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Exclusive: Dave Baker on the cavalry not coming and why every creative needs to be self publishing and working with publishers in 2026

Posted on May 26, 2026 by Graphic Policy Team Leave a comment

Halloween Boy Vol. 1: Last of the Halloween Boys

This week, Oni Press is publishing the first volume of Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Dave Baker’s underground, self-published graphic novel series, Halloween Boy Vol. 1: Last of the Halloween Boys. The first volume collects the initial five issues of Baker’s self-published, double-sized Halloween Boy tales in a single hardcover volume for the first time with a new, never-before-seen cover. This is Baker’s first full-length comics work since his widely acclaimed metafictional masterpiece Mary Tyler MooreHawk debuted in 2024 from IDW/Top Shelf Comics and his acclaimed contribution to the sold-out Godzilla Versus Los Angeles special, also published by IDW.

Halloween Boy chronicles the voyages of the man known only as Halloween Boy — an adventurer without a past and a combatant of the impossible. Halloween Boy traverses the galaxies taking on impossible quests and defending the innocent in an effort to live up to the legacy of his long-lost father…until his adventures unlock ugly secrets about his origins and his father’s true motives. Can Halloween Boy now face both the truth of the past – and his father himself?!

Baker has written a fantastic essay entitled “The Cavalry Isn’t Coming” about why every creative needs to be self publishing and working with publishers in 2026. Check out what he has to say and get your copy of Halloween Boy Vol. 1: Last of the Halloween Boys now!

Purchase: Bookshop – Amazon

The Cavalry Isn’t Coming

by Dave Baker

When I first started my journey as a creative individual, all I wanted was to be published. I didn’t even really care where or how or by who. I just wanted something I could take to people in my orbit and show that there was any sort of signal that this career choice of being a professional cartoonist was going to pan out. Relatively early on, I had multiple successes. I was hired to write and draw a story for a very small press comics publisher that was themed around zombies and cheerleaders, truly Shakespearean. But I didn’t care, it was something. I was also hired to draw an issue of the now defunct series Vincent Price Presents. I’m not even quite sure that the book ever made it to print. All I remember is that it was about hamsters. I spent a solid two months drawing hamsters and hating every second of it.

But, regardless, I had those successes as twin badges of honor. I now knew there was something here. I could make this a sustainable career. I could support myself, in theory, on it. But then things started to slow down. I started having a self-publish and I viewed this as not a right of passage or a time-honored tradition, but as an indictment of my skill level. I really wanted that external validation. And I spent years chasing it. Firing emails off into the void. Approaching editors at shows. Attempting to gain any sort of outside sense that the work I was doing would be publishable and distributable through the at-the-time distribution monolith of Diamond Comics Distribution LLC.

I didn’t really get any bites. No pats on the head. And definitely no offers of publishing contracts. I kind of gave up on comics for a while. I moved on to other things. I started writing essays, feature films, and a myriad of other creative outlets. I was extremely frustrated by the way things were going. No one was taking me seriously as a writer, or, at least, that’s how I perceived it. And after I moved to Los Angeles, I made a commitment to myself to find artists to work with and to redouble my efforts toward the comic book world. But this time I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to anoint me. I was going to self-publish, not as a means to an end, but as the soul point of the endeavor. My perspective changed completely. I was excited by this prospect. Galvanized, even.

I started a webcomic online called Action Hospital. I would go to comics conventions, drinking and draws, and figure drawing sessions to try and meet artists. I would always have sample scripts on me that I would show anyone who would deem me worthy of five minutes of chitchat. And ultimately, I ended up corralling a small but dedicated group of collaborators. I made this webcomic for about three years. Eventually, it made its way to print. I toured conventions. I met more creators. And the whole thing was completely freeing. I divorced myself from the need of outside feedback. I was doing this for my soul. And, of course, that’s when the publishing offers started to happen.

Looking back, the most important thing to happen to me during this time wasn’t actually the creation of the book. It was the experimentation of trying things and failing. And it was meeting people. During this period I met Nicole Goux, who I have made multiple graphic novels with, subsequently. If I hadn’t been putting myself out there in that context I never would have met her. And we wouldn’t have a virtual library shelf worth of collaborations.

Initially, we published a few books of a desire to have portfolio pieces. And that led to bigger and bigger publishing deals. We’ve put out books with Dark Horse, Top Shelf, Simon & Schuster, and many others.

