Good morning and welcome to Comichouse Five, a new blog examining the history of comics and the comic industry.
This all started almost six years ago with a master’s thesis on the transatlantic influences in the development of popular literature; namely, how boys’ literature got from the 1890s to the 1940s, and the different social, literary and artistic forces that shaped it along the way. I focused at that time on the development of the human hero in the detective/mystery tradition, from Holmes to Batman, only slightly touching on the science fiction elements, which I wish I had looked more into. I’m sure all of this may sound quite dry now, but it was exciting at the time.
I do make inroads here and there every now and again, but I currently work full time, do editing and writing work on the side, and have been engaged for the last year, so my plate is quite full. But I hope to have more time to devote to it, and hope I will entertain you in this blog by doing so.
But before you pass this blog over thinking, “oh shit, he’s some long-winded professor”, hold a moment. First, I didn’t pursue my PhD in part because I saw how, by necessity, so many professors had to be in love with their theories and lost sight of the bigger picture, which is something I didn’t want to become. But more than that, my interests and life have taken me into different areas of fiction and experience. This will not be exclusively historical stuff (though there will be some weeks of that) but also posts on the industry as it is today, the different trends in comics that have brought us here, and I may expound on where we may go next.
And more than just a student of comics I am also a participator, and will share my outlook on the functioning of the industry, and I hope pass on some hard-won wisdom that I’ve gathered in the last few years.
So now you know what this blog is about (for now). Also, bear in mind when reading, I will skip around just as much as my mood wants me to, hence the title. The title is a reference to “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut about a man unstuck in time, who randomly pops from year to year and place to place, which I thought was fitting for the orientation of this blog. And much like that book, it’s perfectly possible only those forced to read this blog will actually do so.
Thank you and I will see you next week.