The Manga Curmudgeon

Spending too much on comics, then talking too much about them

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On the bias

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From Ed Cunard at The Low Road:

“Blogs are, by nature, biased—they’re the opinions and thoughts of one (or a few) people. However, I don’t think any blog is claiming to be anything but that, which is where the difference comes in. Sites generally seem to want some kind of authority—look at how they clamor to get quoted on comics and trades, or to nab ‘exclusive’ interviews, which makes any accusation of bias more damaging than saying, ‘well, fuck, that Mike Sterling likes Swamp Thing so much, so of course he’s going to slight Man-Thing because he’s biased.’”

Inspired by Ed’s wonderful entry, I’ve decided to admit some of my own biases.

  1. More comic industry professionals should consider “press-shy recluse” as a public persona.
  2. White chocolate is revolting.
  3. Ditto for grilled vegetables, with the possible exception of zucchini.
  4. Working in a comics genre you hold in contempt seldom yields very good comics.
  5. I am not the target audience for giant boobs.
  6. If I found a comic that successfully pandered to my tastes in that area, I would probably buy it.
  7. I have yet to read a comic by CLAMP that I really, really like, and I’m becoming less inclined to keep trying.
  8. Casting contestants from other reality shows (particularly winners of other reality shows) means that The Amazing Race is dead to me.
  9. A “kill list,” while an eminently practical resource for Marvel and DC’s writers, is one of those things that should never have seen the light of day with the reading public.
  10. I think Spider-Man is too mopey.
  11. I think Superman is too bland.
  12. Comics about Batman are more interesting when Batman isn’t in them very much.
  13. I don’t think Marvel will ever successfully capitalize on the fact that girls like comics.
  14. There is no such thing as good pizza from a chain restaurant.
  15. Gin makes better martinis, and the astringent flavor helps you regulate your consumption.
  16. I will blog about just about anything, provided the subject lends itself to a terrible, pun-driven headline.

After you’re done reading Ed’s thoughts, scroll up for John Jakala’s list of 100 things he loves about comics. Or, stop by shameless Swamp Thing partisan Mike Sterling’s blog for an ever-growing list of links to… um… lists. (All of which trigger my “how could I have forgotten…” reflex.)