This is a fairly cool thing, taking the American Idol model and giving aspiring comic book artists a shot at the brass ring.
Too bad they’re not doing writers. I’d thought that with the coming of Moore, Gaiman, Morrison, et al that more writers would receive recognition. But it appears that comics, like Hollywood, remain a chiefly visual art.
No surprise, really. But it’s an argument I’ve had with friends for years. I hate most comics because of the writing. I don’t care how good the art is, if the stories not there it’s a waste of my time and money.
Not unlike Hollywood putting all the resources into the special effects. I am reminded of David Mamet’s definition of the term production values: “Pour money on it.” The louder the hype, the more money they’ve poured on it, the more suspicious I am.
And, more often than not, I’m right.