Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #59

Originally Posted on 04/11/2003 by Jeff Harris

In yesterday's WTS, I talked about Free Comic Book Day taking place on Saturday, May 3, the day after X2 comes out and the day last year's big comic-based flick Spider-Man premieres on HBO. Today, Cartoon Network announced that they're supporting it with ads, like they did last year when their sibling company gave away Justice League Adventures comics.

Now, my reasoning for the warning.

Cartoon Network is going to do the promotions on a block that is only dedicated to a certain percentage of the viewers, namely us older types, and that block is called Adult Swim.

I wouldn't say that's stupid, but it'd be an insult to those that are actually stupid. See, here's the whole skinny about Free Comic Book Day.

FCBD is a newly-created holiday in the comics industry that is dedicated to bring new readers to the comic store. Strangely enough, the only reason I could see Cartoon Network to promote FCBD on Adult Swim is so they could rerun The Ettingville Club again, which has a major face-off in a comic book store. However, since many Adult Swim viewers are already familiar with comic shops, you'd think that they wouldn't preach to the choir persay by promoting Free Comic Book Day on a block that is more adult-oriented. Sure, they'll enjoy the alternative comics like the ones from Oni, Keenspace, and others, but as a whole, Free Comic Book Day is kind of for the kids as well as the older teens/young adults.

And call me crazy, but doesn't Toonami fit the bill? Hell, doesn't that Saturday block also fit the bill?

After all, DC's contribution, Batman Adventures #1, certainly isn't an adult-oriented title (though I'm sure they'll like it too). I could understand DC giving away Vertigo titles like Y - The Last Man on Earth or Fables for FCBD, but the fact that they're definitely publishing something kid-oriented just proves what the day is all about. Likewise, Marvel's not printing a MAX title like Alias or Cage for the special day. They're using everything they can to milk the weekend popularity of X-Men by printing a shortened reprint of Ultimate X-Men. Dreamwave's publishing a brand new Transformers Armada comic just for the day, and call me crazy, but I don't see Armada anywhere on Adult Swim. It airs on that Saturday block and it used to air on Toonami, but you think the network would have known that.

In fact, this is the SECOND comic-based project to completely by-pass Toonami and straight for Adult Swim. Shonen Jump is chock full of Toonami and SATURDAY shows like Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Yu Gi Oh, plus a trio of very good titles like One Piece, Naruto, and Shaman King, and yet, CN decided to forget Toonami and give it over to Adult Swim to promote. At this rate, I'm almost inclined to agree with that 4Kids exec a month ago that said Cartoon Network treats Adult Swim in higher regards to the rest of the network, especially that weekday late afternoon block hosted by that bubbleheaded robot.

By shutting out Toonami in the promotion of Free Comic Book Day, Cartoon Network completely ignores what that day is all about. Free Comic Book Day is about introducing people YOUNG AND OLD to the world of comics, and by limiting promotion to ignore the young defeats what Diamond, Marvel, and all the other sponsors are trying to accomplish, which is promote the holy begeezus out of X2, I mean promote comic book awareness to those that would never give it a try.

Wow, something Toonami-related out of me this week. I feel the news drought ending . . .

Until we are one, later.
Jeff Harris
CNX Creator/Webmaster
April 11, 2003