From a Fiesta Agent understudy: How Ford's doing it right...

Doing something unique is fun. Doing something really unique is really fun. And doing something that only about 120 other people in the entire United States get to do is just flat-out wicked awesome.

Luckily, last Tuesday, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Ford’s “Fiesta Movement.” No, I didn’t win one of the cars (which would have led to an entirely different post…probably just a video of me screaming and shouting for joy), but I DO happen to have a boss who DID happen to win a car. And, seeing as the 10+ hour drive from Denver isn’t all that fun on one's own, I was fortunate enough to have a boss who wanted me out there to help him film, stay awake on the drive back to Sioux Falls, and do all of the other cool things that assistant-ish employees get to do.

After an early morning journey with boring details, I eventually found myself in Denver, meeting up with Hugh and the other 7 or so “Fiesta Agents” who were preparing to go see their cars for the first time. After a lengthy drive out of the city, we pulled up to the raceway where the cars were waiting for their respective Agents. Hugh’s excitement at finally meeting Ruby (his name for his Fiesta……yeah…I know…) was like a kid who just found out Christmas was happening every day for six months. I couldn’t have punched the smile off his face. And I’ve got really strong fists (that’s me on the left…)

Needless to say, Ford did it right. Nothing around but racetrack and open air, and a set of brand new cars begging their owners to sit down inside them (and probably literally begging, because these Fiestas are the smartest cars ever…it’s almost creepy…more on that later…). After the initial introductions, Hugh handed out the soon-to-be iconic “Fiesta Hugh” shirts (crafted by none other than Deep Bench’s own up-and-coming graphic design phenom, Andrew Brynjulson (Bren-yool-son)), which you can see in the image below.

And then it got even more awesome. After a quick instructional session on the cars themselves, the Fiesta Agents got to take their babies out on the speedway track. Although the maximum speed limit was 55 mph, the curves on the course were insanely tight and they managed to make 55 feel like 85. Although I can’t drive a stick shift, Hugh absolutely dominated his test runs like he was Jeff Gordon himself (or whichever NASCAR racer is relevant these days).

After it was all said and done, we were on the road back to Sioux Falls, and that’s a different story for a different post. For a sample of what’s on the way, here’s this photo:

Onto the point of this post… I was extremely impressed with Ford’s ability to make this Fiesta Movement a true social media campaign throughout the entire day. Although there are a few (necessary) rules and restrictions, I was blown away with how open everything was to filming and photography. I was loaded up with two video cameras and one photography camera, and I was never once asked to put them down or turn them off. Whether it was instructional sessions or video-recording conversations between agents and the marketing crew, I was never restricted from taking photos or footage. They’re perfectly willing to let this be a living, breathing social media effort, relatively out of their control.

In my opinion, Ford is taking big steps (and potentially big risks) to ensure that it’s on the forefront of online/social media marketing efforts. This isn’t a crafted and scripted series of videos and tweets that Ford’s invested in to get positive brand recognition. These are real people, doing real things, with the only rules being don’t break the law and don’t destroy your car.

Oh, and share it with the whole world.

It’ll be a blast to see where this goes (mostly because I hope to be going along with Hugh and Ruby wherever it all goes). I have a feeling the Secret Missions and subsequent adventures will be a lot of fun. Luckily, Ford’s willing to let you be there every step of the way too.

What do you think? Do you think Ford’s taking the right steps by putting its brand in the hands of customers for the world to see? Would you rather see a different campaign or strategy from Ford rather than the Fiesta Movement? Let me know your thoughts and I’ll pass them along to Hugh. With no restrictions, we’re willing to try just about anything, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment and let me know what you'd like to see!

And here are some more pictures of the journey:

Why Twitter comes naturally to me...

I’ve moved quite a few times in my life. Basically, throughout my formative years, I moved four times (and five times total for six different locations). At age 6, at age 11, at age 12, and age 18, I moved to entirely different states and communities. From Houston, Texas to Fargo, North Dakota, to Long Island, New York to College Station, Texas, and having recently settled (and going on five years) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it’s clear that the places are…diverse.

Quite possibly the last picture taken of me before my rigorous moving cycle began...

