Weekly Comics Spotlight #045 Feedback

[Lobo]

Afua Richardson is most definitely a she. Derek played one of her songs (which is kinda awesome ) on Comic Book Noise 97.

http://www.comicbooknoise.com/?p=1526

You can get more info about her at http://www.myspace.com/afuarichardson

On an unrelated note, how would you compare RASL to Matt Fraction's Casanova?

[JohnMayo]

On an unrelated note, how would you compare RASL to Matt Fraction's Casanova?

I haven't read Casanova so I can really compare them.

[Lobo]

I'm against "mature readers" labels in general, as it implies that anything not labeled as such is for "immature readers".

I prefer the way prose books use labels to indicate children's and young adult (Y/A) books, with the understanding that books without labels are for adults.

All labels do is create targets for crusaders who are too lazy to look past the cover.

If there must be labels on comics, CDs, etc, it makes sense to have it located near the price. If this distracts from the overall cover design, it makes sense to have them on the back cover.

Why should I be forced to look at warnings for people too lazy to open the book?

[JohnMayo]

I'm against "mature readers" labels in general, as it implies that anything not labeled as such is for "immature readers".

I prefer the way prose books use labels to indicate children's and young adult (Y/A) books, with the understanding that books without labels are for adults.

All labels do is create targets for crusaders who are too lazy to look past the cover.

If there must be labels on comics, CDs, etc, it makes sense to have it located near the price. If this distracts from the overall cover design, it makes sense to have them on the back cover.

Why should I be forced to look at warnings for people too lazy to open the book?

Having the content advisory label (if there is one) near the price does make sense. And your position on labels makes sense.

I disagree that having the price on the back makes sense. You shouldn't have to hunt for the price of the comic. This can really slow down getting rung up at a comic book store. Particularly if you are getting a stack of comics with the prices all hidden in different places. Comics are a business and the price is something that the person designing the cover needs to keep in mind.

[Lobo]

Having the content advisory label (if there is one) near the price does make sense. And your position on labels makes sense.

I disagree that having the price on the back makes sense. You shouldn't have to hunt for the price of the comic. This can really slow down getting rung up at a comic book store. Particularly if you are getting a stack of comics with the prices all hidden in different places. Comics are a business and the price is something that the person designing the cover needs to keep in mind.

I've waited longer for retailers to find a price inconspicuously placed (sometimes almost camouflaged) on a front cover than I have for them to find one located by the bar code on the back cover (for books that have bar codes, which I believe Diamond is starting to mandate), so I feel that as long as it's easy to find, it shouldn't matter too much if it's on the front or back cover.

OTOH, I'm pleased to see some agreement with my position on labels in general, as it seems to be a fairly divisive one (unlike so many of my opinions).

[JohnMayo]

I've waited longer for retailers to find a price inconspicuously placed (sometimes almost camouflaged) on a front cover than I have for them to find one located by the bar code on the back cover (for books that have bar codes, which I believe Diamond is starting to mandate), so I feel that as long as it's easy to find, it shouldn't matter too much if it's on the front or back cover.

I don't see a problem with there being a standard location for the price, bar code, etc on comic book covers. Those are things that you simply shouldn't have to hunt for nor should they be hidden on the cover. I've had times when the person ringing up my stack had to call over someone else to help find the price of the comic. That is just crazy. Likewise, having the price and bar code hidden in the Iron Man movie ad on the back cover seems a bit insane.