As I often do on this blog, I’ve been sorting out my thoughts in public about this whole VVM fiasco in real time, in a fairly sloppy manner. Max Cannon, by contrast, has taken the time to write up a cogent summary of the situation and what it means for alternative comics fans. It really is up to you.
… and let me just add: if your local paper still runs the cartoons, please shoot them a quick email and let them know how much you appreciate it.
…also: if you got here by a link from another site (thanks Atrios!), you can visit the main page for much more on the topic.
… and let me reiterate for the newcomers: in theory, this is a temporary suspension, to be repealed in three to six months, when things get a little better. What worries us, I think, is what Lloyd Dangle pointed out: I don’t know anyone who believes things are really going to get better, certainly not that soon, and certainly not for the newspaper industry. And — I said this before but it’s especially important — this isn’t an “us vs. them†situation. These are in many cases people who have supported my work and given me an audience for ten or fifteen years; some are personal friends. This is just an unfortunate decision made at the corporate level in response to a very difficult time. If and when you write them, keep that in mind, and be polite. There aren’t any villains here, except maybe the Wall Street morons who got us into this mess.