tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post7104849221596891238..comments2024-03-25T22:28:29.238-04:00Comments on Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing: MARVEL COMICS: *MY* UNTOLD STORIESTony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-66524874977395129502012-12-29T01:58:44.512-05:002012-12-29T01:58:44.512-05:00Hey, not all of us '70s pothead types grew up ...Hey, not all of us '70s pothead types grew up to be right-wing asshats.I'm a left wing asshat.Robin Olsennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-44401929242559061822012-12-04T12:46:14.134-05:002012-12-04T12:46:14.134-05:00I also understand your sadness re: the depictions ...I also understand your sadness re: the depictions of people in the book, and the concern expressed about the subjectivity of interviews (that the interviewee tends to always be the hero). Nevertheless I feel that the book is useful. I am still in the early stages of the book, currently on page 171 (I tend to give books of this nature a very "close reading" (i.e. going through them and making notes in the margins & indexes). I suspect that this book will kicking the football firmly into play (soccer analogy) where these persons/facts/theories will be further debated, and maybe one day result in someone producing a much lengthier analysis of Marvel's history (assuming a publisher can be found, if not then self-published by some diligent researcher). I also sense some of the sensationalising of the history which occurs in the book; hopefully this will push us to find an even more accurate history in the near future (comic book fans/readers/researchers generally will struggle with doing dispassionate history precisely because we tend to be "fans"; also the passage of time is sometimes essential to producing good history (being too close chronologically to the events affects all of us currently). I was very impressed by the 20 pages or so of notes (pp 439 - 459) and by the index numbering 23 or so pages, which suggest a serious attempt to organize information. When I finish the book my views may be more fully formed, so consider this an early view of the book. RJBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-64829638277568193332012-12-04T10:10:24.728-05:002012-12-04T10:10:24.728-05:00Glad to see your input on this book. Just finished...Glad to see your input on this book. Just finished it a few weeks ago and enjoyed it immensely mainly due to reasons of nostalgia. I didn't have the same reactions as you, obviously, since I lacked the intimate interaction with many of the players, yet a profound sense of melancholy enveloped me as well. I suppose that came from the sense that so much potential creative greatness was squashed by what I can only refer to as the "business side". While, Sadly, it is necessary to recognize that the comics industry is a "for profit" enterprise that requires a modicum of artistic forbearance to thrive, it seems that Marvel really struggled to find a balance between the corporate and the creators. <br /><br />Look forward to the rest of your thoughts...Sherman Westnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-85810540840913643542012-12-04T09:59:18.956-05:002012-12-04T09:59:18.956-05:00Just finished reading Howes book last night - and ...Just finished reading Howes book last night - and I experienced a similar feeling of sadness. As a huge comic book fan in the Sixties and Seventies, I loved the comics Marvel produced during those years - I own a shelf full of Masterworks and Essential volumes to proof it, so I was greatly saddened to read what Marvel became in recent years. The emphasis on packaging over content and content that sounds like borderline porn - how sad for the great creators who laid the foundation of this fictional universe.KevinFermoylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15954844486657046965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-23798576989266655122012-12-04T09:00:03.987-05:002012-12-04T09:00:03.987-05:00I've read excerpts from this book, and I'm...I've read excerpts from this book, and I'm conflicted about reading all of it. It's great to put a human face on all the names I remember reading on the splash pages of my comics all those years ago, but sometimes too much of that knowledge can color my perceptions. The same thing happened with the original Star Trek. Intellectually, I knew that the actors were human beings, with all sorts of flaws and personality conflicts, but reading all those tell-all stories about the cast over the years has affected my enjoyment of the show. It's one thing to suspect your heroes have feet of clay; it's another to pull off their shoes and look for yourself....Ron Clarknoreply@blogger.com