Promulgator

  A week ago this scrolled into my Twitter feed: 'Comics Bulletin details its new direction for covering comics, inspired by Image Comics' business model.' I followed the link to an essay by Jason Sacks, publisher and owner of Comics Bulletin. Sacks's piece was personal and passionate. I dug it. Sacks -- stoked about the sheer energy resonating out of Image Comics at the moment -- wrote:

 … the [Image] Expo radicalized me a little. It made me want to devote even more attention to the creator-owned area of our hobby. Comics Bulletin will continue to cover Marvel and DC Comics, but we're also going to cover Image Comics even more than we already do. We're going to do more work with our friends at Archaia, BOOM, Fantagraphics and other publishers to explore their wonderful line of creator-owned comics and graphic novels … We don't believe in being beholden to the large comics publishers or the need to keep a section of our readership happy. We trust ourselves to think through the comics and issues we discuss, to come up with smart, interesting views on the industries that we cover which are different from what you might find elsewhere on the web. Like Image Comics, we're fiercely independent. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

  Sacks was amped, however, the verve and brio with which he wrote contains something more … purpose, direction and better (and more dangerous, perhaps), philosophy.  His 'radical' essay was indeed a call to arms -- a way to 'rally the base' as pundits and politicians parrot in the news -- the ultimate 'so what?' As a reader, a writer and editor (and newly fledged blogger), I rely on passion (who doesn't?) especially when it's focused. For me, Sophisticated Fun is a tool (where there's a whip there's a way) to help me write, to make me write -- that's passion, however, not direction, nearly, but not quite, in line with Sacksian doctrine. For me, Sacks was writing about 'more' and 'further,' while I was trolling for retweets and responses. If a review posts to a blog and only a few people read it -- aside from friends and well-wishers -- does it make a sound? What’s the impact? Is this what blogging is all about: reading, writing and repurposing ad infinitum? Yes and no. Let’s not get too carried away Silva. So, I emailed Sacks, told him I liked what he wrote, told him what I had been doing and asked if he would be interested in having me write for Comics Bulletin.

  If, dear reader, you’ve swum this far through 'Lake Me' indulge your humble narrator another sentence or three.  You can read my reviews of 'Swamp Thing #7' and 'Animal Man #7' (not quite 'creator-owned content,' but baby steps) on Comics Bulletin and, no, it’s not a 'paying gig, ' yet. I'll still be posting plenty to 'Interested in Sophisticated Fun,' so, no worries. So go. Make the myths … and then write, tweet, email … repeat.

Here’s my review of Swamp Thing #7: http://www.comicsbulletin.com/main/reviews/swamp-thing-7

And Animal Man #7: http://www.comicsbulletin.com/main/reviews/animal-man-7

Read Jason Sacks essay here: http://www.comicsbulletin.com/main/columns/make-your-own-freedom 

Special Thanks to my editor (!!!) Danny Djeljosevic for forwards, rapid responses and patience