Now, the reason I’m telling you this is because I think these moves have resulted in a strong passion for social media and, specifically, a social medium like Twitter. Many of my friends seem to struggle with the concept of Twitter. Part of that is because I currently live in Sioux Falls, where we’re occasionally a few months to a few years behind many communities in terms of technology and things of that nature. Another reason, however, is that many of my friends don’t understand the benefit of having numerous friends in numerous locations.

This makes me think back to my days of junior high and high school. Specifically, the cafeteria. Now, most people grow up with their childhood friends and they sit with those friends every day at lunch from first grade through their senior year of high school. But, when you’ve left your childhood friends behind to move into uncharted territories, you don’t have the luxury of lifelong friends. The result? For me, it was floating around to various places and hanging out with various people. Different lunch tables meant different conversations, different learning experiences, and different elements of life to appreciate.

This process continued after I moved to Sioux Falls for college. Different class schedules on different days meant I was spending time with different people. Although I might spend a Friday night celebrating a victory with the Men’s Basketball Team, I was just as likely to turn around and spend that Saturday night hanging out with all of the theatre friends I made while taking Theatre 220 (an acting class…which was a unique experience in itself that I recommend everybody do at some point in their lives). Or, I may have just spent the weekend with my regular, non-acting, non-athlete friends and had a great time going to a Twins game in Minneapolis or hitting up a Joey Ryan & The Inks concert in Dinkytown.

Here I am, rockin' a Twins game with friends @Hale_Storm & @brennifresh

The bottom line – My life has almost always been a social one that involves many different people in many different places at any given time.

Enter Twitter.

Suddenly I’m presented with an online version of what my life has always been. Now, I can make friends with people in different states (which eventually lead to the realization that inspired this post), come across new people who live here in Sioux Falls, or I can reconnect with friends from the past, all in a much more direct and open way than I could do through Facebook or regular, old-fashioned e-mails.

Twitter is basically a huge win for me – it gives me the usual benefits of moving (new friends, new thoughts, new avenues in life to pursue), without the downside of moving (moving). That’s not to say I don’t intend to move again at some point in my life. Although it’s usually not easy, moving has been ingrained in my life as a necessary element. Especially when South Dakota ends up being colder than 32 degrees five months a year. The only thing that could be worse is if polar bears lived here too.

Social media does for me what moving used to do for me. It allows me to open new doors and new conversations, ultimately forming new relationships with people all over the world. In the last few months alone, I’ve been able to discover new music, new TV shows, and entirely new mindsets, all as a result of listening to others and sharing my thoughts with the world.

So, if you enjoy Twitter and other online media services, I'm curious - What do they do for you? How do you use a social network like Twitter? Is it strictly business, is it meeting new people, or is it a reason you can’t quite put your finger on? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment and let me know what you’re thinking.

-“…said I dig ya baby, but I gotta keep movin’…on…keep movin’ on…”

Marvel - The most "powerful" social media presence on the web...

Social networking and social media make my life fantastic. Hours of my day spent on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and various blogs are actually considered “work” for me. Concepts like this drive people like my dad (killer 'stache, pops) crazy because “it just doesn’t make sense.”

But it rocks my face off. And pays me dollars. What a great, great combo!

Consequently, many organizations have yet to grasp the concept of exactly what New Media can do for them. However, a few companies have managed to approach and enter the doors that new, social, and online media can open for them, and I’d like to point one out as having done this very successfully.

The company to which I’m referring is my life-long (metaphoric) friend, Marvel. Yes, Marvel as in Marvel Comics. Here’s why (and don't forget to click a link or two)…


The Marvel Twitterverse…

Marvel isn’t just on Twitter…it basically dominates Twitter. 80+ affiliates of Marvel (comic writers, artists, art directors, editors, online creators, audio and video production staff, interns (EDITOR'S NOTE: @ldnallen721, as formerly linked to on the "interns" link, is NOT an intern, she is a web developer...my sincerest apologies...I only know past interns like@nogs), Skrulls, and more...even Senior VPs!) range from light/moderate usage to downright living on Twitter (much like myself) in terms of the number of tweets they send out. Courtesy of @Agent_M (arguably the most active-online facet of Marvel.com’s editorial staff), the Twitterverse has been blessed with a bevy of benevolent Twitterers who are willing to share their lives online (and, consequently, draw me in even closer to the organization that is Marvel). Beyond that, the Marvel account itself (@Marvel on Twitter) is constantly present and available to share new developments, teasers, links, and, most importantly, the account actually ENGAGES Marvel fans by answering questions and sharing in conversations with its 2,500+ Twitter supporters (yes...that's Marvel telling me that it loves me).

