[Groop]Self-contained stories (formerly Question for ME)

Mon, 24 Dec 2001 13:35:59 EST

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Let me add my support for the self-contained comic.  Groo's single issue 
story format is the reason I'm reading comics now.  When the wonderful comic 
fan who is now my husband and I were still dating, he gave me an issue of 
Groo (I can't remember the issue #, but it was the one with the puppet shows) 
to read during his usual comic reading time.  My parents had spent 19 years 
trying to keep me away from comics--so successfully that I'd never read a MAD 
and Elie explained Sergio Aragones to me as "the guy who did the cartoons on 
TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes."  With one issue of Groo, I was hooked.

I've been reading comics for about 4 years and I can't seem to get into most 
of them because the continuities are just too much for me to handle as a 
semi-casual comic reader.  Miniseries are OK, and I've gotten into the old 
Warren Vampirellas (not the new Vampi) because you don't need to know much 
more than what's in the comic and maybe the origin of the major characters.  
Many other comics I've tried reading require so much cross-referencing that 
they're more work to read than they are fun, and others have so many major 
plot twists that they get confusing if you haven't read every issue for the 
last 10 years (here I was thinking that Wonder Woman was someone named 
Diana!).  

The involved continuity is probably fine and probably very entertaining for 
those serious readers who read their comics religiously, but after a certain 
number of issues in a title, it excludes new readers of the series.  As Mark 
has mentioned in his POV columns recently, recent back issues are harder to 
find.  Even if you decide to start reading a title midstream, you have to be 
really serious about it to put in the effort to track down the back issues 
you'll need to understand the future issues.  I'm willing to bet my firstborn 
child that most new or casual comic readers won't take that kind of time or 
$$$$.  Of course, those of us who read just a few comics a month aren't the 
people who sustain the comics industry, so we can't very well expect it to 
cater to us.  On the other hand, once the hard-core comics fans die out or 
get married and their new wives (who don't understand comics, and I've heard 
of this happening) make them give up their comics, who will sustain the 
industry?  On a side note:  Groo is an excellent way to introduce the new 
wives to comics so they don't make you give up your collecting.  Groo is the 
reason I now understand why the major budgetary concerns are rent, food, 
heat, and comics.

OK, I'll go back to lurking now.  See what happens when you let me out?
Janet

In a message dated 12/24/2001 8:58:56 AM Central Standard Time, 
azamin7@pd.jaring.my writes:

> I tried to read some X-men comic, but I get lost... in some of
> the pages, it ask the readers to refer to some of its previous issue....
> crossover....then there is some variation of X-man... the X-man,
> wolverine... etc.... One reason I like Groo is that it's story finish in
> just 1 issue... it is simple and easy for the reader to understand it.  I
> once gave my groo "Man of the people" to a friend to read it and he can
> easily understand the character and the story easily.

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<HTML>Let me add my support for the self-contained comic. &nbsp;Groo's single issue story format is the reason I'm reading comics now. &nbsp;When the wonderful comic fan who is now my husband and I were still dating, he gave me an issue of Groo (I can't remember the issue #, but it was the one with the puppet shows) to read during his usual comic reading time. &nbsp;My parents had spent 19 years trying to keep me away from comics--so successfully that I'd never read a MAD and Elie explained Sergio Aragones to me as "the guy who did the cartoons on TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes." &nbsp;With one issue of Groo, I was hooked.
 
 I've been reading comics for about 4 years and I can't seem to get into most of them because the continuities are just too much for me to handle as a semi-casual comic reader. &nbsp;Miniseries are OK, and I've gotten into the old Warren Vampirellas (not the new Vampi) because you don't need to know much more than what's in the comic and maybe the origin of the major characters. &nbsp;Many other comics I've tried reading require so much cross-referencing that they're more work to read than they are fun, and others have so many major plot twists that they get confusing if you haven't read every issue for the last 10 years (here I was thinking that Wonder Woman was someone named Diana!). &nbsp;
 
 The involved continuity is probably fine and probably very entertaining for those serious readers who read their comics religiously, but after a certain number of issues in a title, it excludes new readers of the series. &nbsp;As Mark has mentioned in his POV columns recently, recent back issues are harder to find. &nbsp;Even if you decide to start reading a title midstream, you have to be really serious about it to put in the effort to track down the back issues you'll need to understand the future issues. &nbsp;I'm willing to bet my firstborn child that most new or casual comic readers won't take that kind of time or $$$$. &nbsp;Of course, those of us who read just a few comics a month aren't the people who sustain the comics industry, so we can't very well expect it to cater to us. &nbsp;On the other hand, once the hard-core comics fans die out or get married and their new wives (who don't understand comics, and I've heard of this happening) make them give up their co!
mics, who will sustain the industry? &nbsp;On a side note: &nbsp;Groo is an excellent way to introduce the new wives to comics so they don't make you give up your collecting. &nbsp;Groo is the reason I now understand why the major budgetary concerns are rent, food, heat, and comics.
 
 OK, I'll go back to lurking now. &nbsp;See what happens when you let me out?
 Janet
 
 
 In a message dated 12/24/2001 8:58:56 AM Central Standard Time, azamin7@pd.jaring.my writes:
 
 
 <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I tried to read some X-men comic, but I get lost... in some of
 the pages, it ask the readers to refer to some of its previous issue....
 crossover....then there is some variation of X-man... the X-man,
 wolverine... etc.... One reason I like Groo is that it's story finish in
 just 1 issue... it is simple and easy for the reader to understand it. &nbsp;I
 once gave my groo "Man of the people" to a friend to read it and he can
 easily understand the character and the story easily.</BLOCKQUOTE>
 
 </HTML>

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