Mad made the wrong decision

[coolartist05]

In the late 90's early 2000's battle chasers was the top comic book period. I think its every comic book artists dream to one day have their own successful comic, but how many ever really see that dream come true? Not many really and I think it only makes what joe did even more terrible.

He had a comic that everyone was salivating over just waiting for the new issue to come out. Good story, good characters, unbelievable pencils and color by liquid and a rabid fanbase. So what does he do? He leaves the comic and puts in on an indefinate hiatus! And worse he left to do videogames, the first of which went under.
Ive never been able to understand why he would ever have left something like that, and worse destroy the hope of his fans in a comic they love.

[Madman!]

okay consider this a first warning. This is your first post here so I will let you come and make your case if you're actaully wanting to be here. I don't know if your doing this to be a jerk or you just didn't bother to read anything before posting. There's a search function and you can find so many posts about this topic it's frighting. Also there's a whole section for this type of post that I've made specially so people can just rant and rave about the canceling and how much they still don't like Mad! Also it's really rude to go to someone's house and say negative things about something they enjoy specially on your first visit or at all..so please think before you post on a site that's dedicated to the enjoyment of the artist your putting down...completely rude.

If you want to stay and post some more please do, but look before you post and do it in the right section. If your reply is with a defensive attitude and saying how I'm silencing your "opinion" or something, I'm going to ban your ass as fast as lighting.

oh and I'm also moving this thread to the section it belongs in.

[mkk]

Despite what you may have heard, the comics industry isnt exactly the most lucrative in the world, and Joe has a family to feed. I was sad to see him go, but now Im overjoyed to see him back in the game, and I will never be petty enough to stay angry at a man who made a decision I didnt agree with, especially somone as talented as Mad!.

Just be happy that he's back, and enjoy the visual splendor that will be coming in a few months time.

[coolartist05]

First off i'm not necessarily bashing joe, at least not by what I would consider bashing. If I would have said how joe is a terrible artist, hate his comics etc. now that would really be bashing but i'm not, in fact I love his work, and his talent, and I also understand that comics are generally not done for alot of money so monetary reasons for doing video games is understandable.

I am in fact a fan of Joe and what I consider a true fan is someone who can also disagree with a person when they do something they don't like as well as praise them. What my point was with my post was that BC was and is a masterful comic by a masterful artist. I looked long and hard for a fantasy series that I really liked before finally finding BC and its just terrible to see a potentially legendary comic book be put on an indefinate hold. I would have taken a comic every 6 months, done in Joe's spare 15-20 min. a day rather than see it just simply canceled.

Let me make an anaogy here. It would be like a great writer producing 1 book out of a 12 books series and then after youve read that amazing first book find out that he's decided not to do any other books. It would be . . . dissapointing wouldn't it? and even though your still a fan of theirs you still disagree with their decision

[Madman!]

First you must not have read even what I posted above. See the part where I said it has been discussed numerous times. I never said I didn't agree and I do agree with you, but it was disappointing like 4 years ago when it happened. Joe made that announcment around feb 2002 it's now 2006. Doesn't change the fact that you didn't bother to use the search function and used your first post to complain. Way to show how much you are a fan of his work by using your first post to complain..and yes complain, you may not have bashed him(eventhough I never said you bashed him), but you sure as hell are complaining.

I've heard your analogy where people say he should work on it a few mins out of the day a bunch of times too..still doesn't change the fact that your still complaining about something 4 years after the fact. That's also what YOU would do not what Joe has to do. Just because it's people's dream to have a comic book or they found the perfect Fantasy book doesn't mean he has to be forced to do it because they said so. You had 4 years and in that time you could have got real good at drawing and made your own fantasy book or just even get into comics.

Here's an analogy...If your friend was suppose to pick you up one day and never showed up. Then later told you that he was sorry and he couldn't have picked you up because something came up and he couldn't have passed it up..you would still be so hurt that you kept brining it up to him, of how he disappointed you 4 years after it happened? I'm guessing probably not. Then you wait 4 years later and out of no where just say ..remember that time you disappointed me...

..now let's change it and make it Joe. First he was making a comic and was suppose to keep to a schedule, but something came up and was given the oppurtunity to do something else, that paid him more or even because it was his dream to work in video games and he apologized for having to cancel the book. I bet nobody would be disappointed towards their friend, because that would make them look like a jerk, but WOW sounds like the same story to me. Now I can hear what you going to say..but ones a friend and I'm not friends with Joe..maybe so but like you said you're a fan of his work and I don't think using your first post to say how disappointed you are is really showing that your a fan.

All that aside, doesn't change the fact what my first post was about. You didn't use the search function and you posted in the wrong section. Also that you used your first post to complain about something..*cough* 4 years later. As far as I know Joe Mad doesn't read the message boards. So the person that has to read it is me since this is my site and boards. I posted numerous times in the same topics as this that I don't want to hear about this kinda of stuff anymore. I have a rules section where I told everybody to post this type of thread, in the section I created specifically for this. Which to me sounds fair and you completely didn't bother to do or read any of that...so to me yes what you are doing is being rude and disrespectful. Which if you read in the rules if it's your first couple of posts and your doing that, then it's something I could ban you for...but once again I was being nice and gave you a warning.

