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Post by Lolatadatodo on Nov 25, 2016 10:18:16 GMT -5
This is sort of a comic book post but also sort of a personal post, and I wasn't sure where to put it, so it wound up here. I think I may have lost my interest in comic books. I pick up my weekly books from the LCS (a list that has dropped down to just a handful of titles per month), bring them home, and let them sit on my comic book cabinets for days on end without ever being touched, until I eventually get around to them. Most of this is due to the repeated series launches, followed by some event that reboots the universe, followed by another new series launch, followed by... Yes, I know it makes me sound like a cranky old man, but there was something comforting when I was growing up about seeing a series with an issue number in the high 100's or 200's or 300's. Also, there were constants, like Tony Stark was Iron Man, and if he couldn't wear the armor, his best friend Jim Rhodes filled the suit, but now Tony Stark is nowhere to be seen and Rhodey is dead, and there are two Iron Men running around, one being a teenage girl and the other being Victor von Doom. I certainly understand Marvel wanting to do something different and expanding their audience through that, but neither of those options appeals to me in the least, so I am feeling as though Marvel is forgetting its core audience to chase a new audience that it very likely won't actually capture. Also, today, on Black Friday, most of the LCS in my area are having sales with deep discounts on back issues, TPBs, Omnibuses, Masterworks, etc., and whereas in years past I would have been up at the crack of dawn to hit as many of them as I could, there was no desire to do so today, even though I have money set aside for my hobbies and could have done so easily. I didn't want to drive to any of them and pick through boxes and bins, hunting for little gems or bigger-ticket items to fill in holes in certain runs I've been working on for years. Admittedly, I did just pick up 4 issues of Amazing Spider-Man in the 140's a couple of weeks ago from Half-Price Books while they were running their annual autumn week of coupons event, but I don't know if I took any joy from buying them or if they were just perfunctory purchases because I had the coupons and available money and the books were there to be bought. Part of this may be some residual depression from my long stint of unemployment earlier this year, part of it may be that I am busy with my new job, my wife and my daughters and our lives and activities, our church, and other interests (like Magic: The Gathering), and part of it may be that I've just outgrown it. Anyway, I'm not sure what this ennui means, if anything, but I'm just not feeling it right now. I think this year, in particular, has been a downer for a LOT of people, so I'm not sure if you think it's just a "you" thing or not, but it could very well not be.  I know for me, I took a HUGE break from comics this year. Not because I grew tired of them, but because I got distracted by life. I went through a huge personal growth spurt this year, and it has caused me to see a lot of things in life differently than I did last year. Yes, it has caused me to even see my escapisms (comics) differently. I think for me, personally, I am going to have to look into different comic reads that better suit the way I think and see things now. Maybe something similar is occurring with you? Also: Comics reading is pretty seasonal for me. I read in the crappier, colder months, and then when summer rolls around, I read hardly at all. And sometimes, I think, for me personally, reality becomes a distraction from my distractions. heh. I get anxious about real life, go to sit down and read comics to escape from that, but I cannot get into what I am reading, because real life events keep popping into my head. I am not sure if any of that could be happening with you, even in a tiny way, but if so, at all, then at least now you know it's not just you. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2016 10:22:06 GMT -5
This is sort of a comic book post but also sort of a personal post, and I wasn't sure where to put it, so it wound up here. I think I may have lost my interest in comic books. I pick up my weekly books from the LCS (a list that has dropped down to just a handful of titles per month), bring them home, and let them sit on my comic book cabinets for days on end without ever being touched, until I eventually get around to them. Most of this is due to the repeated series launches, followed by some event that reboots the universe, followed by another new series launch, followed by... Yes, I know it makes me sound like a cranky old man, but there was something comforting when I was growing up about seeing a series with an issue number in the high 100's or 200's or 300's. Also, there were constants, like Tony Stark was Iron Man, and if he couldn't wear the armor, his best friend Jim Rhodes filled the suit, but now Tony Stark is nowhere to be seen and Rhodey is dead, and there are two Iron Men running around, one being a teenage girl and the other being Victor von Doom. I certainly understand Marvel wanting to do something different and expanding their audience through that, but neither of those options appeals to me in the least, so I am feeling as though Marvel is forgetting its core audience to chase a new audience that it very likely won't actually capture. Also, today, on