Re: Critics do to Mack what builders do to sacred
SUN, 2/1/04, 6:00 a.m. - In Response To: Critics do to Mack what builders do to sacred land (smokinghawk)

I appreciate your thoughtfulness about that. And I think I do relate to it similar to the analogy that you mentioned. But also I look at it in the positive way that you mentioned. The truth is that the DD sales didn’t fall. All those issues sold consistent with the previous DD issues. You can see a conservative estimate of the sales of every DD issue on the manwithoutfear.com site.
And though there were those critics that you mentioned, there were many more, and many more readers, that related to it profoundly and personally.

And that story still has a huge life after the monthly issues. It hasn’t found its entire audience yet. It will live on in bookstores in paperback and hardcover collections and find new readers in book stores. I look at the life of the story in long term, not short term.

And I don’t hold anything against those “critics”. Many of them are very young kids. Some fresh out of high school (or still in), or veteran critics with a one track mind. Many will out grow their narrow mindedness. Others will not. But I don’t subscribe to their limited paradigme of what is a good or bad work. In fact, sometimes a critic has blown off my Echo story, and then praised books that I myself find shallow, boring, redundant, and meaningless. When they hold up one of those books as an example of their perfect comic book, it becomes very clear to me that I should be glad they do not like my book! It shows that I am doing something right. Then I am grateful for them not liking it. Because if they think those other books were amazing, I’d prefer to know my story was not their kind of story. It shows a natural barometor for their grading scale, which I think is obvious to anyone who reads their criticisms.

So I don’t feel a need to argue. I think it is pretty evident to readers when a so called critic isn’t as smart as they think they are. I trust the readers and give them credit to see past the narrow-mindedness of these critics. And I appreciate those that perhaps are able to look beyond their usually reading habits and face the work with an open mind, and see it for what it is, rather than what they are used to, or the box they had hoped it would fit into.

It doesn’t crush my spirit about it at all. I do the stories for a reason. Not to get critical praise and not to make money. I know how to do the kind of stories that would lead to fast praise and fast money, but I am driven by a need to tell the stories that I am compelled to tell. The act of doing them is their own reward. It is a meaningful process for me. And those readers that share in it bring a huge additional ripple effect reward.

I always get this kind of reaction to every one of my books, from some place or another. I have from the beginning of my Kabuki work. Some critics hale an issue as amazing and innovative, others dismiss the same issue out of hand because it does not look like what their version of a comic book is.

I vary the style, and story pace, and media in my books. So every issue of Kabuki, there has always been someone who has been upset that a story is in black and white, or upset that it is in color, or upset that it is painted, or upset that it was too dense, or upset that it was not dense enough, or upset that it read too slow, or read too fast, or had too much action, or not enough action, or whatever. I vary each of my issues in storytelling pace and structure. I like the contrast it builds in the over all story. The more insightful people get it right away. But others have trouble fitting it into their paradigme because it doesn’t play by their rules. My books play by their own rules. Not by the rules of other books.

Then years later, they decide that it is good and innovative. Often some readers or “critics” need to let some time pass, and then re-read the work, years later and they see an entirely different story than they thought they saw. Sometimes they just need a bit more life experience before it can have a deeper meaning for them. That is just the nature of doing something beyond what others are used to in an artform. To get that kind of reaction is a GOOD sign. Not a bad one. But then there are the people who don’t get it, even in re-readings or after a space of time. And in that case, as you suggested, you do feel for them that they have not grown, or cannot see beyond their own box.

But the reality is, that most of the readers learn to appreciate it over time. Even if only half the readers get it, then that is a huge number that would never have gotten it if I did not do it. If I didn’t do it, then no one would have liked it or gotten something from it. It is always a win, win situation.

You realize early on, that what the critics say, reveals more about them, than it does about the work.

The work finds its audience. And I make sure that my work stays in print. So it has years and years to gain new readers who aren’t even born yet. Some mean spirited people who couldn’t get their head around the story in the monthly version because it did not fit into their narrow view of what a comic book should be, is nothing compared to all the brand new readers who will find the story in paperback and hardcover in the next few decades.

And often people cannot fully appreciate the contrast of each issue to issue, because they do not understand how the pieces come together as a whole in the story. But I view this unpredictability as a good thing.

Many critics, are so used to being able to predict the cookie cutter structure of a story, because that is all they get, that they think that status quo is the right way to do it. Then when you stray from the status quo it makes them uncomfortable, and they think you are doing something wrong, which I find hilarious.

I love a story that challenges me, and does not talk down to me, but forces me to put the pieces together.

By the way, thanks for choosing to buy those pages of Echo art! I’m sure you’ll hear from Anh asap.

Best,
David

I got a friend one of the Kabuki masks and brought it to two seperate Detroit Comic Cons which you were listed on the bill.

No shows both times, me standing with a mask lookin like a chump.

So do you hate Detroit or is it just me you hate?

Sorry I missed last year. I was sick and didn't want to spread it to my fans.
In apology, I sent hundreds of Kabuki books with Andy Lee, and he gave them away free to anyone who asked for me.
I will be there this May. Hope to see you. I'll be happy to sign.
Best,
DM

April 3 and 4 I think.
Andy Lee and I are scheduled to be there.
Hope to see you there.
DM

here's the link,

http://www.bigapplecon.com

can you confirm this for us David for those wanting to make plans...

best
real-tv

Yeah, that would be really nice. Make it an oversized one of course. You know like the old H.R. Giger hard covers that sell for exorbitant amounts of money. I'd shell out for that.

When your at that con's and see that paintings in full size, it just gives you a warm feeling. You could stay at the booth all day.

We have the cover art book scheduled for this year.

What do you think. All suggestions about any of this will be considered.
Thanks,
DM

Does anyone know how much these are worth? I used to own 2 of them and they were in mint condition, but they were destroyed when our house flooded. For insurance purposes, I have to figure out a value. Please help?

Comic Shop News is available for FREE at your local comic book story. The new one, #867, features a Kabuki cover and a full double page interview with me and Kabuki article about KABUKI- Alchemy.

But get it quick, the new issues come out every week.

(looking sheepish!) hello.....
it's a been a good long while since i posted on here, probably 18 months at least, so i thought i'd come out of lurking mode again! i'm from london. david we met in paris two years back if you've got a good memory!!!

I found a comic in my house that I guess my Dad picked up somewhere. I had to get on the net and find out more about David Mack and what he does. I loved what I saw and I'll be getting more as soon as I can.

Was anyone else as awed by the artwork and poetry as I was?? I love this!!