Tom Keefe

Spirited Communication

Tag: The Walking Dead

Making Comic Books More Inclusive

May 7, 2016 /

FreeComicBDay16%2015yrs_logoToday is “Free Comic Book Day” in North America, but how meaningful are comics in today’s world?

The industry remains healthy, with 2015 sales in North America of $579 million (up 7.17% year-over-year), according to Diamond Comic Distributors. Demographics of comic book readers is difficult to find. I came across this “back of the envelope” estimate of how many Millenials regularly read comic books. (Hint: not many)

So who is buying the comic books that launched media powerhouses like The Walking Dead cable show and The Avengers movies?

We do see attempts to draw a more diverse customer, as more women identify as comic book fans.

Comic book writers, artists and publishers also are adding characters that they hope will appeal to a wide range of ethnic and other demographics.

Although the following National Public Radio (NPR) report is a year old, it discusses that trend.

The Free Comic Book Day site provides a link to more information about comic books.

Here are a couple of well-known actors hawking Free Comic Book Day and their individual projects:
 

(c) AMC-TV and The Walking Dead.

There IS No Substitute!

May 6, 2015 /

When young Tom Cruise uttered the phrase, “Porsche…there is no substitute,” in the 1983 movie classic, Risky Business, millions of viewers, including me, understood the message.

The real deal is worth the price you pay—particularly when you compare the original to a cheap knock-off.

Such is the case with The Walking Dead. This instant classic television drama draws its success from a special combination of excellent scriptwriting, top-notch production and makeup values, and actors who act as an ensemble, while delivering standout performances when called upon.

(c) AMC-TV and The Walking Dead.

(c) AMC-TV and The Walking Dead.

The runaway success of The Walking Dead naturally inspired greedy producers and writers to try to cash in by creating other zombie-related shows, including “Z Nation” and “iZombie.”

But those imitations miss the qualities that make the original so appealing. They lack the depth and quality of writing and production that sets the original apart.

walking deceased imageI’ve been going through a bit of Walking Dead withdrawal since the latest season ended, which led me to wasting nearly two hours of my life this past weekend watching “The Walking Deceased.” It was marketed as a spoof of The Walking Dead, but don’t waste your time or money on it.

I just kept thinking to myself, as the movie dragged on, that there IS no substitute for the real thing!

Free Comic Book Day Is An Annual Treat

May 3, 2015 /

FreeComicBookDay_Dad-Daughter_IMG_2631I’ll admit that I was a comic book junkie when I was growing up. At one time, I had a collection of more than 300 comic books that I tried to preserve by keeping them flat in a large trunk in my parents’ basement.

It was a sad day when I came home one time from college to learn that my mom wanted to store some blankets in that trunk, and finding my comic book collection, gave some to my brothers, curled some in a brown paper grocery bag, and threw some away.

I still have those few gems, and at least once a year, I take time to remember those fun hours in quiet comic book la-la land when I visit my local comic book store on “Free Comic Book Day.”

FreeComicDay_JaySigns_IMG_2640That’s right: Free Comic Book Day actually exists, as the photos on this page confirm. It always occurs on the first Saturday in May, so yesterday I visited Jay’s Comics in Grayslake, IL. It isn’t anything close to a carnival atmosphere, but employees do dress in superhero costumes and the place is decorated with balloons and event signage.

Still, the comic books take center stage, and this is a terrific opportunity to introduce kids to the comic book world—if they haven’t already been hooked! This event doesn’t seem to get the promotion around my area that I would expect. Don’t marketing and public relations professionals remember the lure and pleasure of comic books?

FreeComicBookDay_ManOutsideJays_IMG_2635A “Captain Action” issue on the free comic book rack caught my eye—as did the current issues of “The Walking Dead.” I still have the first two issues of the original Captain Action comic from the 1960s. It was a favorite character of mine at the time. As for the Walking Dead…no explanation needed, right?

Do you have a favorite memory of any comic book that you want to share here?

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