhibitions) didn’t even take the holiday into account.” without actually knowing if it was taken into account or not. He further states that “it’s frankly insulting” that the organizers didn’t even take the time to “open a calendar and see whether the dates of the convention conflict with major holidays”. Neil knows a lot for someone who, in his opening, admits that “I don’t know the details” about why the date changed.

Lance Fensterman, head of the NYCon replied to Neil’s comments and made it clear that that weekend was all that was available to them at the venue where the con was being held. Even after seeing Lance’s reply, Neil still was not happy. So my question becomes, how far do we go please everyone?

I can remember a time when everything and I mean everything was closed on Sundays and Christmas (except essential services). It’s hardly the case these days, especially when you see movies like AVP Requiem opening on Dec 25th. Has Christmas become less of a holiday because of it? Well Neil thinks that “the decision to take the dates given (for the NYCon) despite them falling on Passover makes our holiday appear to be of lesser import.”

While I can’t disagree with his feelings, I do have to ask, where does it end? At what point do we draw the line when considering holding an event that falls on a holiday? What are the criteria? Do only certain religions get considered? With an increase in the number of “recognized” religious dates, how could anyone schedule anything without raising the ire of some group of people?

And I can’t believe for one minute that nothing happens on Passover. Like Christmas, the movement to provide not just services but also entertainment to those who do not recognize certain religious holidays is growing fast. As a member of the sector that no longer HAS to be open nearly every day of the year but is EXPECTED to be open every day of the year, the arrogance of any individual to say that an event shouldn’t occur because they can’t be a part of it offends me, especially when laced with the ignorance expressed in Neil’s open letter.

It’s sad that there are people in the world who are still looking to be persecuted instead of dealing with actual problems. The NYCon did what they have to do as a business and I’m sure it was not an easy decision to make. The fact that Neil, without knowing anything about why it happened, instantly skewed the happenings towards a bashing of his religion is a bit disturbing to me. Instead, why didn’t he just email them and ask, “Hey, did you know you booked your con on Passover weekend?” Had he done that I’m sure the comic internet community would have had to deal less with the passion of Neil’s faith.

I’m sorry you’ll have to miss the con, Neil. I applaud your faith but your attack on people without knowledge of why they do what they do is truly more damaging than a comic con on any holiday.

-The Shepherd