If there’s a Mr. Shock, I guess that’d be Jon, and I’ll take him over an Isaac Perlmutter or Sumner M. Redstone any day.

The hostility at the end of the post was sincere, a result of poking around BET.com to see if there was some publishing initiative I was unaware of and coming across B-Girls, which I think is terribly inappropriate content for the BET brand. I’m all for celebrating beautiful black women, but I’d rather not see it done in the context of a stripper’s directory. All that’s missing are webcams and a paypal link!

Seriously, though, as always, I appreciate your willingness to discuss these issues publicly, and I understand it can be difficult to separate those with legitimate concerns vs. those looking to stir shit up. I have a vested interest in seeing better and more diverse portrayals of my people — both bloodlines, Black and Latino — and, at the end of the day, as long as your ultimate intentions are good, I’m in your corner.

Keep up the good work, but don’t ever be satisfied with what you’ve accomplished because there’s much more work to be done than we’ll be able to get to in our lifetimes.

Peace!

It’s like you mentioned at the panel, BET is held to that higher standard as people look to it to be where a better and more natural portrayal of us can be found to counter the ‘Shoot this ni**a’ mentality that is being preached about us everywhere else.

So that’s my take on it. While we’ve spoken on these and other things and I can say I know you’re aware of all these things; everyone hasn’t been able to spend that time with you to see where you’re coming from. Just keep doing your thing. If we didn’t have love for you over here, we wouldn’t be talking about you, lol

Also, for the record, Seven Days in Japan aired on BET J, not Akira’s Hip Hop Shop. Akira isn’t finished yet :)

Still not sure how that would mean that BET owed us some karmic debt though.

As it stands though, from what I got from this piece was that the question is why don’t organizations that are about programming aimed at Blacks, namely BET, doing something in this space to bring something positive there. It is a very legitimate question, as it was even asked at the BET panel, as was noted. Considering your background, Reggie and the changes that have been seen in BET these past 18 months, that question being aimed at you should be taken as a compliment.

That’s just my two cents though.

I’ve tried to do a little coverage, but I didn’t take notes or do anything but play the observer/fan at the panel because I figured that somebody important was going to cover it. Other than the coverage here at PCS and the brief spot at ToonZone, nobody big covered either panel.

Gotta love the comics media, huh? You’re always invisible until you screw up. :/

My top three favorite panels at NYCC were the Kyle Baker humor panel, the BET panel, and the Black panel. The rest of the ones I saw were just pretty much boring hype-y dreck. These three, though, either taught me something or had my rapt attention.

Next time I hit a con, though, I’m going to be sure to record or take notes or something. It’s not right that either of those panels should get so little press.

As for how to judge a network…actually, no, networks are mainly judged by their hits. NBC is the HEROES network, FOX is defined by 24 and AMERICAN IDOL, and ABC is LOST and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (and GREY’S ANATOMY). I don’t think about them in terms of their daytime talk or game shows.

BET is just now moving aggressively moving into original primetime programming, but has quickly racked up a lot of critical and commercial success. So you can applaud change or complain about things you don’t like on a network you don’t watch.

I wholeheartedly agree that the Black panel and the BET panel should have received better coverage than it has to-date — had I not missed the entire Con for health reasons, I would have done it myself — and David noted that the topic had in fact come up in his first comment here.

My intention wasn’t to flame you with this post, but rather to ask the question of why you hadn’t yet made a move into publishing, and I appreciate your shedding some light on it being as much about having love for Marvel’s characters as cutting your teeth in preparation for bigger things. I can get down with that.

As for BET’s programming, I don’t watch much TV at all these days that isn’t sports or Grey’s Anatomy, so I’m not familiar with most of the shows you mentioned, but there’s a saying that you’re only as strong as your weakest link, and, in my opinion, BET has some serious weak links. I understand you’re attempting to serve a broad audience with a variety of programming, but I think you’d greatly improve the perception of the BET brand by leaving the lowest-common-denominator stuff to VH1 and Spike TV.

