Wot? No Comix?

What withe getting a couple of books finalised and rushing to meet the deadline for the new American Vampires book for Career, I haven't had much time to think about comics. From what I can gather anyway, there's little happening on the comics front. Each time I go into the local bookstore which sells comics all I see on the shelves are the Avengers - prior to the film - Thor, marked as a film tie-in, the Hulk marked as a film tie-in and Captain America, marked as you've guessed as a film tie-in. All getting ready for the Avengers film which is out in April I think. So it looks like the only available comics are tied into the films that Marvel and Walt Disney want you to see. I'm also expecting a spate of Batman comics prior to the film. Other than that there appears to be very little - just the usual clutch of X-Men. I would assume that Marvel and D.C. have now killed the innovative market and all that's left for one or two artists is storyboarding for films. A sad state of affairs. Of course I could be wrong but nobody has been in touch with me to tell me that I'm not - in fact just the opposite. Comics as we knew and loved them are, by all accounts - and not just me - dead in the water. Of course you can download the latest Batman or Spiderman to your mobile phone or I-Pad but am I the only one who enjoys an ordinary comic that you can leaf through? In one of the rooms I have a couple of shelves of comics dating back to the 1950s and I still get a thrill out of sitting and looking through them. Am I out of touch? My son, in his kinder moments, refers to me as a dinosaur and maybe that's true. But I've a feeling I might give up talking about comics in this blog and talk about football instead. So what about 1949? Well Adrian and I are going to meet up around the beginning of April and sit down and have a talk about it - so watch this space. But I'm getting depressed with it all. Comics used to be new, vibrant and exciting and full of possibilities. But there's not any more. Like everything else. Is it just my age?

1949

I had been intending to do more on this blog before the end of February but a number of other things got in the way. First, I've been suffering from a minor chest infection deriving from a cold which my daughter kindly brought home from school - it only lasted for a day or so with her but it really took the feet from under me. Must be my age! Second, I've been trying to get the Lovecraft book finished - this is the longest and most detailed book that I've written but we're getting towards the end now. Only another short couple of sections to go. And of course I took a little bit of time off to celebrate my birthday on the 14th February - some Valentine baby, huh? With all this going on I haven't had much time to think about comics or how to take them forward. A number of people have been in contact with me about Space 1949 and have asked me if there's going to be any more. The plain and simple answer is that I don't know. I'd like to think that there would be and have a number of adventures drawn up for it as well as the spin-off Hal McLean - there's a couple of entire adventures already drafted out in lay-out form - but it's finding someone who will take them. As I've said, the markets are pretty static at the minute and seem to be completely resistent to anything that's new. However, I will be meeting with Adrian later this month to decide if there's anything that we can do. I appreciate that a number of people are interested in seeing it develop and thank them for their encouragement and support. As I said, I'd really like to take it forward but everywhere we've looked we seem to have hit a blank wall. If anyone has any ideas, they're welcome to get in touch with me and we can develop things. We'll see what we can do ourselves when we meet up but suggestions are truely welcome. Maybe sometime in the future we'll see 1949 out there in some shape or form. Now back to the Lovecraft book!