There’s a Bozo going around on my alt.fan board (and using the popular sock puppet “a friend of mine was wondering this” tactic to bring it up on Newsarama as well) who was pondering why my
titles, such as “Supergirl” and “Young Justice” get cancelled, and “Captain
Marvel” struggles. And when he posted it on my alt.fan board, he made sure to include the usual Usenet “bet you don’t have the balls to respond” nonsense, because, y’know, these guys always have to have a “muy macho” thing going. Because I take on Marvel execs to the point of probably being fired, but I’m going to be afraid of some Usenet numbnut.
Since this website represents my central response point, I’m posting my reply to the Bozo here as well as over on the alt.fan board. Two responses, actually: A short and a long.
Short answer:
Because, y’know, “Supergirl” never had a title canceled before I wrote her. Because, y’know, “Captain Marvel” has a long and proud history of sales success, as do all cosmically-related Marvel titles. Because, y’know, two of the three “Young Justice” mainstays, Impulse and Superboy, never had a title
canceled. When other books are canceled, oh well. When mine are canceled, something’s wrong somewhere. Bozo.
Long answer:
As all Gaul was divided into three, all comics are divided into three: Those that are halted by the creators, those that have already been canceled, and those that haven’t been canceled yet. The middle category is by far the largest. A look at the top 100 shows that, except for evergreens such as UXM,’Tec, and Action, no book is numbered over issue #100…which is 180 degrees from the market less than twenty years ago.
Readers don’t stay. Consequently, neither do creators. There’s no point in sticking with a title five, six, twelve years, because sooner or later, the audience will turn on you. Always. Without exception, and often without relation to the quality of the material being produced. That which they liked several years earlier, they now despise. Familiarity breeds contempt.
Always.
Creators are faced with two choices: Stay until that occurs, or leave.
So fans bìŧçh about creators who are transient in their loyalties, while at the same time take for granted, or even come to despise, those creators who stay.
Why are “my” books canceled? Putting aside that YJ was dumped to make way for a new cartoon series. Putting aside that if retailers had actually ordered sufficient copies of “Supergirl” to keep up with fan interest and demand, the series would have continued. Putting aside that many people *still* refuse to even sample “Captain Marvel” simply because they don’t like the character. Putting all that aside…
Why? Because I cared enough about the characters and readers to stick with series, year in, year out, getting the books out on time rather than months late.
Because I stayed.
Bozo.
PAD
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