October 28, 2021. Wayward Raven is making an anthology of comic books, prose, and pinup art. Paid submissions with incentives.
Well True Believers, we've been a bunch of busy buzzards here at Wayward Raven. We've mapped out our convention schedule for the year, and started applying. Barring being banned for any previous antics, we should be appearing at all the conventions listed on our Events page.
If you're going to any of those cons, stop by our tables and say hi. Or better yet, say "I want to buy your books!"
We love that!
When we last left off in our Beginner's Guide to Comics, we talked about the Golden and Silver Ages. Now let's take a look at recent history.
Some point in the 80’s comics got very serious. Even with some of the more mature subject matter of the Silver Age, comics were still lighthearted and fun. In 1986 specifically, comics had to move out of mom’s house and start acting their age.
During this point, we saw the release of two specific books; The Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. These books changed everything. Before this point, mature comics existed but they were underground and you probably couldn’t really show them off to your friends without looking like a creeper. These two books coined the term Graphic Novel, particularly as they were collected from single issues into a single bound hardcover book.
What did these two books do that was so revolutionary? They told a story for grown ups, using artwork that was unlike anything in the past. They were dark. They were gritty. They were real.
The Watchmen took several superhero archetypes from the past, put them in the real world, namely 1980’s New York City, and then posed the question, what if superheroes were real? How would the American government superheroes in the Vietnam War? How would society behave if there were masked vigilante’s running around fighting crime? Were these people even sane? How would the world’s smartest man end the Cold War and bring piece to the world? Even though the book is over 30 years old, I won’t spoil it for you.
In The Dark Knight Returns, we see Batman as an old man having retired from fighting crime. The Batcave lies in ruin, and Gotham has fallen again. The story explores why Batman can never truly take off his mask and how he needs to be Batman to feel complete, and how Gotham needs Batman to keep a lid on the crazy that tends to build up there. There’s also a pretty sweet scene where Batman has a fist fight with Superman (and wins).
It’s also the plot of the next upcoming Superman/Batman movie, so you should check it out.
After the Bronze Age, we have the current age of comics, where once campy and kid friendly superheroes have grown up and act like real people. There are consequences, there is tragedy.
In some ways, we’re revisiting the older ages, as some characters have returned from the dead, and others have taken up the masks of the fallen. The Modern Age represents a mix of the older ages, as we’ve recaptured that lighthearted sense of adventure from before, but mixed it with a touch of the enlightened and mature.
Much of today's tales either borrow heavily from the past, often bringing back older, forgotten characters and breathing new life into them, or retelling old stories but rewritten for modern times.
For instance, in Action Comics, which is where Superman first premiered over 75 years ago at the time of this writing, DC revamped the title, starting back at Action Comics #1, but rebooting Superman for the modern world. This time, Superman showed up around five years ago, wearing a t-shirt, jeans and work boots, saving lives. Rather than making him in his late thirties, as he was during the modern continuity in the 80's up to early 2010, this time, he's in his mid twenties, straight off the bus from Kansas. Clark Kent, his secret alter ego is trying to get a job at the Daily Planet, this time owned by a much larger media conglomerate called Galaxy Broadcasting System. Instead of a reporter, he starts off as a blogger, using social media to report the news, and keep an eye out for trouble.
Also as a departure from the Golden Age, Superman isn't trusted by Uncle Sam, or the public. As he tries to save people, he faces fear from a public that doesn't understand his powers and can't quite cope with a benevolent super-being.
As writers and artists have gotten better, and readers have matured, comics have grown up and are now comfortable with who they are. A common thread amongst comics are real issues faced by the world today.
In a post 9/11 world, Marvel Comics introduced a story line called Civil War, where superheroes debated (with their fists) on how much the government should know about their citizens. After a recent tragedy in the city of Stamford Connecticut, where a super powered villain blew up a school, and a team of super powered teens failed to stop him, their was a public outcry to have superheroes registered with the government. This lead to a rift between the superhero community, much like in the real world.
In the next part of this series, I’ll explore some of the common tropes of comics, as well as explain the lingo so you can sound like a fanboy (or girl).
With the frost laden winds doomed to chill the sylvan climes and urban jungles alike, we decided to share our enthusiasms in an effort to warm your story loving soul. As you might know, James Biehl took over the reins of our Horsemen series and he is galloping along at a brisk pace. He has corralled and steadied the steads as he charges life with pen and ink. We are happy to have found our horse whisperer and know you will enjoy his equine artistry. So let us saddle up and ride through a few unfinished pages of Horsemen 2.
[Announcement: Wayward Raven Media might be doing a Kickstarter campaign. We would love to hear about what type of incentives you might like if we proceed. What makes you want to contribute to a campaign? Thanks. Sorry for the interruption.]
If you haven't read Horsemen 1 you can purchase it through our Shop page, and now, the art. First a pencil.
And now, two inked pages.
And for good measure, one last pencil page.
Hope you like what you trotted through, and regarding the announcement, please feel free to comment on this post about your Kickstarter opinions or tweet us @waywardraven
Thanks for using your precious time to look at this post.
Ars longa, vitae brevis.
-The Wayward Raven Crew
The guys over at Geek Cast Live Podcast have a good thing going. They know comics and geek culture, have a good rapport with each other, and most importantly are very funny. Where some podcasts can drag on and seem to wander everywhere, these guys really have their stuff together. Checking in at a little over an hour, it is the perfect length too. And we aren't just saying all that because they were nice enough to review our stuff (although that does endear them to us all the more). If you are looking for a highly entertaining time, click the link below and have a listen. We promise you won't be disappointed. Enjoy! -The Wayward Raven Crew
Geek Cast Live Podcast (episode 1)