All the while? We’ve been self-publishing. We’ve been doing both. It’s important to have one foot in each world, I think. There is a notion in the publishing world that once you’ve crossed the barrier into being a professional you never have to stoop to the idea of self-publishing again. This notion couldn’t be any more incorrect. In comics there is no cavalry. There’s no one that’s ever going to swoop in and do all the stuff you don’t want to do. It’s always a journey of a thousand steps and sometimes that means proving to editors that your idea actually does work on paper.

I have a 300 page collection of my Halloween Boy comics being published by Oni Press. The story sees a reclusive adventurer taking up a series of no-win scenarios, in a futile attempt that he’s the Patron Saint of the Impossible. Think Hellboy or Doc Savage, if he had a death wish.

This project started because I was looking for something to occupy my time in between signing a contract for Mary Tyler MooreHawk to be released and its actual publication. I didn’t want to just sit idly by and waste a year pitching to traditional bookmark publishers. So, I just decided to do it myself and then I’d sell it somewhere afterwards. And that’s exactly what happened.

I think from the outside I’m beyond the point where you would need to self-publish. And you’re probably right. I do a lot of work that doesn’t require me footing the bill. That being said, sometimes you believe in an idea so much that you don’t want to waste the amount of time it takes to run through the byzantine rat race of getting other people to believe in your idea. Sometimes you just wanna sit down and follow the creative enthusiasm that comes from the spark of an idea. And that’s exactly what I did with Halloween Boy.

A lot of artists are worried about being perceived as amateur or that they have fallen from a certain level of prestige. Self-publishing is still looked down upon in many circles. However, for me, I view it as an inalienable right. I come from the punk DIY mindset that doing it yourself isn’t because you can’t do it the other way, it’s because it’s the purest way.

I will say that since I’ve signed numerous traditional book market publishing deals there is a piece of my soul that is quieter. That external validation and the financial remuneration, meager though it may be, has really helped me evolve as a person. This is not something I’m proud of. In fact, it’s something I’m somewhat angry about. I don’t want to have my identity hinge on the decisions of others. Which is probably why I come back to self-publishing and betting on my own ideas time after time.

The cavalry is never coming. It’s just that simple. The quicker you realize that, the quicker you can get to doing the actual work. It’s not a fun fact, and it’s not cool to talk about it. But it’s the reality of the situation. No one’s going to care about your idea as much as you. Even when you do work with a larger publishing entity, you’re the one that’s going to go out and have to promote or attempt to garner interest. It’s just the way it works. The sooner you come to grips with that the sooner you can grit your teeth and bear down on being more productive.

The FCC Again Threatens to Censor Disney and ABC over Kimmel while Paramount Retaliates over a Stand Against the Acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Brett

When it comes to journalism, it’s been ominous for a while. Venture capital and private investment has gutted news services, newspapers have shut down and folded, and there’s been attacks coming from all sides in an attempt to censor and reign in their right and duty to report the news freely.

Once again, the FCC and its chair Brendan Carr are attacking Disney and ABC over comments Jimmy Kimmel made on his late night show. It involves a review of Disney’s broadcast licenses, ordering its eight owned-and-operated stations to renew their broadcast licenses ahead of schedule. That’s not currently due to at least 2028. Via Business Insider:

ABC was directed by the FCC to file early renewals for its licensed TV stations by May 28, or within 30 days. This order applies to the eight affiliate stations owned by ABC, including those in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Disney has confirmed that the company had received the FCC’s order about the accelerated license review.

Kimmel made a joke on his show saying First Lady Melania Trump had the “glow of an expectant widow,” explained as a reference to the age difference between her and her much older husband, President Trump. The comment was made before Saturday’s reported attempted attack during the White House Correspondents Dinner. That failed attack has been used by the right to attack the left claiming their rhetoric incites violence. First Lady Melania Trump took to social media demanding ABC fire Kimmel over the joke that they’re branding a threat and calling it hateful rhetoric. Kimmel defended the joke on Monday’s episode. He stated:

It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.

Business Insider reports that the FCC under Carr is investigating Disney for its DEI practices. From a filing:

The FCC has been investigating Disney’s ABC stations for possible violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s rules, including the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination

The right has made it a mission to further mold the media to fit their worldview. After its purchase by Paramount, CBS News has been scrutinized for its editorial shift right. The current attempt by Paramount to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery would also give it control of CNN, another popular destination for news. Paramount’s David Ellison’s father also has a part of TikTok, a major news source for younger generations.

