Comics.
Ask anyone in my life who's known me for more than an hour, and they'll probably smile and nod knowingly if questioned about my love of comic books. I apparently bleed the comic geek vibe; even people who haven't known me very long aren't surprised when they discover I like graphic novels, superheroes, comic books, or anything like that. "Oh, I can totally see that!" I've heard people say, before they've even met me, when told I like comics.
I first remember getting into comic books around age 12, during a visit to Houston from the Midwest. Marvel comics trading cards featuring their superheroes and villains made their way into my field of vision, and I was hooked, first from a collector's perspective--the art on these was COOL! How could I get the set?!--followed quickly by the fanboy's perspective, when I started asking questions about the characters (like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Invisible Woman, to name a few) that weren't answered on their cards. A knowledgeable family member filled me in on some of the stories that I've come to realize as classics, and started me on a path to find out more about them that has persisted to this day. I started buying and collecting Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, and other related titles as often as time, budget, and energy would allow.
Nowadays, I don't read just superhero comics, though they do remain my favorite genre of the medium--more on that in another post. I've read biographies, novels, instructional guides, even mythology, in what is popularly known as the graphic novel--or graphic book, in some circles. I've never lost my fascination with the ability of sequential art and text to convey meaning efficiently and effectively in a way that stays with the reader long after the experience is done.
I like to read graphic books. I like to think about the writing, the artwork, the overall journey through the story. I like to write comic scripts. I like to draw, though I'll never admit to having any ability at it. I appreciate the collaborative spirit that must often go into a good story. I admire the people who work in the comics field, who tell such wonderful stories in such a vibrant, hybrid medium.
And I appreciate that it's nowhere near as expensive to make as a film.
The final purpose of this blog, I think, is to keep me writing. A writer must write. By my past efforts at blogging, this suggests I'm not meant to be a writer. Perhaps that's true. But I've never tried this tack, and I think it's a promising one. Because comics have always been there. I've always loved them. And I think I can do this. In the meantime, I'll hopefully write some amusing, insightful, or otherwise helpful pieces for others as I figure out whether or not I can sustain this.
Feel free to come along.
