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Fan Friday: Comic Book Men

March 22nd, 2013

Hi, everyone! It’s Fan Friday again and this week I’m talking about AMC’s Comic Book Men! For those of you that don’t know, this show airs Thursday nights on AMC and it’s part of their new lineup. I first started watching Comic Book Men when it would come on after The Walking Dead and The Talking Dead Sunday nights on AMC but the network moved it to Thursdays. While I liked watching it on Sunday, the new spot on Thursday nights probably means that it has a big enough following to thrive out there on its own. That’s great, especially since I love the show and want to see more of it. Plus, Sundays are a packed night for television. Now, I look forward to watching Comic Book Men every Thursday.

First, I have to admit that I’m a pretty big fan of Kevin Smith and his work. That’s really not a secret, I think he’s a really cool person and he does a lot of awesome stuff. He always comes off as being very genuine in everything he does. So before going into this show, it had two great things going for it, comic books and Kevin Smith.

Comic Book Men is a reality show in the same vein of Pawn Stars and American Pickers. I like those shows and I’ll watch them when I see them on at night, but I don’t usually make a point to record them or rush home to watch them. Comic Book Men is a different story. Even though I can record the show, I like to watch it when it first airs. Sometimes members of the show do live tweets, which is great, and there’s just something cool about seeing it when it comes on.

Why do I like it so much? It’s funny. The guys are really great and they remind me of my own friends. Sometime between late high school and early on in college, I started going to a local comic shop in Daytona Beach called Cloak and Dagger Comics. It was great to hang out in there with my friends. One of my friends worked there and the rest of us would just hang out and occasionally buy things. For new customers coming in, we were the guys that made the store look a little busy and lively during the middle of the day. We added noise, laughter, and jokes to the shop. For us, it felt like a second home.

When I watch Comic Book Men, it’s like seeing my group of friends in the shop again. It’s that same fun atmosphere where any conversation could pop up at any moment, no matter how ridiculous the premise may seem. This is the feel of the show, it’s real, it’s genuine, and it’s a lot of fun. It also doesn’t hurt that you get to see some really cool items being bought and sold. I know that if I’m ever in the area, I’m definitely going to stop in and do some shopping at Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. Until then, I’m more than happy to watch the show!

Now it’s your turn! Have you seen Comic Book Men? Are you a fan of Kevin Smith? Are there any other shows out there similar to this one?

To find out more about Comic Book Men…

Website- http://www.amctv.com/shows/comic-book-men

Twitter- @ComicBookMenAMC

Kevin Smith- @ThatKevinSmith

Walt Flanagan- @BryWaltQ

Michael Zapcic- @MichaelZapcic

Bryan Johnson- @BryWaltQ

Ming Chen- @MingChen37

Also, if you’re in the Orlando area, don’t miss Kevin Smith and Bryan Johnson at the Orlando Improv Comedy Club next Tuesday! If you’re attending, I’ll see you there!

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Story Sunday: The Walking Dead: A Story of Survivors

February 10th, 2013

Hi, everyone! It’s Story Sunday again and this week I’m writing about The Walking Dead. For all of you who have been waiting (myself included), season three continues tonight!

Honestly, the topic I’ve chose for today could have fit into Writing Wednesday but I think it works for Story Sunday as well. I was going to look at a specific arc in the show but I kept coming back to one idea, just how different The Walking Dead is from other zombie stories I’ve seen. So I decided to look at the beginning of the show, the world building that took place, and how a (somewhat) unresolved arc set the tone of the show.

In the first episode, Rick runs into a man named Morgan and his son named Duane. Morgan and Duane have a tragic story at the end of the world. Morgan’s wife turned into a zombie and at night she him and Duane can see her roaming around outside of their house. Morgan wants to kill his wife, he wants to put her out of her misery, but he can’t seem to do it. This kind of storytelling sets a personal tone for the story. Zombies aren’t chasing them through the streets, they’re not breaking through doors, though we find out later that they’re capable of such things. What the audience is shown initially is the emotional trauma of being left behind in this new world. Rick, who is only beginning his journey, doesn’t know the fate of his family. This begins another emotional arc for the main protagonist.

The Walking Dead isn’t just a survival story at all costs. The narrative focuses on the repercussions of actually living as a survivor in a world that’s a husk its former self.

In order to continue his journey, Rick leaves behind Morgan and Duane. This is kind of a strange thing for the show to do, but like I said before, it sets the tone for the show. Rick says that he’ll turn on his radio every morning at dawn. This gives the audience, and Rick, some hope that he’ll meet back up with Morgan and Duane. This arc isn’t really given much closer, it just fades away. Rick doesn’t see Morgan or Duane again. He doesn’t hear from them on the radio and he can only hope that they’ve survived. As Rick (and the audience) learns more about the world, the less likely their safety seems.

The writers established that in this world, you may need to leave people behind. Unlike many stories, leaving someone behind can be a permanent choice. The protagonist and the viewers may not get to see the resolution of every person they encounter along the way. For some things will end well, for others they’ll end terribly, and some people will just disappear without resolution.

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the first episode? Were you hooked after just one episode? What other moments did you enjoy from the first season?

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