Why cold, hard paper comics aren’t going anywhere…
Reading Experience
I mentioned last week that I really love the experience digital provides. It allows me to see everything huge and backlit. Sometimes with amazing resolution. It all makes the art pop…with one exception: two-page spreads.
I’ve yet to find a good way to read these in digital and their impact is completely squashed in digital. But in print? It’s an amazing tool to do some really creative things.
It’s also the way these books are meant to be read.
Most writers aren’t thinking of the digital page turn - they’re thinking of the physical one. That means the pacing, or how scenes are broken up, can be a little wonky reading digitally.
If that feels like a stretch from me, considering how hard I went to bat for digital last week, that’s because it is. Though there’s something that digital will truly never be able to do.
Multiple Formats
Floppies are great and all, but where print truly shines are when you get the premium editions. There’s nothing like having a giant, physical book in your hands that really gives you a sense of how the artist got the page together. (Technically, since a lot of artists are digital natives nowadays.)
It takes the size advantage away from digital when you’re talking about absolutes or library editions. There’s also nothing like having it laid out on a table in front of you.
Not to mention, looking at your books on a shelf brings a small joy itself. It’s not the same looking at the DC Universe Infinite website or your folder of PDFs from Kickstarters you’ve backed.
Collecting and The Thrill of the Chase
Speaking of looking at your books - collecting is a hobby in itself. I have access to read most of the Superman Triangle Era from the 90s-early 00s via DCUI, but I still find myself going to antique malls across Ontario to fill the gaps in my collection.
It’s likely a mix of nostalgia and an urge to collect that’s driving this more than anything. I rarely dig through my longboxes when I want to revisit a story (especially now that I have boxes spread between cities). Yet, there’s nothing like cracking open your longboxes to see what you’ve gathered.
Just looking at the covers can bring those emotions you felt reading the stories the first time out right back. I don’t get that looking at a jpeg.
The Community
As great as it has been to meet people online, both through this newsletter and through socials like Twitter/X and Instagram, there’s nothing like meeting like-minded folks in person.
Where do I meet most of these like-minded pals? Cons while we rifle through longboxes trying to fill our backlists.
My LCS, Knowhere Comics in Toronto, is another great destination to meet people, but I’m not there as often with the Wednesday Warriors to pick up my books. (Especially since I split orders with CaptCan Comics in Brantford a lot too).
But some of the best conversations about comics have come from within the walls of an LCS. Whether that’s Stadium Comics in Brampton (recently shifted to online) or the Silver Snail in Toronto.
It’s always a must do when I’m in a new city. It’s somehow always extremely familiar whether I’m in a shop in Rome, Dublin, New York or Los Angeles. That doesn’t happen if we’re only downloading books.
But Why Floppies?
From a creative, and maybe even a business point of view, it’s hard to make the argument that comics should continue in the traditional serialized format. It’s the way we’ve always done it, but if we’re learning anything about how manga is consumed in the West - folks want a complete story.
Every time I fall behind, I do appreciate being able to get an arc read rather than having to try and remember what I read a month ago - or longer if we’re talking indies.
That said, I don’t know if creators outside of the Big Two could afford to front books that way. Serialization allows some room to see how a book is doing and adjust accordingly - rather than an all or nothing approach shifting to trades would be.
Arguably, you’re getting the best of both worlds right now. But it does feel like we’re holding onto something that won’t be here in this form 10 years from now.
Maybe there’s a shift to weekly “magazine” style books containing the serialized stories like Shonen Jump or 2000 A.D. or maybe more of what we’re seeing with some books starting digitally then being collected in print.
It’s interesting to see how this all shakes out, but the one thing that’s clear is that print isn’t going anywhere any time soon - and I’m happy for that.
What’s Next?
March 1
In For The Long Haul
What can “save” comics - if they even need saving
March 15
Sense of Community
Where to make friends in comics (and out)
Pesto Comics Release Calendar
Launching Soon
* Writing Tools (within Archetypes: An Independent Geek Culture Magazine)
April 2024
* Il Pestcatore (as part of TO Comix’ The City We Chose Anthology)
Spring 2024
* Crazy Latte Thing Called Love
* Working (After) Life
Summer 2024
* NKW #1
* Cleo & Gus
Fall 2024
* NKW #2
