NeverRants: Destroying Comics For Fun And Profit
By NeverWanderer | Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
I spotted this little tidbit on Bleeding Cool and was compelled to write something.
Superworld Comics is a store in Massachusetts that specializes in bronze, silver, and golden age comics and original comic art. On their YouTube channel, they have a feature called "Trash-A-Comic." The title is pretty self-explanatory. Every episode, they destroy a comic book from their back-stock in what they insist are fun and creative ways for, one can only assume, the entertainment of their customers.
Because comic book fans — especially collectors of mint and slabbed comics — LOVE seeing those books destroyed.
In their first episode, they shot an issue of Classics Illustrated: Kidnapped to pieces with a paint gun.
In their second episode, they fed a near-mint issue of Dazzler to a couple of pigs before having it pecked by chickens.
In their third episode, they ripped an issue of Walt Disney's Comics and Stories in half, put it in a blender, turned it into a smoothie, and drank it while toasting, "Here's to the end of another worthless comic."
In their fourth episode, they rolled over a CGC slabbed issue of Shazam with a steam shovel and fed it into a wood chipper.
Laughing all the way.
Is anyone else amused?
I'm certainly not.
To the owners of this store, I must ask:
What the fuck is wrong with you?
How bitter and frustrated by your own profession do you have to be to make your living buying and selling classic comics and then destroying the ones that didn't make any money for you? How much must you resent your lot in life to so callously debase and destroy the work of others? Because you decided your personal desire for destructive release was more important than doing something useful or productive with these books? Because you decided that nobody wanted them?
Is this what people can look forward to when they're forced to sell you their favorite comics to make ends meet? Do you think they enjoy seeing their old issues of Donald Duck or Captain Marvel being torn apart by the people they entrusted their beloved collections to? What about the collector who finds your YouTube page and sees that issue of Classics Illustrated he's been searching for everywhere being nailed to a tree and shot at?
I mean, decimating an issue of Classics Illustrated? Really?
Way to go, fellas. You are burning books. You are destroying the printed word, and you can't even say it's for some misguided ideological cause. Your acts stand for nothing. Mean nothing. They signify nothing but your own sad opinion of what "funny" is and just how out of touch you are with the industry you make your buck off of. Congratulations on being the most literal of "Jackass" wannabes on the web.
"But these books are worthless! Nobody wants them! Nobody will miss them!"
How about the little kid who's never read a comic? How about the classroom or library or goodwill organization that could bring these books to new audiences? How about the guy who needs a little cash and might be able to get some money for them on eBay? And if none of those pan out, how about the recycling centers that help us keep from cutting down too many trees to make more "worthless" comics? I guess those things just aren't worth your time. After all, these comics couldn't bring you any profit, why should someone else profit off of them, right? Did you even think? Did you even consider? How much could that slabbed comic have made for somebody struggling to put food on their table?
These are unfunny, inconsiderate, self-important, idiotic, narrow-minded acts that contribute nothing to the business or the art of comics. You should be ashamed of yourselves, and your patrons should think twice before handing over that box of memories, lest they find their childhood on YouTube being fed to farm animals in someone's backyard while a banjo plays in the background.
Thank you for stating the necessary. I recently watched a documentary about uncovering the remains of civilizations from 5 thousand to 10 thousand years ago. Included among the artifacts are evidence of mass destruction of civilizations. Included in the myths that survive these destructive events are tales of the survivors being returned to a childlike condition, having to relearn every lesson of their forebears, including making their mistakes all over again. Clearly we have not learned enough to avoid massive destruction of our planetary resources.
True Art in all its forms elevates the state of human consciousness. Comics are one of the many artistic media that communicate the lessons of our civilization. Nobody has a right to censor that communication.
Comment by picturina — October 19, 2010 @ 7:04 pm
This is a travesty. I appreciate you informing fans of comics about his actions, and he will not be getting my buisness.
Comment by Sam — October 19, 2010 @ 7:15 pm
Blasphemy!
Comment by NickZak — October 20, 2010 @ 1:54 am
Amen, brother. I stumbled across the first video in this sad series a while ago, and remember just shaking my head. People who destroy our past are no friends of mine. Sure these aren't exactly original DaVinci's, but there are more beneficial ways they could unload their unsellables.
Comment by Brian (Cool and Collected) — October 20, 2010 @ 1:42 pm
They are only doing it to provoke this sort of response. Ignore them and the idiots will go away. Give them an audience and they will continue.
To many idiots making vids on the net today, thinking that their lives are worth something, that it makes them important. But in the end, they are no one, worthless idiots that are easily forgettable.
Comment by DeathAxe — October 21, 2010 @ 8:32 pm
Good lord, you sure got your panties in a twist over something that's nothing of significance.
Comment by Aaron Poehler — October 25, 2010 @ 12:40 pm
Topics: Collectibles, Comics, Features
Tags: Captain Marvel, Comics, Donald Duck, Shazam
Comics Of Doom: Episode 25: Adam WarRock Is Superior
'Happy Days' TV Dad Tom Bosley Dies At 83
468x60 AD END ROS -->
Related Articles on Geeks of Doom
• Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2019: Blu-ray and DVD Edition
• 4K Review: Captain Marvel
• Marvel Studios' 'Captain Marvel' Home Video Release Dates and Bonus Features Announced
• 'Shazam!' Scribe Henry Gayden To Write Sequel, With Director David F. Sandberg Expected To Return
• Movie Review: Shazam!