Black Friday, most of the LCS in my area are having sales with deep discounts on back issues, TPBs, Omnibuses, Masterworks, etc., and whereas in years past I would have been up at the crack of dawn to hit as many of them as I could, there was no desire to do so today, even though I have money set aside for my hobbies and could have done so easily. I didn't want to drive to any of them and pick through boxes and bins, hunting for little gems or bigger-ticket items to fill in holes in certain runs I've been working on for years. Admittedly, I did just pick up 4 issues of Amazing Spider-Man in the 140's a couple of weeks ago from Half-Price Books while they were running their annual autumn week of coupons event, but I don't know if I took any joy from buying them or if they were just perfunctory purchases because I had the coupons and available money and the books were there to be bought. Part of this may be some residual depression from my long stint of unemployment earlier this year, part of it may be that I am busy with my new job, my wife and my daughters and our lives and activities, our church, and other interests (like Magic: The Gathering), and part of it may be that I've just outgrown it. Anyway, I'm not sure what this ennui means, if anything, but I'm just not feeling it right now. Sounds normal to me. At different times in my life my interest in comics has dwindled to almost nothing. And I suspect at some point I will lose interest for a long enough time that I won't ever miss it at all. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 25, 2016 10:42:34 GMT -5
I came to that point about 10 years ago. I had lost interest in most mainstream titles by the 90s and was mostly getting alternative stuff and the odd mini-series and more idiosyncratic titles, like Starman. My list kept dwindling, over the decade, until I was going to my LCS every 2 weeks, then once or twice a month, then just stopped. I could get trades of anything interesting at work, for a better discount, and switched to that method. Now, I barely look at new comics, apart from European reprints and the odd indie title. It's part of why I migrated away from the old site, apart from the hideous revamp and death of Comics Should Be Good. I don't care about 99% of the new stuff.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Nov 25, 2016 10:56:58 GMT -5
I've been up and down with comics the last 5-6 years. Granted mine is more of financial situation over just general discontent. I've kind of come to see my hobby as disheartening in the amount of time and money I put into it. Taking a different route than I would reading any other format. The vast majority of my books are worthless. And unlike a 15 year (or whenever they stopped printing since 1994) subscription to Nintendo Power, I hold on to them rather than throw them out or give them away. I feel spending money on them isn't a good investment or worth my money. Of the little reading I've done of what I don't own, it's been from the library. And when I think about spending money I think, why? I'm gonna read it and then file it away.
Which leads to me not reading a lot of what I own because, oh hey I'm missing this issue, or oh they referenced this issue, and I want to read something I can't/won't spend money on.
Even now I've got a stack of Doc Strange I brought with me to my father in law's to read again. And if I read them and like them as much as I remember; then I'll want to buy more. Which is the way it suppose to work. But it just fills me with more guilt over a selfish hobby than it does joy at buying issues. So I'm kinda of at a place where I think comics will be forgotten until this situation changes. As I focus on my children. One now a teenager with a girlfriend. (Good grief! Lol)
Either way Cap I feel what you are but perhaps for different reasons. And I've felt this way before for different reasons but still come back and enjoyed them. So we'll see. I'll try and start with Dr Strange #15 and see what happens.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Nov 25, 2016 10:58:07 GMT -5
I totally forgot to bring wine today. I brought one of these!  If you want us to notice the kitty Dain you'll have to stop finding such purdy gals holding them. ;-) |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2016 11:19:54 GMT -5
Dear All Members & Guests,
I only get two comics delivered to my condo when they get printed by DC Comics - they are Batman 66 and Wonder Woman 77. When these books get cancelled by DC Comics - my LCS automatically sends me a postcard indicating that any of these titles gets cancelled and once they do and probably will eventually; I'm no longer interested in Comic Books but, I have enough DC Archives and Marvel Masterworks and other Graphic Novels (I hate TPB term) in my disposal that means a lot to me and relive they joys of yesterday Comics that hold dear to me.
After my 50 Influential Countdown and my EIGHT SUPERMEN review starting tomorrow with Tyler Hoechlin and ending with Christopher Reeve - I'm going to take a two month hiatus from this forum to spend time cleaning up my Condo, getting rid of unneeded comic books, and straighten things up so it will be more tidy than ever before. I'm not participating in the Classic Comics Christmas this year and among other things as well. When, I do come back in February; I'm not going to spend my time reading hundreds and hundreds of unread posts and start at the last page and proceed from there.
