What's Opera, Doc?
Chalamet, Ballet, and Comics. Oh my!
Hey, there! Periodic reminder that I’m Clay Adams, writer of BLAZING BLADE OF FRANKENSTEIN and DREAMQUEST, co-writer of PRODIGAL SON and CARMILLA UNBOUND, and co-editor of the NIGHTMARE THEATER horror anthology. You probably signed up for this newsletter on one of those Kickstarters… or maybe we met at a signing or con? In any event, glad you’re here. Pull up a seat, grab a beverage of your choice, and feast your eyes on the latest news…
Hey, welcome to my extremely cold take on the Timothée Chalamet controversy!
What can I say? I like to strike while the iron is lukewarm.
(I swear this relates to comics, so bear with me…)
In case you missed it—or have a life—actor Timothée Chalamet outraged some folks by daring to suggest that ballet and opera are no longer forms of mass entertainment.
But don’t take my word for it.
The ladies of The View caught it on tape!
Fair point if you think he could have expressed this thought better, Whoopi.
But is he really wrong?
Ballet and opera aren’t mass forms of entertainment any more.
And, to his point, film and TV are headed in that direction too.
Comics? We’re already there.
(OK, maybe not manga. But the floppy comic? We’re niche, baby, niche.)
And one day, the comic book characters we all know and love, the ones making millions at the box office—yes, even Batman!—will be viewed by the masses as deeply uncool.
Just like those pulp heroes they tried to revive in the 90s.
Don’t get me wrong. I love pulp heroes.
(And comics. And film and television.)
But everything has a season.
Everything peaks…and then fades.
That doesn’t mean it’s good or bad.
Just that it’s not popular anymore.
This is a difficult topic to talk about, as our young Timothée discovered. Because fans hate anything that sounds like disrespect.
But sales figures and box office don’t inherently measure respect or lack thereof.
They measure numbers.
And the numbers aren’t on our side.
(Or ballet’s. Or opera’s. And, increasingly, Film and Television’s.)
But if I could sit down with Mr. Chalamet (Perhaps at the ballet? Wearing matching berets! Who can say?) (I could do this all day.) I would tell him this:
If you love a thing—whether it’s comics, or ballet, or opera— by all means, keep it alive.
Because if you don’t, who will?
And every now and then, if you’re lucky, you might hit on something that connects with the masses.
Like say, a new movie, when everyone thinks moviegoing is dead:
Or a comic book line, when the conventional wisdom says the direct market is toast:
But what I’d really tell him…
In no uncertain terms…
Is that opera…
Can be very, very cool.
Where the hell have you been?
Yes, yes. Sorry for the lack of updates. I’ve had my head down, working on a top secret project.
And binge watching Final Destination movies!
(For the record: Bloodlines, 3, 1, 5, 2, 4.)
And fulfilling BLOOD OF THE GRUNCH!
The feedback from readers has been fantastic. Thanks to everyone who has sent kind words this way.
We even got a great review on Substack:
If you’re a backer who filled out your survey, all rewards have shipped.
If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
And if you missed the campaign and would like to snag a copy…
Where the hell will you be?
This weekend, I’ll be in the great state of Texas for Mockingbird Lane, repping both anime AND comics.
The table will have character prints, Funko Pops, and Yu-Gi-Oh cards, plus plenty of books.
The folks behind the show have put together a stellar lineup of talent, so if you’re in the area, come say hi!
And then, when I get back…
BLAZING BLADE OF FRANKENSTEIN Volume 1 launches next week!
Tuesday, March 31st, to be exact.
The trade paperback is behind this cover from Conan the Barbarian artist Geof Isherwood (with colors by White Ash‘s Fin Cramb):
While our hardcover re-presents this stunning piece from Chuma Hill:
This collection will include the first four issues plus a brand new short story with art by Mick Beyers and Fin.
If you’d like to be among the first to know when we go live...
👉 Click here to be ready on day one!
Annnd Finally…
The first issue of RAFAEL GARCIA: HENCHMAN hit the stands this week from Titan Comics.
Written by TV scribe Peter Murietta (Wizards of Waverly Place) and Bloodline Comics’ own Devilish Dave Schrader, it features art by Ben Herrera, colors by Emmanuel Torres and letters by little ol’ me.
This is a suuuuper fun book, and I’m proud to play a small part in it.
Check it out at your local comic shop!
OK, gotta go pack for the show this weekend. Back soon with some BBoF secret links just for you…
-Clay
P.S. On a recent edition of the ComixLaunch Podcast, I spoke to writer Farhan Qureshi about his series Battle Panda. Give it a listen here:
So the next time I see you at Comic Con, you'll be wearing a beret, right? I'll be so disappointed if you don't. 😂😂😂