But beyond what its done to CBS, Paramount has shown its teeth towards individuals willing to scrutinize and speak against its purchase of WBD, teasing a possible era of blacklists and retribution if it succeeds.

The AV Club has a report that a columnist at The Ankler who has spoken out against the acquisition was blacklisted by Paramount. We too have been vocal against the media consolidation, so if there is a blacklist, please add us.

Richard Rushfield recently attended CinemaCon and was handing out swag, a pin that read “Block the Merger.” Paramount didn’t appreciate that and pulled its advertising from The Ankler and talent was instructed to not speak to its reporters. It’s absolutely a canary in the coal mine, and another example of why this merger should not go through.

Is this a future we can expect for sites like ours? We have been vocal against the megamerger but also have written some not flattering news concerning DC Comics which would be owned by Paramount under this deal. Will we see retaliation if another scandal were to hit the publisher and we covered it?

It’s not hard to see all of this as a pattern, and an ominous one for independent journalism, even journalism that focuses on entertainment.

Newsarama has recently seen its final staffer exit, sunsetting what was a major entertainment news site, officially killed off by its parent company Future PLC after initially being folded into GamesRadar.

It’s all reasons for the comic, television, video game, tabletop game, toy, movie industries, and more to support independent journalism that’s not at the mercy of large corporations looking to profit and maximize clicks and views or the mercy of VCs looking to suck money from their investment like the capitalist vampires that they are.

There’s a war being waged against the fourth estate and it’s not just a moment calling for solidarity but a moment to lift up the voices who are free to challenge, criticize, and report, exactly what journalism should be doing.

The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Super Bowl Ad Continues to Delivers Nostalgia and a Wink to Classic Pulp Adventures

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Brett

There are certain traditions that go with the Super Bowl. Lots of betting around the game, hours of pre-game coverage promoting whatever non-football related projects, over consumption of pizza and wings, and of course the one time of the year people pay attention to the ads as much as the main show. One of those ads has been Budweiser‘s Clydesdales ads. The tradition goes back to Super Bowl XX in 1986, making it now 40 years since they debuted. Many of those have been memorable, some of the highest buzzed of the game. This year’s game included an ad celebrating 150 years of Budweiser.

This year we also got a bit of a spoof of the ad with The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s big game spot and we apparently can’t have fun things because even this 36 seconds is getting venom and vitriol.

With narration similar to the well known Budweiser ads, the teaser at first seems like yet another ad by the beer company. With a similar pacing, similar tone, it’s a fantastic homage to the tradition. Add in the fact that The Mandalorian and Grogu is squarely rooted into the concept of a “space western,” and the spot feels even more appropriate.

The Polygon seems to disagree with a personal opinion saying the spot left them feeling “apathy.” The opinion piece doesn’t talk of the history of Budweiser and what the 36 second ad was going for. Budweiser is mentioned 0 times. Clydesdales are mentioned 0 times. The fact the spot was an homage/parody of the classic Super Bowl ads seems to go over the writer’s head. Thankfully comments seem to understand this and get what it was going for.

It ignores the rather new phenomenon of short teaser videos that tell audiences to fund the longer trailer online. It ignores the tone and visuals used in the previous marketing showing the film isn’t going for memorable lightsaber battles or crazy space battles, but instead a look more akin to the pulp serials of the past. It has more in common in its tone with Indiana Jones that traditional Star Wars films. The logo alone makes it clear what we should expect, something more like classic Flash Gordon than the rather serious nature of recent Star Wars releases.

It’s clear the film is going for a certain look and feel and it’s not the one used for any of the three trilogies.

For a fandom that seems to what new things, they seem to also be so rooted in rehashing nostalgia to the point of repetition and boredom. In the ideal world, we can have both. Numerous releases all set in the same world, with some delivering something different while others stick to the working formula.

But, “fandom” has morphed into something where we can’t have that. New releases must stick to a rigid formula and meet strict expectations or it’s pilloried by anonymous individuals who claim they hate the world and its stories but spend an inordinate time vilifying it and trolling dedicated pages.

I love Star Wars. One of my earliest memories is watching Return of the Jedi on the big screen when it was released. I slept out for tickets for the new editions and at least Phantom Menace and maybe more. I dislike some of Star Wars’ releases over the decades. There’s films I enjoy more than others. There’s releases I don’t enjoy. That’s actually normal.

It’s ok to not like things. It’s ok to criticize and negatively review something. And it’s then ok to move on from things you enjoyed in your childhood or even adulthood to entertainment you do enjoy. It’s strange to think everything is made for you and needs to be.

