Yet I find myself optimistic facing the new year. Why? Well, let me share something that I found inspiring, and maybe you will, too. In November, Dark Horse published what we feel to be a very special book, Joe Kubert's Fax From Sarajevo. This is the gripping and true story of Joe's longtime friend and agent Ervin Rustemagic, who was trapped in Sarajevo for two years during the worst of the conflict in Bosnia. Joe needs no introduction to comics fans, having been one of the field's leading artists since its very early days. Joe, who has always been hugely talented, has never been content to rest on his laurels, refining his skills continually with each new project. Fax From Sarajevo is perhaps his best work, and surely his most ambitious.
When Fax From Sarajevo was published, Dark Horse organized a short promotional tour for Joe. He spent a week visiting both general bookstores and comic shops in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. The tour began at Supercon in Oakland, a new convention that was a lot of fun. Convention organizer Steve Wyatt hosted a function for his guests, and I was able to spend an interesting time with Joe, talking shop and catching up on the news. As Graphitti Designs publisher Bob Chapman and I discussed the state of the market, Joe listened attentively. He then smiled and said, from his perspective, that he was quite optimistic. Since this is not the opinion we are most often hearing, we asked Joe to elaborate. Joe did, recalling the atmosphere in the trade in the 1950s, when comics were under attack from a variety of opponents, including an adversary no less powerful than the U.S. Senate! Comics virtually disappeared from their major sales venues, publishers closed, and artists were thrown out of work practically overnight. Joe asked us to compare this environment with today's and consider where we are now in this light.
I thought about this a lot that weekend. The more I did, the more inspired I was by Joe's remarks. Comics used to be the cheapest magazines possible. When you hold the beautiful hardcover of Fax From Sarajevo in your hands, examine the 175-line screen color reproduction, feel the high-quality paper stock, remark on the sophisticated graphic design treatment on the text pages, and read the riveting saga torn from today's headlines, it is clear that comic books have come a long way, indeed. When you peruse the racks in your favorite comic shop, you will discover a fascinating array of formats and subject matters. The production values are vastly improved from the cheap printing and funky newsprint that the comics of yesteryear featured. The best of the creative work being presented by both large publishers and self-publishers is some of the best the medium has seen.
Are there challenges? Yes, many. Are there opportunities? I think there are for those with the ability to look at the glass and see that it is half full, not half empty. Thanks to creators with Joe's vision and publishers like Dark Horse with a "can do" attitude, the strength of the comics medium can flourish in the new year.
David Scroggy
VP of Publishing