Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 12:31:01 -0600 From: [g--l--n] at [falcon.bgsu.edu] (Metroplex) Subject: FTP 519 ==== FIT TO PRINT by cathrine yronwode for the week of January 30, 1995 THIS IS FIT TO PRINT NUMBER 519: Grey squirrels running on the pergola... COMIC EFFECT: I have reviewed this great little zine before, but i want to note that issue #8, just in, is the best yet. Two articles stand out: Gene Kennenberg Jr.'s fond look back at Jack Kirby's Devil Dinosaur, and Kevin Forest Moreau's insightful comparison between Alan Moore's 1963 and Jim Valentino's Shadowhawk, in which the 1963 cast recently made a guest appear-ance. This latter piece (which could have been twice as long and would have held my interest) presents the clearest account of the onset of the "grim and gritty" super hero genre i have yet seen. Beginning with Len Wein's Wolverine in Uncanny X-Men and continuing through Frank Miller's Dark Night and Alan Moore's Watchmen, Moreau traces the artistic and commercial implications of the industry's shift from stories about heroes to stories of heroic outlaws, morally ambiguous outlaws, and, ultimately, criminal sociopaths. The fact that Moore's Rorshach helped breach the bounds between heroism and sociopathology is ironic in light of the the author's later evocation of pure heroism in 1963. That series, misguidedly marketed as a parody in some quarters, can be-and has been-seen as a cry for absolution by a man who killed the thing he loved. Moreau is not insensitive to the problem Valentino set himself when he-the author of normalman, another seeming parody that functioned as an homage-elected to contrast Shadowhawk, his own commercially successful sociopath, against the pristine clarity of Moore's homage to the work of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko. In retrospect, the Shadowhawk-1963 crossover seems like an act of willful self immolation. As Moreau concludes, "[G]iven the choice between Shadowhawk's world, where hope is no longer an option, and the alternative, well, as the title of the [cross over] says...'I'd Rather Be in 1963.'" Comic Effect subs are $13.00/year (4 issues) from Paloma St. Publications, P. O. Box 2188, Pasadena, California 91102-2188. HUMOUR IN MEMO FORM: Diamond Comic Distributors just sent out two rib tickling memos to all their suppliers. No belly laughs were intended, and in setting these new terms, Diamond was trying to cope with at least one real sales problem, but i found myself chuckling over the content nonetheless. In Memo #1, "Re: Holiday/Event Policy," Bill Schanes, Diamond's V.P. of Purchasing, explains that "there is no denying the lost sales potential of event/seasonally themed issues that ship too close to-or after-the holiday/event to which they're tied to." Therefore, starting with books cover dated January 1995, Diamond will cancel or take as returnable any holiday themed book that does not ship 21 days before its holiday. Maybe you can guess what sent Bill over the edge on this one...but i fear he's closed the barn door after the horse bolted. Well, there's always next year! Memo #2 is even more, well, i'm not sure if pointed is the right word, maybe in-your-face would be a better characterization. Again the author is Bill Schanes. Let's test your comic book knowledge and see if you can tell who inspired this policy change: "All periodicals solicited after [January] must ship in the order they were solicited. "It is May, and unfortunately the publisher of Comic Z has fallen behind in his publishing schedule, with issue #6 of the series already past the 30-day returnable window (as previously established on our purchase order). But issue #8, which begins a new storyline, is ready to be published. As issues #6 and #7 are a self-contained story-line and do not affect the continuity or story-line of issue #8 onward, the publisher reasons that shipping these titles after #8 will not have any adverse effect on sales. "But past experience has shown that when such a situation occurs, not only are retailers confused by the mixed-up shipping, but their customers are as well. In addition, confusion is caused at the Distribution Cen-ter level, causing inefficiencies." Pretty cute, huh? Well, i'll tell ya, i sure laughed, anyway! Best memo of the year! ==== Fit to Print appears in print each week in Comics Buyers Guide and is available via e-mail. Tell your friends! To subscribe to Fit to Print via e-mail send a request with the words "Subscribe FtP" in the subject header and your address in the body of the message to [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu.] You will be added to the list and receive the next available issue. Backissues are available. FTP to nspace.cts.com and look in the Comics/About Comics/Comics News/Fit to Print directory. Responses are welcome and should be directed to [g--l--n] at [bgnet.bgsu.edu.] Fit to Print is Copyright 1994 Cathrine Yronwode. All rights reserved.