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As a comic reader one thing that I worry about from time to time is what the future of the industry and hobby is. In the past I saw the problems that came from the period of the speculators. Now I'm seeing in general society what I think is a more accepting and supportive view of the characters through how they spend their money on recent movies and merchandise from the movies. Still, I'm not always sure the "everyday folks" are supportive of the industry and those who actually read comics. What I've been wondering though is if recognition of the characters and other properties is enough to help the industry tomorrow, if not today. There were two instances in the past month that have resulted in me thinking that maybe people just "knowing" about comics may be enough for the future of the hobby to be OK.
The first situation was when I was in a local department store. Now, I'm not just a comic geek. I've also been known to still pick up an action figure from time to time. So, as luck would have it I was checking out some of the new Justice League Unlimited figures when I heard a young boy next to me say, "Oooh! Green Lantern!" I glanced over and saw he was holding one of the new DC Super Friends action figures (Green Lantern obviously). As I continued to look at other figures (I've worked my way to the Transformers by now) I hear the boy ask his father if he can buy the toy. I hear some hemming and hawing followed by a "No, you can't buy that." Of course, I figure as many this is nothing unusual in the world of kids who want toys. But then things took an interesting twist.
Here is the rest of the conversation as my memory replays it:
Son: "I can't? Why not?"
Father: "Uhh . . . "
Momentary silence
Father: "How about this? Do you want a G.I. Joe?"
Son: "No, I want Green Lantern."
Father: "You can't have that one."
Sounds of items moving
Son: "OK, how about Batman then?"
Father: "No, you can't have any of those. Do you want a G.I. Joe?"
Son: "No." (in a confused tone)
Father: "Then you're not getting anything. Come on."
Something to take note of in this case is that the only G.I. Joe figures in the aisle were of the Sigma Six line. On top of that they were the higher priced Sigma Six figures, which run almost twice as much as the new DC Super Friends figures. The "message" of that conversation in my mind? Daddy doesn't want his son involved with comic characters. Or perhaps it was more general and he just didn't want his son to be some kind of geek/nerd. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated after hearing what I heard. Still, later I decided that whether the father liked comic characters or not, he still knew enough about them to be aware of them. That and I figure if the kid had the guts to turn down a G.I. Joe figure, I'd say there is comic reader potential for later.
Now, in the world of kids comics and toys cross over. While the merchandising isn't nearly as intertwined as the 1980s it is still there, so you can't really assume that interest in a comic based toy is anything more than just, "Oooh! Cool toy!" You can hope, but you really can't assume. So, what is there for the more adult folks? You know, when you take away the movies than make it OK to let the world of comics cross over into your non-comic world for a bit. Enter, Shakespeare! Yes, you heard me right folks. Shakespeare.
As luck would have it a few days after the toy incident (OK, it wasn't an incident but it makes it sound more interesting) some of my friends came into town and we all went to see a presentation of Romeo and Juliet. Overall it was a great play, with the "twist" of this particular presentation being that the older generation was in the kind of clothing you would expect in a presentation of Romeo and Juliet, while the younger generation were in modern day clothing (private school clothes most of the time to keep it from being tacky).
When the play reached the point where Romeo and his friends were preparing to crash the Capulets' masquerade ball I found myself being really interested in the clothes they were wearing. At first I couldn't quite pick up what was piquing my interest in what they were wearing. Then I thought to myself, "Huh, that guy's costume look a lot like what Hawkman wears." I blew it off as coincidence and a reflection of my comic geek-hood coming through. Then, as Romeo and friends finally prepared to leave for the ball they donned their masks. There they stood, very clearly now with their masks in place. Off to the ball were Hawkman, Daredevil, Batman and Wolverine (Romeo was in a plain black cowl). The crowd responded with huge applause. I found myself not only appreciating the choice of costumes for the scene but also enjoying how much the crowd seemed to really like the use of those particular costumes.
Overall that particular week was one where I realized that while the comic industry will always have its ups and downs that I don't think it will ever vanish. Sometimes I wonder if the format of the industry will change to larger graphic novels released less often, or move in a more digital direction as time goes on. While I don't necessarily "like" those options, I find that as someone who truly likes comics and the characters within them, I'm actually happier to see little signs that mainstream society does still connect with the characters on some level. Sure, the format of the "comic" may change some day, but if the ideas of the characters remain, then I believe others will have the opportunity to enjoy what I have. I guess as long as a connection to the mainstream world remains comic characters will never go away.
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