I need this break because - I'm completely burned out and tired of posting - I'm under 400 posts away from 10,000 and it's getting really out of hand and I need to slow down and take a breather and spend more time with myself and start cleaning up my place that I have been neglecting for the past 4-6 months.
That's my plan for the rest of this year and the first month of January.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Nov 25, 2016 11:53:54 GMT -5
Take care of yourself when do do take your break Jugger. We'll be glad to see you come back when you are ready. And I enjoy you sharing what you do of the comics you love even if I don't know much about comics that old.
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Post by hondobrode on Nov 25, 2016 14:45:45 GMT -5
For some that are feeling a little burned out, I think it goes through peaks and valleys like most things, however, you might try switching up material.
I've gotten more joy out of a newer universe (Valiant), more indies from Dark Horse, Image, Boom, classics from Fantagraphics, and especially some of the European material I haven't been able to get before from European Comics and Humanoids.
Just last night as I was looking at sales, I pared back a bit as I still have thousands I haven't read.
Another stray thought : weird as it sounds, I like the fanzines about comics more than the comics themselves most of the time. Try the TwoMorrows.com website to look up stuff in the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze, Kirby, Image, horror, Quality, Charlton, Marvel, etc.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2016 14:56:52 GMT -5
For some that are feeling a little burned out, I think it goes through peaks and valleys like most things. Oh definitely. When life takes over, comics can wait...I've liked them since I was 4 but there were a number of lulls in-between. Longest one - about 3 years. Unless there's a rarity of some sort, or some instant sellout, there's no real urgency to keep up. I never can. And if there's something of interest I missed on its initial release, it's there for the taking when I'm ready for it. |
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Post by hondobrode on Nov 25, 2016 16:55:21 GMT -5
For some that are feeling a little burned out, I think it goes through peaks and valleys like most things. Oh definitely. When life takes over, comics can wait...I've liked them since I was 4 but there were a number of lulls in-between. Longest one - about 3 years. Unless there's a rarity of some sort, or some instant sellout, there's no real urgency to keep up. I never can. And if there's something of interest I missed on its initial release, it's there for the taking when I'm ready for it. That's one thing that's different from when you were a kid : you might never see it again or (gasp) it might skyrocket in price ! |
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Post by Gene on Nov 25, 2016 18:32:46 GMT -5
My dad's watched four episodes of The Walking Dead and now he wants to borrow all of my trades. It's an early holiday miracle.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 26, 2016 1:44:19 GMT -5
For some that are feeling a little burned out, I think it goes through peaks and valleys like most things, however, you might try switching up material. I've gotten more joy out of a newer universe (Valiant), more indies from Dark Horse, Image, Boom, classics from Fantagraphics, and especially some of the European material I haven't been able to get before from European Comics and Humanoids. Just last night as I was looking at sales, I pared back a bit as I still have thousands I haven't read. Another stray thought : weird as it sounds, I like the fanzines about comics more than the comics themselves most of the time. Try the TwoMorrows.com website to look up stuff in the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze, Kirby, Image, horror, Quality, Charlton, Marvel, etc. Cinebook has been a treasure trove of good comics, for me. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2016 9:56:01 GMT -5
Celebrating Thanksgiving today because my wife & I worked the last 3 days. My daughters made out since they get to have Thanksgiving twice!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 29, 2016 0:37:14 GMT -5
Went to Lincoln Center today. My weekly visit to it's Performing Arts library and found about 10 DVDs and dozens of CDs to take home.What I didn't expect upon leaving was to find I was smack dab in the middle of the 17th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Event for that venue. It was broadcast live on WABC TV and they had a soundstage for musicians including Bettye LaVette
Up and down Broadway, local restaurants set up tables with their specialties at very special, inexpensive prices. Street performers, stilt-walkers, jugglers, and game booths filled the area.
The weather was comfortable, I was quite pleased with my library finds and the entertainment and eats were fantastic and unexpected
A perfect evening
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Post by Spike-X on Nov 29, 2016 1:29:26 GMT -5
Bettye LaVette? Nice!
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