Fighting Pretension

Art is such a bottomless topic, if we're talking good or bad art, it's subjectiveness makes the issue frustrating. That's usually why I don't critique other people's work. In comics as in any other creative forum there are many that revel in the opportunity to argue why what they like is good and why something else is not. What it always boils down to is "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." What I wanted to talk about though is "pretension".

This was spurred on while I read an independent comic by guys ( I used to know) that love comics but try to be cool by sticking it to the "man", who in this case are the corporate comic titans Marvel and DC. They spurn anything we might call mainstream for independent comics. That alone is a personal choice and it's logic is sensible. They believe that independent comic books offer something more anyway, maybe a twisted truth that speaks about social or political topics. Or in some cases it's just what I call honest "mamadas", which is basically "senseless" stuff that is sometimes funny, maybe entertaining. I can understand not wanting to line the pockets of corporations that only see green.

Still, to me that's an ignorant black and white point of view. As creative individuals, I feel we shouldn't allow ourselves to shun particular books because they are published by Marvel OR an unknown local venture printed in someone's garage. The bottom line is GOOD is GOOD and CRAP is CRAP no matter where it's published. Granted some publishers put out better stuff than others at certain times but pretension like this is just a prejudice that may be spawned by an inherent realization that it's safer to feel like a big fish in a small pond rather than be told you're not good enough by some guy that doesn't necessarily know what's brilliant instead he knows what sells.

As a creative person that may not be "good" enough for a major publisher, thank God for the opportunity I have to self publish, but being independent doesn't mean it's cool or even good, just as being published at one of the big two doesn't make it worth your money.

Buy what you like, period.

Oh, the above image is hopefully worth your money, an image I did of DINAGIRL for Paper Dragonz. DINAGIRL -copyright PaperDragonz

http://www.paperdragonz.com/