Fandom push back is like Peanut Butter(?)
Comic Reviews for week ending 9/4/2022
Good morning, my friend,
Before we get into today’s topic, I wish all my American friends a happy Labor Day. Take time to reflect on how hard you work and rest. Now, on to the mysterious subject line.
I love peanut butter. When I look at my waistline in the mirror, I accept I may like peanut butter a little too much. I love peanut butter when it’s creamy, chunky, regular, all-natural, or comes in specialty flavors like Honey Peanut Butter or Cinnamon Peanut Butter. If you offer me a treat by telling me it’s made with peanut butter, odds are I’ll give it a try and will probably like it.
Let’s say you’re a candy maker and want people to try a new kind of taffy that comes in assorted flavors. You approach me in the store while I’m shopping and offer me a free sample.
“No, thanks,” I say. “I only like peanut butter treats. That looks like some kind of taffy.”
“Come on,” you say. “This isn’t just taffy. It’s taffy I guarantee you’ll love.”
Being the adventurous sort, I give in and take a bite of the rich creamy taffy. To my delight, the taffy has a rich dollop of peanut butter in the center. That day, I leave the store with my regular order and generous order of peanut butter-filed candy, certain I’ll come back for more.
How’s that for an analogy? “Not clear enough,” you say. No problem.
The peanut butter represents everything Fandom loves about a property. The flavor, smell, and texture of a particular character, film, or book are embodied in that silky smooth dollop of peanut butter.
When a creator is tasked with presenting a property in a new and exciting way, the goal isn’t to replace what fans love (“the peanut butter”) with something else but give fans more of what they love in a new presentation or paired with something new that makes what they love more interesting.
This week, we saw a flurry of fan reactions for House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power, and She-Hulk. Some properties fared better than others in terms of fan reaction, and the peanut butter analogy perfectly underscores why.
House of the Dragon - Peanut Butter (“Classic Game of Thrones feel”) wrapped in a candy shell
The Rings of Power - Weird candy flavors smushed together with no Peanut Butter (“faithful, reverent Tolkien adaptation”) inside
She-Hulk - Artificial Peanut Butter that sort of tastes like real Peanut Butter (“adopting the best She-Hulk stories and characterizations ala John Byrne”) but not quite and leaves a weird, funky aftertaste.
The goal of a creator isn’t to remove peanut butter or replace it with something else. The goal is to create the most magnificent wrapping, candy coatings, and complements you can imagine that work with peanut butter to make it better.
I’ve heard the argument that keeping what fans love about a property is too creatively restrictive. Nonsense! There’s no limit to the flavors, textures, and variations of candy coatings, taffy types, or chocolate shells as long as a creator is willing to use their imagination.
Let’s recap.
Fans love the elements of a property.
A creator’s job is to find new ways to present those elements, not replace or minimize them.
Creativity is not limited as long as creators focus on the candy shell that keeps the peanut butter intact. Ideally, making the peanut butter better.
What’s your favorite type of Peanut Butter? What do you think about this analogy? Speak your mind in the comments section, and let’s get the conversation going.
Now, let’s sample some of those rich, creamy reviews.
MECHANIX #2 – Review
N.O.A. #1 – Review
THE OBLIVION TRIALS #3 – Review
BÊLIT & VALERIA #4 – Review
DOCTOR WHO: ORIGINS #4 – Review
JOHN CARTER OF MARS #5 – Review
RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #12 – Review
VAMPIRELLA: YEAR ONE #2 – Review
GRIMM FAIRY TALES (VOL. 2) #63 – Review
MYTHS & LEGENDS QUARTERLY: WONDERLAND – Review
SONNY #1 – Indie Review
A-MEN #1 – Indie Review
Rise of Dracula #6 (Source Point Press)
Cover of Darkness: Origins #1 (Source Point Press)
Dragon Whisperer (Vol. 2) #4 (Red 5 Comics)
Blade Runner: Black Lotus #2 (Titan Comics)
007 #2 (Dynamite Comics)
Invincible Red Sonja #10 (Dynamite Comics)
Ninjettes #1 (Dynamite Comics)
13 Shots of Whiskey: Burnt Ends (Indie Submission)
Fallen #1 (Indie Submission)
The Boogyman #1 (Ablaze Publishing)
That’s the shortlist for now. We’ll add more titles and adjust as time and resources allow.
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Have a great day!