A lot has been going in the word recently. There's wars going on overseas. Gay marriage became legal countrywide and the threat level went up on July 4th for the U.S. Google and Apple are spitting on each other for some new bout of nonsense that will most likely be settled in an overly long legal dispute. But, none of that matters anymore because it's only two days old and this week is one of the most exciting things to happen to comics in a long time. The bad news is that on both counts, you're going to have to wait a while before any of it actually happens. Still, the news is very exciting! Yesterday, it was announced that Grant Morrison (yes, that Grant Morrison) will be the new editor-in-chief for Heavy Metal Magazine (yes, that Heavy Metal). If that isn't equal part exciting and wonderful, let me make it even weirder than Morrison's mind could conjure up by telling you Entertainment Weekly (yes, that Entertainment Weekly) broke the story. It will be very interesting to see what Morrison does with the magazine, considering how the publication has evolved into something that has many stories that focus on either a tone of heavy violence, elements of softcore pornography, or a mix thereof, and Morrison's stories are usually weird yarns that make you feel like you've been shooting up heroin with the ghost of Buddha and listening to the Dalai Lama divulge the secrets of the universe. Or maybe they're just incoherent gibberish. Either way, Morrison's stories are a rollercoaster ride that everyone should take the time to enjoy, while many Heavy Metal stories past the mid 80's are more action/adventure and T&A sensationalism. For that reason, it's hard to place Morrison in the world of contemporary Heavy Metal, but that may not be what will happen when you consider what the man has to say:
We’re trying to bring back some of that ’70s punk energy of Heavy Metal, but update it and make it new again. One of the things I like to do in my job is revamp properties and really get into the aesthetic of something, dig into the roots of what makes it work, then tinker with the engine and play around with it. So for me, it’s an aesthetic thing first and foremost. The idea of immersing myself in the aesthetic of Heavy Metal is exciting. It’s going to change the clothes I wear, the way I create; it’s like a performance for me. Beyond that, just the idea of being able to curate stories, decide the direction of the magazine, and work with great talent and develop new talent is an exciting opportunity.
The idea of digging into the roots of Heavy Metal, a place where artists like Moebius, Bilal, Loustal, Boucq and Crepax enriched the soil, may be one of the things that is missing from comics today. While the prime usual suspects of Heavy Metal didn't shy away from sex and violence, they brought american audiences styles of art that hadn't been seen in comics and told stories that no U.S. publisher would dare tell (they had the comics code). The roots of Heavy Metal didn't just bud glorified smut and violence, they sprouted original comics stories and highbrow erotica. To revamp that plant as e-i-c might be one way to fertilize minds that Morrison hasn't pollinated yet, it may go up in smoke, but knowing morrison, it'll be one hell of a burning bush if it does. (Yes, I intentionally kept that metaphor going that long to juxt-a-pose Morrisons mixed one).
On the other end of comics news is Aftershock Comics. While Image Comics has been showing Vertigo that they've been in a bit of a dizzy spell for about a decade when it comes to creator-owned work, Aftershock has announced that it will be coming to comic shops in a big way by publishing creator-owned work from writers like Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Paul Jenkins, Garth Ennis, Justin Jordan, Phil Hester, Neil Gaiman, Frank Barbiere and Marguerite Bennett. If you haven't heard of Aftershock, that may be because they haven't released anything yet or because their site isn't fully developed. One great thing about Aftershock also involves its editor-in-chief. Mike Marts, former executive of the X-Men line will be taking the helm of e-i-c for Aftershock and explains, "When we launched AfterShock, our mission was to attract the best comic book creators in the business, and we're beyond excited to develop original projects with these industry leaders, but it’s only the beginning." With Gaiman, Ennis and Palmiotti, it's hard to imagine Aftershock not doing well. It's even harder to imagine their panel at San Diego Comic Con not being flooded with that name recognition. What makes them most interesting is the mission statement on their Facebook page, which reads, "Aftershock is a comic book company that combines the creative edge of an independent comic book publisher with the strengths of a traditional one." While this statement is vague, it hints at some promising possibilities like the idea of world building through serial titles that may have finite runs, but begin, middle and end like proper stories. With a mission statement like this, it echoes the idea of what CrossGen set out to do while mixing in the sensibility of classic Vertigo. Making a statement on his participation with the new publisher, Ennis offers some insight saying, “AfterShock looks to be making all the right moves. I’m delighted by the arrival of a new home for independent, creator-owned comics.”
Comic Con may shed more light on these projects and answer questions, but Morrison's Heavy Metal and Aftershock sound like they will shake up the world of comics by doing what no one expected and the big two will regret not doing in the first place, giving fans what they already like and presenting it them in a way they never knew they'd love.
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