“With
Great Power comes Great Responsibility”
I
guess no one currently working in DC Comics editorial read Marvel’s Amazing
Fantasy #15. Nor do they apply this anecdote to their business philosophy.
I
guess that’s why DC Comics publishing division is such a mess these days.
But
according to many who have quit working for DC like George Perez, John Rozum,
and Rob Liefeld, Dan Didio isn’t responsible for the mess DC’s publishing
division has become over the last 10 years.
Neither
is Jim Lee.
Neither
is Goeff Johns.
Neither
is Bob Harras.
Even
though they all hold executive titles.
If
they’re not responsible for the product coming out of DC Comics or the
direction of the publishing division, who’s in charge here?
I
thought that Editor-in-Chiefs and Co-publishers were leadership positions. I
thought that director of whatever executive position Goeff Johns has is was a
leader ship position. That they were ultimately responsible for the comics
being published and the direction DC Comics was supposed to go in.
But
according to many comic fans and industry pros that’s not the case.
Er…who’s
minding the Multiverse?
How
can a publisher run if there’s no one providing editorial oversight? How do
writers and artists get stories approved if there’s no editorial review? How do
books get printed if there’s no editorial approval? How does anyone get paid if
no one is responsible for signing the checks?
Seriously,
how can a multibillion dollar brand run if no one is accountable? How can
product get published if no one is responsible for it? How do all these press
releases promoting comics with Gay Green Lanterns, Arab Green Lanterns, and
Superman & Wonder Woman having a romance pass through to the media?
According
to this logic, all these alleged executives are just collecting six-figure
checks and DC Comics is just on autopilot. That a secret cabal of assistant
editors and junior editors have more power than people who are supposed to be
executives.
If
I were running Time Warner, that’d give me more reason to fire them. Clean
House from top to bottom.
How
can an EXECUTIVE let SUBORDINATES tell them how to do business? That is WEAK
and INEFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT and LEADERSHIP.
It’s
not what anyone would expect from a division of a multi-national corporation or
one of its international brands.
If
someone has a title of Executive they’re supposed to be a LEADER. They’re
supposed to be supervising people. Taking responsibility for the actions of
their employees and taking responsibility for the product that comes out of
their division.
Now
I’ve been in self-publishing since 2002 and the buck always stopped with one
person: ME.
And
I’ve made my mistakes. My first two books Isis and The Cassandra Cookbook had
their fair share of typos.
But
I take responsibility for my mistakes. After listening to my readers I worked
out those kinks. And by the time I released All About Marilyn in 2009, The
Temptation of John Haynes in 2011, and All About Nikki-The Fabulous First
Season in 2011, the errors had been drastically reduced. Not eliminated, but
drastically reduced. Eventually, I hope to release a title with next to no
typos.
Now
if a one-man self-publisher like myself can manage a catalog of four paperbacks
and a growing catalog of 20+ digital titles can take responsibility for my
products, why can’t four people supervise a bullpen of hundreds of artists and
writers over 52 titles? Why can’t they delegate responsibility? Why can’t they
hold their subordinates accountable for their actions? Why can’t they have the
integrity to say the buck stops with them before asking fans for their money?
I
mean, all four of these guys combined have more education and experience than I
have. I’m just a struggling brother learning what I can wherever I can. Some of
these guys like Jim Lee have run their own publishing divisions like Wildstorm
in the past. Others Like Bob Harras were editors-in-Chief for an entire company
like Marvel Comics back in the 90’s.
But
when it comes to running DC Comics they come across like a bunch of stooges.
How can Tim Drake NEVER be a Robin when the Batman continuity was supposed to
remain intact after the New 52 relaunch? And where did those new costumes come
from in recent Batman comics? Why wouldn’t management communicate with staff
before they interact with the public on something like this?
If
I were running DC Comics and a member of my staff made a statement like the Tim
Drake one, HEADS WOULD ROLL. That just shows NO ONE is communicating or trying
to communicate.
That
one statement was just about as embarrassing as Grant Morrison and George Perez
not being briefed on each others’ titles for Superman, DC Comics’ FLAGSHIP
character.
A
new DC universe and the same old editorial fuck ups get to keep their jobs
where they continue to make the same mistakes in a brand new world.
If
this doesn’t show anyone the power of White Privilege in the American job
market, nothing will.
If
someone made that mistake regarding flagship characters and I was supervising
DC Comics TimeWarner bosses would have me fired and publicly humiliated.
Because a Black Man wouldn’t be allowed to make these kinds of mistakes over
and over again in America. He’d have to work twice as hard and make sure the
books met a level of excellence to be considered competent by Warner Executives
and White Male comic fans.
But
these four stooges continue to be given an opportunity to destroy a
multibillion dollar brand because of the color of their skin.
Again,
who’s minding the Multiverse? Where is the LEADERSHIP? Where are the STANDARDS?
Isn’t this supposed to be the division of a multibillion dollar corporation?
Shawn
has to get himself a job at DC Comics. It seems to be a great job. I can
basically fuck up for years, get paid huge amounts of money, and never be
responsible for anything. That’s the sweetest gig since the Post Office.
Only
most postal workers are more competent than most of DC’s editorial team.
Seriously,
working at DC Comics today seems to be about the same as working in Civil
Service. I bet they have fat Black chicks with stank attitudes manning the
reception desk just like Civil Service jobs have too. Along with employees who
come to work…Whenever. And Bitch-Made™ people in management who duck and dodge
and send people to do their dirty work but can’t go face-to-face.
That’s
what makes this a shame. A division of a multi-billion dollar corporation mismanaged
to the point where all professionalism has flown out the window. Where a
standard of excellence has been replaced with a culture of mediocrity. When did
DC Comics become the U.S Government?
I
take that back. I wouldn’t want a job at DC Comics. I take pride in my writing.
I take pride in the books I publish. I take pride in the blogs I write. I have
integrity to stand behind my work and to take responsibility for any of the
content I produce. If it’s got an SJS DIRECT label on it, I’ll do my VERY BEST
make sure it meets a standard of excellence and high quality.
I
feel I owe that to my readers. I feel they deserve my greatest efforts for
their money. That’s why I work late at night, weekends, and even early mornings
to make sure that my work is the best it can be.
I
work harder for peoples’ 99 cents than all the people at DC Comics do for
$4.00.
That’s
embarrassing.
And
what’s even more embarrassing is that most people will pay $4.00 for that DC
Comic because they take for granted it’s a corporate label. But those same
people will pass by my 99 cent eBook or my $15.00 self-published paperback thinking
the quality is lower than the DC Comic.
When
they’re just about the same.
If
the employees of a publisher can’t hold themselves accountable for the
publications they produce, then they shouldn’t be a publishing anything. If
they can’t value the customer to stand behind their products and take
responsibility for them, then they shouldn’t ask for their hard-earned money.
With
great power comes great responsibility. I wish someone at DC Comics would
realize that.
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