The CRAZIEST Comics Ever Published!

Scott Shaw! · Last edited by Scott Shaw! on Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:57 pm; edited 3 times in total

Y'know, I probably brought this upon myself, but after the moderator of CBR's "Classic Comics" plugged a site called "Stupid Comics", I've been bickering with its creators. I'm obviously wasting my time and am probably hurting ODDBALL COMICS' reputation in the process, but it doubly annoys me to see someone trying to exploit the same territory as my "intellectual property" exhibited at this site (one that I put untold hours of effort into) and at the same time, taking such a snarky attitude toward comics (I even hate the term "Stupid Comics") that I love. Just about everyone involved on that thread is acting like a jerk, including myself -- although the guys who run "Stupid Comics" strike me as "sounding" a lot like THE SIMPSONS' Nelson "HAH-ha!" Muntz -- but I can't help but feel violated by their site (replicating a lot of material they must have first seen here) and their generally shitty attitude toward ODDBALL COMICS and myself. Read the whole mess here:

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=186405

Look, I can't help but feel similarly territorial about "Superdickery", Craig Yoe's "Modern Arf", "Comic Book Heaven" (although Scott Saavedra is a nice guy with a sincere attitude toward funnybooks) and other similar sites. It's a fact that ODDBALL COMICS was by far the first...and it's my opinion that it's still the best...of this sort of examination of the silly side of comics! I may be overreacting, but I defy anyone expending as much time and effort as I do into this "intellectual property" --obviously, I don't own the rights to the comics themselves -- to feel otherwise.

I may come off like an utter asshole on this subject, but in this case I think I have a right to, and absolutely stand by my comments about these unoriginal and generally unfunny copycats.

Aloha,

Scott!

P.S.: I'm not particularly looking for validation or criticism here -- mainly, just venting -- but if you have any comments either way, I'm certainly willing to read 'em. -- SS!
_________________
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

airboy · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 510 Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Scott,

I think your approach with ODDBALL COMICS is spot on. You show respect for your subject matter, treat each title with enough of a scholarly approach to allow readers to place it in context, and still have a ball with the material.

By contrast, the other sites to which you refer display an appalling ignorance of comic book history, and their writers seem to be motivated by nothing more than a desire to appear superior.

So --- go get 'em!

Cheers,
Roger
_________________
Roger Freedman
"In weirdness is the preservation of the world"

Scott Shaw! · Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:49 am Post subject:

Thanks, Roger. As I wrote, I'm NOT looking for validation here, but it's reassuring to read that someone "gets" what I'm doing here, why I'm doing it and why I'm so annoyingly passionate and possessive about ODDBALL COMICS.

Aloha,

Scott!
_________________
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Sijo · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 1222 Location: Puerto Rico

Indeed, Scott. As Airboy pointed out, Oddball Comics is *very* different (and far more enjoyable) than any site that just pisses on certain genres just because the author hates them. That's no better than any irate fan's blog. Ignore them and continue with your good work here. Smile

Dave Wilson · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 85 Location: Rochester, NY

Scott, you've got good reason to vent. As Roger and Sijo have pointed out, it's clear that you appreciate not only the quirkiness of the comics you talk aboutl, but their history as well. Your approach is both as a fan as well as someone who's worked in the business as well. You have a lot of first hand knowledge about all the things people have to go to just to get comics on the stands. The other sites come across as just a bunch of kids making snide remarks.

Unfortunately it's all too common that most people just point at yesterday's popular culture and snicker. There's often a smug sense of superiority that today's current hit show, musician, comic, etc., is somehow automatically better and will last forever. At least it does until people get bored with it, and start looking around for something else.

It's easy to understand your frustration, Scott. Yeah, a lot of comics are odd, incredibly odd at times, but they were a still a lot of fun. It's too bad that that can't be said for most of the current crop of comics.

dan_bailey · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 20

Obviously (to anyone who's looked at the CBR thread), I disagree, & I'm afraid that the truest thing I've read in this whole debacle-of-sorts is Scott!'s assertion above that

Scott Shaw! · Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:40 am Post subject:

Point taken, Dan. Thanks for weighing in. You're absolutely welcome to your own opinion, and I have no hard feelings toward you because you disagree with me on the original CBR thread or here. (Actually, it's kinda nice to see you at ODDBALL COMICS, even if it took a controversy to get you here.)

Aloha,

Scott!
_________________
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

dan_bailey · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 20

Thanks, Scott! Maybe this time I can stick ... I'm such a ridiculous creature of habit that once I've typed my fingers to bloody stubs on CBR (& ... uh ... Baseball for the Thinking Fan), I have a hard time making my way to other sites that I love.

(Having browser problems at home doesn't help, either. I've gotta call the fershlugginer shop as soon as I submit this, in fact, to find out why ever since I had my machine debugged a couple of months ago, Internet Explorer no longer recognizes various accounts of mine while Netscape will, even though IE is far more useful in general. And why I can't seem to download Firefox, period.)

bchan · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:15 pm Post subject:

The whole thing is ridiculous. Dave and Shaindle's site is LOL funny, and God knows the world needs the lulz these days, so what's the harm?

Just as one can't own the school playground, one can't copyright derision. I don't think anyone's trying to horn in on anyone's turf here. The monkeybars belong to everybody.

MacQuarrie · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 786

Scott Shaw! · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject:

Gee, I thought I DESIGNED and BUILT these monkeybars.

But seriously, Jim definitely "gets" the primary intention of ODDBALL COMICS. (I don't think he'd put in the time and effort he does in scanning and teching things for this site if he didn't!)

Aloha,

Scott!
_________________
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

bchan · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:17 pm Post subject:

Scott Shaw! · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject:

I wasn't speaking of "ridicule and satire". I WAS referring to the humorous examination of old funnybooks that everyone else sneers at...and which I began to present to the public over thirty years ago, at midnight screenings of my slideshow at the San Diego Comic-Con. (Please read my Introduction here for more information on this.)

But let's agree to disagree, shall we, Bchan? And while you're here, please stay a while and look around ODDBALL COMICS. I'll sure you'll find lots of stuff to enjoy (there're nearly 1,200 entries in the Oddball Archives)...and hopefully you'll see why I'm so proud of what my efforts have yielded here at ODDBALL COMICS.

Aloha,

Scott!
_________________
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -- Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

bchan · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject:

JUNGLE JIM ENGEL · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 681

Wow---I went to that other thread...the animosity towards our boy Scott! snowballs in a big fat hurry, doesn't it?

I've been in & out of threads on other sites that resulted in everybody burning ME in effigy, too (on Comicon.com I suggested that pornography was morally wrong and that I felt a comic dealer busted for it has reaped what he'd sown...on Termite Terrace Trading Post I tried to explain why McKimson cartoons suck...it goes on)...it's...disquieting...

Scott, I think this is (another) age thing. The tone of your antagonists sounds very YOUNG. You represent the old guard to these punks.

Frank Sinatra bad-rapping Elvis...

Spike Milligan saying he was there before Python...

C.C. Beck explaining why his style is better than Barry Smith's...

They don't wanna hear it Pops. They LIKE the swear words and the rip-'em-a-new-one tone. You're Andy Griffith. They want Sarah Silverman. They don't care that in your day ya didn't work blue to get a laugh.

Seriously, I wish it were manditory that all internet posts include the age of the poster. I'd read stuff that infuriated me, then see it was written by some kid, and not bother to try and set him straight/educate him. Save myself some grief.
_________________
"Buddy, if you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys, then YOU'RE one of the BAD guys!" Chester Gould