Howdy, folks.
Welcome to The Omnium Gatherum.
My name, as you can see above, is Vincent S. Moore. I will be your writer for today. And this is my column.
A few months ago, when the illustrious editor and publisher Marc Mason asked me if I were interested in writing a column for The Comics Waiting Room, I responded with a quick yes.
Later on that night, I sobered up.
Then the fear set in.
And my hands and brain froze solid.
And my heart stilled.
In the midst of all that, two thoughts echoed endlessly in my mind:
What would I write about?
Why should anybody care?
What WOULD I write about?
And WHY SHOULD anybody care about this column?
Obviously, I had my concerns.
Hopefully, this first column will serve to answer those questions for both myself and for you dear readers. (Yes, I know this is a cheesy tactic to take. I’m doing it anyway. This is my soapbox, dang it!)
And so, the easy question first.
What would I write about?
Well, to figure that out, it might work better for you folks if y’all had a better idea of who I am and what my position in the comics industry is. My qualifications, as it were.
I’ve been involved in comics nearly all of my life. A little more than thirty years [the situation as it was when I first wrote this column and more than forty years as of this addendum]. First, as a reader, of course. Then working as a clerk in a comics shop (Comics Ink in Culver City, CA, one of the best stores in town; if you ever go there, tell Steve and Jason and Adam that Vince sent you) where I spent nine wonderful years before being bitten by the creator bug. And finally I’ve spent the last seven years slowly breaking into the industry as a writer and editor. So far, I’ve edited books for Astounding Studios and others, as well as being in the process of starting up my own studio with two partners. I’ve also written articles and conducted interviews for Comic Book Resources and contributed to The Panel on silverbulletcomicbooks.com.
In other words, I’ve been around the block a bit.
Another important fact you need to know is I’m black, or African American, or a Melanin enhanced American, or whatever other vague and silly politically correct term is floating around in public conversation these days.
I mention my negritude here because it is a very important factor in shaping my viewpoints. Just not in the ways that one would expect, as you folks will learn in the weeks to come.
I mention my race also because I don’t think being a person who is not part of the automatic cultural default (read: white male) in America is a subject to be avoided but to be celebrated. The world would be a very dull place if everyone were the same. Besides, I find people as a whole to be funny and I’ve found being black has added a very different level of funny to the grand human comedy. In time, hopefully I can share some of that viewpoint as well.
In addition to the above basics, I have a wide range of interests. Naturally, I read comics. I also read science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, western, and even romance fiction. I love Shakespeare, to read and to see performed. I read some science and other nonfiction books as well, though not as much as I’d like or need. I listen to rock and hip hop, jazz and classical; a perfect mix for me starts with The Beatles, moves to KRS-ONE, through Duke Ellington, and ends with some of Frank Zappa’s orchestral music. I used to play RPGs but now mostly peruse the books to see what’s happening and for ideas. I love old movies, new movies not so much, and, quite openly and proudly, porn. My number one film is a toss up between Citizen Kane, Gandhi, Black Belt Jones, Shaft, and Debbie Does Dallas.
All which means that I like a lot of different things.
I won’t discuss religion or politics here at the moment. Not out of fear of offending anyone, but because I haven’t cleared such topics with Marc yet. I don’t want to scare the life out of him before I get too far along on this journey.
Given what I’ve just said about myself and many other things I haven’t said, I think I will have a number of topics to write about. Almost too many, if you ask me.
Now for the tougher question.
Why should anybody care?
This is a tough one.
My hope is that you readers will care about what I say because I will do my best to talk about issues that one doesn’t normally find on ∫most comics oriented websites.
That I will talk to people in comics one doesn’t normally know about or has heard of as of yet.
That I will occasionally review comics off the radar and not in the stores.
That I will review books, old and new, from outside of comics that have something to say to us.
That I will have opinions that will cause trouble, stir up the pot, and quite frankly piss off people.
These are my hopes for this column.
As befits the name, I plan on going all over the place with this column in the weeks to come. Any and every topic is up for grabs.
Now, I’m not promising to court controversy for the sake of doing so, or to drag new readers to The Comics Waiting Room simply because of some Google search or link on The Beat, When Fangirls Attack, Journalista! or some other link blog. All I’m promising is to be myself and to be honest with the thoughts and ideas that I share with you readers.
In the end, that’s all I can promise and be sure to deliver.
Let me thank Marc for giving this chance to be myself in public. I hope I don’t disappoint. Too much or too often, that is. I hope you like what you read enough to keep it going.
And I just hope that you readers out there in Internet Land like it enough to come back for more. Each and every week.
Hey, wait a minute.
I have to write this thing every week?!?
Oh, damn, what will I write about next week?
Guess you’ll just have to come back to see.
Namaste, y’all.
[Post script: Comics Ink, located in beautiful Culver City, CA, closed on September 30, 2014. It closed because Steve the owner had decided to retire and move on the second or third chapter of his life. The store closed on top of its game, beloved by as many as three generations of customers. I had returned to comics retail in November of 2007 at Steve’s request and stayed until the end. The Comic Bug opened their second location in place of this classic store on October 1, 2014 and is still open as of this writing.]
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