News is News Except When It's Not

Hello and welcome to the Daily Comics Review news day. Today I have three stories. One could be categorized as WTF, one isn't really a news story and more of an editorial by me about legacy comics, and one is news directly relating to the DCR.

From 4/16/09:

Exciting things are happening at Meekrat Entertainment!

The Daily Comics Review is now a part of the Meekrat Entertainment Group Message Board. You can go there and talk about all the cool stuff we do or all the cool stuff Meekrat Entertainment does or you could just talk about whatever you want. There are already a few established members but we could always use some new people to freshen things up.




From 4/13/09:
Japan to export more crappy fiction

That's right, in order to fix the economy, Japan wants to export more Manga. First: I didn't know they had more to export. Seriously, have you gone to the graphic novel section at Barnes & Noble? There is way more Manga there than American graphic novels. Usually it's at least an entire shelf, front and back. Second: How is giving the world more stories about high school students possessed by demons, or high school students traveling back in time, or high school students saving the world from something really stupid, going to help the economy? Does Japan not surf the internet? There is tons of Manga for free. Most of the time it's horrible, but sometimes it's on par with printed books. I chalk this up to Japan being out of ideas.


WARNING: If you do not want to read an opinion that might differ from your own, do not read this story. You have been warned.

From 4/15/09:
Legacy comic isn't as good as it used to be

While this isn't news (it was posted by someone other than Alan Gardner, who does most of the news posts), it is an interesting point. Many legacy strips can't hold a candle to their previous incarnations. Dick Tracy is one of many, many strips that have outstayed their welcome. I have pointed out before (although I'm not sure if I have on this site) that strips need to have an end. Once the original creator is gone, there can never again be a strip like the one he created, not even if his son or daughter or whatever takes over, not even if the same characters are used, not even if the same jokes are used.

Do you know why people love Peanuts so much? It's because it ended with Charles Schulz. No one is trying to keep the legacy of Peanuts alive by doing new comics, the legacy is kept alive by not doing new comics. Having something end is always the best. Maybe everyone will wonder what would have happened if it continued, but having a definite end is always better than to continue on with something once the original spirit is gone. I doubt people would have as much respect for the original Star Trek if it had run for 15 more years. That it ended is part of the intrigue, it makes us imagine all the things left unexplored and make the memories we have of it that much better.

There are good comic strips out there, and there are even more yet undiscovered because too many spots are filled by legacy comics that are only around because of their reputation. Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Marmaduke are all taking space that could be used for the next Calvin & Hobbes or Peanuts. If newspapers go the way of the dinosaur, as some are predicting, what will happen to the relics of comic strip history? Surely they will be remembered, but perhaps it will be with fondness and sites like the Comics Curmudgeon, the Daily Comics Review, Dean's Comic Booth, Joe Mathlete Explains Today's Marmaduke, the Amazing Spider Blog, and all the others won't be around or even necessary. I just hope that creators of comics, web or otherwise, can learn from the mistakes of the past and avoid becoming like Dick Tracy or Andy Capp.

Two stories came from the Daily Cartoonist, can you guess which ones?
Sorry to get all real on you, but now you know. And, in the words of a certain 1980's cartoon, knowing is half the battle.


Have a great rest of the day.