Broken Frontier

As you may remember, last week I discussed what I believe to be the looming downfall of the current state of the comic book industry as we now know it. What I neglected to include in that week old column is my own personal experiences as a creator and writer.

As you may or may not know, the independent publishing arena is where I hang my hat. Although it seemed as though I chastised producers and studios for sinking their feet (and wallets) into our world, the fact is that if it wasn’t for Hollywood calling on my properties, my work would easily become a hobby instead of a career. While there is money to be made publishing independent titles, turning a profit on a book takes patience and grassroots promoting, especially in a marketplace that is oversaturated with content.

For me, licensing creative content for film and TV is a love/hate relationship. While it’s Hollywood’s money that enables creators like myself to make a living writing funny books, it’s a no-brainer to assume that we’d all like to sell more units on our own and be self-sufficient. As I stated last week, what happens when Hollywood stops calling? While the Marvels and DCs of the world will survive to fight another day, it’s the independent creators and publishers who will feel an immediate chokehold as the wells dry up around them. When that happens, we need to be prepared for less feast and more famine.

As a writer I am repped by one of the major talent agencies in the film/TV industry. Outside of my work as a comic writer, I also develop television and film projects in both the scripted and reality universes. This was my dream as a kid growing up in my small Massachusetts town and I still need to pinch myself on a regular basis to make sure I’m not asleep, or worse yet, dead. What’s interesting to me now however is the way the comic industry is affecting the entertainment industry as a whole. The more popular it becomes the more Hollywood tries to adapt to cater to it.

Nowadays screenplay writers are being pushed by their representation to turn their ideas into graphic novels as opposed to going straight to script. In the last two weeks alone I have met with more than a dozen established industry writers who have worked on everything from Seinfeld to major motion pictures… simply because their agents and managers can sell their ideas more easily if they have the visual to go along with it. This is the new Hollywood standard… package an intellectual property in book form and reap the benefits on the backend. It’s become so popular, that talent agencies across the board are establishing comic book/graphic novel divisions at their firms.

With various production companies and studios also throwing their hats into the comic ring, I can’t help but feel a lump in my throat as I prepare for my future. Knowing how fickle Hollywood can be… All it’s going to take is that one person of extreme influence to say, “You know what, comics aren’t really where it’s at anymore” and then POOF, every producer/executive is onto the next big thing, leaving the independent creators and publishers of the world wondering what went wrong.

I honestly don’t believe it’s a matter of IF this is going to happen, but WHEN. I hate being a glass is half full kind of guy, and while I’m enjoying the fruits of my labor right now, I can’t help but be concerned with where our industry is going. As a kid who lost himself in comics for years and an adult who rediscovered their magic, the idea of it becoming convoluted and once again labeled the black sheep of entertainment is frightening. I feel the need for us all to take two steps in reverse in order to preserve our back bin joys for years to come, but at the same time, I think it’s already too late to stop the momentum. Like I said, it’s not a matter of if, but when.

Instant success is fun, but maintaining a career is more appealing to me, especially when my favorite childhood pastime is at risk of becoming extinct. I don’t know about you guys and girls, but when I’m at my favorite shop picking up my pull list, there are never any kids in the store. How can there be a future for the industry when future generations don’t care? Sure the success of film and TV projects based on comic properties should help (in theory anyway), but why read the book when you can just see the movie?