Some Simple Rules

It still boggles my mind how it’s even possible for teams of 5-8 people to work on a book and not get it done on time. Maybe their reasons could’ve been justified in some way, but repeating the same mistake in a plethora of other titles is just retarded.

Working months and months in advance certainly has its advantages.

I’m constantly amused by the notion that Korim and I were once horrendously traumatized by the amount of crap that came with working on an Image-published comic, and now after a few years we’re back in the biz again where the standards for comic book production seemed to have have dropped further lower. How’s that for masochism?

I think it’s awesome Atomic Robo has self-contained stories in each issue. As a series it can go on as long as it takes, and stop without threads left loose and untied.

It might sound a little wishy-washy but I like seeing stories completed regardless of how they end. I did my best Mexican jumping bean impression when titles like The Losers and Y the Last Man had ended.

Sometimes I do wonder if certain comics read so well their quality of content is easily compared with a best-selling-award-winning novel 10-30 years back. Suppose anyone who reads a certain title and enjoys it, or rejects it with a possibly contrived but seemingly convincing argument, is automatically deemed “cool”. The same thing happens with films, and videogames to some degree. The niche cliche? I certainly think so.

I must admit that despite coming into comics through characters like Batman, I no longer find any enjoyment reading the monthly titles of my favourite characters, and that’s a little heartbreaking.

Luckily, there’s Red 5, Avatar and Vertigo titles to pick up the slack. Kudos all!

Most of the titles I read aren’t mainstream superhero comics, so I don’t run into that situation very often.

Then again, I like several Dark Horse titles, but they don’t exactly make their reputation on timely releases.

I hear more and more people stating a preference for TPB’s versus monthly comics, and I have mixed feelings about that trend.

I just want to say how much I appreciate the “NO CHEESECAKE” rule. (Where the heck did that term come from, anyway?) It means that I can feel perfectly secure knowing that I can hand my AR issues to my 12-year old brother and not worry about what he’s going to find in there. It’s a rarity to find material that is both fun and clean anymore.

I’m amazed. I’m in college and I’m a writer. I don’t think about the sheer amount of absurdity going on in comics today, but this list has made me think about it anyway.

If I turned in a paper late, ANY paper, there would be penalties. Sometimes it’s a few points. Sometimes it’s an entire grade. Sometimes the professors don’t take late papers at all, and damn the consequences. I turn in anything late, and I will pay. I knew some comics had delays, but I didn’t think ALL of them did.

I don’t like cheesecake either. I appreciate a beautiful woman. I appreciate a beautifully drawn woman. I don’t appreciate an deeply exaggerated woman in what the artist thinks are sexy poses. I’d get laughed out of my classes if I wrote a space marine fighting aliens in lingerie. It’s stupid.

Anyway, I like Atomic Robo. Stay classy, Clevinger.

I don’t think they all have delays, but enough titles have been delayed enough times in the last ten years that readers now expect any title to be late.

Titles that have never been delayed aren’t immune to this either. They’re merely “not delayed yet” in the minds of most readers.

I knew delays were a problem, but I didn’t know it was quite so widespread until I started reading more reviews and reader reactions to a wide range of titles. The number one gripe? Delays. The number one concern about the future? Delays.

At the comic store I work at, we don’t even pay attention to release dates anymore. Someone asks when New Avengers is coming out, the response’ll be, “I dunno, running late again.” It is absolutely amazing how widespread it’s become. Also, when covers like the JLA one you guys parodied (#10 I think) come through, it’s just embarrasing to have that on the shelf.

No cheesecake? Come on, Robo’s walking around topless in like half of every issue!

Wow, how true all these rules are, especially the one about delays! I have very (un)fond memories of one limited-series comic that I adored that took close to two years…to put out EIGHT COMICS! Issues 1-6 came out (reasonably) on time, but then issue 7 didn’t come out until close to a YEAR later. After it came out, I had to re-read the first six issues just so I could remember what had already happened, it’d been so long. And that’s just sad.

I’m SO glad you and Scott are breaking free of these unfortunate comic conventions and putting the fans first by giving us prompt, classy, well-paced, well-plotted comics. It’s a very welcome change indeed.

I’m glad you pointed out that “Action Scientists off-duty” isn’t filler. A lot of people have the silly idea that anything that doesn’t progress the main storyarc is filler, regardless of whether or not the story advances character development or says something interesting or funny in its own right. It’s that sort of idiocy which leads to ten-episode-long fights in Dragon Ball Z or whatever, which ironically deserves the name “filler” a lot more than whatever it’s replacing.

Rob

I enjoyed the heck outta this post!

