Say What?! - Is Hostility A Good Thing?

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Ever since Marvel and DC started using incorporated universe back in the 1960s there have been people who fall into one camp or the other. Some people would salivate at the mouth getting ready for a battle between the X-Men and the Avengers while a different set of people would rather see a team-up of Batman and Superman. While it's fairly obvious I fall into the former category, both are valid preferences.

(Of course the less said of those freaks who want to read about some guy spawned from Hell or some boy genius or other the better.)

While these alliance ran deep back when, since the internet has allowed everyone to communicate the feeling of propriety has grown ten fold. The companies have become avatars for people themselves and an insult against the company is an insult against some poster on the internet. At what point does this go too far and actually hurt the industry?

Most freelancers don't have a problem with either company, even if they sign exclusives with one. They work for the art or the paycheck (or both) and that's that. They have friends at all the companies and I'm sure they have people they don't care for at each company too. So why then do fans take it more personally than those who work for the company? Is it simply brand loyalty? Is it the lack of anything else to care about? Have they simply not grown up?

And what is the impact on the industry as a whole? Tom Brevoort talks about his recent experience dealing with this interoffice hostility and gives us a glimpse that it may be more of the full-time staffers of at least one company. (Important note: It is not everyone at said company and not that company alone, merely the example provided.) Is it better to have such an antagonistic industry if it drives sales? Is it conducive to creators' rights to have such animosity among the major studios? Will the industry stagnate if they are too buddy-buddy?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Let us all know your feelings on the matter by commenting below and let's get down and dirty on the subject.

Goblin
Posted to Say What? on 3 July 2008 · Comments (1)
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