Notes
Notes 2: A Milestone Development 1. A story arch is any adventure that requires more than two comic book issues to complete. 2. Ironically, since Milestone was so clearly distinguished as a black comic book publishing company, sales of their nonblack superhero titles soon faltered. Currently Milestone is down to three main series, Icon, Hardware, and Static, all of which feature African American heroes. 3: Comic Book Fandom 1. As the culture of collecting has grown since the mid-1980s, there has been a great deal of attention placed on books that sell well in the first month of their release. Since the demand for these books is initially greater than the supply, their resale value among collectors can increase dramatically. The sometimes fleeting ‘‘hotness’’ of a comic is regarded as a strong indication of audience trends or popularity shifts among fans. 2. In order to establish a dependable clientele, most comic book stores have instituted a ‘‘members’’ program. Membership is usually free and guarantees that a customer ’s favorite titles will be reserved for him and held in a safe place for up to a year. In addition to the monetary bonus of regular discounts, being a member also functions as a minor mark of status in the fan community. 3. DC Comic’s The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, is generally considered the high-water mark of quality and sophistication for monthly comics. It has won numerous literary awards. 4. The most popular locations dedicated to the comic books of Milestone Media can be found at http://www.unm.edu/⬃ djyoung/.milestone.html, http://www.wam. umd.edu/⬃ recurve/Xombi.html, and http://www1.primenet.com/⬃ kynn/dakota-l. 4: The Readers 1. Many Canadian comic book specialty stores offer the week’s new releases at the suggested retail price for American retailers, often with a further 10 percent discount for members. For example, a normal Milestone issue is currently priced at Can$3.50 but is sold in specialty stores for Can$2.50, the current U.S. price. This is a considerable incen- Notes 206 tive for fans who buy several comics each week to shop at specialty stores, particularly since some books can cost $7.00 or $8.00 an issue. 2. ‘‘Guide price’’ refers to the most recent value of a given comic book according to the Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, or more recently, Wizard: The Guide to Comics. The prices listed in these books are considered a strong indication of a comic’s market value but are rarely 100 percent accurate since a book’s popularity changes on a weekly basis. A knowledgeable fan or retailer is aware of the ‘‘mood of the market’’ and knows when the value of a comic has risen or fallen in comparison to the price given in the guide. 3. An inker is responsible for going over the illustrator’s original sketches in India ink to prepare them for coloring. More than a mere tracer, a talented inker can influence the look of the artwork to a great degree by how they emphasize the lines of an artist. Some fans claim that they can distinguish among an individual illustrator’s art according to who the inker was that worked on it. 4. Manga is Japanese for comic book; Anime is Japanese for animation. Both Manga and Anime are characterized by a distinctive style of illustration, a style generally more cartoony than the styles traditionally associated with mainstream American comic books. Fans often joke about how hard it is to tell the characters apart in this style because they are all so simplified that differences in facial features and body types are minimal at best. In recent years Manga style has become increasingly influential for North American artists (see McCloud 1996; Horn 1996). 5. Each comic book page is made up of several different panels, often of varying size and shape, each containing a different scene. There are a variety of ways that the story can flow from one panel to the next (see McCloud 1993a), but if the transition between the panels is awkward the narrative thread can become confusing for even the most seasoned of readers. 6. Figure drawings are freestanding illustrations of characters. These are the most common type of illustrations for aspiring artists to work on because the characters can easily be posed in heroic stances. Most comic book professionals stress the need for young illustrators to develop...
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