It’s like somebody drilled into my head, poured in a whole mess of “Ya got that right!” and hi-fived the brain hole!

I agree.

And I wish I had something more profound to say.

You guys are so right about this. I used to read Batman and Spiderman and a bunch of other comics. Around high school, I realized that the story arcs were virtually the same plotlines with different villains. The only comic I ever read any more is “Savage Dragon” because I like the characters.

Maybe I should give this “Atomic Robo” a try.

I agree with you 100%. I am really, living proof of how screwed up Marvel and DC are. I really just cant read mainstream comics anymore. I’ll pick up the occasional hardback which my friend recommends but really I just cant bear to see the insane crap DC and Marvel do to the characters I grew up loving. It’s just so sad because I still love Captain America, Punisher, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, the Hulk, etc. I talk about them with my friends all the time, and I spend hundreds of dollars a year on nerdy pursuits, but I wont buy the comics about the characters I love. I don’t want to read the crap they do to them.

Well, keep in mind Joe, that those comics were pretty goofy when we were kids too. We just happened to be . . . kids, back then. I mean, I tried watching Robotech again when they released it on DVD a few years ago. Wow what a shit-storm! Should have left those happy childhood memories alone! But I still totally get what you are saying. I’m still in love with the characters, but have almost no interest in the comic books themselves.

Lots of great comments here that I want to add my 2-cents about;

1.) TPBs- frankly I like the trend in comics to move towards the trade paperbacks. Regular comics are expensive, a pain in the ass to store, and once they are bagged and boarded you almost never read them again.

TPB’s also get the comic book creators out from under the heel of Diamond Distributors. Despite what the lawyers say, Diamond is a monopoly. And they take a large chunk of plublisher’s profits while making the selling of comic books really difficult. Having trouble ordering Atomic Robo? We’ve got them. But that’s not what Diamond tells your retailer when they try to place a back-order. TPBs move comics out of the dusty and dank comic book shops and into the bookstores. Much better exposure.

2.) Cheesecake- There is a time and place for everything. Brian and I are adults. We’ve seen naked ladies without paying for it, and I may have even seen internet pornography once.

But the way most female characters are written and drawn is just offensive to me. And embarrassing. 9 times out of 10 its just juvenile fan service. And its of the lame Jr. High School, Maxim magazine variety. Lame all around.

I’m not opposed to sexy female characters. Not at all. but that has to be one of many facets of her character. The Bruce Tim version of Batgirl for example -She’s sexy, and badass, and smart, and confident. She’s what I try to make of my own character Lucy Nocturne -she’s the kind of girl I’d want to date, and the kind of person I want to be.

I’m also not opposed to sex, nudity, or other “adult” situations in comics -but it needs to be in the appropriate comic book. Not ones supposedly written for children.

3.) Delays -God I hate these. I’d rather do 9 quality comic books each year and get them out on time.

When I came back to comic books after a ten year break I as amazed to see how big a problem this had become, and there’s really no good reason for it. There is also no single reason for it -some times its lack of coordination on the editor’s part, other times its the artist or writer who’s to blame.

I recently did some work for Marvel because an artist fell behind schedule. But the editor of that book was on the ball, knew that he had a situation to take care of and took steps to get his book out on time. And he did.

Well, just be careful you don’t overdo panel closeups of the side of a person curled-up hand while they’re looking forward. That’s another thing thats been done to death!!!

And this is why Atomic Robo is one of the best damn comic books in years! Keep following these rules and I’ll keep buying (and kicking my friend in the groin until they too buy it)

I’m new to buying and reading comic books, but I’m currently following three different comics at the moment. 1. Atomic Robo (love it) 2. HALO uprising (like it so far) 3. Invincible IronMan (cause I like the movie) and I’ve noticed what you promised never to do happens to be in 2 of the marvel titles I’m following, like delays (especially with halo) and cheesecake (again, mainly with halo, beleive it or not). I love the atomic robo series so far. Keep up the great work!

This article makes me a little sad for the future of comics. I've always loved comics and still do, especially DC. And as much as I don't what to admit it, you guys make a valid point. I'm an aspiring comic book artist and writer, and if I get my own comic it will interesting and tasteful.

Although, I have a question, and I'm sure it's probably self-explanatory. When you say no cheesecake does than mean no sexy outifts at all? I've recently toned down the level of skin my female characters show. I think its still sexy and tasteful is that ok?

That's understandable, I guess.

Finally someone who cares.

I think we're of the opinion that "sexy outfits" are just dumb and unnecessary unless it serves a specific point for the narrative or makes logical sense for the character.