Sequential Tart on comics journalism

Today on Sequential Tart, www.sequentialtart.com, Kate has an excellent editorial on what is comic book journalism, specifically investigative comics journalism, and who benefits from this kind of journalism within the comics community / industry.

As many of you know, Kate is my wife, but that's not why I'm recommending that people read this week's editorial (Sequential Tart has new content every Monday). This is a topic that's been floating around on the internet for a couple of weeks and Kate's editorial is a response to those who are stating that there isn't much in the way of investigative comics journalism and implying that said type of journalism is the only valid type of journalism. As Kate states in her piece, the comic industry is really small in comparison to other mediums and everyone seems to know each others business. I've always been very interested in the behind the scenes aspects of the comic book community, but really for the most part a lot of it is not my business (at the same time, I will read items that "expose" why things are as they are in this industry or why this or that creator does this or that, but I don't think I'm "owed" this infomation).

I'll be really interested in reading what others write when they read Kate's editorial here and elsewhere on comic book messageboards and blogs, especially in regards to comments by people on what they think investigative comics journalism is (hopefully with examples so that those that write about comics know what is actually meant when someone says there needs to be more investigative comics journalism). I'm sure that there will be many interesting responses to Kate's editorial in the next few days on the internet, but if anyone who reads this and visits some other comics messageboards, blogs, or live journals and would link this piece from www.sequentialtart.com, that would be greatly appreciated and will hopefully create a more balanced dialogue.

My biggest shock however in reading this weeks Sequential Tart was Laura Martin's (award winning colorist on Planetary, Astonishing X-Men, Serenity, and many others) review under The Report Card heading: music, where after her review of a Winger Demo cd, she admits to being a Winger completionist (the horror! - actually I'll admit I enjoy the sap and overly produced Barry Manilow and Abba so I shouldn't throw stones at others!)!