Is There Product Placement in Comics?
By Dan BrownMaybe it’s because I’m a naive fool, but I don’t ever remember seeing an instance of flagrant product placement in a comic book.I’m talking about the classic kind of product placement, the same type you see in movies or on TV where products are written into the plot of the show in return for brand exposure.(I’ll get to advertising partnerships in comics in a minute. They are a different animal.)For example, in an old episode of Big Bang Theory Raj gets a new iPhone. We know it’s an iPhone because after he and Howard unwrap the device, Raj has a conversation with Siri, Apple’s digital assistant. Not very subtle.Product placement like this would in theory be easy to do in comics. The reference could be written into a comic’s script and then the brand’s product would be drawn by the penciller.We all know Wolverine – being Canadian – loves beer, right? So in a scene in which the deadly mutant walks into a bar, he could order a Budweiser or other brand, and the artist could reproduce the label on the bottle or can in Logan’s hand. Easy-peasy, providing you can get the creative team on board with the idea.As straightforward as the process would be, it doesn’t seem to happen much. Maybe I’ve got feeble eyes, but I don’t recall much along those lines taking place in Marvel or DC Comics. There are opportunities aplenty, it’s true.Batman’s alter ego, Bruce Wayne, might prefer a certain make of sports car. Ben Grimm could make his preferences known for a specific type of cigar. Photographers love to talk about the equipment they favour, so why would Peter Parker be any different?The argument in favour of product placement in comics might go something like this: “We live in a world of brands, so superheroes having brand preferences would make them and their milieu seem more realistic. If advertisers want the exposure, publishers could use the extra revenue.”I’m talking solely about comics here. I know there’s plenty of product placement in motion pictures that feature the same superheroes. That’s a whole other column.Nor am I talking about the advertising partnerships comic publishers occasionally embark on, which are embarrassing because they’re so blatant.For example, Marvel characters such as the Hulk and Spidey were loaned out to Hostess in the 1970s to go on adventures in which the villains were all defeated or distracted the same way: By being fed Twinkies. These appeared as clearly marked ads, not part of a comic's storyline.Likewise, about a decade ago, motorcycle maker Harley Davidson signed a deal with Marvel to feature their fine wares in a series of one-shot issues. This led to odd situations in which the Avengers, instead of using the full range of their powers, including that of flight, would ride Hogs to do battle with evildoers.I did once read a Hawkeye storyline set in Madripoor in which a specific brand of credit card was name-dropped, but I can’t recall having seen anything like it since. And I can't say for sure it was the result of a deal.Perhaps the reason for the dearth of product placement in comics is publishers might have to share the fee with creators. Or maybe comic creators who consider themselves "artists" feel they’re above crass product placement.Or maybe it goes back to the traditional perception of comics being stuff for children, and therefore product placement being viewed as unfairly taking advantage of kids. Of course, both you and I know the average comic reader today is in their 40s or 50s so that argument no longer holds water.Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
Recommended Remembrance Day Reading
By Dan BrownIf you ask me, Remembrance Day should be a statutory holiday – I believe this country ought to grind to a halt out of respect for those who gave their lives so the rest of us could live in peace.And in no way do I think reading a comic or graphic novel can come anywhere close to recreating the brutality of combat. So I mean no disrespect by offering these ideas for Remembrance Day reading. Please consider these suggestions a starting point, and nothing more.Two Generals: Created by Southwestern Ontario’s own Scott Chantler, this moving book gives a grunt’s-eye-view of the D-Day landings. It’s based on Chantler’s own family history and his crisp lines don’t diminish the horrors of war. Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics: Not only did Jack Kirby draw many war comics, but he was also an actual U.S. soldier who landed at Normandy (in a subsequent wave). I recommend Tom Scioli’s biography because it helped me visualize Kirby’s contribution to the war effort. All Quiet on the Western Front: Wayne Vansant’s graphic adaptation of the classic Erich Maria Remarque novel pulls no punches with its detailed account of trench warfare and forays into No Man’s Land as told from the German side. Vansant is himself a veteran of the Vietnam War.The Canadian Whites: These were the wartime comics that flourished in Canada during the Second World War due to restrictions the government put on imports. Hard to believe, but our dominion had a thriving homegrown comic industry in those years. I would suggest you start with Nelvana of the Northern Lights, a collection about a female goddess who fought Nazis and also beat Wonder Woman to market.Berlin: This expansive volume by Jason Lutes depicts what was going on in the German city between the wars. The cast combines historical figures like Hitler with fictional characters and was years in the making. It opened my eyes.They Called Us Enemy: Inspired by the true story of Star Trek actor George Takei’s family, this tale of the homefront describes how Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps during the Second World War. This, after their possessions were confiscated and their businesses liquidated. There are echoes of this experience in the short comic Junban by Toronto creator Jillian Tamaki. It first appeared in the New Yorker and describes her grandfather’s parallel experience in British Columbia.Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos: Long before he was an agent of SHIELD, Fury – the comic one, not the one played by Samuel L. Jackson – was fighting Nazis in the pages of Marvel Comics. Any introductory collection will do, and yes, I know these comics were meant more as entertainment for boys than a serious record of how World War Two unfolded. Captain America’s earliest adventures are likewise worth a read – Cap was punching Hitler in the face before the U.S. had even been drawn into the war.Sgt. Rock: A DC anthology like Archives Volume One will give you the idea. The highlight here is Joe Kubert’s gorgeous art, which was also featured in another World War Two title from DC, the Unknown Soldier.Please consider these recommendations in the spirit they're offered. Every one of us has to begin learning about war somewhere, and for me it was in the pages of comics like these.Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
Sentinels is Dark and Looks to Get Darker
By Dan BrownSentinels No. 1 has an intriguing premise, but man is it dark. With such a grim start, I’m not sure where the new series will go from here. Can it get any more dystopian?Billed as Marvel’s token “bad-guy book” among the company’s 18 (by my count) X-titles, it features a cast of military types who have been implanted with sentinel technology. They are machine/human hybrids whose goal is to forcefully corral mutants, then bring them to prison.In keeping with the dystopian theme, the prison is housed in the basement of Professor Charles Xavier’s former school for gifted children i.e. mutants. But where Xavier’s dream was to find a way for mutants and humans to co-exist, the sentinels are programmed – and kept in line with mood-regulating drugs – to use violence to bring them in. It’s a world turned upside-down.This all takes place in Marvel’s post-Krakoa universe. Last time I checked in with the X-Men, they were living pretty much as immortal gods on the sentient sanctuary island. I wondered what Marvel was going to do with its mutant characters once that storyline ran its course, and now readers are beginning to find out. (Marvel has said it will be concentrating more on solo titles featuring the likes of Wolverine and Storm as the mutants reintegrate into society.)Not to be trusted with their genocidal instincts, the giant sentinel robots themselves have been powered down in favour of these cyborgs. The danger for the bad guys, who have code names like Lockstep, Drumfire and Sawtooth, is that the cybernetic implants have a tendency to take over their minds and bodies completely, a process called “full grafting” which destroys their remaining humanity.The issue is a finely crafted comic, with art by Justin Mason and writing by Alex Parknadel, creators whose work is new to me. Let’s just say the result is not something Jack Kirby and Stan Lee would ever have dreamed up.There’s also friction between the civilian who pulls the team’s strings, the mutant Lawrence Trask, and the military commander on the ground. It’s reminiscent of what happens in pro sports when a coach can’t get along with his or her general manager.The issue starts with the team dropping into an isolated Russian village to take the homicidal mutant “Omega Red” into custody. Naturally, things don’t go according to plan.There are dark hints as the issue unfolds about how the incarcerated mutants are being treated, which seems to be even worse than the sentinels themselves. They operate in a world in which there are no clear moral lines between human and mutant or organic and mechanical.Some of the team members rationalize their missions by stressing that all they are is hunters – what is done to the captive mutants once they have been put into a cell is none of their business.We also get a glimpse of Trask’s motivation when he recalls the story of two neighbouring villages in thirteenth-century England during a wolf cull. Once the animals victimizing the two communities have been dispatched, he explains, the residents turned on each other.Trask reasons that his role in backing the sentinels is to keep humanity and mutantkind in a kind of equilibrium or stasis so they don’t massacre the other. The sentinels are the “necessary monsters” who keep a “fragile peace” between humans and homo superior. Speaking of Magneto, he doesn’t appear in this issue, but his former ally the Blob does. There’s a different archvillain from the X-Men’s past who graces the story’s final page. You’ll never guess who it is, but I didn’t see his appearance coming. Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
Colin Kaepernick Not Making Friends with AI Comics Venture
By Dan BrownYou may know Colin Kaepernick as the NFL quarterback who struck a blow for civil rights.But now the former football player wants to revolutionize the comic industry. And that’s not a good thing.Sports fans are familiar with Kaepernick because eight years ago he took a knee during the American national anthem at a San Francisco 49ers game to protest police brutality and racial injustice. More kneeling ensued, as well as much controversy.He came to the attention of comics fans this summer when he announced the founding of his artificial-intelligence company, Lumi, which aims to “free creators and democratize storytelling.”Sounds great, right? The unsaid part is that he wants to replace work done by comic artists and writers with images and words generated by an AI. This has not endeared him to the comics community.It probably didn’t help his cause when he made his intentions known in a press release that sounds like it was generated by a robot.With $4 million in funding behind it, Lumi is a “groundbreaking platform that empowers creators by providing them with the tools needed to independently create, publish and merchandise their stories both digitally and physically.”How will this be done? By putting the human creators who would have otherwise created these stories out of work.I haven’t done a survey of people in the field, but I’m not currently aware of any comic creators who were looking for this kind of shortcut. “By leveraging advanced AI tools, Lumi enhances the creative process, allowing creators to focus on bringing their stories to life, while the platform handles all of the logistics,” the statement adds. The company boasts this will make every creator into a Walt Disney. But whatever you think of Disney’s labour practices, he at least employed actual human animators.It seems Kaepernick has himself run up against “gatekeeping” in the comic industry.