At the beginning of 2009, Stand-Up Comics started doing what I refer to as (Comic) Book Club... a group of about twelve or so people who read one graphic novel/trade paperback each month and then get together to talk about it. This is something that's very near and dear to me, as it was my idea (not my idea *originally* mind you--I read about a comic store in Florida that did it and that was my inspiration--just my idea to start it, and push it, here). Now we're one year in to the club, and I can honestly say that of all the things Stand-Up Comics has done in its whole existence, that's possibly the thing I'm most proud of.
The great thing about (Comic) Book Club really hit me this last meeting, when we discussed Scott Pilgrim vol. 1. Picking the book was my idea, and I chose it because I wasn't sure *what* I thought of it. I had lots of friends whose opinions I respected telling me it was one of the greatest comics of the decade, but on my own first read-through it left me a little flat. Knowing what I did about Scott Pilgrim's sales power (HIGH) and also about the impending movie, I felt like I needed to give it another try, and I was hoping that the other members of CBC (yes, we're abbreviating now. It's what the cool kids are doing) would help me get an interpretive handle on the book.
And you know what? That's exactly what happened. In the midst of a conversation about, I believe, what in the book is goofy and what's "real," and if there's any kind of deeper emotional truth to the story, it struck me that the idea of having to defeat someone's evil exes before you can date them is, well, fairly brilliant. Because isn't that what happens in every relationship? You have to overcome the memories, possibly the scars, of every person your loved one has ever significantly been involved with. Sure, you probably don't fight them by engaging in 64-hit juggle combos, and they probably don't drop coins when they're defeated, but every ex has to be battled past just the same And in that sense, I think Scott Pilgrim has something really special to offer the world of comics--I'm still not ready to call it the greatest comic of the decade, but it's a really sharp relationship metaphor disguised as a teen-dramedy-slash-video-game. And I wouldn't have thought that at all without the excellent discussion brought about by the CBC.
So it is that I want to thank everyone who's participated in our little (Comic) Book Club in 2009; you all have made the club everything I wanted it to be. I look forward to an excellent 2010, with 12 exciting new books to be exposed to. And that, by the way, is a way in which every member of the CBC leaves an indelible mark on the store, for the graphic novels they choose for the club will forever be kept in stock! I feel like we should have some kind of induction ceremony or something. Joining the Stand-Up Comics Hall of Fame this year (with the name of its chooser in parenthesis--be proud!):
Hellboy vol. 1: Seed of Destruction (Pat Hughes)
Watchmen (me!)
The Question vol. 1: Zen and Violence (Marc Fishman)
We3 (Kyle Gnepper)
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (Mary Schons)
Notes for a War Story (Betty Bush)
Empowered vol. 1 (Brendan Green)
Arkham Asylum (Brian Sokol)
Planetary vol. 1 (Jason Gay)
Eduardo Risso's Tales of Terror (Melinda Sterbenc)
Invincible vol. 1: Family Matters (Pat Hughes)
Scott Pilgrim vol. 1: Precious Little Life (me again!)
For more information on any of these titles, check out the (Comic) Book Club section of our website or just stop in the store and give our CBC rack a browse. And thanks again, everyone! I can't wait to see what we read this year.
And, well, technically, so did Brian. But that's okay because he designed this website.
One of the exciting new features of this version of the Stand-Up Comics website is its blog-hosting capability. And since I'm a bit of a writer, it seemed like a good idea for me to write one of the blogs here. I used to blog quite a bit, actually. Then my friend Aaron said "your blog is really good, you should get paid to do this." So then I stopped, because as we all know from the Joker in Dark Knight, "never do something you're good at for free." But I guess, since this is partially my store and all, I can suck it up and start writing again for... <shudder>... free.
Since this is on a website for a comic-book store, the focus of this blog will, not surprisingly, be comics. But I'm actually into lots of stuff... music, philosophy, bad jokes, etc... so this blog may wander from time to time. BUT that's okay. I can do what I want, because you're not paying me. YET.
(Seriously. If someone gives me $5, I will write a scathing review of the new Weezer album like I did for the last one. Seriously!)
(okay, not really.)
(But seriously.)
Be seeing you all in a few days, and hopefully on a regular-ish schedule after that!
EXCELSIOR!