The Mandalorian and Grogu opens May 2 in theaters and you can watch The Mandalorian on Disney+ now.

Diamond Declared Chapter 11 One Year Ago Today

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Brett

It was on this day in 2025, that Diamond formally declared chapter 11 and entered reorganization. A year later, that chapter 11 process was a failure with the company officially entering chapter 7 at the end of December 2025.

We’re now up to over 200 articles over the year on the topic, about 17 a month. And that was focusing on what I thought were important aspects at the time. There’s a lot I didn’t cover that didn’t seem like it was interesting or newsworthy. Some I was right about, some I was wrong. But, there’s been over 1,100 documents filed at this point, a lot has been gone through over the year.

Since then, Diamond Comic Distributors and Diamond Select were sold off to Sparkle Pop who seems to have burned it all down to the ground. They closed Diamond Select and publishers bolted to different distributors if they could. Many are left still with an unknown future.

Alliance Distribution was sold off to Universal Distribution who looks like they’ll be expanding their operations in the US in 2026 as well as manage Free Comic Book Day. With a track record of game and comic distribution in Canada, this might be the glimmer of good that comes out of all of the bad.

Publishers have almost completely abandoned Diamond 2.0 and it is a shell of what the company once was, the brand is shredded. Still, distribution exclusives for publishers remain, not putting all their eggs in one basket is not a lesson that was learned.

There’s numerous lawsuits that have spun out of the chapter 11, charges of stealing proprietary secrets, claims of fraud, and so much more. It’s worthy of a television drama series. We’ll of course be covering it all with not even a guess as to how it’ll all turn out.

Publishers are still in the air as to what they’ll receive as far as stock still held by old Diamond and creditors have to wait and see what, if anything, they’ll get back that’s owed.

From the ashes of Diamond there are new distributors and new attempts in how to do things, but it’ll take years for that to settle out. Some will succeed. Some will fail. Maybe something will click and chart a new direction and break the current mold of distribution. But, there’s no debate about it, damage has been done across the board.

Small publishers are still scrambling to find distribution some have gone silent. There’s still no master list of every release coming out like Previews used to provide. It’s a fractured, more confusing, more complicated environment that increases time and cost of managing it all for retailers, publishers, and consumers.

The chapter 7 process has barely begun and it’ll likely be months before it’s settled. We can take a bet as to whether it’ll be before or after San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Lawsuits are still active with no end in sight.

We’ve see what happens when “too big to fail” is left to fail.

The lessons learned… I’m still trying to figure that out myself. What I thought would be lessons might not be. We’ve still yet to see all of the fallout from this debacle.

No matter, the comic industry has a chance to build back better. It can take a good survey as to what happened that got to this point. The industry can be honest with itself in a warts and all discussion. It can take lessons and chart a new path forward that lifts everyone. Will that happen? In an industry that’s so resistant to change, modernization, and event reflecting on lessons, that can’t pivot on a dime, that’s unlikely beyond a few talking heads. The true reverberations won’t likely be seen for years to come and by then lessons may be too late.

CGE steps in it with Codenames: Back to Hogwarts. Faces Backlash

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Brett

In July, CGE announced Codenames: Back to Hogwarts, a new edition/skin of the popular Codenames game. We didn’t cover it and won’t be covering it due to its connection with Harry Potter whose creator is a TERF on a mission of what we see as hatred towards the trans community. We don’t cover Harry Potter in general (not like it’s a comic), and absolutely have not once her beliefs were clear.

The tabletop game community is one of general inclusion where everybody is welcome to sit at the table and enjoy a game. So, for a company to embrace a property so tied into exclusion and bigotry is a bit perplexing. The fact that J.K. Rowling uses her “Harry Potter wealth” to fund anti-transgender organizations, and she’d likely profit from the game’s licensing, is even more infuriating.

To say CGE’s statement in response lacks is an understatement.

When we embarked on creating the newly announced version of Codenames many years ago, it was a dream coming true for many of us at CGE. The vast world of magic featured in the upcoming Codenames has been a source of inspiration. It ignited a passion for learning English and exploring new worlds through reading. It shaped our childhoods, sparked imagination, or gave comfort in difficult times. We know many people around the world share the same sentiment about this universe, even among those who have been hurt by the public views and actions of its creator. Deciding whether those feelings should also transfer to the once-beloved world is up to everyone, and we fully respect and understand those who do not wish to engage with this game. We still believe in the magic of stories and the connection they create between people.

