Every Wednesday, I talk about comics with Brandon Montclare, writer of the hit Image series Rocket Girl and co-writer of Marvel’s upcoming Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series.
We gab about what we’re reading now, what books we consider classics (Brandon loves Dark Knight Strikes Again…), and the hottest gossip of the industry. Occasionally, the inimitable artist Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl, Batwoman) stops by. Check out our full show archive at podcornpodcast.com.
Much ado has been made over the last week about disclosure. In the wake of Hannah Means-Shannon‘s exit as editor-in-chief of Bleeding Cool and her hiring as an associate editor at Dark Horse, many in the comics community find themselves questioning the relationship between comics journalists and the industry they cover. Unlike being a journalist in basically any other media-related field, it is almost impossible to work in or around comics for any period of time without getting to know a lot of people. The basis of this very podcast is demonstrable of this, given my position as a journalist and Brandon’s as a writer. This creates conflicts of interest– something Emma Houxbois sought to dug into with her piece on Means-Shannon.
While the article does have its merits, it also presents opinion and hearsay as fact, notably alleging that Means-Shannon “disparage[d]” Janelle Asselin‘s exposé of Dark Horse former editor-in-chief Scott Allie at New York Comic Con without providing a source. This article has sparked another controversy, separate from but related to, the discussion it intended to inspire: what makes good reporting? Why are we allowing opinions and un-researched hearsay to be presented alongside, and thus obfuscate, facts?
Yesterday, the Comics Beat editor-in-chief, Heidi MacDonald, wrote an article about disclosure and comics reporting. This week on Podcorn, Brandon and I aim to continue the discussion. We look at how journalists can navigate conflicts of interest, the importance of disclosure, and how comics journalism can seek to improve itself.
Intro/Outro music this week is New Wave by Sleater-Kinney, from their album No Cities to Love. Sleater-Kinney Guitarist Carrie Brownstein released a memoir entitled Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl last week and it is amazing!!!
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