January 13, 2009:

THE CLAW AND THE FANG BLOG

I want to touch upon some new topics I haven’t previously discussed in this blog. If you have been kind enough to read my past entries you would know I have been discussing The Claw and Fang in detail, from concepts to characters. Now I would like to explain what I feel makes a good comic or movie.

Story. Story. Story.

Why should you buy an unknown, obscure, independent, comic book? What makes the Claw and Fang better than Spiderman, Hulk, or Batman or other formula super hero franchise characters? The story.

Growing up with the DC and Marvel universes, I would go and buy the newest Spiderman they had in the rack at my local Mr. Paperback (A time when book stores all carried comic books). Recently been I been picking up a variety of comics; they really haven’t changed a whole bunch in the past 20 years. The stories have basically remained the same although the guest hero rotation has increased in frequency. Part of their success is part of the problem, how many different ways can you have Superman rescue Lois Lane and keep it fresh?

I wanted something new, something different. I created my own comic book hero. Sure mine has similar traits like all the great hero’s, but let’s be real, every story has been told at least once, probably a dozen times or more in the comic book world. Why is anime doing well while comic books flounder? Anime is seeking original ideas with good stories.

I think the comic book and movie industries closely parallel one another and now seem to have a symbiotic relationship as they grasp for new ideas and marketing platforms. You basically have a few giants that control 95% of the market with a few independents trying to make a difference on the periphery.

These machines crank out a huge amount of crap each year with amazing marketing strategies more akin to a military combined arms exercise. They provide cartoons, toys, movies, books, graphic novels, comics, websites, stuffed animals, video games and of course the ever popular “adapted musical on ice”. These are all released in a very organized multi-tiered marketing blitz. More often than not, these mega franchise media events fall on their face. Speedracer ring a bell?

Look at the Batman franchise. It has seen the good the bad and the ugly (George Clooney’s nipple enhanced Batman outfit). The Caped Crusader has been prostituted by its pimp in ways that are illegal in most states. Resurrected by the lasted two Nolan written/directed movies it is once again a super hero juggernaut leading movie revenue totals and proving people love a well written story.

So where am I going with the rant? Readers need to demand quality stories and not be afraid to pick up titles from Independent Publishers. People will always buy a good story.

Mike
The Claw and Fang