The Comic Book Ice Age

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:10:30 pm

I propose the name "Ice Age" to denote the early nineties where so many comics were overprinted.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:20:04 pm

or the dark age

Doorman · Post by **Doorman** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:33:16 pm

enlighten us to the thought process behind it

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:51:23 pm

Doorman wrote:enlighten us to the thought process behind it

The very name indicates those books won't become hot anytime soon.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:52:51 pm

StarBrand wrote:
Doorman wrote:enlighten us to the thought process behind it
The very name indicates those books won't become hot anytime soon.

Or ever. How about the "landfill age" since that's where most of this stuff ends up.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:55:27 pm

superman-prime wrote:or the dark age

Hahaha

BruceReville · Post by **BruceReville** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:10:13 pm

Ice Age fits as it led to a mass extinction of companies - stores - & collectors.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:19:27 pm

I have a really nice book published by Tomorrows.
Ice Age is cool, but for me it will always be the Dark Age now.
They were some serously dark times

The Dark Age: Grim, Great & Gimmicky Post-Modern Comics

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 4:47:51 pm

Dark Age is good.

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 7:11:48 pm

The early 90s were the worst of times and they were the best of times. Even in the mounds of cow flop there were diamonds to be found and these diamonds probably would not have been published without such (admittedly artificial) volume in the market.

I wonder if the direct market as it exists today nurtures the boom and bust cycle. Not long after the direct market emerged, the black and white explosion exploded and un-exploded. A few years later, the 90s speculator boom hit and depressed the market past 2000. Are we seeing a third boom happening now?

Drift · Post by **Drift** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 7:42:45 pm

I always use the term Dark Age to describe the 90s because of the tone of the material of the time. Everyone was trying to be darker and grittier with new anti-heroes popping up all over the shop. That and the fact that in terms of quality of everything, not just comics, was like being in the Dark Ages with *SQUEE* seeping out everywhere.

Chiclo, I think that it is possible we might be seeing a new boom with TV and movies pushing comics back into the spotlight again. Hopefully the market will grow and thrive a bit more for a bit longer this time.

X-O HoboJoe · Post by **X-O HoboJoe** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:21:57 pm

How bout the "Over-age?"

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:25:32 pm

Chiclo wrote:The early 90s were the worst of times and they were the best of times. Even in the mounds of cow flop there were diamonds to be found and these diamonds probably would not have been published without such (admittedly artificial) volume in the market.

I wonder if the direct market as it exists today nurtures the boom and bust cycle. Not long after the direct market emerged, the black and white explosion exploded and un-exploded. A few years later, the 90s speculator boom hit and depressed the market past 2000. Are we seeing a third boom happening now?

Actually, it seems like a bust time right now. Comic sales were way down last quarter. We'll see how they did in the fourth quarter, but everything I've heard indicates a downward trend. Third quarter shouldn't have fell. Those summer months are usually the best.

Good lord, draco. Cut down that link size.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:24:19 pm

400yrs wrote:
Good lord, draco. Cut down that link size.

Fixed.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 6:30:18 am

Daniel Jackson wrote:
400yrs wrote:
Good lord, draco. Cut down that link size.
Fixed.

Cheers dude, sorry 400, i always forget to use my link shortening powers, either that or im so bloody useless im not sure how to.

ian_house · Post by **ian_house** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:53:42 am

That seems like a good book. Tomorrows seem to publish some interesting stuff.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:53:17 am

ian_house wrote:That seems like a good book. Tomorrows seem to publish some interesting stuff.

They do indeed make some great reading.

StarBrand · Post by **StarBrand** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:56:22 am

X-O HoboJoe wrote:How bout the "Over-age?"

greg · Post by **greg** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 10:08:16 am

StarBrand wrote:
X-O HoboJoe wrote:How bout the "Over-age?"

Perfect!

I always thought the best name for what caused the downfall of the market was "Cleav-age"...
but there are plenty of modern comics that keep that trend going.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:44:14 am

Draco wrote:
Daniel Jackson wrote:
400yrs wrote:
Good lord, draco. Cut down that link size.
Fixed.
Cheers dude, sorry 400, i always forget to use my link shortening powers, either that or im so bloody useless im not sure how to.

I'm in the latter boat.

jridd28 · Post by **jridd28** » Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:50:03 am

StarBrand wrote:
Doorman wrote:enlighten us to the thought process behind it
The very name indicates those books won't become hot anytime soon.

LOL, thats pretty good!!!

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 1:36:07 pm

Drift wrote:I always use the term Dark Age to describe the 90s because of the tone of the material of the time. Everyone was trying to be darker and grittier with new anti-heroes popping up all over the shop. That and the fact that in terms of quality of everything, not just comics, was like being in the Dark Ages with *SQUEE* seeping out everywhere.

As a teenager reading comics in the 90s I never did and still don't find the tone nowhere near as dark and grim a lot of people do. Most of the so-called new anti-heroes were just the same as the standard superheroes were.
Yeah there were some books with dark tones Watchmen, Miracleman, John Byrne's Next Men, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Batman: Arkham Asylem but these were few and far between. IMHO the current comics age that we're in is the Dark Age and the 90s were the second Golden Age.

OmenSpirits.com · Post by **OmenSpirits.com** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 4:13:27 pm

Cyberstrike wrote:
Drift wrote:I always use the term Dark Age to describe the 90s because of the tone of the material of the time. Everyone was trying to be darker and grittier with new anti-heroes popping up all over the shop. That and the fact that in terms of quality of everything, not just comics, was like being in the Dark Ages with *SQUEE* seeping out everywhere.
As a teenager reading comics in the 90s I never did and still don't find the tone nowhere near as dark and grim a lot of people do. Most of the so-called new anti-heroes were just the same as the standard superheroes were.
Yeah there were some books with dark tones Watchmen, Miracleman, John Byrne's Next Men, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Batman: Arkham Asylem but these were few and far between. IMHO the current comics age that we're in is the Dark Age and the 90s were the second Golden Age.

QFT.