'Nuff Said: American Graphic Media

    I like this kickstarter for a couple of reasons.  First, I think the idea of pulp adventure stories rooted in the African-American experience can be compelling entertainment while challenging assumptions about African and African-American failure in the 20th century.  Second, the embrace of a transmedia approach allows these creators to build an audience that cuts across fragmented fan communities. I'm wishing them luck!

This the perfect example of not quite understanding superhero comic book history, but wanting to capitalize on the cultural capital associated with the genre.  Heroes Reborn, while making perfect branding sense, calls attention to a much maligned comics "event" from the 1990s.

  Is the key to greater diversity in comics and related media a change in corporate policy or greater activism by minority creators?  Minority creators can create engaging materials, but the question remains whether or not the public will get a chance to see it.

The games have gotten better for each Iron Man movie. If this trailer is any indication, this might be the best one yet.

Marvel continues to infuse the "feel" of comic books into products across platforms.  This tactic avoids alienating long time fans, but opens the door to a new audience excited by film and television adaptations.  While DC Comic struggles with finding the right tone for many of its Golden Age characters, Marvel's Silver Age origins allow better flexibility for adaption.  As creators adapt the stories for new platform, much of the youthful anxiety and societal uncertainty inherent to Marvel's 1960s stories can be transferred to contemporary debates. Something to consider as DC and Marvel bring major movie releases to theaters this summer. 

The recent announcement that USA Network is teaming with DC Comics to bring a new series of comics revealing what happen between season four and five of the hit series Burn Notice shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. One of the highest rated shows on basic cable, the partnership makes sense for both sides. While Burn Notice is big hit for basic cable, it still relatively unknown compared to broadcast television. As the Saturday Night Live skit about Burn Notice demonstrates, most of the U.S. viewing audience hasn't seen the show. This fact highlights one of the key realities about modern media. The media landscape is splintered, with small groups of viewers dedicated to shows that most other Americans may have heard about vaguely, but haven't seen. For all the mad love for MAD MEN , the show averages little more than two million viewers per episode. In comparison, the lowest rated broadcast show can easily triple that number. Basic cable's advantage i...