New Year’s Revolutions
Ladies, Gentlemen, and Persons Who Identify as Neither of the Preceding or Reject Binary Gender Designations Altogether, Happy New Year!
This is the time traditionally set for making resolutions for improving one’s behavior, and since mine has (of course) been exemplary (aside from that split infinitive two words back), I’ve decided to suggest resolutions that will allow you, my loyal readers (all six of you!) to rock the comics industry from outside and in!
1. If a comic sucks, don’t buy it.
Okay, that sounds like a no-brainer. But it’s not - our loyalties to brands and creators tends to run stronger than our common or critical sense. In these days of scans_daily and newsarama, it’s awfully easy to preview material without even relying on the old method of sitting on the floor of your LCS and flipping through each issue. Publishers pay close attention to sales figures, and every purchase - or non-purchase - really does count.
2. Write early, and write often.
Keep letters to the editor coming. Blog. Discuss. Dissent. Support. Make it clear that you’re not stopping at voting with your wallet, and that you are more than a silent consumer, and make the media understand that this is a dialogue, not a lecture.
3. Respond to the good stuff.
It’s easy to get so overwhelmed by the sea of bad comics and worse creators that we forget to notice what’s being done right. During the years I spent tutoring writers and supervising tutors, one of the principles that I saw enacted over and over was the importance of positive feedback. This isn’t an issue of catching more flies with honey than vinegar, nor does it mean that you should be giving praise where it isn’t deserved. What it DOES mean is that it’s a lot easier to create good comics if you have positive examples to work from - otherwise, you’re just shooting blind. Let creators and publishers know when you like their stuff, and it’s exponentially more likely that you’ll see more in kind.
4. Embrace opportunities for dialogue.
Very few people set out to make or read bad, offensive comics. If you have the chance to talk with - or even just listen to - someone whose ideas about comics you disagree with, do it. Again, this shouldn’t have to mean compromising your own principles. Instead, it’s a matter of approaching and respecting your opponents as the complex humans they are, and giving them a chance to do the same for you.
5. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Sometimes, mutually respectful dialogue isn’t an option. It could be that it’s an issue you feel so strongly about, from such a visceral place, that you know you can’t keep it civil. Sometimes, the person on the other end is a patronizing jerk. Sometimes, it feels like arguing with the wind.
Chose your battles, and don’t get caught in the kind of shouting matches that leave you hoarse, drained, and frustrated. Save your arguments for the times when they’ll bring you some satisfaction - from outcome, process, or simply a sense of a battle well-fought. There is never any shame in walking away from a discussion, or in asking someone else to leave your space.
6. Keep it fun.
Find (or create) projects that sustain you, and tailor your activism to your strengths and passions. Project Rooftop is my favorite example of joyful, constructive subversion and alternative discussion; follow its example and look for contexts that play to your idea of a good time. Not only can you dance in the revolution, you can dance as the revolution.
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