I don't understand why I love international comics and superhero shit but am kind of ambivalent about most American indie comics
I mean, it's not a 100% thing. I love Hellboy and BPRD. There are some really interesting and funny autobiographical and historical books out there too.
But when I think of indie comics my head immediately pictures pretentious, self-absorbed, melodramatic "indie movies as comics" shit. Either that or stuff that is desperately trying to serve as the prototype for a screenplay that the author can sell the rights to.
I want to get rid of this bias.
>>84461722
Try love and rockets.
All it ever got was a shitty band ripping off its name.
>>84461747
>Love and Rockets
>shitty band
*tilts trilby*
>>84461722
>when I think of indie comics my head immediately pictures pretentious, self-absorbed, melodramatic "indie movies as comics" shit
THIS.
I HATE those types of indie comics.
IDW has some cool stuff. Older publishers like First, Eclipse, or 90s Dark Horse had a lot of awesome material as well.
What's the source for OP's image?
>>84461722
>But when I think of indie comics my head immediately pictures pretentious, self-absorbed, melodramatic "indie movies as comics" shit.
Sounds like you haven't actually read many indie comics.
>>84461812
'Blankets' by Craig Thompson
There's a lot of great, imaginative genre stuff in indie comics. Try Brandon Graham's King City, James Stokoe's Orc Stain, Farel Dalrymples Wrenchies etc.
>>84461722
>when I think of indie comics my head immediately pictures pretentious, self-absorbed, melodramatic "indie movies as comics" shit
So basically you're bitching about what you THINK the word "indie" means without actually reading any comics.
>>84461722
I feel like it's because American Indies are almost always staying in their own sphere of experience and influence, never stepping out of their comfort zone.
They are not really boundary pushing as they should be, just creating their own.
>>84461722
I'd rather read an indie comic, no matter how shitty, over another american supermenz comic. At least indie comics have an end.
>>84461722
I hear you, OP. I get that initial bias too, especially when it comes to those semi-autobiographical family sagas that don't take place in a particularly interesting historical setting. Far too often they come across as artsy Maus or, worse yet, Persepolis wannabes like pic related, but without anything really going for them. I remember pic related being a particularly bad offender.
Only recommendation I can give to make the bias less intrusive while you're reading is tread lightly when choosing which series to pick up and stick with a particular "style" that you enjoy and slowly start branching out of your comfort zone from there.
>>84462769
>At least indie comics have an end.
First off, you mean "mainstream", not "supermenz", which misses a point that you get to later. The issue isn't that those comics are capeshit, as you're implying, but that they're popular brands (characters are brands) owned by the publisher and that publishers want to keep popular brands in circulating, hence the indefinite, endless publication that you seem to be complaining about.
And second, depending on your definition of "indie", I'll go with "creator owned and not published by DC or Marvel", there are still comics that have been published endlessly. The Walking Dead is a good example of a non-capeshit one. Invincible is a capeshit example. Both are written by the same guy and published by Image though, as if that invalidates them as "indie" by your definition.
You would definitely want to avoid manga, but I doubt that would ever be an issue. Most of those would be considered "indie" by western standards, and that's pretty much why they go on forever: the creator has to keep selling comics to make a living, so nothing ever ends.
>>84462847
>mangas never end
shit fuck you, I wish this shit hadn't "ended"
>>84463565
>good manga
>ending is complete garbage
It just. Keeps. Happening.
I think it's at least because American indie comic authors are much more likely to publish as a webcomic than pursue print comics. Ava's Demon, Kill 6 Billion Demons, Unsounded, etc. are all "indie comics" in the most technical sense of the words, but their format means they don't as quickly register as such.
>>84462788
>Persepolis wannabes like pic related, but without anything really going for them. I remember pic related being a particularly bad offender.
>Epileptic
>Persepolis wannabee
It's pretty much the other way around since Persepolis came out after Epileptic and David B. was an influence to Satrapi.
