The Importance of Comics

Bullet Points: Raging Bullets online DC Comics TPB/HC reviews

The Importance of Comics &

The Inside Look into the Man behind Bulletpoints

Matthew G. Guy

August 2, 2006

The Importance of Comics

From millions of comics on a single title (Action Comics #1, Superman #1) in the 1930’s and 40’s to a quarter of a million for today’s hot title (Marvel’s Civil War #1) in today’s world, comics seem to be an ever shrinking market. While comics today, there are the big two DC & Marvel but competing along side is the Indie market, Image and many other comic book publishers producing more quantity in the number of titles that has tries to meet the needs of its readership beyond the superhero genre to horror, mystery, or even anime genres. The five year period of the 1990’s boom & then bust in comics is similar to today’s stock market following from the dark shadow of Enron. Which leads to the main question: Why do we still need comics?

The answer lies in the ability to seek an escape outlet. Comics provide it each week with many titles to choose from. For ten minutes you are transported into another world dealing with its problems and how the hero of the story will deal that problem by the end of the issue or is continued into the next issue. Comics are literature maybe not in the same league as Shakespeare, Robert Frost’s poetry or even todays must read novel. Comics still provide that sense of amazement to a ten year old, just that the number is shrinking with an increasing demand on today’s child. The internet itself, cable television, school or summer sports league, more homework then twenty years ago, and a part time or even full time when children becomes teens. The only way comics is to survive is to adapt, introducing children from the comics at a early age from family members (uncle, mom or dad, siblings) web comics of today’s mainstream characters in a digital format on a easy to pay subscription model, or even comic book trades in local libraries to continue comics hold for future generations. Comics’ importance will be in the hands of the mid twenty to the mid forty crowd and how they will work to put comics into the hands of the next comics reader and possible fan to preserve the legacy of comic books.

The Inside Look into the Man behind Bulletpoints

Bulletpoints for me was a writing exercise into the medium I enjoyed most, comics. Collecting comics since the mid 1980s mainly DC Superman & Batman with a few marvel titles, Spider-Man & the Incredible Hulk on occasion. My mom believed in spoiling her two children usually with comics and Atari video games. You see my sister, April was special. She had Down’s syndrome and an eating disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome (the brain thinks it is hungry all the time). Sadly, she passed away at the age of 23 from complications from chicken pox, ten years ago. Her heart gave out on her from the obese body and the chicken box made her body weak. She died without warning. As if one child with disabilities was not enough, I have cerebral palsy and also legally blind in my left eye. My cerebral palsy is on a limited basis than most. My right hand is only good for opening the refrigerator door or getting my keys from the table. My right leg is weak, I can walk but with a limp with running in the Olympics out of the question. I have had 10 surgeries over a 15 year period, in my eyes, hand & foot affected by cerebral palsy to improve quality of life, with limited success. The other half of my body, the left side works fine just like other person. With a history of seizures, but are controlled with medication.

Luckily, my physical limitations never did hinder my education. Going beyond the average to be accepted, I got an advanced diploma from high school – science, math & two years of Spanish along with one year training in business education, typing skills w/ one hand from the center of the keyboard. Active in various school clubs—Scholar’s bowl (Jeopardy), chess club, Spanish club, etc.. After high school and trade school, I attended the local community college getting an Associates degree in secondary education. However, upon arriving at Troy State University, I was not well liked, being different from the norm and yet successful in school. Three months into TSU, I was shot in the back of the head with a paint ball gun at close range from behind at my dorm on campus, leaving me headaches for months following the attack. Needless to say, they found the individuals but got a slap on the wrist—mom & dad’s money talks and bullshit walks. After months of wondering where the next attack as coming from, I had enough and dropped out. Checking on my great grandma on weekends & helping kids by volunteering my time tutoring kids in math and us history upon returning home from TSU along with part time jobs typing up and editing contracts for various small businesses in town. Five years passed giving motivational speeches, get my local lay speaker certificate giving motivation messages from the pulpit for various small churches in the area. However the norm would not last thanks to twin hurricanes, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 (landed 25 years to the day of Hurricane Frederic that hit the same area) & Hurricane Katrina in 2005. With numerous tropical storms in between the Hurricanes Ivan & Katrina, it was time for a change. Moving from near Mobile, Al to Plaucheville, LA located in the center of the state, avoiding the full brunt of a major hurricane in October 2005 living close near my mom but still having an independent life at a apartment complex of forty residents and sharing my time making new friends, playing games bingo & pokeno on Tuesdays, listening to their stories, and enjoying the simple life in Plaucheville, where you do not need a car to get around because everything is with walking distance. I know I am no superhero, but I do my part to make the world a better place. I only ask of anyone who judges me, to know me by my actions, not by looks and to see me as a whole person, not a cripple. Comics are my form of escape from a real tough life that I face daily and get the greatest joy from every week.

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