Tom Spurgeon is awesome. He calls it like he sees it, and I have to admire that. In one of his most recent postings at The Comics Reporter, he called me on my crap — and he called it right.
This week, I had the opportunity to write the “Loudmouth” section of PW Comics Week thanks to the good graces of Ms. Heidi MacDonald. My article, entitled “I’m Sick of You,” rapped bad autobriographical comics creators over the knuckles, saying, “Stop that.” As compared to Bechdel, Spiegelman, Satrapi, Beland et al, these other autobriographers suck.
And who are these contemptable persons in question?
I didn’t say.
I like to think of myself as a straight-shooter — In many cases, I am. But there are times, I will admit, that I’m an absolute bullshit artist. (Or, hell, just a bullshit novice. An amateur bullshitter.) This often comes in handy regarding promotion, marketing, or really sleazy folks that don’t want honesty and one’s not inclined to give it to them.
Point being: Tom S. is absolutely correct regarding my article. As follows:
This PWCW article by writer A. David Lewis perfectly encapsulates a weird, pervasive and lingering element of modern comics culture: complaining about tons of supposedly lousy autobiographical comics out there, while not providing examples of any. It’s a rhetorical stunt that if I had to guess probably sticks around because 1) it’s funny, 2) it’s easy, and 3) it plays well with both the self-lacerating qualities of many alternative and arts comics readers and the defensiveness that many genre fans exude like flop sweat in an old-timey newspaper strip when it comes to having their tastes challenged.
He called it. I’m being serious. He nailed it on the head.
I thought it would be fun, and I thought it would be easy. I thought it would be something people would agree with. (And, conveniently, it’s also something I agree with, but that’s beside the point, in truth.) I didn’t name names. Why not? “[...M]aybe politeness keeps Lewis from actually naming names,” quite true! “although in that case I’d argue refusing to be specific certainly weakens his argument and the seriousness with which we should take his points.” Also — True. It does weaken my argument not to name names.
But, that’s what I chose to do. So be it.
“Forget the critical argument if you must, which Lewis loses without scoring a point,” alas, “and the historical argument for which he fails to show.” Also true. This was a very time-sensitive, in-the-moment complaint. History was never my strong suit.
If my article accomplished anything — and I think it did, to some modest degree — it both got Tom S. to write a solid response about a more preferable way to approach this stuff and it got to praise some truly excellent autobiographers whom, for me, remain the gold standard.
As for Tom? His work is stellar, and he even includes a bit of self-deprecation if you look at the title of the piece, “My Pet Peeve #2329: Whining About Bad Autobio, Refusing to Name Any Names,” implying that he has many, many pet peeves. I am not some gross aberration in the universe. I am Legion.
I suppose I’ll reserve the right, at a later and much crankier point, to take up Tom’s challenge of naming 300 bad autobiographical comics. (Anyone wanna try with me?) But, until that day if it should ever come, I will let Spurge have the final word and, ultimately, respect his wishes:
I would like to make the argument that it, not autobiographical comics, should go away.
There’s no lack of bad autobio comics out there, if that’s what Tom’s arguing. Fortunately most of them don’t see print. On the other hand, I could fill a small trash can with poorly executed autobio mincomics I’ve been given or traded for at conventions, etc. Some of these tend to come from teens and younger, and in that context they’re at least genuine, occasionally charming, and ultimately excusable as a natural part of a cartoonist’s artistic development. On the other hand, I’ve wound up with a fair number of these things from people old enough that they should know what the difference is between what YOU YOURSELF find interesting and what SOMEONE ELSE finds interesting. Now whether there’s more of this latter variety floating around than its cousin, the poorly executed fantasy/superhero comic, is certainly up for debate…
… and lest I never be given anything or traded with again, I’d like to mention that I’ve gotten plenty of really great minis at conventions, including several of the autobio variety
Hey ADL
First: I think you wrote a timely and wonderfully amusing piece. I think Tom has some strong points. But while I’m sure you really are sick of autobiographical comics in general, I thought it was very funny response to a trend we all recognize. Would it be great to name all these supposedly defective autobios? Sure, I guess. But your piece was also a nice little primer on writing as well as a satirical broadside on the autiobiographic trend in comics. So as far as I’m concerned (and admittedly I’m one of your publishers in this instance, so I’m biased) I think you and Tom are both right.
There’s no lack of bad autobio comics out there, if that’s what Tom’s arguing.