Medieval vs. Modern

I'm currently rereading Barbara W. Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century." Some people think that history is irrelevant -- and really old history is really irrelevant. I disagree. People don't really change that much over time, and seeing how others act in similar situations to ours can be illustrative (plus there's the added insight of understanding how we got to where we are).

Case in point: a passage from Tuchman's book talking about one of the few female practicing doctors of the age:

At the University of Bologna in the 1360s the faculty included Novella d'Andrea, a woman so renowned for her beauty that she lectured behind a veil lest her students be distracted. Nothing is said, however, of her professional capacity.

And then this news item from last week, where Debrahlee Lorenzana claims in court papers that she was forced out of her Manhattan Citibank job because she was too good looking. Her male managers found her appearance "too distracting."

Two women at work, separated by almost 900 years. So how much have we really progressed?

This Week in Law hosts an exception discussion of copyright

Although not a lawyer, I'm a big fan of This Week in Law. Program #62 was particularly outstanding, especially in providing real insight and practical, first-hand looks at the use and value of copyright in a file-sharing world. Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing editor and author, along with Mike Masnick of TechDirt discussed with host Denise Howell and regular Evan Brown how files haring and "piracy" hasn't hurt or devalued their creative content.

Many studies have shown that when it comes to music, a record label's best customers are those who share files. I encourage you to listen to this podcast episode even if you normally don't (or don't think a law-oriented discussion is your cup of tea).

Among other things, Doctorow presents an interesting concept; that the emotional investment companies have in their business models often trumps the practicality of said models. It certainly explains the continued efforts of the RIAA!

Doctorow tells the story of what happened when the E.U. considered changing database copyright laws. In Europe, database information can be copyrighted, giving each information company its own little monopoly. In America, this information can't be copyrighted. Result: In America the information industry grew 25 times over the same period the European information industry declined. Apparently, the only thing that prevented a sharper decline were the investments some European companies made in American firms.

So what happened when the E.U. looked into lifting the copyright restrictions on databases? In reality, everyone could see it was the way to go, but even the companies that invested in the U.S. firms weren't emotionally ready to give up their exclusive control. So the restrictions remain, to the benefit of the U.S. industry, and the detriment of the European.

There's more in this program, such as how the lack of copyright spurs fashion innovation and why link farms don't matter. This is important stuff, and something we should all be informed about. Because the laws being put on the books, and the draconian punishments that go with them, aren't being formed on the reality of the situation, but on the emotional investment of the major players -- and that affects all of us.

Breaking the Fourth Wall of Comics

Last Thursday two cartoonists teamed up to create something unique. Each turned in their regular comic strip that with a gag. But if you were lucky enough to read them on the same comics page, both together created a third gag that perhaps was greater than the whole.

To start the process, look at Stephen Pastis' strip "Pearls Before Swine."

If you've follow "Pearls Before Swine," you know that Pastis has riffed on the squeaky-clean single-panel comic "Family Circus" before. And perhaps you might think it was Pastis just having fun at another strip's expense.

Now look at the Family Circus panel for the same day.

The "Not Me" gag is a well-established one, and there have been variants on this theme for years. The mother demands to know who spilled the milk, or broke the vase, or tracked mud into the house, and one or more of the children say "Not Me" as the aptly-named invisible character runs away.

If you saw the "Family Circus" without the "Pearls Before Swine" strip, you might think this was just another Not Me gag.

But it's not.

Usually Not Me runs away with a mischievous glance over its shoulder. Not this time. Note that Not Me walks away with a shrug -- not even it knows who threw the sunflower seeds on the floor.

And there in lies the genius of this collaboration. By breaking the fourth wall (in this case, the barrier between comics), Pastis and Keene have delivered a joke that is far funnier (in part because its unexpected) than either strip delivers individually.

Now that's comic genius.

Legacy strips:frozen or fresh? Part 2

Time Magazine published a list of the ten longest-running newspaper comic strips. In part 1 I talked about those that seems frozen in time -- and creatively frozen as well. But just because the original artist dies, the creative development of the comic strip doesn't have to die as well (or turn into a zombie). It can become the starting point for the the new artistic team. From Time Magazine's list, here are the strips I think are fresh rather than frozen.

Little Orphan Annie - The last creative team to work on Annie did the best they could to update this 86-year-old strip. Annie started wearing jeans, the stories had contemporary settings, but it was all for naught. People who came to the comic because they loved the movie didn't relate to the adventure-style stories. Unlike times past, readers are receptive to new gag strips, but are completely uninterested in new (or even revamped) narrative strips. A noble effort, nonetheless.

