One Friday afternoon recently, I stopped by Hub Comics in Somerville's Union Square. Jesse Farrell, whose been manager since the store opened in January of 2008, agreed to show me around.
Farrell was wearing a tie that day, and he said he always does.
Comic shops often have a reputation of being dingy boys' clubs...I wanted to buck that image. At the same time, I don't wear shoes.
We ended up talking a lot about his personal tastes in comics. He started out reading the Fantastic Four as a kid, but these days he's more loyal to particular writers and artists than any series; he mentioned Grant Morrison, who had a stint writing X-Men, as an example of someone who brings in a lot of different influences to keep the stories fresh.
The store had lots of toys and mainstream comics, but there was a shelf of books about comics and a large wall of non-superhero stuff.
How have mainstream comics been influenced by independents?The fact that they're more character-oriented than plot-oriented.
He thinks that while the Watchmen has been influential, later attempts to capture the spirit of the series haven't been as successful.
The took the darkness and grittiness but they didn't get the depth.
Talk turned, almost inevitably, to the advent of the comic-book movies. Usually, Jesse prefers the comics they are drawn from.
Comics are a very intimate medium. You control the pace and the sort of voicing...Film is a more inclusive experiences...It's made to be viewed by more people at once.
I asked him what he reads when he picks a up a book. He said he doesn't read much genre fiction.
I guess I get enough fanciful stuff from comics. When I'm reading a comic, I'm using a lot of imagination to activate.
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