As this is an ongoing conversation, we encourage everyone to approach discussion with care, empathy, and respect—both online and in person.

It calls for “care, empathy, and respect,” though embraces a bigot for profit. They don’t respect their community as they have locked responses to social posts, clearly not wanting to hear the feedback from the community and it should be noted a community that helped make Codenames the success that it is.

WB Games, which has released has released multiple Harry Potter video games, is another example of a company seeing dollar signs, and that’s what it is all about. We have not covered them since 2022 (from what I can tell) for similar reasons. The upcoming Harry Potter television show on HBO has us rethinking any future coverage concerning HBO (though it’s limited as is, so not much of a loss).

We wear our beliefs on our sleeves here at Graphic Policy. Inclusion, treating others well, supporting diversity, those are things baked into the site. We’re not always perfect, but we try our best. There are times we don’t connect, or even know about issues, or slip ourselves. Our beliefs results in editorial decisions to not support and promote releases, companies, or creators that we feel are the antithesis of that.

We’re standing with other sites/influencers/tabletop games against CGE’s decision concerning this release. We won’t be covering CGE until they give a proper response and do what’s right, which is not release the game or donate its profits to charity benefiting the transgender community. We stand with the trans community which has seen hatred and vilification that’s unwarranted and only comes from a place of hate.

We speak with our coverage. We speak with our dollars. There are numerous wonderful organizations and companies that support the trans community. Let’s shine a light on them and lift them up and support them.

Dear Diamond’s New Owners…

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Brett

In January 2025, Diamond Comic Distributors and its related companies declared Chapter 11 throwing the comic industry into unknown territory and what felt at times chaos. There’s been numerous twists and turns over the months with bids accepted, rejected, threats of lawsuits, and shocking reveals. It’s been a real-world drama with major ramifications for the comic industry.

Today, that drama saw what might be the beginning of its final chapter as the court presiding over the case gave approval of the joint bid by Universal Distribution and Ad Populum to purchase Diamond and its various assets. There are still numerous steps to go, but this might be the beginning of the end to the drama.

But, what of its new owners? Are there lessons to be learned and a new vision and attitude towards not just Diamond’s clients but its employees to come out of it? We’ve heard frustrations from retailers, many of whom are vocal, and horror stories from employees within the company. This feels like an opportunity for a new start in many ways, as the old clearly didn’t work.

We had a former Diamond employee reach out with what they hope might change. Below is their anonymous letter about what they hope the new owners might change if/when the deal is finalized and they take over.

To whom it may concern

I am a former employee who worked at Diamond in multiple departments from 2012 – 2021.

I am writing to ask a favor.

Though I no longer work at Diamond, I remember painfully well how stressful the culture at the home office was; from unprofessional behavior at the management level to heartbreakingly low wages considering the workload and expectations. While it’s true that I am unfamiliar with the current state of Diamond’s corporate culture, I have the sinking feeling it has not improved.

I urge you, the buyers of the company, to take a close look at the treatment of the staff, both in Baltimore and at their main warehouse in Mississippi, and make changes that are necessary for retention and stress management.

While I had quite a few positive experiences at Diamond, there were also instances that were unprofessional and even dangerous.

The largest problem at the company is the very small pay scale for hourly employees beneath the management level. Though I worked there for nine years, and had a positive reputation with retailers and publishers, when I left I was making below $35k a year; nowhere near enough to survive in an expensive state like Maryland. Efforts to advocate for myself fell on deaf ears. During my brand management years, when I asked what it would take to receive more than a 3% raise, I was told that I would need to be assigned larger publishers. When the opportunity arose, Diamond decided to hire outside the company without giving existing Brand Managers the opportunity to apply for a higher position, effectively trapping them at lower pay scales for the foreseeable future.

I have no horse in this race. I do not benefit from the improvement of Diamond’s corporate culture or any wage increases the staff might see, and I have no desire to retaliate for past slights, perceived or not. However, watching the drama surrounding their bankruptcy, I had a feeling that even under new management, these things may go unaddressed.

I ask you, politely, if urgently, to address them.

Thank you for your time

What Killed Comic Journalism? Nothing, It’s Alive and Well. Now Go Support It.

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Brett

Over the last week or two there’s a lot of chatter about the “death of comic journalism.” Many taking part are long-time vets of the industry lamenting for the way things were. Graphic Policy has been around for 17 years at this point, and while we’d be considered part of those old vets, I take a far different view. Comic journalism isn’t dead. It’s alive and well and ever evolving with new technology and demands from fans.

