Monday, July 16, 2007

Q&A Part Four

Steve asks: So Chad, tell me a comic writer/artist whose work is critically acclaimed but that you absolutely refuse to check out, despite the hype. What is it about their work that makes you reluctant to try it, even though its quality is so lauded.

Despite hearing many great things about Craig Thompson, I've never had the urge to check out his work. I don't even think I've flipped through one of his books, actually. Anytime I've seen Blankets in comic and book stores numerous times, but passed it over without a thought. Why I do this is probably because I'm not a fan of those autobiographical types of comics. I tend not to like autobiographies period unless it's about someone I'm interested in ahead of time (same with biographies). Why would I want to read about someone's life without some prior interest or hook? That said, I've also picked up at least one Chester Brown book that is autobiographical, so . . . I can't say for sure why I haven't read any of Thompson's work. Just instinct, I guess--something which I've learned to rely on since it's usually right (I seem to have a good sense for picking out comics, books, CDs, and DVDs that I'll like without any prior knowledge). Someday, maybe I'll check out something by Thompson. Who knows.

Steve: What is your opinion of the event-driven stories at Marvel and DC? (The practise more than the stories.)