People who actually watch the network are very excited about the changes in programming. Shows like SEASON OF THE TIGER or MEET THE FAITH or THE CHOP UP or ONE NIGHT ONLY or AMERICAN GANGSTER are exactly the kinds of shows that people say BET should put on, but they never get mentioned in attacks like this…because people don’t bother to actually watch the channel before getting their rant on. Or do we owe some karmic debt for airing PCS’s “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop” on BET J?

We’re a broadcaster. Which means the audience that makes CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL the highest rated relgious program in television history may not be the same audience that makes THE BET AWARDS the highest rated award show in all of cable. But the viewing audience is not monolithic.

As for me writing for Marvel, it’s clearly not for the money. I love comics and dreamed of doing this my whole life. I get to write some of the most beloved characters in popular culture. I get to work with supportive and talented people like Axel Alonso and Joe Quesada. I’m learning the comic book business by working with the best. So if and when I decide to do my own thing, I actually know what I’m doing.

Guy, I gotta point out that you just called the 30-yo white male nostalgist market “mainstream,” which is certainly what they like to consider themselves, but it’s a lie that bothers me every time I see it. 50 Cent (or Naruto) is a hell of a lot more mainstream than the fucking Justice Society, and the sooner everybody acknowledges this fact, the sooner we’ll see the kind of popularly-accessible, diverse body of comics that you’re talking about.

The folks “who don’t give a damn about Marvel and DC beyond some nostalgic name-checking and the occasional movie” ARE the mainstream.

I agree that BET has the power to move into publishing, and possibly succeed. Are they exploring animation? I haven’t been following this story. I also have no idea how Virgin Comics is doing, or what their business plan is. They certainly can’t expect to succeed by relying on 100,000 INFINITE CRISIS fans to pick up their books… If they really are marketing and distributing to mainstream channels (i.e. outside the Direct Market), they might be a useful role model for a big entertainment company moving into comics. But I haven’t seen any signs that Virgin Comics is doing much of anything.

I see what you see Guy w/r/t urban lit readership and would venture to say if Cowan and Hudlin (or anyone else for that matter) spend their marketing dollars heavily in the comic book arena is wasting said dollars if they want to see their books reach the right audience…and be successful.

Not saying they need to sell comics on the subway but they shouldn’t care if they’re mentioned in Newsarama either.

The lack of coverage on Newsarama and the like is completely bananas.

Very true; which is exactly why we need something like BET GrafLit (or, to a lesser degree, The Guardian Line) where people with a vested interest have their own money on the line. And it’s not about reaching the mainstream, really. F’ them! They have their comics and aren’t really interested in expanding their tastes. I’m talking about reaching out to the same “urban” audiences 50 Cent is tapping into, who don’t give a damn about Marvel and DC beyond some nostalgic name-checking and the occasional movie.

Pocket Books is making the attempt with Blokhedz, the kind of graphic novel that’s likely not going to be getting much coverage on Newsarama or CBR (or TCJ, for that matter) despite being better, and easier to purchase, than the majority of the crap they do cover. (NOTE: Look for my review this weekend.)

That would be hot, and huge step in the right direction.

Howard: …when they see ‘Bid ‘em in’

Yeah, I’m real anxious to see how that turns out!

Godwell: I hope they do whatever it is HUDLIN and COWAN are doing aways from BET…

I hear you. Part of my “Make the f**king comics!” rant called for ownership because the exisiting publishers either don’t get it or aren’t built in a way to do anything about it. Ideally, Hudlin and Cowan would fund it themselves, but again, I’m not trying to tell people how to spend their–

Well, damn, yes I am, actually!

Don’t call it a comeback, Howard. I’ve been a fan since it was PCS to Buzzscope and back again :)

Cowan did a pretty solid job of convincing me after the panel that BET had good things in the works that ran against their rep.

My dream right now, though, is for them to hook up with Kyle Baker and hit us with a Nat Turner animated feature.

I agree it would be cool if they did start something along those lines though, but I’m not holding my breath. Just waiting for indie creators to keep creating.