Devouring Comics

Whenever I find a new passion – whether person, place or thing – I tend to throw myself into it 120%. Having cleared my plate of the administrative responsibilities (and psychological baggage) of running a little bit louder, comic books have quickly and completely rushed in to fill the void.

I am so hooked!

Finished reading Mark Salisbury’s fascinating Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, interviews with an assortment of prominent comic book writers discussing inspiration, motivation and process, along with a healthy dose of egomania and outright weirdness. Grant Morrison, anyone? Despite only having a single woman represented and a complete lack of minorities, the interviews were invaluable insights into the world of comics that hit me along the same lines as hearing Willie Perdomo and Patricia Smith for the first time. I am SO jazzed right now.

Came across an interview online with Gotham Central artist, Michael Lark, and was so taken by his obvious love for the title that I picked up all eight issues! Read the first two so far and like it a lot. Told from the point of view of the cops of the GCPD, it explores the idea that the cops don’t particularly like Batman’s input and how they deal with it. Would make an excellent TV show. LAW & ORDER: Gotham Central. I’d watch it.

Saturday, I absolutely devoured Scott McCloud’s must-read, Understanding Comics. A rare critical examination of comic books and their place in the world of art and literature, it is both amazing for McCloud’s intelligently laid-out thesis, as well as his ingenious use of the comic book format, aka sequential art.

I haven’t been this excited about comic books since junior high school when my friend Tracy and I tried to create our own! If either of these two books had been around then, I would have totally finished high school with an armful of scripts for Moon Knight and the home address of Jim Shooter.

I’ve started another blog just for comic journaling, Gotham City News, in which I hope to take a page from Gotham Central, telling stories from the angles of a cast of regular, and not-so-regular, Gothamites. Still playing with the layout while I get some ideas churning so I’m not posting the address just yet.

Written by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for the original Digital Book World.