Unhappy Genius or Happy Journeyman

which would you pick

From CBR article

Is it better to be an unhappy genius or a happy journeyman?

I’m thinking about Tom Brevoort, beloved/respected editor of Marvel Comics and Alan Moore, genius of writing in general and comic books specifically.

There is no rivalry between these men. The comparison I’m about to draw, and the generalizations I am about to make, come purely from my brain, and the two cups of coffee I’ve had this morning.

Tom

This morning I got the weekly edition of one of my favorite substack’s, Man With A Hat. It’s written by Tom Brevoort, one of the senior editors at Marvel Comics (“Master of the Marvel Arts” as he calls himself).

Each edition Man With A Hat is HILARIOUSLY long and detailed. This is the usual format:

• short opening thoughts from Tom,

• then answers questions from readers

• behind the scene documents from the creation of some comic

• list of comics he’s edited that are coming out

• a look back at some comic from years ago

• a look at an entry of his blog that analyzes old comics issues — WHICH HE ALSO UPDATES IN ADDITION TO HIS SUBSTACK

• a few thoughts on non-comics stuff he’s enjoying (especially anime, Doctor Who but really there’s lots of stuff)

• And possibly other sections on cool stuff he’s bought, or thoughts on what makes a good cover, etc.

EVERY. WEEK.

I love this Substack.

And I’m a big fan of Brevoort. Here is a man who has found his proper place in the universe. He’s got a ravenous appetite for comic books in general, and of superheroes in particular - and here he is, helping to run Marvel Comics. From what I can tell, he is beloved and respected.

He certainly seems to be really good at his job. Books he edits are fun, accessible, true to the characters without being trapped by continuity. He’s editing the X-Books right now and in general it’s a very friendly, open vibe going on over tthere.

He also enjoys interacting with fans. He appears on many podcasts (including the one I run with my brother Kevin), posts on social media and of course answers tons of questions each week in his Substack.

His personal vibe is bemused, curious and … perhaps most critically… difficult to get a rise out of. He’s got a spoonful of “Well, Actually” in him —- he will correct people who get facts wrong about comics — and knows more than almost everyone. But he doesn’t seem to revel in that. He’s an editor. He just likes stories to be… right.

I think he interacts with fans not just because he enjoys it. I think he sees it as his responsibility to do it. Marvel was built partly on Stan Lee’s ability to connect with fans via his “Soapboxes” in the old letters pages. Tom’s substack is a modern version of that.

Like I said, I’m a fan.

Alan

Then I started thinking about Alan Moore.

from a ScreenRant article

Alan is a no-doubt-about-it literary genius. He’s most famous for writing Watchmen but what’s more impressive is the sheer volume of stories he’s made — both in comics and out — and the quality therein. Alan Moore stories almost all contain: narrative feats, fascinating characters, jaw-dropping plots, pitch-perfect parodies of genres, horror, humor and some kind of meta-level puzzle you don’t even know about until 10 years after you’ve read it.

That goes for his ambitious graphic novels (and prose novels) or his work-for-hire Green Lantern stories of the early 1980s. Everything.

It’s amazing.

Is He Happy?

Today I wondered: Is Alan as happy as Tom?

Alan Moore pretty famously quit comics over frustrations with the business side. He was never given ownership of the Watchmen characters, which he was promised (this is open to interpretation, but that’s what I believe). He has asked for his name to come off of some of his works - especially when Marvel or DC reprint them. His name was not in the Watchmen movie or TV show (Moore’s choice).

Recent editions of Miracleman reprints credit “The Original Author” with no mention of Alan Moore. It looks insane.. and hilarious?

But Alan clearly still thinks about comics, or at least the business.

About three years ago, Moore published a 230+ page novella What We Can Know About Thunderman, which was a brutal take down of the people who ran the superhero comics industry from (mostly) the 1950s through the 1970s.

It’s funny, mean and perhaps most of all — THOROUGH.

There’s few real people in the Thunderman story. Instead there’s “stand in” characters. Like “Sammy Blatz” is obviously Stan Lee. And “Massive Comics” is obviously supposed to be “Marvel Comics.” “Thunderman” is “Superman.”

Here’s a list of the characters who seem to be portrayed in Thunderman: (based mostly on this list from Alex Grand with a few adjustments from me:

• American Comics – DC Comics

• Massive Comics – Marvel Comics

• Goliath Comics – Atlas Comics

• Punctual Comics – Timely Comics

• Banner Comics – Charlton Comics (?)

• Sammy Blatz – Stan Lee

• Jerry Binkle – Roy Thomas (?)

• Brandon Chuff – Len Wein (?) or Nelson Bridwell (?)

• Sherman Glad – Gardner Fox

• The Streak – The Flash

• Mr. Ocean – Aquaman

• Moon Queen – Wonder Woman

• Omnipotent Pre-Teen Militia – Teen Titans

• Esme Martinez – Ramona Fradon

• Pete Mastroserio – Dick Giordano

• Mimi Drucker – Jenette Kahn

• Dick Duckley – George Carragone

• United Supermen – Justice League of America

• Blinky Comics – Archie Comics

• Tombstone Kid – Two Gun Kid

• Abnormal Tales – Strange Tales

• Journey Into Strange – Journey Into Mystery

• Tales of Astonishing – Tales to Astonish

• Ormazda – Thor

• King Bee – Batman

• World’s Best Adventure – World’s Best Comics

• Exploit Comics – Action Comics

• Thunderman – Superman

• Peggy Parks – Lois Lane

• Manhunt – Detective Comics

• Alarming Adult Reverie – Amazing Adult Fantasy

• Freak Force – X-Men

• Julius Metzenberger – Mort Weisinger

• Jim Lawes – Bill Gaines

• Jim Lawes Sr – Max Gaines

• SP Comics – EC Comics

• Nutcase – MAD

• Schuman and Kessler – Siegel and Shuster

• Zando – Krypto

• Demento – Bizarro

• Thunderstones – Kryptonite

• The Vindictives – The Avengers

• Joe Gold – Jack Kirby

• The Unrealistic Five – The Fantastic Four

• Felix Firestone – Lex Luthor

• Dr. Unrealistic – Mr. Fantastic

• John Monster – Ben Grimm

• The Tank – The Thing

• Insubstantial Girl – Invisible Girl

• National Guard – Captain America

• Robert Novak – Steve Ditko

• Beetle Boy – Spider-Man

• David Moskowitz – Paul Levitz

• Brothers Brothers – Warner Bros.

