The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Looking back over the entire year, I seem to have reviewed an awful lot of comics. And interestingly I found that the most fun and innovation to be seen in comics was in the small press field. I’m pretty sure this isn’t just because the UK small press is particularly vibrant (although it is). It’s also due to the fact that comics from the big companies just haven’t performed very well at all. I can barely think of a Marvel or DC book that I’ve really enjoyed (Spirit from DC would possibly be the most enjoyable of the bunch). And that overall poor performance merely exaggerates the feelings of “thank god, at last, a comic I’ve enjoyed” that I’ve had with some great small press work this year.

So, enough blather, in no particular order, here’s the five I loved most this year.

Trains Are … Mint – Oliver East (Blank Slate) (review)

Badger – Howard Hardiman (self published) (full review here)

Laika – Nick Abadzis (1st Second) (review)

Hondle – Matthew Craig (self published) (review)

Spirit Volume 2 – Darwyn Cooke & J. Bone (DC Comics) (review)

And now I’m finished with my favourite 5, my 9 year old Molly wanted to chip in with her favourites. Molly’s no stranger to the FPI blog and this year saw her first ever interview about the DFC appear on our pages. Needless to say, all of her three faves this year are from the DFC. Every week, without fail, she scours the comic for these three:

Crab Lane Crew – Jim Medway (review)

Vern & Lettuce – Sarah McIntyre (review)

Sausage & Carrots – Simone Lia (review)

Next Year?

Well, personally I hope next year sees more of the same for comics. The lacklustre performance of Marvel and DC doesn’t particularly bother me, especially not when there’s a host of great works coming out all over the place from publishers old and new. I’m trusting that even in the economic downturn the continued development of the graphic novel format as the primary means of reading comics will continue. I see the next couple of years as a particularly important time in comics, where the entire industry tries to decide where it’s going. Of course, the ever-increasing cost of comics may tip the scales somewhat. Whilst Marvel may say it’s $3.99 price is only for special series, how many of us really believe it wont become the industry standard across the board very quickly? So with £10 buying us three comics, doesn’t that £20 graphic novel just look so much more attractive? But when this question occurs to more and more of us, what shall happen to the simple little comic? Will the big publishers be prepared to change their entire publishing model and get rid of the single issue comic altogether? The existing model demands a certain level of sales from a comic series to justify a collection. But without the comic or with the comic making severely reduced sales what happens to the graphic novel. I just don’t believe the biggest comics companies are set up to properly market and promote original graphic novels. So next year should see the industry is a state of flux, casting about for the correct path.

Or the big two could spend the next year doing increasingly redundant mega-series whilst the rest of the industry changes around them.

Things I’m most looking forward to in 2009?

I’m most looking forward to discovering more new stuff. That’s been the really nice thing about this past year, opening up some new small press comic and getting that wonderful rush of experiencing something new and fresh. But a few old favourites are making a welcome return; Larry Marder’s Beanworld is finally returning, with reissues and a new graphic novel in the woks, Image Comics are doing a great thing by re-issuing Ted McKeever’s quite sublime works.

I’m also keen to see what Kenny & Jim at Blank Slate have to offer in 2009. I sometimes feel slightly uncomfortable talking so much about Blank Slate, as I know Kenny and he’s the guy who first invited me onto the FPI blog. But whenever I do I just have to ask myself whether his books stand up to criticism. And they bloody well do. At the time of writing this I’m looking forward to getting my copy of Trains Are … Mint: Proper Go Well High & The new Mawil Book Sparky O’Hare. I’m also looking forward to see Spleenal‘s book next year and wondering what the response from everyone else will be. (In some small way I’m slightly responsible for it as well – see this, this and this. The final push was by Garen Ewing. So it’s his fault really!) But despite my closeness to Blank Slate, I hope that the one thing no-one will be able to disagree with is that the company has definitely gone about things the right way. The oft-stated ideal of becoming a British Drawn & Quarterly / Fantagraphics type publisher may  be a way off, but the seeds are definitely here.

Speaking of Garen Ewing; his Rainbow Orchid should be out in 2009 from Egmont. Definitely one to look out for.

Walker Books’ new graphic novel imprint looks good, if only for the re-issue of Andi Watson’s quite wonderful Glister in a manner that may actually get it seen by the potentially huge target audience for the book. Image really didn’t do the best for that book when it came out.

Finally, The DFC. I really hope it breaks through this year. I’ve gone on and on about it as it’s something Molly and I both enjoy. But in 2009 I’d love to see the comic establish itself. I’d love to see possible distribution, possibly newstand, definitely comic shops. And most of all, I’d love to see some lovely hardcover collections to adorn our shelves. A hardcover of Vern & Lettuce, Crab Lane Crew or Sausage & Carrots would certainly make the best of 2009 list for me.

As for other stuff; well, 2008 really should go down as the year I stopped watching television in any meaningful way. The only things I actually made a point of sitting down, week in and week out, to watch were QI, Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica. Personally I thought Donna was the best companion so far. I thought bringing Rose back was a godawful mistake. And the idea of the simpering second doctor was just a bit of wish-fulfilment too far. But Donna; she was great. That realisation at the end of the series that she’s going to have to have it all taken away was terribly sad.

Films? Didn’t really do any. Oh good God almighty. That makes me seem so out of touch, here in my ivory tower of school, parenting, blogging and reviewing. But looking back on my own blog I see that I did see some movies: High School Musical 3, Wall-E, Narnia 2, Kung Fu Panda, Nim’s Island, Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Now, aside from Indy3 I think we can all spot a pattern of those movies. Having said that, when we do go to the movies with 9 year old Molly, we do see some great stuff. HSM3, Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda were all great fun. And god help me, if I had to pick a movie of the year from that lot, I’d have to go for High School Musical 3, just because it delivers exactly the entertainment it promises and does it with great style. But the actual movie of the year was It’s A Wonderful Life, which our local cinema showed at the start of December. I’ve seen it countless times, but never on the big screen. The tears flowed.

So a Merry Christmas to all and a prosperous New Year for 2009.
Richard Bruton.