Believe in YOUR Passion - the Comic Life

Is it just me or does it seem like 2014 has taken wings and flew on by!  Looking at a calendar is almost scary now.  I remember a time when hours seemed like decades and now it is the opposite.  We hear all the time that we live in a fast paced world.  What is crazier - is when you live in a fast paced industry.  Would we want it any different? 

 The comic book industry has sprouted its wings and has taken flight as well.  It is "cool" to like comics.  "GEEK" is a household AND acceptable word.  Sister industries are jumping on the comic band wagon, and pop culture is as fruitful as it has ever been.  

It is a good time to love art.  To love great story telling.  It is a good time to WANT to be apart of something bigger.  I can not say anything that has not already been said, but it is a good time to have a passion.  To believe in a cause -or rather YOUR cause.  

Take a moment and think why you are involved in this industry.  Whether you are a creator, a provider, or someone who just love the fruits of comic labors.  Translate this into your daily life.  Live for something.

Stories have been told, however the best stories are yet to come.  Why? Because we live in a daily life that allows us to believe that passion for what we love is "OK"...and that my friends - is a beautiful thing.

So take a bit of advice from those characters we have come to love and allow to be a part of our life:

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."

—Batman (Batman Begins)

"The future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight." 

—Martian Manhunter (Martian Manhunter #1,000,000)

"The real crime would be not to finish what we started."

—Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2)

"The greatest power on Earth is the magnificent power we all of us possess... the power of the human brain!"

—Professor X (Uncanny X-Men #2)

"But everyone's story begins once upon a time, and it's up to us to cherish the time we're given to ensure we live happily ever after."

—Scarlet Witch (Avengers Fairy Tales)

Bittersweet Comic Book Love

Bittersweet: sweet with a bitter aftertaste.

This is actually the best word I can think of when I read comic books. I thoroughly love the feeling of getting my hands on a comic that is rich in visual images, flawless in storytelling, and the gutters that pull me even deeper into the story.  

Then - it happens.  The last panel, the last image, the last word balloon...and then the three words I hate: TO BE CONTINUED!

I am suddenly jerked back into reality- and if I am reading a current issue - I momentarily spasm with anticipation for the story to continue.  Being a research fanatic, I immediately scour for updates and issue news all the while mentally willing the next issue to be available.  The feeling of sorrow usually sets in when I realize I have to wait a week, a couple of weeks, or god forbid a MONTH! 

The question I want to pose is WHY?  Why do we do this to ourself?  What is this magical allurement that comic books can have over us?  

For a while I decided to wait for story arcs to play out and then buy the trades as soon as they were available.  Then I would binge read until my eyes were bleary and panels and gutters turned into one full page.

Although this was satisfying my "everything or nothing", "fight or flight" emotions - I still had the same aftertaste of  - really, no more?  

I have come to finally accept that comic books just do it for me.  I love the stories.  Especially the background tales of how subjects came into fruition, the interactions between characters, and how the hero may or may not save the day.  I love the art and how colors can play an impact on an emotion in the story.  I love the idea of lettering and placement of word balloons and how they subtly make or break a comic books flow.  In general, I love the world I get pulled into through a comic book.

We have all experienced that magical feeling as a child when we knew Christmas or a birthday was just around the corner.  The anticipation was relentless.  As an adult, I have like many others, lost that humble innocence of excitement and anticipation during these events.  That feeling of waking up everyday and thinking, "YES only X amount of days left."  I guess in a way, when I read comic books it taps into these long lost emotions.  Because of this, I actually really enjoy the bittersweet words - "to be continued".