A Quick Survey

It's been gratifying to see a steady increase in visitor traffic here at Comic Coverage over the past several months. Wanting to go beyond the raw "hits per day" information, I've put together a short survey to discover a bit more about who my visitors are and what you like about the blog. So, if you've got a few minutes, I'd appreciate if you took my quick ten question survey...which you can get to  by clicking here. Thanks...and I look forward to getting your feedback!

Comments

[Brain Disco Snell]

Oh, great, now you're giving us homework...on a weekend!!

[Mark Engblom]

LOL! Maybe it has something to do with school wrapping up for the year (it was my kids' last day yesterday)...puts me in an quizzy kinda mood (if there is such a thing).

[Diane]

I answered your survey as best I could. The fact of the matter is that I haven't actually "collected" comics since I was in college - coincidentally about the time of the first "Crisis". I enjoyed my brother's collection of Silver Age DC, and it's an exercise in nostalgia to read about them again. I am also mildly curious about what's going on in both the Marvel and DC universes at the present, as it quite honestly confirms in me my decision not to bother with "decompressed" stories (or whatever label they're using for self-indulgence these days). Your survey seems to assume that everyone who reads your blog is a current collector, so I just thought I'd throw my two-cents (or less) into the mix.

And for what it's worth, I think your blog is great as it stands. :)

[Prometheus T. Freemason]

I've been coming here for a couple months now. Yours and Tipton's 101 are my two must-read every month.

Absolutely love Cover-to-Cover.

[Mark Engblom]

"Your survey seems to assume that everyone who reads your blog is a current collector, so I just thought I'd throw my two-cents (or less) into the mix.

"Sorry about that, Diane. I kinda-sorta allowed for a more casual interest in comics with the "A casual comic book fan?" choice, but I admit that I didn't really make it all that clear. I'm certainly aware that there are tons of people interested in the wide world of comics without necessarily being an active reader/collector...so I regret not making that clear.

Thanks for filling out the survey, though!

[Mark Engblom]

"I've been coming here for a couple months now. Yours and Tipton's 101 are my two must-read every month."

Wow...thanks, Prometheus. That's high praise indeed being up there with my pal Tipton. I appreciate your kind words and your continued patronage!

[Dr. Retro]

Took the survey first thing this morning. You've got the best comics blog on the internet. I never miss a post.

[Brian]

Love your blog, and completed the survey. Did want to clarify one thing (I guess that need to clarify confirms my geekiness (:): I wasn't sure what to click about "how long I've been collecting," and eventually went with the 20+ years button, since I've read comics since I was a kid. But the truth is, it's much more stop-and-go complex than that: I read comics casually until I was eleven or so, then collected intensely from 11-14, then didn't read comics for about a decade. I got back into it while taking a course on comics and animation in grad school, but even then mostly started reading graphic novels and histories of the medium rather than "floppies." I slowly started picked up new floppies a few years ago, and now find myself getting several new issues every week, in part because I've been teaching a course on comics, which has made me more interested (and gotten me good recs from students of stuff to read), and partly because my local comics shop owners are so cool, and make reading comics a pleasure.

I mention all this, not just to relay my personal history, but to suggest that it's hard to boil down collecting periods into a survey. I don't mean that at all as a criticism-- I loved your survey, and your site, and formulating periods or categories is always a tricky job-- but as a way of thinking about the shape of one's fandom, our often checkered histories in relationship to this stuff. I suspect my "arc", to use a comics term, is similar to a lot of your readers, and it makes it kind of fun to think about what I was reading when, and when I wasn't reading anything at all.

[Michael Lee]

Do you intend to share the results of the survey with us Mark?

[Shar]

Mark, I look at a lot of comic blogs, but this is the only one I subscribe to. I especially like your take on Silver Age topics--informative, amusing, and always spot on! And your site's overall format/layout is very easy on the eyes.

