Scott and Benita Story (creators and publishers of Johnny Saturn) have been honored by being invited to participate in Graphic Engagement, an academic conference sponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature to be held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Scott and Benita will be part of session 9C, an open creators’ rountable with Onsmith (widely published cartoonist and illustrator) and Troy Hickman (Common Grounds, Witchblade, City of Heroes) on Friday, September 3, 2010, at 3:00 PM.

Graphic Engagement seeks to explore the ways in which comics and film animation engage us politically and profoundly influence the way we define gender, race, religion, class, and nationhood. “Political” can be defined broadly, relating not only to affairs of state, but also the praxis of visual narrative and ways it affects individual identity and community dynamics.

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This news story caught my attention for obvious reasons, discussing the future of comics, print vs. digital. 

I live in both worlds.  I grew up on print comics, and drew dozens of comics that were printed in the 90′s.  Plus, Benita and I make the lion’s share of our money from selling trade paperbacks.

Beginning in 2004, I wasn’t what one would call an early adopter in web comics, but I brought “Johnny Saturn” to the web with enthusiasm.  More people read the comic per week than the total number of people who bought the hard-copy comics I drew in the 90′s.

I don’t buy single-issue comics anymore.  The cost grew too much, and the storage space in my home was shrinking.  I love comics in a very real way, but I now prefer trade-paperbacks.  That’s the future of print comics, the collected edition.  Collectors love to have something nice, be it the library edition “Hellboy” books, or the oversized “Watchmen,” or the huge “Invincible” collections, to whatever really.

As far as webcomics go, I believe the future is already here.

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