New Comics, Pop Culture Site Launches Today
by Calvin Reid, PW Comics Week -- Publishers Weekly, 2/6/2007
 Mike Gold. |
The site will also feature columns and blogs from comics writer Peter David, longtime DC and Marvel comics editor Dennis O'Neil, pop culture and political blogger Elayne Riggs, comics writer John Ostrander and many others. The site will offer podcast comics reviews by a revolving crew of reviewers including well-known music writer Dave Marsh and others.
Mike Gold is the editor-in-chief of Comicmix. A 30 year veteran of the comics business, Gold has worked at DC Comics in addition to founding First Comics and working on a wide variety of comics projects for such companies as Image, Acclaim and IDW.
Gold will oversee the site's editorial content; but the venture also includes digital entrepreneurs like Glenn Hauman, an investor in the venture who will also provide electronic publishing expertise. Another investor is web entrepreneur Brian Alvey, an executive at AOL and cofounder and president of the blogging company Weblogs Inc, who Gold says will also provide web and business expertise.
Gold tells PWCW that Comicmix is the first phase in this venture and he expects to announce another related online project shortly. He declined to provide more information at this time.
Comicsmix will offer "the latest talking points in the entertainment universe." He says the site's comics coverage will focus on how the medium is growing beyond the hardcore comics fan and attracting general readers. "I love the MoCCA Art Fest in here in New York," says Gold referring to the annual indie comics festival sponsored by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. "Its full of enthusiastic kids who aren't interested in creating the next Spider-man. They want to do something personal and they should be able to get more exposure. We believe that comics can be many things to many people, like other media."
Gold says Comicmix will focus on "hard decisions" to be made facing the comics industry. He discussed the traditional 32-page comic book pamphlet ("you can't base reading on collectibles value"); the comics shop market ("It's hard to find a comics shop in most of the country") and the role of general bookstores ("comics are growing but there's also the issues of returns and dwindling shelf space").
"The comics industry began in the depression of the 1930s in the magazine business," said Gold. "Now we've got new communication tools and people will be looking for new ways to read comics," he said pointing to computers and digital distribution."We want Comismix to be a portal to the 21st century."