[coolartist05]

first off I apologize for not searching the site but to be honest I was actually excited about posting for the first time. And as for "complaining" on my first post which i know probably isn't the coolest thing to do, it was more out of the fact that I'd never once had the opportunity to complain, or talk about this particular comic and its dissapointing cancellation to anyone who was an actual fan until I found this site

And yes I understand that to you this is by and far old news since you see these posts on a daily basis but this would be the first discussion on this particular subject Ive had. I had no intention of bashing Joe, his work, or his other interests that have nothing to do with comics or BC. Just know that my complaint is more out of love for the comic than any kind of anger at Joe. I simply hope that he one day picks up the reigns of BC again not to finish the comic with a few issues but hopefully to simply continue the comic that was his greatest comic achievment

[Madman!]

Alrighty well let's just consider this over and just move on, no hard feelings. Welcome to the boards! If you got some art to share please do or anything else. Hopefully I didn't scare you away. I do want people to post here. I do get frustrated when this topic comes up, because I get it everywhere. I get it in the email, comments section, here on forums and every other forum I go to. It's specially bad on other forums, I can be making a post about anthing and since people know me as "joe mad fan" they just want to start an arguement..specially this subject. But anyway again let's just move on and consider this over.

and for BC coming back, he only just turned 32 in December, so we got a lot of time. George Lucas took like what 20 years before doing the prequals. Plus with him back at comics with Marvel maybe after Ultimates is done he'll do BC at Marvel.

[bluesteel179]

OMG I HAVE A BANANA!!!

[maverick1104]

Is having a banana like another analogy for something? Ha. Seriously, though. Everyone needs to look at the present in order to get ahead. If you focus on what happened in the past, the "what-ifs" and "coulda beens", well, they only hold you back. And I'm talking not just on this subject, I'm talking about everything. It's a good piece of advice and it's something I'm trying to do better this year. I've had my discussion about this subject a loooooong time ago which started a 3 page argument. I was under a different screen name then (Mad00711). I made some valid points and carefully thought out what I would say cuz I didn't want to be taken the wrong way. And guess what? I still was taken the wrong way. Thankfully some people understood my opinions and backed me up, including Madman!. It's a tough thing to state your opinions to something when everyone loves the guy. But you did and I tip my hat to you, man. But as Madman! said, lets consider it over and move on. Ultimates 3 is on the way and maybe, just maybe, Battle Chasers after that. Anyway, welcome to the boards, coolartist05.

Oh, I don't really know how old this thread is and apologize in advance if this is, well, old.

[Chris Noeth]

I know this was discussed in many threads before but this is the first I found here covering this topic, so I will post my five cents here:

I too loved Joe's BC as it came out and I really enjoyed every issue. I visited the Battle Chasers forum and saw many many fans online... it was unbelievable how many. Surely Joe made a lot of money with his series, even when we are talking about comics here... but let's face the truth: Joe never really wanted to do comics only! He loves games and with his new money from the Chasers book he had the chance to do what he really loves.

A few years later and more experience in the game biz he sees that Marvels Ultimate books sells like cheap women and when asked to draw a book he would be mad (I mean crazy) to not do a book for Marvel called 'The Ultimates'! It is a sure winner and it will bring him a ton of money which he propably will put into his game biz again.

I would love to see Joe do more comics but I don't think it is what he loves most... so I wish him all the best with what he loves to do. I will buy the new books of course even if it is the last Joe Mad comic stuff we will be seeing for a long time.

And remeber: There are also artists out there who quit working in games to work in comics! (hint hint) hehe

Best,

Chris

[paullavallee]

I too wish Joe would have stayed in comics, but what can you do? It's Joe's life. He's doing what he wants to do. So that can't be a wrong decision.

[magdalenarules]

Yeah there's nothing wrong with what Joe did. I respect him, I harbor no ill will towards him. I understand that circumstances come up and things change. I am mad at the circumstance which has ripped my favorite comic book ever away from me. There has never been a comic as great as Battle Chasers to me. I mean. There is no art on this PLANET that I enjoy more than the Joe Mad and Christian Lichtner and Weems/McSweeney/Townshend combo. And the story of Battle Chasers...the world ...the universe of Battle Chasers. Was absolutely glorious. I wanted to live there. I love being transported there through the pages of the comic. I have read and re-read them countless times. It is a masterpiece. My favorite amazing glorious beautiful intriguing fantasy world which I could escape to has been torn away from me. I can't help but be angry. Not at Joe, just at the situation.

[travisty]

First time I'm posting on this board

Anyways, just wanted to get my two-cents in regarding all this Battle Chasers hoo-ha.

Battle Chasers is Joe Mad's Star Wars. Everyone's still raving about how George Lucas destroyed Star Wars. WTF? It's HIS property, and he can do anything he wants with it.

Was I disappointed when Battle Chasers was put on hold? And that he continues to say that if he ever does it again it would be ..."VERY FAR OFF..." ? Yes. As a fan of his work, yes. I never really cared how long it took in-between issues as long as I knew that the next issue was coming. Ask anyone in this forum and I'm pretty sure they would say the same thing.

But I also believe that everyone should be happy because Joe Mad is still around as a creator, and that every now and then we are blessed to have new stuff of his come out.

His foray into video games (Darksiders) was a success, despite some of the ratings that game got. Can't wait to see more of that franchise. If he goes on to make a comic out of that then more power to him. Who knows? Maybe it'll inspire him to finally finish Battle Chasers, or even do a cross-over between the two franchises.