On the flipside, I don’t know if the Distinguished Competition (DC Comics) even has a single Twitter account. If so, it hasn’t caused much of a buzz at this point as far as I can tell. Which is quite typical of them, but we’ll get to that later.

Bottom line, @Agent_M got on Twitter long before many people in general, and Marvel has reaped the benefits of being willing to let him encourage anyone and everyone to jump on and share a more personal side of the organization. They’re also wise enough to use Twitter to find stellar interns and other talented individuals in order to stay atop the comic book industry.

Marvel and Facebook/MySpace…

Another thing Marvel does very well is cover its bases with the older social networking sites like our dear friends Facebook and MySpace (both of which are networks you’ll quickly abandon once you spend a few weeks on Twitter). Not only do they use these sites effectively, but they also work hard to incorporate various methods of keeping fans engaged. For example, a Marvel employee might ask for questions for the weekly “MyCup o’ Joe" Q&A with Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada via Twitter. Those questions, asked for on Twitter, can then end up being asked in the Q&A which is featured on the website. This engagement takes you beyond having an interview shoved in your face and creates a conversation between the fan and the Marvel organization. As a comic book fan, having your question asked to Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief is just sweet (I mean…the dude goes on the Colbert Report all the time). The next step they take is putting these interviews up on MySpace, adding links on Facebook, and, most importantly, keeping all of these networks fresh and updated. Marvel works hard to accomplish this, which is certainly no easy task for a company that creates comics, movies and TV shows, video games, toys, exclusive interviews, exclusive art, and dozens of other things I could link to if I had time.

Bottom line: Marvel maintains a strong presence on various internet fronts. And that’s not even on the Marvel.com site itself…

The Marvel.com site…

Speaking of the Marvel.com site, just check it out. Marvel.com presents, provides, and shares as much content as any other company’s website you can find on the internet. From news releases to writer and celebrity interviews to wallpapers to games (and an entire site devoted strictly to kids), Marvel.com is vast, powerful, and full of reasons to keep coming back. Most importantly, the comments and replies are unrestricted. If you don’t like a certain comic, let that comic's editor know in the comment section of his blog. If you loved the Iron Man movie, share your thoughts on an Iron Man news story comment section. It’s all open (although I believe it might be edited to keep out profanity/vulgarity/etc.), and that’s what makes Marvel’s leap into the social media world even more impressive. Right now, in December, 2008, the number of companies willing to be that transparent is very small in the relative sense of how many companies in the world have an online presence.

The rest of Marvel’s depth…

Beyond these social and online media elements of the site, Marvel does plenty of other stuff to engage people. From the entertaining Mighty Marvel Podcasts (hosted by Twitterer @Suterman himself) to an EXTENSIVE Online Digital Comics archive (where you can read thousands of comics straight from your computer) to other cool, fan-interactive tools like @Agent_M’s CoverItLive liveblogging at some of the recent ComicCons (comic conventions…which are awesome…just ask Johnny Drama), Marvel is unafraid to dabble in all sorts of new technologies. This leads me to believe that they will continually be on the cusp of technology in relation to the comics industry and beyond. Which is awesome as a Marvel Comics fan.

Last (and probably least)…

This is the website for DC (Marvel’s largest rival): http://www.dccomics.com/

No, I’m not kidding. That’s it. For the company with the second largest market share of the comic book industry, that is what they consider an online presence (apparently they do a podcast, but I couldn't find them on Facebook or MySpace or Twitter). My instincts tell me that they MUST have a site revamp coming sometime in the near future but…if not…wow…

Even non-comic fans can agree - it's "Spectacular"...

Honestly, I challenge you to find companies with such an engaged, engaging, and innovative online presence as Marvel. I’m sure you’ll come across a few that can compare, but I honestly doubt you’ll find many that surpass Marvel by much. You may not be a comic book fan, but in an age when forming tribes, communities, and conversations is a key to business success, Marvel has managed to do so with a group of individuals who are fiercely loyal, with or without superpowers. On that, I commend them. And thank them.