When we began our site, “blogging” was the main form of getting information out there with social media in its infancy and online video still finding its place. Since then, “blogging” still exists and has found competition and in some instances camaraderie with new platforms that boost reach, help build audiences, or in some cases, are whole new ways to share news. All of this is of course came after the pioneers that would release physical copies, many of whom is what I grew up reading to find the latest news. This was when the internet barely existed or was just bulletin boards you had to know the right phone number to dial in to. Those physical releases still exist too and seem to be left out of the discussion showing how odd this debate is.

First, what is “comic journalism”? In my view, it’s quite simply the coverage of comic “news.” That can be dives into the latest issues, examinations of comic history, highlighting previews, discussing themes, interviews, trends, looking at what’s to come, and so much more. There’s no one “right way” to cover and discuss comics.

Often it seems that the “comic journalism” is dead stems not from a lack of sites or coverage, but a lack of the coverage these individuals want. It comes off as another side of those who complain how there are “no good comics” anymore and just want comics done their way. It’s a longing of nostalgia. There is a greater choice in content and how to consume it than every before.

The demand for comic news has been pretty steady since 2004 according to Google Trends. The demand remains.

Below is the web search history since 2004 based on Google Trends:

Comic book (blue) - Graphic Novel (red) - Comics (yellow) — Comic book (blue) – Graphic Novel (red) – Comics (yellow)

Here’s those same terms as just a news search from Google. “Comics” has generally increased from 2004, though down from the highs of 2018/2019.

But, comic journalism has evolved over the years. As mentioned above, it no longer is just words on a page, but instead podcasts, videos, short form, long form and who knows what comes next. There are more ways to get the latest news, opinions, research which creates exciting new challenges.

Here’s the same terms as above but focused on YouTube searches over that same time period. Look at the steady growth for “comics” over the years.

We’re nearly 110,000 posts in our 17 years. That’s around 18 articles/posts a day since the beginning. There’s over 21 million minutes watched on YouTube. That’s over 14,600 days worth of watched video, around 40 years worth! We’ve aired over 580 episodes of Graphic Policy Radio resulting in hundreds of thousands of listens. Those Two Geeks is over 300 episodes and we recently launched a brand new podcast focused on tabletop gaming Ready Nerd, Go!. And all of this from visitors from around the world. We also have 1000s of subscribers that get our articles delivered to our inbox, something that seems to be overlooked by those who rely on incomplete measurements of “success.” I highlight this to show how we’ve evolved over the years. We’re one of the “old vets,” still around and trying to embrace what’s new and what’s next realizing you can’t stay stagnate.

That’s what comic journalism as a whole has been doing. It’s evolving to new mediums, new ways to deliver the latest news and opinions.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been struggles and everything is great. Advertising revenue is decreased to laughable levels. Sites have been gobbled up by corporations who are more focused on dollars and profitability. Sites have come and gone. Great voices have come and gone. But, that’s also life and can be found in every business in every sector.

But, the fact remains the sites are there. The voices are there. The work is being done. Here’s just a small sampling of the sites out there in no particular order:

That’s over 25 sites and podasts and if you want to get added to the list above, reach out and we’ll add to it! It’s not an endorsement of any of them, it’s to highlight they exist. The work is being done, often for little to no pay. You the readers/listeners need to decide what you do and don’t like.

So, instead of having another discussion about how comic journalism has died, or even a discussion about the failures to support it (and boy do I have a list), how about we do the following:

Visit sites regularly. Give them views and clicks with adblocker off. Views get these sites revenue so they can pay bills, pay contributors, exist.
Share articles and highlight what you think deserves to be highlighted. But, a “like” and a “share” isn’t enough, you need to visit the site (see #1)
If you’re a publisher, advertise.
If you’re a PR rep, look beyond the crappy metrics out there. Support sites you think have good audiences for what you’re promoting. Views are one thing, clicks and purchases are another.
If you’re a creator, share stories about you. These sites are promoting what you’ve worked your ass off putting together. Help them boost promoting you!
If you’re a fan, participate. Share articles, comment, visit sites, help foster and create a positive community and experience.

Comic journalism isn’t dead, it’s alive and well. We as a community just need to recognize that. Leave the hyperbolic negative for clickbait and celebrate and support those of us putting in the work.

