There was a time when Miller HATED Hollywood.

You tell me what he has done with (or is it to) the Spirit and tell me whether or not he has indeed sold out.

I don’t really believe that Frank *wants* to produce work like DK2 and ASBAR, but that’s what is expected of him from his “adoring fans” and the publishers (a lot of which because he has brought upon himself by not expanding into other concepts and styles of writing), so that’s what he produces, and of course he does it for the money. That makes him a sell out in my mind.

Hang on, you accuse Frank Miller of selling out, because YOU THINK he doesn’t want to do what he does…

Normally, selling out comes about from an artist taking on a more commercial direction, or switching paths to do something more popular – not an artist who has basically kept course with how their career was going.
If anything, most fans seem to wish he would ‘sell out’, as they don’t like him doing what he seems to be interested in at the moment.

When I read them, I imagine the commenter thinking, “Too…hard…to…just…compliment…must…
somehow…work in….dig.”

Setup then punchline. Successful comic this go around.

This has quietly become the most subversive part of this blog, totally sneaking in under the radar with those first few banal outings.

Oh boy, thanks, guys!

Okay, rereading what I wrote, it did come off harsher than what I intended. I indeed do think the first outings were banal, but that’s exactly what I think makes the latest outings so damn good. It feels like reading the Family Circus and watching it become more and more like The Far Side right before your eyes. If it just started out awesome and stayed that way, that would be one thing, If it just started out banal and remained that way that would also be understandable. But this strip, to me, has recent outings so much better than the initial ones that I think it’s actually MORE impressive than if it was just awesome the whole time, because that must mean that the original ones were either just “meh” on purpose in order to suckerpunch readers with the REALLY good stuff later, or the creators just improved their skills THAT much, which is really quite commendable. A similar example is the comic strip Rose is Rose. When first reading that, it seemed like a typical sappy and saccharine family comic strip, but after reading a while you realize it’s brilliance approaching the level of a Winsor McKay or Steve Ditko.

I don’t really believe that Frank *wants* to produce work like DK2 and ASBAR, but that’s what is expected of him from his “adoring fans” and the publishers (a lot of which because he has brought upon himself by not expanding into other concepts and styles of writing), so that’s what he produces, and of course he does it for the money. That makes him a sell out in my mind.

You could maybe argue that Miller didn’t want to do DK2 in the first place, but I don’t think you could accuse him of doing it the way he did because “that’s what is expected of him from his “adoring fans”". I really don’t think anyone expected DK2 to be what it was.

If Miller was selling out he’d be either retreading his former glories or producing tepid toe-the-line “safe” work. He’s not doing either. He’s just having a laugh.

“I really don’t think he has. Frank Miller does exactly what he wants and gets paid loads for it.
Selling out is when you do what you don’t want to do because you get paid loads for it.”

I don’t really believe that Frank *wants* to produce work like DK2 and ASBAR, but that’s what is expected of him from his “adoring fans” and the publishers (a lot of which because he has brought upon himself by not expanding into other concepts and styles of writing), so that’s what he produces, and of course he does it for the money. That makes him a sell out in my mind.

Dan Apodaca:

” I think they’re pointing out how hackneyed Miller’s writing style is, and why it’s a bad fit for Will Eisner’s material.”

“Hackneyed” – To cause to become trite and banal through overuse.

Gee, I’d say that definition applies to fair majority of the writers currently working in popular fiction, comics, film and television alike. Why pick on Miller for writing style, then?

Maybe it’s not about writing style but about him leeching off the legacy of Will Eisner? Hm?

Actually, no, I think they’re pointing out how hackneyed Miller’s writing style is, and why it’s a bad fit for Will Eisner’s material.

Sorta clever, but ultimately this isn’t much more than fanboys complaining about something they haven’t seen yet which you can get on any message board any day of the week. It’s really just the same crassness that I’ve come to expect from this strip. But at least its funnier than six weeks of the same lame jokes about bat-porn.

Keep complaining about the batpr0n jokes six weeks (or something like that) after they’ve been made on the other hand, that’s perfectly acceptable, apparently.

I don’t think it’s fanboys complaining by the way, I think it’s just a joke (a pretty funny one at that). One that wouldn’t even work if you’re not at least superficially familiair with the work of both Miller and Eisner.

They’re making a comment about Frank Miller and how much he’s sold himself out.

I really don’t think he has. Frank Miller does exactly what he wants and gets paid loads for it.

Selling out is when you do what you don’t want to do because you get paid loads for it.

(though really I have nothing against people who do sell out)

Just how I felt when I saw the Spirit trailer that was more a Sin City 2 ad… The holes in the mask are so big they’re pointless…

When I read Frank Miller’s comment that “we both love beautiful women and New York” I thought “Oh no…. This is going to be soooo wrong…”

And “The Octopus… err well, it’s just a cool name…. and he’s got eight of everything!” I take it, Mr Miller you missed the imagery of inky, murkiness, depths, tentacles stretched out, entwined in everything…. Oboy…

Actually, they’re not complaining about the *movie* at all. They’re making a comment about Frank Miller and how much he’s sold himself out.

Also, T, I don’t think the word “banal” means what you think it means.

That was gold!

Every second panel had a gag, and the ending was a twist!

Loving it!

When I read them, I imagine the commenter thinking, “Too…hard…to…just…compliment…must…
somehow…work in….dig.”

Setup then punchline. Successful comic this go around.

This has quietly become the most subversive part of this blog, totally sneaking in under the radar with those first few banal outings.

Oh boy, thanks, guys!