So, if you have any examples of good social media efforts, I'd love to see them in the comments section. Disagree with my post? Let me know. Want to talk about comics? Drop me a line. I could talk about comics all day, so I'd be happy to discuss them with you. Share your thoughts and I'll be happy to respond, no matter what the topic may be.

And now, I’m off to go spend too much of my money on the non-digital aspect of Marvel - comic books.

“I’ve been browsin’, inspectin’…X-Men comics, you know I collect ‘em…”

UPDATE (12-5-2008): It has come to my attention that Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada, is now on Twitter (@JoeQuesada). That is so awesome. Not that it was in question, but I will forever be making mine Marvel...

UPDATE 2 (12-16-08): As of today, DC has joined Twitter with the name @DC_Nation. A little late to the party, but it's still a better late than never kind of thing and I can commend them for starting now. They just have a LOT of ground to make up. Make mine Marvel, either way!

An unlikely conversion...

Growing up, I thought baseball was the most boring sport in the world. It took forever, nothing exciting happened, and when it did, I didn’t particularly care because I didn’t have a “favorite team” in the first place. It was basically a sport that was on when basketball wasn’t (which is probably one more reason I didn’t particularly care for it).

I still played it growing up, but enjoyed it about as much as I enjoyed pre-season conditioning in high school basketball. For the record, I did not enjoy pre-season conditioning in high school basketball. But I did it anyway. Needless to say, not having a team to support and not enjoying the actual playing of the sport left me quite jaded about baseball.

Also, I sucked at the Nintendo 64 Ken Griffey Jr.’s Major League Baseball in junior high (watch the intro, then skip to about 4:20 to see the gameplay and you'll understand), and that’s like…the best baseball game of all time. So that was always a degrading procedure when I’d have to play that game with my friends and lose 14-1.

After living that many years not liking baseball, you’d think I would have hated it by the time I was in college.

Well…I did. And, worse, I was in a region where everybody within 450 miles worshipped the same team. Always having been a guy who supported teams that nobody in the area liked (Arizona Wildcat college basketball ((and AZ Wildcat Softball)) and the Chicago Bears while living in Texas), it was mind-numbingly painful to see these Minnesota Twins-obsessed fans who were all infatuated with both a team and, more specifically, a sport that I truly couldn’t stand.

Those weird Twins fans understood (and loved) stuff like this...

Befriending the obsessed...
Well, turns out I ended up rooming with possibly the most Minnesota sports-loving person in the entire region (yeah…it’s like something out of a cheesy sitcom). I mean, my roommate could tell you the hometowns and high school baseball stats of guys who are on the Twins minor league teams. He knows the high school and college football stats for probably 90% of the Minnesota Vikings. He lives and dies with every Minnesota Golden Gopher touchdown, wrestling pin-fall, and hockey goal.

Although I clicked with him better than probably anyone on the campus of Augustana College, we were exact opposites when it came to sports.

But…after a full year of listening to him tell me about Minnesota Twins trades, players sent down to and brought up from the minor leagues, and season-ending injuries that would devastate the team, I realized that I knew the entire Twins roster without seeing a single game. I was also fascinated by the fact that there were individual players in Major League Baseball who, for one season, were paid almost half as much as the Twins ENTIRE roster's total payroll. And the Twins were still somehow playoff contenders.

So, I figured I should give them a chance.

The conversion...
It just so happened that I began to disprove my entire life’s schema about baseball. It might have been the fact that my roommate, who I genuinely enjoyed being around, watched games every night in our room and it was easier to just sit and watch them than it was to leave. It might have been the fact that all of my friends would sit around and have beers while watching the Twins play (and usually play some drinking game based on hits, strikeouts, runs, etc.), and I certainly wasn’t going to be left out of that. Or it might have just been the fact that I was tired of fighting a losing battle against Minnesota sports team-obsessed fans (just kidding, I still hate the Vikings).

Whatever it was, my roommate’s passion had rubbed off on me. I was a Twins fan. I’ll say it again: I was a Twins fan. Then, in the 2006 season (my junior year), the Twins ended up winning the A.L. Central Division and the excitement around that process basically cemented the fact that, from now on, I would be responding with “Twins, baby!” when asked which baseball team was my favorite.

