If you spent your formative years a) in the 1980s and b) reading comic books, then you'll know what Pacific Comics is. Pacific Comics was one of the very first 'independent' comic book publishers to embrace the mass market sensibilities while at the same time catch the wave toward venerating particular artists by showcasing their work and giving them creators rights that DC and Marvel would never do.
This article chronicles the rise and fall of Pacific Comics. The actual running of the place was about as anarchic as I thought it was back then (though I was too naive in 1983 to ever envisage Neal Adams smoking a giant-sized doobie).
I was just entering high school as Pacific Comics (and its longer-lasting competitor First Comics) exploded on the scene, so it's very nostalgic. And for added nostalgia I bought Pacific's one-issue Jim Starlin extravaganza Darklon The Mystic for 50 cents last week. I know now why I never listened to Rush as a teenager-- I was taken care of in the ponderous mysticism and pretentious angst department already.
Posted by Graeme Burk at September 13, 2004 06:13 PMEgads, now I have some song from Exit Stage Left running through my head. Why did you have to mention Rush? Don't you realize it's the band that dare not speak its name for a whole generation of sonically abused teens?
Posted by: Alan Hogue at September 14, 2004 09:51 AMWhy weren't you folks getting your dose of pretensious teenage angst from The Smiths, like all sensible people?
Posted by: Alan Allport at September 14, 2004 02:11 PMExcuse me? I'm still getting my dose of angst from the Smiths, thank you very much. The Smiths are timeless.
Posted by: Alan Hogue at September 14, 2004 02:43 PM