“Currently, a few large corporations dominate the narrative landscape, limiting the diversity of stories told. Lumi aims to open the funnel, enabling anyone to access storytelling superpowers, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and equitable world.”The reality, of course, is that the internet has made the barrier to entry ridiculously low. For better or worse, all you need to be a comic creator in 2024 is a computer and an idea. And anyone who has been paying attention to the graphic-novel market over the last dozen years also knows there are now graphic novels and comics for almost every taste. Besides, AI art and writing is just . . . weird.Granted, I haven’t seen the finished product of a comic produced with the help of Lumi. Who knows, it might be better at drawing than all the other AIs out there.But even if it’s the best AI art ever invented, it still can’t match the creativity of the human mind. You could argue that it’s the flaws, the human element, that make comics attractive to human readers in the first place. Someone like John Porcellino is not a master illustrator, but his simple images are the perfect vehicle for making the emotional points he wants to make. The results are comics that verge on the poetic.Nor am I against the use of technology in the making of comics. If it makes drawing or writing easier for a human, go for it, but the comic creators I love don’t give up those functions entirely to a machine.“Creators today face significant challenges, including exploitation and lack of independence,” the statement claims. “Lumi addresses these issues by providing an end-to-end solution for storytelling leading to more financial stability, creative control, and ownership of their work.”Yup, sounds like the comic biz to me!Oh, and at the risk of belabouring the point – there was and will only ever be one Walt Disney!Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
The Marvel Universe: An appreciation
By Dan Brown Did you ever have one of those posters showing all the Marvel superhero characters gathered together in one place? Over the decades, successive generations of Marvel artists have depicted that crowded scene – row after row of colourful do-gooders, a cast of literally thousands, standing at the ready to fight evil.. Whether this heroes’ gallery was drawn by Jack Kirby, John Byrne or Michael Golden or someone else, my jaw hits the floor every time I see it. I am in awe of the creative energy it must have required to come up with backstories and costumes for all of them. So what I want to do this week is take a moment to praise the folks at Marvel for doing such a good job of churning out one interesting character after another since 1939. This will come as no surprise to regular readers who know I was raised on Marvel Comics in the 1970s. (And don’t worry, DC fans, I’ll do a tribute to that company’s stable when I figure out the right way to do it.) When it comes to being prolific, no other comic publisher has the track record Marvel does. What a riot of invention! What a unique assemblage of talent! What a big bang of creativity that set and kept the Marvel Universe in motion! The Marvel Universe is what results when the right talented people get together and are allowed the freedom to let their minds wander. It’s an example of what no less an authority than Willy Wonka calls “pure imagination.” Jack Kirby and Stan Lee – who launched such comics as the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk and the Uncanny X-Men – were undeniably the creators among creators at Marvel. I don’t want to get too much into the weeds on the question of which man possessed the real vision, so let’s just state for our purposes here today that Kirby and Lee combined are among the greatest and most prolific American originators of characters, in the same league as Walt Disney, Jim Henson, Dr. Seuss and Mark Twain. It’s true the different creative teams at Marvel were motivated by economic necessity. They never met a trend they didn’t try to plunder, like the disco craze. No sooner, it seemed, had Studio 54 opened than Marvel came up with the mutant Dazzler – who has all the powers of a disco ball! When kung fu movies likewise hit it big, Marvel answered with Shang-Chi and Iron Fist. Sometimes the plundering was done for the right reasons, as when characters like Black Panther and Power Man were devised to give black readers heroes of their own. Although some fans have by now grown weary of the offerings from Marvel’s movie division, the studio hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of the vast library of characters it owns. No one would call the comic-book Agatha Harkness a major Marvel character, but there’s currently an entire series streaming right now devoted to her solo adventures. A series about Wonder Man – another B-list character – is set to debut next year. As someone who appreciates and values imagination, I can’t help but be deeply impressed by how productive Marvel has been over the decades, creating a surplus of diverse characters who have now become recognized around the world. And yes, the chumminess of the Marvel Bullpen was likely an illusion created by Lee to help infuse the Marvel brand with an air of fun, but at the end of the day we are still left with what all of those artists, writers, colourists, letterers and editors wrought: An entirely original group of compelling heroes. There’s literally a character for everyone. I stand in awe. Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 31 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
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