There I am at the Metrodome, actually being a Twins fan...

Can he do that?...
Now, I justify my Twins fandom as not being a bandwagon jump (one of the most loathsome acts one can commit in the sports universe...I think the last sentence of that link's story sums it up nicely) due to the logic that I was never a baseball fan to begin with and, therefore, did not abandon a team I had once supported for a winning, locally-popular team. I simply began to truly appreciate the Twins and what they accomplish in Major League Baseball, as well as the efforts the organization puts into its regional fan bases to keep the connection with fans strong not only in the heart of Minneapolis-St. Paul, but also out in rural communities three, four, and up to six or seven hours away. It’s a group of hard-working athletes who do everything they can to win. It’s just about impossible not to respect them. And, consequently, it makes their success all the more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, the Twins lost tonight to the Chicago White Sox (a club I’ve grown to dislike) in a playoff tie-breaker game that would have made them Division Champions and thus would have gotten them into the American League playoffs. In a gut-wrenching, 1-0 loss, hundreds of thousands (and possibly millions) of fans had their hearts broken by an always-lethal Jim Thome home run that put Chicago ahead for the win.


So...now what happens?
Three years ago, I wouldn’t have cared (and probably would have laughed at the “whining” Twins fans who took their baseball just a little too seriously). Tonight, it just sucked. Straight up. Now, there is no doubt in my mind that there are Twins fans who are much, much more upset than me right now (it’s safe to say my former roommate is one of them). The problem is that, now, I empathize with those fans and I’m quite frustrated that I won’t be watching the Twins and supporting them in the playoffs, enjoying beers with my friends while the Twins tried to win the pennant, and celebrating the joy that can only come from that fiery passion that a sport ignites in the hearts of competitors around the world.

Instead…I’ll have to sit around waiting for basketball season to start. And for one of the rare times in my entire life, that does not appeal to me anywhere near as much as the thought of watching Justin Morneau hit a walk-off game-winner or watching Joe Nathan seal the win in the bottom of the ninth with a low fastball. It’s a weird feeling, but thanks to my friends, this region, and the Minnesota Twins, it’s one that I hope lasts for a long, long time.

But man…do I hate Jim Thome right now…

Have you had a similar experience? Let me know which team won you over (or lost your love) over the years. Which teams would you cry for in a championship loss or celebrate with ecstatic joy for in a championship victory? Do you even like sports? If not, which video game, computer operating system, or awesome book series won you over? Leave a comment and let me know so I can look into any and all of them. Maybe I'll be converted to those too...

Please help me with this...

Somebody please explain this to me:

I acquired the above image from this site, which has listed multiple pictures of bad parking jobs (the specific blog post title being "Parking a Car Too Difficult For You?"), but I find it hard to believe that this was any legitimate attempt whatsoever by a human being to actually park a car. It looks like it was on the WCPO-Channel 9 News, so I feel like it is probably legitimate.

I would love any and all comments that might give some insight as to how this occurred. I posted a similar post a few months ago, but that was more for comedic effect. This one...I just need some explanation.

I promise you, I will not mock ANY response you post in reply to this. I will only mock the person who "parked" this vehicle. So...if you are the person who "parked" this vehicle...then I probably will make fun of your comment. Or maybe just you. Sorry.

Comic books are NOT just for kids...part 2

This blog post is (also) for all the idiots in the world who think comic books (and other fantasy stories) are only for kids.

Ok, that may have (still) been harsh, but I needed to get your attention (again) without you immediately discarding the blog post.

First of all, read this post. Then read the one below.

This post will focus on the merits of reading literature that many may deem “childish” or immature. I can assure you that this is a somewhat ignorant outlook to take regarding the issue. Fortunately, brilliant philosophical and intellectual minds like the one belonging to C.S. Lewis are here to support me in my quest to prove that comic books aren’t “just for kids.”

Here’s Mr. Lewis with this quote on fiction:

“It is usual to speak in a playfully apologetic tone about one’s adult enjoyment of what are called ‘children’s books.’ I think the convention a silly one. No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty – except, of course, books of information. The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all. A mature palate will probably not much care for crème de menthe; but it ought to still enjoy bread and butter and honey.”

