Facing a comics lockdown, fans make their own bootleg comics
With the COVID-19 pandemic currently impacting access to comic books, many fans are unable to read their favorite comics. But some fans, locked down at home with time to spend on artistic endeavors, are combating their anxieties through creative action, making bootleg comics for everyone’s enjoyment.
“I was disappointed I wouldn’t be able to read the adventures of Doctor Aphra,” said Sarah Blankenship of Lawrence, Kansas. With the first issue of the new ongoing Star Wars: Doctor Aphra series (by writer Alyssa Wong and artist Marika Cresta) from Marvel Comics unavailable this week, Blankenship decided to craft her very own Doctor Aphra comic and share it with her friends on Instagram.
“I’m not a very good artist. Or a writer. But it was fun to make a Doctor Aphra comic,” said Blankenship. “My five-year-old daughter loves it!”
Todd Kingsbury of Archer, Iowa, was eager to read the debut issue of the Image Comics series The Ludocrats, written by Kieron Gillen and Jim Rossignol, and illustrated by artist Jeff Stokely. Normally, Kingsbury buys his comics from The Erudite Dragon, a local retailer that sells comic books, graphic novels, board games, baseball cards, and absinthe. The Erudite Dragon closed last week under mandatory municipal lockdown orders, but Kingsbury was undeterred.
“I haven’t spent decades of my life reading Batman comics without having learned to persevere,” said Kingsbury. “I decided to make my own Ludocrats comic.”
Kingsbury’s task was daunting, as he had never read an issue of The Ludocrats. He also admits that he has no artistic talent.
“I tried to put myself in Gillen’s headspace, but I just couldn’t go there, so I decided to create the Ludocrats comic that I would want to read,” said Kingsbury. “That’s why Batman features so prominently in it.”
Although he now makes his own comics and posts them on his blog site, Kingsbury is buying gift certificates from The Erudite Dragon to help keep it in business. “I love my local comic shop, and because they are closed by the pandemic, I want to do what I can to help. Just like Batman.”
A self-described “addict” for the cerebral comics created by writer Jonathan Hickman, Tony Guterres of Palmetto, Georgia, was sad to see local retailer Fat Astronaut Comix close for a community-wide business shutdown. Worried that he would be unable to read upcoming issues of Hickman’s X-Men (Marvel) or creator-owned Decorum (Image), Guterres created dozens of Hickman-inspired “white pages” filled with strange glyphs and mysterious geometric shapes and then shared them on Twitter.
“When I see Hickman’s white pages, I don’t immediately understand what they mean, but I’m always entertained,” said Guterres. “I hope my imitation white pages will give people the same experience until the comic shops re-open.”
Tina Radev of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had her heart set on reading the second issue of the DC Comics series Strange Adventures by writer Tom King and artists Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner. With a copy unavailable, Radev wrote and drew her own Strange Adventures comic, which she shared on Instagram.
Radev acknowledged that her humble comics pastiche is no substitute for the real thing, and while she enjoys her new hobby, she hopes to read the works of her favorite creators soon.
“I love Gerads’ art, and if ‘Doc’ Shaner’s art were a person, I’d kiss it,” said Radev. “I realize that I’m no Gerads or Shaner or King, and I appreciate them even more, because making my own comic has taught me just how hard creating good comics can be.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The above article is an April Fools’ Day parody. Surprise! The bootleg creators/comics featured above are fictional creations of the author. The author finds creative activity therapeutic for his anxieties, and highly recommends such activity during a COVID-19 lockdown.
The text, images, and characters above are the property of their respective owner(s), and are presented here for not-for-profit, educational, and parody purposes only under the fair use doctrine of the copyright laws of the United States of America.
