Video Games and Comics Could Suffer the Same Fate

By Gus Mastrapa in Pretension +1

Friday, July 23, 2010 at 10:00 am

This weekend, geeks from around the world are converging on San Diego to celebrate a shared passion for movies, television anime, video games, action figures, collectible vinyl and, if there's any time, a little old thing called the comic book.

Once comics were a primary form of entertainment for millions of Americans. Now, they're sidelined -- shoved into a corner while movies, video games and a zillion other sexier diversions steal the limelight.

Sure, Stan Lee still leaves the nerds atwitter when he excelsiors onto the convention center floor. And Bryan Lee O'Malley, creator of the delightful Scott Pilgrim comic (now a major motion picture and video game), is enjoying his moment in the sun.

But for the most part comics creators are second class citizens. They struggle to sell books. Their panels are sparsely attended. And they're all but forgotten when the movie comes out.

It may seem impossible now, but video games could someday be in the same place.

See, there's always something new. Its impossible to imagine now, but ten or twenty years from now the kids may abandon video games as old hat.

Who knows what they'll be into? Going outside? Inception? Astral projection? Hover boarding?

Its impossible to predict now. Just as the notion of the video game would have seemed improbable to a kid reading E.C. Comics and Mad Magazine.

But it happened. Video games came along and helped drink comic books' milkshake. Someday a longer, cooler straw will dip into ours.

And before that day comes we should start preparing, start thinking about those who made the games we love.

Not the companies, but the people.

Too few comics creators are remembered and, criminally, remunerated for the characters and stories they came up with. Unfortunately, many game designers have set themselves up for the same fate.

Because of the way business works they've signed over their babies to uncaring corporations. Companies will continue to flog the property for decades to come and those who conceived the concepts, created the characters and invented the gameplay won't get the cash or the credit -- all because they signed a shitty contract.

Any geek worth their salt knows the tale of comics writer Alan Moore losing the rights to Watchmen. There are similar stories in games. Richard Garriott lost his Ultima series, games born during teenage roleplaying sessions, to Electronic Arts.

You can bet there will be more sad stories like that in our future.

Already, some creators are starting to get the picture -- signing deals with (ironically) Electronic Arts that allow them to retain the rights to the intellectual property they created. But these moves are too little too late.

When Hollywood finally starts figuring out how to make video game movies that don't suck (perhaps Edgar Wright can teach them a thing or two) they'll start strip-mining our stories and characters like there's no tomorrow. And tons of talented, imaginative people won't see a dime from the millions that are made on their backs.

So every year when Comic Con rolls around let the sound of nerds nerding out be our wake-up call.

Creators, cover your collective asses. Fans, remember your creators. Don't let them die poor like Jack Kirby. Don't leave them lonely and unappreciated in Artist's Alley.

And while we're all at it let's do the right thing and buy a comic or two.

Pretension +1 is a weekly column by Gus Mastrapa that takes a bird's eye view of the pop culture circle of life.