That special spark

[Lars Jensen]

Don Rosa wrote:

>> I am of the school of thought that a
>> comic book script and art should be done by a single person
>> to have that special spark.

I'm not sure I understand that remark.

Don, are you saying that comics such as The Spirit, Modesty Blaise,
Watchmen, most of Asterix, most of Tintin and anything from Alan Moore,
Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison are by definition incapable of catching
that "special spark"? Would you prefer reading a title from a
writer/artist such as, say, Todd McFarlane to one from a writer/artist
team such as Goscinny and Uderzo? (Just to pick some names.)

There are a number of artists out there who, after a few years, begin to
write their own stories. Sometimes they can pull it off, most times they
can't. Result: A lot of comic books with good artwork and bad writing.
Why is that a good thing?

Writer Steven Grant wrote a little about this "single person" attitude a
few weeks ago in his "Master of the Obvious" column at Comic Book
Resources. In the midst of discussing factionalization in the comics
industry, he mentioned the 1990s' "Creator's Bill Of Rights". Click
here:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?
column=pd&article=1950 and read from "For a long time factionalization
has torn and weakened" on.

Why factionalize the comic book industry by dividing its members into
"creators who both write and draw their stories" and "people whose
stories don't have that special spark"?

I'd rather read a good story made by two or more people, than a bad
story made by one person. That's *my* school of thought.

Lars