Also, though I'm a Silver Age fanatic, in your survey I answered that I've "only" collected for 6-10 years, since I stopped reading comics for a number of years...just got back into it (back issues, of course) a few years ago.

[Mark. Engblom]

Dr. Retro-

You're too kind. Thanks, Doc.

Brian-

Thanks for pointing out the "non-linear" nature of many fans' participation in the comics scene. Having never really "fallen away" myself, I tend to forget many more people do...and I wished I'd reflected that in the survey. That'll teach me to write the questions at 12:30 am!

Michael-

I would like to share the results, but I'm not sure when. The Superman@70 stuff is starting off tomorrow...so I'll have to think of the best way to post the feedback. It's certainly no secret...and I was hoping that the poll would automatically show participants the results so far. Grrr! "Stay tuned" is the best answer I can give at this point. Thanks for your interest!

[Mark. Engblom]

"Mark, I look at a lot of comic blogs, but this is the only one I subscribe to."

Nice to hear, Shar! It's good to know others enjoy the Silver Age stuff, too. Sure, it had some crazy stuff, but also some real magic that many people are too quick to dismiss or ignore.

[Thomas]

I'll add a big old ditto to the rest of the praise you're getting here. Love the blog and it's one of the few I make sure to read every day.

Add me to the list of folks who's had multiple breakaway periods from collecting. I went ahead and said I'd been collecting for more than 20 years but I certainly haven't been for all 20+ of those years.

Another question I had problems answering was the one about eras. I mainly collect comics from the 60s and 70s, which spans the traditional definition of Silver and Bronze Age.

But those kinds of issues are true of all surveys. Just pointing out things to keep in mind when looking at results.

Keep up the great work, and thanks so much for all of the nostalgia and laughter you've given us!

[chris w.]

A couple of things:

I'm back reading comics semi-regularly after quitting the hobby back in the early 90s. So even though I said I've only been a 5-10 year reader, I like to think I have a good knowledge of things spanning 30 years, if not more.

Another thing re: buying new comics vs. back issues...I took this to mean new comics vs. the number of reprint collections I buy ala Essentials and Showcases. Pound per pound, I probably buy and enjoy more "back-issue" comics in the bulk formats than I do new comics. I keep up to date on most things, however.

I do like both Marvel and DC in theory... but as much as I would LIKE to enjoy Marvel, I pretty much can't stand the current direction of the Marvel U. I avoid Marvel wholesale, although I pick up non-Marvel U books like Nova, which thankfully avoids the Civil War garbage. So I am a fan of both DC and Marvel, even though I can't stand the current mindset at Marvel.

[PAUL SAETHER]

Yes - some of us loved comics back in the silver age but buy only reprint books now.

You didn't seem to allow for NOT buying comics and i got a telling off for skipping one question.

My answer that i buy as many new as old didn't really tell the truth...that i don't buy ANY!

Although i don't buy anything these days i am impressed with many of the covers i look up on the gcdb site.

Many artists producing covers today are in a far higher league than silver age artists (with obvious exceptions ).

Many silver age comics were best read only in the silver age.

[Wes C]

Like a lot of people I've been collecting on and off for over 20 years (thank you Secret Wars!!! and G.I. Joe) but man the early nineties really just took it out of me - thank God for the independents! Fantagraphics and Hellboy were my only link to current comics for several years. I don't buy any monthlies at the moment, but things certainly look better than they did 15 years ago (wasn't even sure there would be an industry to speak of at this point)

Your site was the first comics blog I checked out, it's still my favorite. Thanks to your site though I've stumbled upon Chris's Invincible Superblog, Siskoids and a few others.

Thanks Mark, I know having a full time job, kids AND a life must make putting out quality post everyday quite grueling at times. I appreciate the dedication and hard work!

For the record: Worst cover ever is ALWAYS my favorite post (not that the others are bad or anything)

Keep up the great work! (please, you've got us all hooked now)