The Point of Heroes in a Dark World

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Jon Carroll

In the wake of the 2024 election, comics writer Mark Waid posted the following on BlueSky:

…I don’t believe in the basic goodness of my fellow Americans anymore, and without this, I cannot write superheroes. There’s no point.

Mark Waid is a writer for whom I have the greatest respect. His work on The Flash and The Fantastic Four with the late Mike Wieringo and others are essential reading. His despair is understandable but I hope that he can muster up whatever magic he needs to do the work in the wake of the horrific choice made by the majority of our countrymen. His stories do matter to a lot of people, never more so than now as the entire world begins a long, dark journey whose end is uncertain. Hope will be hard to find and we will often be unable to see the stars through the clouds.

Superheroes are not now and have never been figures of social realist fiction. Even Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen revels in the absurdity of the genre. Perhaps the most unrealistic thread at the heart of the concept is the notion that a person gifted with an amazing power or great wealth will use it for the benefit of others and not themselves.

Human beings are deeply flawed creatures. We must constantly choose between good and evil while trying to thrive (or at least survive) in a dangerous world. Our humanity is the sum total of the choices we make throughout our lives and can be squandered and regained many times. There are certainly points of no return, but to view the voting booths of Pennsylvania and Georgia as the equivalent of the gas chambers of Auschwitz or the killing fields of Cambodia is not helpful at this point.

If good and evil exist in reality as opposite ends of a spectrum painted in shades of gray, then the superhero must exist in the brightest primary colors we can get onto paper or the digital screen. They are not a reflection of the facts of life but a refutation of it. They are visions of power conjured up by the maligned and the marginalized (Jews, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQIA+ and women) at a time of turbulence for the entire world that was almost as great as the one we face today. The fact that we can even conceive of an alien from another planet who came only to do good, proves that we have at least the seed of goodness beneath all of the excrement on which the foul weeds of Hitler, Stalin, and their modern descendants sprout. To lose that would be to abandon the best part of ourselves, to feed the human to the beast.

I don’t really believe in God, certainly not the kind, benevolent, one of my Catholic upbringing. If he does exist though, the best he was able to create was humanity: flawed, broken and bound to the Earth. We created a champion of truth and justice who is as indestructible as he is incorruptible and who can show us the stars as he takes his dog for a walk on the moon.

If you ask me, when it comes to creators, we’ve done God one better. He made us and we made Superman. Superman does good and doing so inspires us to do better. That’s the point.

Riot at Xavier’s, a Character Study in juvenile political rebellion

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Alfie Erin

The following article is a revised version of a post originally from my Tumblr blog Alfie talks about comics

Created by Grant Morrison and Keron Grant, Quentin Quire first appears in New X-Men #134, which then leads into the “Riot at Xavier’s” arc that spans from New X-Men #135 to #137 with an epilogue in issue #138. Quentin, the primary character and antagonist of the arc, is a vehicle for Morrison and co to tell a story about the surface-level politics alienated teenagers sometimes adopt. The kind of person who doesn’t care to meaningfully understand a political ideology but instead dresses in the aesthetics and symbolism of an ideology as a means to performatively rebel against their elders and the world around them.

Many readers have drawn connections to Quentin Quire and the alt-right that would arise about a decade after the publication of Riot at Xavier’s. The alt-right, a primarily online Neo-fascist political movement, came to prominence in the 2010s. It prayed upon young, disenfranchised men as its primary recruiting demographic. In this way it mimics the social critique Morrison makes with Quentin Quire. This has led many readers to draw a direct line between the two. There is a belief that Quentin Quire is an uncanny proto-alt-right character. However I would argue for a different read of the text and the critique it makes.

Quentin is alienated and feels rejected after learning from his parents that he was adopted. This revalation fundamentally shakes his sense of self and throws him into questioning every aspect of his life. He lashes out because he feels disenfranchised. By rejecting Xavier’s dream he is venting his frustrations at the world, it’s an outlet, not a sincere position. Quentin adopts outrage at the death of Jumbo Carnation not out of genuine anger at the grizzly murder, instead he takes the position when it becomes another outlet for him to point out the supposed hypocrisy of his elders and fuel his anger.

Throughout the arc we see Quentin’s acts of rebellion escalate more and more into violent and destructive outbursts. It starts with cruelty to his peers, his actions escalate further when he and his Omega Gang start assaulting random groups of bigoted humans.

Quentin at the climax of the riot exclaims “So much for the dream! All my life I’ve waited for this “dream” to come true! We were promised peace and security! All my life! Where is it!” Here we see his true motivations laid bare, he feels disowned and abandoned after learning about his adoption. And now he thinks his teachers also have failed him. Quentin Quire has devastating abandonment issues that fuel his actions in Riot at Xavier’s.

