Daniel Clowes on superhero comics and fans
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>http://www.salon.com/2016/03/19/adult_superhero_fans_make_daniel_clowes_sad_people_need_something_that_has_very_clear_moral_boundaries_i_guess/
>I am laughing at the fact that for years, when we were doing “Eightball” and “Hate” and “Love & Rockets” and stuff, we thought, “What we’re doing is really the mainstream stuff. It’s like comics for adults, that a general audience could read… and only the tiniest niche audience of emotional defectives care about superhero comics.”
>Right. And yet they’re dominating our industry. I remember an artist, Bob Burden, saying, “It’s so random. It would be like if all comics were about pilgrims and then we did comics about normal people and we were looked at as the weirdoes.”
>So that was our thesis, and then to see with the advent of technology where they could actually make these realistic superhero movies, to see that: No, the entire culture is what the comics shop was in 1985. It repudiates our lofty claims. It says more about our culture than anything else. I’m always kind of saddened when 45-year-old parents of my son’s friends can’t wait to go see “The Avengers.” That shouldn’t be for you. [Laughs]
>I think there’s a certain chaos in the world and people need something that has very clear moral boundaries, I guess. I’ve taken my son to see a few of the superhero movies and I just find myself tuning out the minute it starts. It’s just not of any interest to me.
>I’ll leave the movie and a day later I’ll think, “Oh, we should go see that movie.” It’s like I can’t even remember it. And he doesn’t even like them. That’s the thing, he’s sorta like, “Yeah, it was OK.” [Laughs]
>There’s no doubt about it. I find it hilarious when normal people are talking about obscure Marvel characters like they always loved them. It’s like, No you didn’t. [Laughs]
>Yeah, or just like, “Oh, that’s great, I love ‘Iron Man.’” It’s like, No you don’t. [Laughs]
>I am laughing at the fact that for years, when we were doing “Eightball” and “Hate” and “Love & Rockets” and stuff, we thought, “What we’re doing is really the mainstream stuff. It’s like comics for adults, that a general audience could read… and only the tiniest niche audience of emotional defectives care about superhero comics.”
>Right. And yet they’re dominating our industry. I remember an artist, Bob Burden, saying, “It’s so random. It would be like if all comics were about pilgrims and then we did comics about normal people and we were looked at as the weirdoes.”
>So that was our thesis, and then to see with the advent of technology where they could actually make these realistic superhero movies, to see that: No, the entire culture is what the comics shop was in 1985. It repudiates our lofty claims. It says more about our culture than anything else. I’m always kind of saddened when 45-year-old parents of my son’s friends can’t wait to go see “The Avengers.” That shouldn’t be for you. [Laughs]
>I think there’s a certain chaos in the world and people need something that has very clear moral boundaries, I guess. I’ve taken my son to see a few of the superhero movies and I just find myself tuning out the minute it starts. It’s just not of any interest to me.
>I’ll leave the movie and a day later I’ll think, “Oh, we should go see that movie.” It’s like I can’t even remember it. And he doesn’t even like them. That’s the thing, he’s sorta like, “Yeah, it was OK.” [Laughs]
>There’s no doubt about it. I find it hilarious when normal people are talking about obscure Marvel characters like they always loved them. It’s like, No you didn’t. [Laughs]
>Yeah, or just like, “Oh, that’s great, I love ‘Iron Man.’” It’s like, No you don’t. [Laughs]
