Awards debate

[M.J. Prior]

Joe Torcivia wrote:
  
> If you're a fan of this stuff, I'd think you'd  prefer 
> the Eisner went to Rosa and/or Gemstone than having it go
> to someone  else, under any circumstance!   
  
To which I responded with the following:
  
>> This is sheer nonsense.

I guess I could have done with "I strongly disagree", 
which gives an equally adequate, but probably less 
offensive, expression of my feelings towards your 
statement.

I *do* consider myself a fan of Rosa's 'stuff' and yet I 
don't feel so strongly that he *should* win this Eisner 
Award, no matter what, and certainly not up to the point 
where I would begrudge an other artist the Eisner, which 
your "under any circumstance!" seems to imply. Maybe I 
would have had a stronger feeling if the nominated story 
was a real dilly, like "A Matter of Some Gravity", but as 
it is I don't see why Don Rosa should have the Award at 
all costs.

Your Bugs Bunny example doesn't hold here, because Don 
Rosa has already *had* his Awards, for the Lo$-series in 
1995 and for Best Artist/Writer: Humor in 1997, although I 
admit it was an adequate reaction to that part of my mail 
that you quoted above it, just like I disregarded the rest 
of your mail and focused on this one sentence.

> If such attention can move someone [...] to buy and enjoy
> such a title, why wouldn't the Eisner "buzz" and 
> notoriety have the same effect for UNCLE SCROOGE?

That's a good point, but it's a new point which was absent 
in your previous post. I can agree with you on this one.

> If you are NOT A FAN OF THIS  STUFF, then please be 
> as "fair and balanced" or neutral in your opinions as 
> you wish.  

Which I assume means that as a fan, you don't need to be 
critical?

> why don't you do everyone on this list a service and seek 
> out and read the stories that are competing with Don Rosa.

I think you are more in a position to do so than I am, 
since apparently you live in the States, whereas I live in 
the Netherlands and would have to go to greater lengths to 
lay my hands on copies on all of the nominated stories. In 
fact, Rosa's story is by far the most easily available 
story in the batch, because it has seen print in so many 
different countries.

Greetings, Michiel Prior.