Gasoline Alley - This is one of the few strips where characters age (albeit not quite as quickly as in the real world). The current artist, Jim Scancarelli has made major changes in Gasoline Alley, keeping the story -- and the world it inhabits -- growing and evolving. Phyllis Wallet, a mainstay of the strip since the 1930's died of old age during his tenure. Characters leave the strip, and new ones appear. Situations change, and children are born. Just like the real world, life goes on. Slow, organic growth that results in major changes over time.Very fresh, though with a patina of age.

Prince Valiant - Another strip where characters age. When Hal Foster created Val, he was a young boy newly arrived at King Arthur's court. Over a half century later (being a Sunday-only strip, time moves very slowly), he's now a late middle-aged family man. The current creative team of Gary Gianni and Mark Schultz are moving the stories in a more fantasy-oriented direction, bringing them in line with current tastes of comics readers. Maintaining the high standards of the past in contemporary form, fresh in look and stories.

Brenda Starr - Currently written by a journalist, this strip has dramatically changed since Dale Messick's death. Characters have aged, and the trials and tribulations of Ms. Starr reflect the current unsettled market of newspaper reporters in general. The strip has hit the right balance of adventure, drama, and commentary on the very medium it's printed on (thanks to current writer Mary Schmich, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune) and a clean, modern graphic look as drawn by June Brigman. Building a new story on a strong foundation -- fresher than the newspapers that carry it.

Legacy strips: frozen or fresh? Part 1

The big news in sequential art (newspaper comic strips) was the demise of Little Orphan Annie. After 86 years, the strip's syndicator called it quits. In honor of the event, Time Magazine published a list of the 10 longest-running comic strips. It's an interesting lineup.

1. B.C.
2. Dennis the Menace
3. Beetle Baily
4. Annie
5. The Katzenjammer Kids
6. Gasoline Alley
7. Blondie
8. Dick Tracy
9. Prince Valiant
10. Brenda Starr

As I view it, the strips seem to fall into two categories: those hampered by their legacies, and those trying to build on them.This post we'll look at former from Time Magazine's list.

What happens when a legacy strip's frozen? It's pretty much the way the original artist left it. The style of the artwork is followed as closely as possible. The cast of characters doesn't change.The clothes, the gags, settings and tropes don't change, and everything remains just the way the artist left it. From Time Magazine's list, here are the frozen:

B.C. - Did you know the original creators are long dead? You can't tell from the strip, which hasn't changed at all. B.C. is so frozen its got freezer burn.

Dennis the Menace - The art's changed slightly, but the last new character added was tomboy Gina, back in the 1970's. Dennis still bugs Mr. Wilson, still reveals embarrassing secrets, and so on. Brrr.

Beetle Bailey - The addition of Gizmo as the tech-crazy IT guy updates the strip slightly, but you can count on seeing Sarge falling off a cliff and hanging from a branch at least once a month. And Beetle will appear beaten to a pulp at least twice monthly. Pretty frosty

The Katzenjammer Kids - The hi-jinx of these mischevious kids has been toned down as sensibilities changed, and the art is cleaner and less detailed -- a nod to the shrinking panel size. Although still set in German South-West Africa (as it has since its inception in 1897), the native population has virtually disappeared from the strip, primarily due to evolving attitudes about depicting the same. In terms of creative development, though, it's still 1916. Slightly thawed, but only slightly.

Blondie - Although the characters don't age, there have been changes to the strip. Since Chic Young died, Blondie has started a catering business, Dagwood now carpools instead of catching the bus, J.C. Dithers and CO. uses computers instead of typewriters, etc. Although the basic gags remain the same, this is a strip that comfortably works within its established boundries rather than be hampered by them. Defrosted.

Dick Tracy - Max Allan Collins stove mightily to update the character after the death of creator Chester Gould, but he was only partially successful. Dick Tracy is no longer involved with the Moon men (don't ask), but he still fights an endless stream of grotesque villains with Dickensian name in the pattern established by Gould. The only real difference is that the art is less detailed (shrinking space) and the story arcs are shorter. The current Dick Tracy does little more than recycle past glories without the seat-of-the-pants inventiveness Gould brought to the strip. Permafrost's building on this one.

Next: Fresh not frozen! The comic strips that effectively build on their legacies.