Rant in G minor

Hello again blogsphere,

I've come today with a slight grievance, though albeit late. On January 29Th, my local "Indy" paper ran an article about a fellow comic writer:

http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2009/01/29/ca_u_unedited.html

Struck by this, as I find my local paper disagreeable, I decided to read into the particular issue because of the resonance. Also, because most periodicals apart from ones geared toward comics, rarely feature the writers of comics as opposed to the artists. So I pick it up, and it's just an interview, nothing insightful or inspiring. This wasn't unexpected, what was however, was one line that fittingly ended the the article:

"Comic books are really just soap operas for adolescent boys and, I guess, pseudo-men."

Really Mr. professional comic book writer? Is that what you write? Soap operas for pseudo-men, from whom you draw faux notoriety, and a paycheck from? Honestly, if it weren't for those that he regards as such, he wouldn't even be a blurb in a local paper. Beyond my own personal displeasure, I've got a problem with this guy professionally.

Here is a person who's made it to the peak, looking down on all the rest of us trying to reach his position, and his viewpoint is still that of a Trilobite. Why are you even writing anything comic book related, if you regard the medium with such apathy? I'm not saying that the person should be a fanboy obsessed with Superman since his birth, or affixed upon Swamp Thing's torment of being. In the same breath, I can't condone anyone doing or pursuing a path that they obviously resent and abhor.

If you suck at writing novels, who cares! Keep doing it! At least you'll have something to strive for as crappy novelist, and won't have to suffer working for some pronounced-brow, mouth breather's entertainment.

I'd blow up an orphanage to be able to sustain myself by writing stories.

To see someone exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do, treat it with such contemptuous nature, I can't help but want to grind this person's throat with my teeth. I'm not saying that everyone should take themselves that seriously, but if you are able to do something that others aren't capable of, please take note of your position. Because how you view it, speaks volumes to the uninitiated.

I understand how ludicrous I must sound when I say this, but I would like to be able to talk about a graphic novel one day, as I would a piece of literature. I'd like to be able to discuss the artwork of a comic, as opposed to writing or vice versa, in an exchange of media consumption with my peers, without looking like an adolescent. Most people don't read, but when a book is recommended to someone, they have at least the potential to pick it up or reference it at one time or another. Why is that? Because literature is taken seriously, by those who create it, and those who read it. If I were in a conversation about media, either seen or heard, and brought up the most recent issue of 100 Bullets, I'd more than likely be scoffed at.

People don't consider comics as valid media.

If you wonder why, you need no further than to look at the writer of the Terminator Salvation series. In his eyes, I am a pseudo-male. If he can't see what he's doing as anymore than writing to my low chromosome count, my comic book dreams don't have much hope. But, I'm giving this person more credit than they're due. My wasting time on him slandering his own work, just gives more people time to actually believe that comics are what he says they are. I mean, he is writing the Terminator Salvation comic adaptation. So I'll close in saying what I've already said:

If you don't like what you're doing, don't do it. Let someone else who actually cares give it a shot. Either that, or go on and spare the rest of us your suffering, stick your head into the bottom of your toilet bowl and flounder there for awhile.