from the blog of writer Peter David (www.peterdavid.net)...

[thehefner]

"I was at a playground yesterday with Caroline. There was a little boy there, seven years old, named Steven. He was talking to other kids about Spider-Man, and what a big Spider-Man fan he was. He was showing off his Spidey sneakers very proudly.

And I said to him, "Do you read Spider-Man comics?"

He looked at me oddly and said, "No."

"Why not?"

"I watch the movies," he said. "And I play the video game. I beat Doc Ock," he added proudly.

"Okay, but...Spider-Man's a comic book character. Aren't you at all interested in reading the comic?"

He shook his head. His ten year old brother said, "Why should he?"

I said, "Well, because you keep watching the movies, it's the same story. What about new adventures, new stories about Spider-Man?"

The big brother shrugged and said, "He watches the cartoon."

"I watch the cartoon," Steve echoed. "And the movies. And play the game. I'm a Spider-Man fan!"

Spidey's biggest fan...except for, y'know, the whole comic book thing. That he really doesn't care about.

And why should he? How many have you, in the past five years, have seen a James Bond movie or played the video game? Now...how many of you have read a James Bond book? Seen a Sherlock Holmes film or a repeat of the Jeremy Brett TV series? As opposed to reading Conan Doyle or any of the many pastiches?

Comics used to be the only venue for following the adventures of iconic heroes, just as books were once the only means of keeping up with literary heroes. And now the heroes' popularity has outstripped any need for literature...or readers.

And you wonder why comics are hemorrhaging readers."

I was thinking about adding come comment on my feelings regarding this matter, but I just can't quite put it into words. I hope y'all can kinda figure it out for yourselves. All I can think about is a blurb the washington post put out saying how more Spider-Man toothbrushes and toys were sold than actual comics. I want to fucking smash something.

Comments

[2sick2pray.livejournal.com]

hehe... you said "come comments."

[icewolf010.livejournal.com]

See, I think a lot of little kids don't really know what a comic book is. They aren't sold in the Woolworth's 5 and 10 down the street anymore. (Hell, there isn't even a Woolworth's 5 and 10 any more.)

David should have told the kid, "It's a cartoon you can carry around with you!"

With littler kids, it's all about the sales pitch. If an adult pushes it on them, they can't back away fast enough.

[covenhouse-cat.livejournal.com]

Really frightening.