-C.S. Lewis, from the essay On Stories

Comic books = ...dessert?
Now, I’m not going to sit here and analyze each line in the quote. I think if you take time to read through it more than once, it should make sense. But I am going to look at, and elaborate on, the last line of that quotation.

See, I look at that quote in a more specific way. This is my (or possibly Lewis’s in another essay or book that I can’t remember) interpretation:

When you are young (childhood age), you enjoy some form of desert (fill in cake, ice cream, brownies, etc…for simplicity’s sake, I’m going to stick with ice cream). As a kid, you enjoy ice cream whenever you can get your hands on it. At that same age, you may not at all enjoy meatloaf (substitute a meal you did not particularly care for in your youth). However, as you grew into adulthood, you may have, over time, acquired a taste for and enjoyment of meatloaf. This, however, DOES NOT mean that, in your maturing process, you lost your love for ice cream. In fact, it is quite likely that you will not only enjoy a meatloaf dinner, but you will also still savor the delicious sweetness of an ice cream cone or an ice cream sundae. While you’ve added to your palette, you haven’t necessarily “changed” your pallet.

This, to me, describes my passion for comic books. I have always enjoyed them. Since my youthful innocence when I would beg my mom to buy me Spider-Man comics in the grocery store as a kid, to buying them for $2.99 and $3.99 each every Wednesday at the comic book store, comic books have been an intellectual and mind-freeing medium of fiction that has consistently satiated my love for visual effects combined with fantasy storylines (and the “man I wish I could do that” factor in my life).

You may still enjoy THIS as a "grown-up"...

...the same way I still enjoy THIS as a "grown-up"...

The difference is, now (as an adult) I am able to enjoy so many more forms of fiction than I could in my younger years. I can read a 448-page historical fiction war novel, and be as captivated by the exploits of Alcibiades in Ancient Greece as I am with the Silver Surfer’s command of the Power Cosmic throughout the galaxies. I can be as blown away by the conclusion of 1984 and Of Mice and Men as I can by the deeply moving self-sacrifice made by Colossus in order to prevent the mutant race from being exterminated by a deadly virus.

Can you enjoy both?

To me, the comic book is simply one more medium that has remained on my palette as a form of intellectual stimulation. I refuse to “replace” it with a more “substantive” medium of fiction because I don’t feel it is necessary to do so. Can I read Great Expectations and decipher the themes and motifs within such a literary masterpiece? Yes, I feel that I am quite capable of doing so. Can I read Alan Moore’s Watchmen and find intense gravity and depth in Rorschach’s absolutist outlook on life or Ozymandias’s consequentialist attitude? Yes. Those themes (and more) are present in a work such as Watchmen. They are simply packaged in a visually-stunning comic book series/graphic novel. That, however, does not take away from the content of each page and each dialogue bubble.

So, my overall point is this: comic books, when given the chance they deserve, contain plenty of wisdom and profundity as long as they are well-written. Comics may be unrealistic fiction, but that doesn’t take away from the overall purpose of the writer’s efforts as a serious author. If a space novel or fantasy tale can be considered literature (and many of them are), then I find it hard to believe that comic books don’t deserve the same. Whether or not one thinks they are strictly for kids, the truth of the matter is that even if a “kid” can enjoy a comic book, there is often plenty of substance for a 22-year-old (or 42-year-old for that matter) to absorb and later reflect upon.

Unless you believe that name-calling and pretentiousness are the only ways to handle someone else’s passion for a literary format you have yet to examine. In which case, keep making fun of the people who read comic books.

P.S. - I understand that one argument against my C.S. Lewis quote may be “What if I never liked ice cream (fantasy stories) in the first place?” and I agree that, in such a case, comic books are probably not a fictional medium of choice for you. I can respect that. My point is that I should not have to defend my enjoyment of comic books due to the notion that they “are for kids.”

I’m also very much open to any discussion you may deem relevant in the “Comments” section of this post (or the previous one) regarding this subject. In fact, I encourage you to participate if you have any interest whatsoever. I’d love to hear some other sides/elements of this argument if you have any to offer.

I won’t be as rude as I was in the opening line. I promise.

"Spider-Man, Spider-Man...does whatever a spider can..."

