Random Acts of Nerd Rage: How I became a stereotype

Up until yesterday night, I always considered myself to be a fairly placid sort of geek. I don’t get upset about Star Trek continuity or UNIT dating, I can’t bring myself to worry about whether the TARDIS windows are the right size or not. Sure, my friends know I have certain flashpoints – The Matrix and Terminator 3 mostly – but for the most part I try not to succumb to the nerd rage.

I regret to inform you that I have succumbed. And it’s annoyed me.

Some background: every twenty-plus years, DC Comics tends to pull a reboot. Characters get reset and reinvented, their fictional histories change, some die, some disappear. Well now it’s time for that reboot.

Thing is, this is the first reboot that has affected me.

I started reading comics roughly halfway through the present era. I’ve grown as a fan with the current version of the characters, and while they sometimes need a rethink, I’ve been happy with them. But now… Now there are rumours…

(The remainder of this post may or may not contain spoilers, depending on the accuracy of those rumours and how far the marketing is being truthful or deliberately misleading. More official news is expected soon, but this post isn’t about the announcements, it’s about the Rage!)

So they’re relaunching, but with what appears to be something of a halfway house, with some stuff changing and some remaining the same. Rumours include Superman getting together with Wonder Woman (Superman belongs with Lois. End of, even though that makes me intractable), and Grant Morrison on a Superman book (admittedly this one is awesome).

Other announcements have included the renumbering of all books (including Action Comics, which just hit #901 and was about eight years away from #1000, and therefore the news is a crime against comic history) and same-day release of digital editions (embracing new technology is essential for publishers, so this is good news for the industry; not sure how retaillers will feel though).

Oh, and the line will be more diverse, although the initial artwork released features one woman, one black guy and six white dudes.

Reading all that back, I can sense the annoyance. I am experiencing Nerd Rage, and the only explanation I can come up with is that I’m taking this personally. This is ridiculous. DC executives don’t wake up in the morning and think “Hey, it’s Wednesday, how can we piddle in Matt’s kettle today?” They’re doing what’s best for their company, and while I might not agree with all their decisions, they’re not malicious, not incompetent and not untalented. There’s a lot of experience, talent and company loyalty among DC’s key players and I hate that I’m experiencing nerd rage because while I have the right to express my views through the internet, I don’t have the right or inclination to be a troll.

(When Christopher Eccleston abruptly left Doctor Who, one message boarder said that he felt like stabbing him, leading to the board temporarily shutting down. Nerd Rage can be a very ugly thing.)

So I guess that’s the key thing – we’re talking about human beings here, not comic producing robots, and while I think reasoned criticism is fine, there are ways and means of expressing that. My inner geek doesn’t seem to be in this place yet, but that’s my problem, not Jim Lee’s. Whether I decide to see how the new DC plays out, or whether I use this as a jumping off point, I shouldn’t give in to the Rage. That’s not the way to go…

…As the Incredible Hulk taught us.

Diversity in Comics: Some thoughts on an article from DC Women Kicking Ass

Very good article about diversity in comic books over at the DC Women Kicking Ass site. Comics do tend to have a problem in representing anyone who isn’t an adult white male; speaking charitably, I think this is often a hangover from the Golden and Silver Ages of comics, eras when the medium was at the height of its popularity but working in a social context that’s not exactly remembered for its commitment to diversity (Superman was created in 1938, the same year that the House Committee on Un-American Activities kicked off; Silver Age icon Barry Allen first appeared in 1956, in which the Montgomery Bus Boycott ended). The big comic characters tend to be white men, and the inherent nostalgia of comic fans keeps it that way, not because of racism, just because people like Hal Jordan.

This doesn’t help, of course, and that conservative attitude towards the casts of comic books takes on a darker edge when someone dares introduce a new character to take on the mantle of a fallen hero, using the opportunity to make the fictitious universes more representative. The new character often fails to catch on and is killed off as a token sacrifice during a big event; the original character returns in a blaze of publicity and we’re back to square one.

(That said, back when I frequented comic message boards, I saw a fair few posts complaining about ‘political correctness’ which had worrying undertones.)

(Which is strange when you consider that Superman was once used to take down the Ku Klux Klan.)

This tends to be more visible when it comes to racial diversity, but it’s not like women get the best deal – writer Gail Simone (one of the best, but most under-rated, writers in comics today) created a website called ‘Women in Refrigerators’, dealing with how often the wives and girlfriends of heroes became victims of violence in order to drive the actions of a male character. In a medium increasingly driven by shock tactics, this is an ongoing issue – witness the fury of Atop the Fourth Wall when a little girl is murdered simply to grim-n-grittyize her father.

