Season’s Greetings

I was wandering through the romance section at my local bookstore yesterday and noticed the halloween books are gone, the turkey day books are practically gone and we are inundated with Christmas stories.

Now the stories I’m talking about are compilations.  Several authors contribute to a “theme” book.  It’s romance so the theme can be anything from werewolves to aliens to seasons.  Yesterday the holidays were most popular.  I’m one of the least sentimental people around but I’m a sucker for holiday genre’s. It’s fun to see what sort of trouble or happiness your favorite heroes can get into during the holiday season. I love these books and it got me thinking…

We just finished–it came out last week–a compilation for DC (DCU Halloween Special 2009.)  We colored a couple of stories in this Halloween issue, one by Billy Tucci & one written by editor Adam Schlagman & drawn by Joe Prado.  These stories are always fun to read and work on.

The reason I like them as romance novels is that you can pick an author you like and there will be at least 3 other authors that you may or may not have heard of.  You just may stumble across some new author and find yourself another great series.  I did this with Sherrilyn Kenyon, had never heard of her but found a short story in a Christmas anthology two years ago & have now read everything she’s ever written. (I’ve even tracked down her pseudonyms and read those too!)

Another possibility is that it’s an author you like but they are writing in a genre a-typical for them.  Like Laurell K. Hamilton (who writes both novels & graphic novels btw) writing a fluffy Christmassy romance–without S&M or massive death.

It also reminds me of the cartoons that you used to watch seasonally on TV.  Charlie Brown’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” or “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
” (what do you mean you’ve never heard of Emmet Otter–go get it now, seriously I said NOW!)

But, I wonder what others think. Do other people like them as much as me?  Are they popular as comics?  Or do people see this as just another thing I to buy?

Some of the DC compilations tie into the mainstream books but some are stand alone stories.  Billy Tucci, for example, added a fun twist to the end of his story (no I’m not going to give it away.)  I think this is a great way for people to get introduced to new authors, pencillers, & maybe even colorists that you don’t normally read.  It also gives you a variety of storytelling.  Some of them are serious, some scary, & some cute allowing you and the authors to step out on a limb and try something different.

When we did the first of these (for X-mas like 6 years ago) it was a cute little story about  members of JSA going home for Christmas and Ma Hunkel (aka Red Tornado) was cooking dinner.  It was cute & fun and not a typical JSA story.  (Honestly, I remember we had to add in the snow… lots & lots & lots of snow but that’s another story.)

I wondered at the time if this was just some money making ploy to cash in on the holidays.  Get people who may not read your regular comics to buy these.  Now, I think they should market them to a larger audience.  It would be a great way to introduce comics to people who don’t normally buy them.  Maybe bind them and turn them into graphic novels for the next year’s season or something.

Brian just sent me an article saying that the novel is going the way of the dodo & within 25 years we won’t be writing or reading novels anymore (in the traditional sense.)  That will be a very sad day for me.  And, it will be a very sad day for you since comics won’t be far behind.  I think these seasonal compilations are just one more way to widen audiences.  Also, as I said above, these might introduce you to another genre or artist or writer even if you already read comics faithfully.

On that note, Happy Halloween!  I wanted to go as Wonder Woman or as Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd, but (sigh) no one invited me to a costume party.  (sad huh)

Kristy Miller

VP, Development

Hi-Fi Design