As much as the riot itself escalates the Omega Gang lack clear goals or demands for their actions. They are just wildly lashing out because of the drug Kick and juvenile angst. It’s very much like a baby crying out for the attention of the adults.

In their sadism, the Omega Gang are blind and uninterested to the real harm done to their fellow Mutants as shown when they attack a U-Men base. Instead of seeing that the U-Men are planning on attacking Xavier’s students, they obsess over sadistically murdering a U-Man. Their riot leads to the death of Dummy of the special class. It’s a display that they are uninterested in actually fighting against anti-Mutant bigotry but more use the concept of humans as a target for Quentin’s violence, their ideology is style over substance. They aren’t interested in politics or understanding the reason for practicing them, they are only interested in the act itself.

Earlier in the arc, we see Quentin wearing a shirt that reads “Magneto was right” which is a parallel to the real-life use of Che Guevara on graphic T-shirts that were popular in the early 00s among students, the comparison Morrison is making is from an inexperienced juvenile ideology dressed up in leftist aesthetics. Much like in the real-life co-option of leftist imagery the adoption of the motto “Magneto was right” doesn’t represent an actual political position but the rebelling against the positions of the professor, the politics are purely stripped out and made into an aesthetic.

With the use of Kick, what was a normal rebellion for a teenager going through turmoil becomes the source of tangible harm, the Omega Gang’s actions don’t do anything to avenge Jumbo’s death. They lash out without caring to understand the violent consequences of their actions. It’s action for the sake of action, a cult of action which is most commonly known as a characteristic of fascism as identified by Umberto Eco in Ur-Fascism. However I think that kind of methodology (or lack thereof) isn’t inherently right-wing in nature, it can be found in unguided, vague, often experienced political organizing from many groups across the political spectrum.

In “Riot at Xavier’s” Grant Morrison tells a story about adolescent angst and political posturing. In most children, this is a healthy if somewhat cringeworthy point in development. In the case of Quentin Quire, this development is derailed by a combination of Kick and his rapidly out-of-control Mutant gift. Quentin’s politics are neither left nor right-wing, they are vapid and void of political substance, if anything it’s dressed up in imagery of the left wing. While Quentin’s path does mimic that of many young men who fell into the alt-right, disenfranchised and angry looking for an outlet I don’t think that means that he needs to represent that subculture. I think that given time the character of Quentin Quire could grow and evolve out of this phase which luckily we are now seeing done masterfully in X-Force by Benjamin Percy, I’m excited to see how this character continues to grow up with his second chance, and hope that readers open themselves up to seeing how he can grow behind his original actions in Riot at Xavier’s

Let’s talk about the Fall Of X and the “End of Krakoa”

Posted on June 25, 2023 by Alfie Erin

I’ve seen a lot of chatter online about the Fall Of X and what it means for the Krakoa era of the X-Men line. A lot of those discussions have been pretty doomsaying. A lot of fear that this means the end of the Krakoa era ushered in by Jonathan Hickman in House Of X/Powers Of X that has been ongoing since 2019, which united the Mutants on the living island nation of Krakoa. It revolutionized the franchise and breathed fresh new life into the long stagnating X-Men line.

I’m excited for the Fall Of X. One of my favorite things in comics is being able to put brackets around a run. A run is a consecutively told story usually headed by the same creative team the entire way through. One example of a run is Tini Howard’s Captain Britain comprising Excalibur, X Of Swords, Knights Of X, and Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain. Together these books tell a complete overarching story by a single writer.

The thing about the X-Men line since Hickman soft rebooted it, is the collaborative nature of the office. Storylines ebb and flow from one title to the next. It’s harder to put brackets around individual runs because they all contribute to an overarching narrative. If this is the end of the Krakoan era then I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. Stories have endings, and this has been an exceptionally well told story. If the ending is satisfying, I’m happy to see the whole era tied together with a nice little bow.

Even then, I don’t necessarily think Krakoa is going away forever. We know the X-Men are off the island and scattered across the globe for the Fall Of X. But for all we know we might be back on Krakoa by the start of next year! However, even if Krakoa is going back into the box for good, the writers who crafted this brilliant era aren’t. I’m sure we’ll continue to see the collaborative storytelling continue long into the X-Men’s future. Even if Krakoa ends, the spirit of this era will live on.

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