All of this assumes that the lack of diversity is an unintended consequence of an industry that’s become insular and cliquish, but as the article points out, there’s a lack of care and will in the industry to effectively tackle the issue, to the extent that the whole thing becomes a sin of omission. That means the medium hits a wall, facing a declining readership ironically at the same time that suprrhero movies are making millions. The article quotes the belief of some readers that, as the majority of comic readers are white males, the majority of characters should be too. But this is a chicken-and-egg situation based, frankly, on a stupid premise: how dumb is it to limit your market to such a ridiculous extent?

There are no easy answers, and that’s partly because the industry doesn’t seem too concerned about looking for them. That’s a shame and doesn’t bode well for the future of the medium. It would be a shame to see comics disappear because of this inward-looking apathy, but it takes a leap of faith on behalf of fandom to support a more representative comic industry. We get the comic books we deserve; in those terms we deserve a vibrant future, and a fossilised past no longer.

Some Vaguely Unimpressive Photos from Kapow

The Way In…

Big queue.

The crowds

The hordes

Geek Wear – Day 1

Geek Wear – Day 2

Jonathan Ross and Batmite. Yes, seriously.

TARDIS!

Robot!

DC Comics stand.

Cosplay Parade.

Cosplay finalists (Bane won).

Autograph 1 – Writer Paul Cornell

Autograph 2 – Artist Frank Quitely

Kapow Comic-Con: Day 2

  Well, yesterday was a fantastic day, apart from the hour I spent trapped in a lift, so I’m looking forward to today. Here’s the journal again:

??:?? – Wake up ready to enjoy another day at Kapow.

5:50 – What d’you mean, 5:50?! AM?!

7:00 – Wake up ready to enjoy another day at Kapow.

7:55 – Check out of my hotel. I take the stairs.

8:45 – “Wait for the green man! Wait for the green man!” I hear a woman cry. Unfortunately she’s talking about traffic lights.

8:50 – There’s something about security here that seems needlessly intimidating. Darkseid is!

9:20 – Queuing again, this time next to bins.

9:50 – And we’re in! Early this time…

9:55 – So early I can’t do my pre-emptive trawl of the back issues cos no-one’s set up yet.

10:10 – Queuing! This time for the Mark Millar panel – Special guest stars!

10:46 – In the panel and just realising that the guy who ran over my foot with his suitcase may have been one of the guests. I won’t say who.

10:50 – No, it’s okay, it was a photographer who ran over my foot. Phew.

10:54 – Gah, stop half-announcing things! Millar/Quitely, Millar/Gibbons, but no information! It was the same with the DC panel…

12:00 – I wish I had a cattle prod…

12:16 – Vintage Red Dwarf t-shirts always strike me as being a fandom so far and I’m not sure why. I think it may be a lack of timelessness…

12:20 – Okay, do I try to get into the movie premiere or do I get my favourite Superman comic signed? Or try to do both? I don’t know what to do…

12:21 – On the one hand, the premiere could be really cool, especially if it’s something I want to see. And it’ll be 100% geek audience.

12:24 – But it’s always better going to the cinema with people who matter to you, y’know? Friendship trumps 100% geekery.

12:28 – On the other hand, that issue of All Star Superman means something. It’s my favourite issue because of what it says about the character and about how we should relate to other people. Comics at the moment often feel like either OTT spectacle (which is fine, but…) or trademark placeholders for a potential movie. All Star Superman #10 doesn’t feel like that – it’s got soul, if that’s not too corny.

12:35 – So I guess the question becomes about what the central element of conventions is – the big publicity stuff, which is cool to talk about afterwards, or the interaction with the creators, which is quieter and more personal, but which gives you the chance to say thank you for a work that means something to you?

12:40 – If the premiere was the first two episodes of the new Doctor Who, hosted by Matt Smith and Steven Moffat, I’d be queuing there now. But that’s because I love Doctor Who.

12:41 – And every time I talk about loving Superman comics, I talk about All Star Superman #10 and The Hug On The Roodtop. And I guess it sounds weird that I feel like I should say thank you for that.

12:51 – I’ve just talked myself out of the premiere, haven’t I? And I feel a bit strange about that because I think it would have been cool. Just less important.

13:03 – Outside, in the civilian world, someone cosplaying as the Black Cat from Spider-Man is about to cause a car accident…

13:25 – Heart triumphs over spectacle – I’m in the Frank Quitely autograph queue.

15:13 – I now have a signed All Star Superman #10!

15:20 – Someone’s cosplaying as Superted. That was unexpected…

15:31 – Just seen a sign saying that the Mystery Movie was rated 18, which means it wasn’t one of the Big Three summer comic book movies. Still no idea what it could have been though…

16:00 – Lots of people congratulating Bane on winning the cosplay competition. That’s cool.

16:10 – Last queue of the weekend – the cloakroom.