• Bee Attitude – Batmania

• Jimjon – Biljo White

• Davis Burke – Dick Sprang

• Hooded Vigilante – Alter Ego

• The Massive Collector – Rocket Blast Comic Collector

• Fishman – Sub-Mariner

• Thundermite – Mxyzptlk

• Professor Abnormal – Doctor Strange

• Disturbing – Creepy

• Inappropriate – Eerie

• Shaw Magazines – Warren Magazines

• margins – Witzend

• Slim Whitaker – Wally Wood

• Squack – Zap

• Buzz – Robin

• Caretaker – Guardian

• Bee Buggy – Batmobile

• Denny Wellworth – Archie Goodwin

• Edward Hannigan – Jerry Robinson

• Ron Blackwell – Bill Finger

• Richard Manning – Bob Kane

• Ralph Roth – Marv Wolfman (?)

• Cosmax – Galactus

• Corpse Clutcher, Necro-Filing Clerk, Morgue Minder – The Old Witch, Crypt Keeper, Vault Keeper

• Unbelievable Stories – Amazing Stories

• Albert Kaufman – Harry Donenfeld

• Sidney Rosenfeld – Jack Liebowitz

• Distance – Kinney

• Sol Stickman – Julius Schwartz

• Hector Bass – Robert Kanigher

• Our Unshaven Army – Our Army at War

• Thunderland – Krypton

• Bernard Essler – Max Fleischer

• Zoom Wilson – Flash Gordon

• Flip Fraser – Buster Crabbe

• Donald Adams – Kirk Alyn

• Victor Richards – George Reeves

• Zoron – Jor-El

• Sir Laurence Olivier – Marlon Brando

• Dirk Bogarde – Gene Hackman

• Saul Richard – Christopher Reeve

• Elaine Merchant – Lois Lane

• Lord Varex – Zod

• Macropolis – Metropolis

• Val Guest – Dick Lester

• Brian Ball – Dean Caine

• Kate Porter – Teri Hatcher

• Asher Tarrant – Tom Welling

• Derek Danner – Michael Rosenbaum

• Christopher Gent – Brandon Routh

• Stephen Beacher – Henry Cavill

• Ellie the Escort – Millie the Model

• Jackie Berman – Martin Goodman

• Frank Giardino – Vince Colletta

• The Brute – The Hulk

• Miniman and Minimaid – Ant-Man and Wasp

• Wendy Dietrich – Flo Steinberg

• Massive Pigsty – Marvel Bullpen

• Andrew Donald – Alex Raymond

• Roy Shaw – Jim Warren

• Gene Pullman – Jim Shooter (?)

• Glenfield – Riverdale

• Bottleneck – Jughead

• Dan Wheems - Alan Moore

I think it’s safe to say that thoughts about comics are still sometimes on Alan Moore’s mind. And these thoughts are sour.

What Would Alan Think Of Tom?

Today I wondered — after Tom’s substack arrived in my inbox: what would Alan think of Tom?

See, the other thing about Thunderman is that it doesn’t just go after the unfair corporate practices in comics. It goes after the type of people who run comics. It is particularly vicious about obsessive fanboys.

The adult men in Thunderman, who remain obsessed with the continuity of superheroes, and the integrity of these fictional universes —- they get it pretty good. They come off as emotionally arrested, naive, petty schlumps.

I’m reminded of Dan Clowes old Pussey! stories about fictional superhero comics editor Dan Pussey.

In Thunderman, there’s a Reddit thread where fanboys discussing what they think of recent Thunderman stories. It’s so funny and mean.

A funny thing is I can’t find an excerpt, because when I search for it, all I get are actual Reddit threads of obsessive fanboys talking about Alan Moore!!

Of course it’s not entirely underserved. At least as long as The Simpsons has run, we know well the priggish smug personality of “The Comic Book Guy.”

And Tom looks like what you would probably imagine if I told you to picture a superhero comics editor. The hat, the beard, the t-shirts, the glasses, the spinner rack of comics in the background. Tom is a comics editor straight out of Central Casting.

Even though I do not believe Alan is talking about Tom —- in real life Tom arrived at Marvel after the events Moore is making fun of in his story. Alan may not even know Tom —- though it also wouldn’t surprise me if Alan was a reader of Tom’s Substack!

Certainly, Tom is the KIND of person Alan is making fun of in Thunderman.

Cool Is Not Always Happy

But here’s the thing: Tom is not mockable to me. He’s noble. He’s a guy doing something he’s good at for a company that is really good at doing that thing.

It comes down to this: what’s cool is not always what’s happy. And making fun of the uncool things is sometimes kinda easy pickings, and not really true.Alan is a genius. He’s cool. He’s made cool things.

Tom is an extremely talented and hard-working editor. It’s not the kind of job that invokes descriptions of genius. It’s more journeymen. He’s getting the comics out, and keeping the quality high.

I’m certain the corporate business practices that Alan goes after are vile. I agree with him on that.

But the arrested man-boys on Reddit threads and at conventions? I think they might just be… happy people.

And yes, I’m talking about me.