Why comic books are NOT just for kids...

This blog post is also for all the idiots in the world who think comic books are for kids.

Ok, that may have been harsh, but I needed to get your attention without you immediately discarding this post. You see, I’ve recently been engaging more than ever in a debate regarding the merits and quality of comic books as fiction. I finally decided it was time to explain to the world why I justify comic books as literature and how, unbeknownst to many, comic books can be completely centered on themes more adult-oriented and in-depth than your average best-selling novel.

Here’s a little backstory as to where this post is coming from. Basically, these are the types of comments I’ve heard all my life regarding my passion for comic books and graphic novels (as a now-22 year old):

-“Yeah…yeah comic books were cool…when I was SEVEN!”
-“Hey when you’re done reading your comics, come over and we’ll play POGS!”
-“I’m ignorant and think I know everything about everything and you’re a moron for liking things that may be enjoyed by someone who isn’t a grown and ignorant adult like me!”

Yes, I know, the last one is an example of what runs through my head after I hear the first two. But you get the picture. The point is that people don’t always have an intellectual respect for comics, and I think two major elements exist to make said lack of respect a reality.

The first of these major elements is that some people don’t understand the content and substance of today’s comic literature. These individuals have no clue as to the intellectual depth and gravity of a well-written series of comic book. The extent of their comic book awareness is the “BAM!...POW!” 60s Batman show, the original “X-Men” animated series, and the Spider-Man movies. Sadly, only one of those three things listed does any kind of justice to its comic book counterpart. Good work X-Men.

The second element is going to be covered in part 2 of this blog post, which will be posted very, very soon (UPDATE: It has now been posted here...but finish reading this one first). It considers the frivolous notion that enjoying comic books isn’t appropriate for an individual over the age of seven and incorporates sage wisdom from an unlikely source to refute this idea of what is or is not appropriate for a 22-year-old.

But we’re going to focus on the content of comics right now. All of the stuff that the casual/non-comic book fan doesn’t ever see because he or she would “never be a big enough baby to pick up a comic book and read it.”

Point blank: If you are one of those people, you are ignorant and you are missing out on something quite enjoyable as a result of your ignorance.

A literary (comic book) masterpiece…

The inspiration behind this post was a discussion regarding the literary achievements of and accolades received by Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Here you have a novel that is the only graphic novel (comic book collection) on Time Magazine’s "100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present" (long title, I know) and the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award. These aren’t comic book awards. These are awards and distinctions that truly separate the graphic novel from Archie Comics and Sunday funnies as a literary work of fiction.

The themes of Watchmen are intense. The graphic novel covers quite a few of the issues we face (or faced) as humans in the world, ranging from an entire underlying theme of the nation’s distrust and fear as a result of the Cold War to death, murder, justice (legal and vigilante), rape, love, governmental conspiracy, heroism, and the value of human life. And that’s in a 12-issue comic series.

Watchmen isn’t a story about a bunch guys in capes conquering “evil-doers” with one-punch knockouts or masked men catching bank robbers and saving the day. While it has a few similar elements, Watchmen is written in a style that, if one were to replace the comic book illustration with explanatory dialogue, would be considered a captivating work of literary fiction. Let’s be honest, it didn’t make Time’s previously-noted “100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present” list because of the pictures (which is not to say that Dave Gibbons’ artwork doesn’t bring the graphic novel into the pantheon of great comic book masterpieces, because it surely does).

If you feel like comic books aren’t for adults, please give Watchmen a valid reading attempt. I promise: if you are even remotely intelligent, it will change your stance on the issue.

Even so, I can’t rely on this one graphic novel to prove my point. Which is why I’ll take a much more current cultural phenomenon and let it speak for me.

The Dark Knight’s darkness in comic form…

The Dark Knight is already widely considered to be the best superhero movie ever made. Many attribute much of this success to Heath Ledger’s chilling portrayal of a conscious-absent Joker that deviates mightily from the clown-like prankster featured in the 60s television series and the original Batman film (skip to the commercial at 1:12).

But, I ask you this: do you have any idea where the inspiration behind Heath Ledger’s Joker came from? The motivation behind Heath Ledger’s Joker came from COMIC BOOKS. That’s right – the terrifyingly careless man who values human life less than he values his mouth-shredding pocket knife is based on the comic books that portray the Joker as a psychopath who fears nothing.