16:20 – And so my first convention ends and it’s been great, apart from Doctor Who‘s conspicuous absence (it’s not comics but nor is Merlin and that was there) and getting stuck in a lift. Thanks to everyone who organised the event, hope 2012 can build on the success.

Finally, a big thank you to my friend Sudge, who bought my ticket but then couldn’t attend himself. Mate, you’d've loved it but don’t worry, we’ll get you into the comic industry some other way…

PS: SAN DIEGO HERE WE COME!!!

Kapow Comic-Con: Day One

For the next two days I will be in London attending my first comic convention, Kapow Comic Con. This is my journal…

8:10 – Where the heck is this place?

8:15 – My map’s broken.

8:20 – Haha! Found it! And sweet zombie Santa on a pogo stick, that’s a bit of a queue…

8:35 – Now actually in the queue after purchasing a Tesco sausage and egg sandwich for breakfast.

8:40 – First cosplayers! Joker, Penguin, Riddler and Harley Quinn. Harley has a giant mallet.

8:55 – Ted Kord Blue Beetle cosplayer! Respect!

9:10 – Okay, now we’re late. And also a bit cold.

9:17 – And we’re in!

9:18 – http://www.hireatardis.com. Awesome.

9:20 – And we’re in another queue…

9:22 – I should add some context: I’m queuing for the Jonathan Ross Fans v Pros Gameshow. And respect to the staff, they’re doing a good job.

9:25 – I think queuing is going to be a bit of a theme of this weekend. Note to my SDCC 2012 homies: make sure you’ve got comfy shoes.

9:26 – Actually, I was talking to a guy from Holland in the queue outside. “You queue well here,” he said, “This could be chaos, but… No problem.”

11:06 – Can’t believe I’ve just watched Jonathan Ross sitting next to Batmite.

11:07 – Also Bane on a mobile phone.

11:47 – New queue! This time for the DC Comics panel. This is my team, so I queue willingly and without complaint.

11:49 – My feet hurt.

11:57 – You know, I’m resigning myself to the idea that I’m not going to be able to get anything signed. None of the times are working out. Kinda disappointed really, especially as I’m taking a bit of a risk…

12:01 – No, I won’t say what that risk is. I don’t want to potentially affect the outcome on the quantum level.

12:03 – Maybe this is a convention dilemma: Risk something you’d like against something you’d love… or, conversely, something you’d hate.

12:19 – I’ve just seen the top of Paul Cornell’s head.

13:30 – Nice enough DC panel, but they’re keeping too much under wraps (for San Diego?)…

13:45 – Change of plan, I’m going to get my first edition of Doctor Who: Human Nature signed by Paul Cornell. It’s the best DW book of the lot, I’m going for it!

14:15 – Got my book signed! Made my day

14:20 – Okay, lunch.

14:25 – I think these guys on the front door may be ex-CIA. Not quite in keeping with the chilled out nerd vibe of the rest of the con.

15:07 – Okay, time to start queuing again, this time for the Mystery Panel. Hoping this pays off.

15:10 – I’ve got cravings. I really want a seat and an ice cream. I can’t see either.

15:13 – Also maybe a shower.

15:27 – If I hand in my mobile and camera when I go to the Marvel Movies panel later and I don’t get them back, does that mean Stan Lee owes me an iPhone?

15:29 – I don’t care if you’re dressed all eccentric and inappropriately for the weather conditions, if you’ve jumped this queue I’ll…

15:53 – It’s getting hot and claustrophobic. The queuing system is starting to collapse. This way lies anarchy!!!

16:02 – Okay, mystery panel. Noel Clarke (Mickey from Doctor Who and, I think, one of the writers from SFX magazine are up front. Don’t know what that points to – some kind of project launch? Is that really all that much of a surprise?

16:08 – Ahh, so Noel is the surprise. That’s okay, that’s cool. I thought he’d been confirmed as a guest anyway, so I’m not sure the ‘surprise’ element worked, but whatever.

16:50 – Good panel. Noel speaks sense.

17:29 – Anarchy! The queuing honour system is collapsing and I’m not going to see the Thor panel, despite technically being to early. That’s annoying, but respect to the people who’ve been queuing three hours, I guess…

17:30 – This also means I won’t get a iPhone out of Stan Lee..

18:00 – Wait, the Thor cast are going to be at the IGN games stand. Haha! Who needs the film clips?!

18:02 – Thor cast are gonna be late.

18:19 – Thor cast are gonna be later.

18:40 – Thor cast are gonna be later.

18:43 – Thor‘s costume designer is here. I can’t leave, it would be like betraying all the people who’ve been padding for 45 minutes…

18:45 – Thor cast are here!

18:51 – Okay, nearly 19:00, gonna call it a day and grab something to eat. For tomorrow is the Mystery Movie Premiere and a trawl through the back issue boxes…