We’re talking about a Joker that (most non-comic book fans would be appalled to know) beat the second Robin to death right in front of his mother’s eyes…and then BLEW THEM BOTH UP! Here, see the vicious assault for yourself:



And then...




Yeah. Joker beats him down and lets him die. Because, in the comics (before The Dark Knight was even a in its beginning stages), the Joker was that brutal.

Fortunately (and unrealistically), Jason Todd turned up alive years later. Only to be doing things like this (this one is rather graphic, be warned):



Still think comics are simply for little kids?

The Point?

I didn’t write this post to show you some grisly comic book pictures. I wrote it to explain that comic books aren’t just for kids. It’s not only sticky-fingered 7-year-olds that can and should enjoy comic books and graphic novels. I'm in no way saying it's the violence that makes them good, I'm just showing that they aren't as fun-natured, bubbly, and cartoony as some might think.

Comic books employ as many deeply-themed fictional storylines as full-length works of fiction. While the art and pictures in comics help to tell the tale in the place of flowery description, the content and message of the comic’s themes are often much deeper than the stereotypical thoughts people have of them.

Do bad, corny, and otherwise awful comics exist in the world? Of course – just like cheesy romance novels and stupidly gruesome monster murder stories exist for cheap thrills and enjoyment. But that doesn’t mean that, just like any other work of fictional literature, comics can’t provide a well-written, engrossing, and captivating storyline to those who are open-minded enough to invest the time and effort into a comic book.

So, before you make some snide comment to a friend who buys comic books weekly or a coworker who is aggravated by the newest superhero movie’s deviation from its epic 1997 comic storyline, give that person the benefit of the doubt. Keep in mind that maybe, just maybe, the friend or co-worker is currently reading a work of fiction in comic book form that has more substance to it than the current novel you are trudging through each night.

Or maybe he or she is just some adult that needs to grow up and stop acting like a kid.

I’ll be more than happy to continue this discussion in the comments section as well. It’s already far too long a post, but it’s something about which I am passionate and I didn’t want to emaciate the content or message behind it. I said I’d start writing shorter posts, and I feel like I was doing a decent job until this one, so bear with me.


“I been browsin’, inspectin’, X-Men comics, you know I collect ‘em…”

Too long a break...

I apologize. I've been spreading myself too thin and, consequently, have been lacking in the blog post department. Unfortunately, this absence is detrimental to me seeing as my writing will hopefully serve as one of the many facets I hope to present a potential employer regarding my future avenues of income and life happiness.

So, here is the plan. I'm going to go and clear my head this weekend. I'm taking a rare vacation and will be visiting a dear, close friend of mine named Dave Matthews. Dave has this "band" of "musicians" and they manage to play music that makes me question whether Heaven consists of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates or just some grungy guy taking tickets for an eternal DMB concert. I would be so happy if it were the latter.

So once I've left surreality and have grudgingly returned to this world known as "reality," I will be getting back to work both in the professional sense and in the personal sense. If you are going to be at Alpine Valley this weekend and want to say hello, send me an e-mail and we can get in touch. If you aren't going to be at Alpine Valley this Saturday and Sunday, I would highly recommend that you do everything that is remotely within the realm of possibility to try and get out there.

I mean...how often do you get to enjoy Heaven on earth?

I know I tend to end my posts with song lyrics, but I thought I'd instead give you a few samples of the happiness that will be bestowed upon me in 43.5 hours...

The first of these clips is what I consider to be my favorite live version of any DMB song. While Warehouse isn't necessarily my favorite song overall, nothing tops this Central Park performance in my book...



The poetically beautiful insanity of the next video is one of the many reasons my legs feel like I've run a marathon the day after a DMB concert...dancing in place (on a hill) can be so tiring...



Finally, a rendition of my all-time favorite DMB song...not necessarily this specific version, (although this is a darn good one). God I love Two Step...

This made me laugh out loud today...

This is a very short post. In fact, it's just one picture. But it made me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the morning.

Whether it's been photoshopped has now come into question at this point, but the truth is, I don't really care. I'm just going to assume it's not and continue to laugh at it every time I see it...