I don’t know what it is, but I’m reading fewer and fewer new comics these days.

A few years ago, I used to read anywhere from three to fives new trades/graphic novels a month. Today, I may read one new comic a month or just read the old stuff I already own.

Maybe I’m just getting picky in my old age, but it seems there are fewer books coming out every month that appeal to me. Sure I eagerly wait for the next Scott Pilgrim, but that is a one time a year thing. I look through Previews  each month  and see only a handful of books that look interesting.

Or it could be the comic market is catering to other people’s tastes. And that is not the old “I hate manga” mantra. I love manga.I even worked for a manga publisher for a while. But even with all the manga being published, I only find a couple books that I really enjoy.

This doesn’t mean I’m giving up on comics. It just means I’ll keep searching for more new books that I’ll enjoy.

So San Diego Comic Con 2008 is over, and I had a really good time.

It’s gotten so huge, and it is much more than just an average comic con. I can see why some comic fans can be resentful that comics are no longer the sole focus of the con anymore. They feel that what once was theirs is now gone. They feel that was once the pinnacle of comics fandom is now being overshadowed by other media. And the way the hall is sectioned even reinforces that with the right half of the hall being comics (publishers, dealers, creators) and the left half being other media/pop culture.

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So Marvel had a fashion show during CCI this year. Well fashion show in that it featured clothes based on their superheroes.

As you can see, it was more just models (eerily similar looking models) in tight skimpy costumes. Heck even Marvel’s own Director of Merchandising, Damon Nee, agreed that is was more about the girls than the clothes.

Traffic stopped all around the booth as fans craned their necks to take in the costumes… Well, the models in the costumes.

And I bet Marvel wonders why they can’t reach more female readers. Or maybe they just don’t care anymore.

Photos via io9.com

With layoffs and cancellations making news in the comic press, I wonder these are just the start of a shrinkage of the industry.

The current economic state of the world isn’t going to help. Comics have been somewhat of a niche industry for the past few decades. And with less people having disposable income, I wonder if they will spend even less on comics for entertainment.

I’m betting we will see more publishers either cut their titles or maybe even go under in 2009. I just hope enough enjoyable comics survive.

I recently discovered The Variants. It is a web video series about a staff at a comic shop. It’s is kind of a mix of Clerks and The Guild. So far, it’s alright. There are a few funny lines and situations.

So Marvel is on the iPhone by partnering with several different app companies. Nice idea, but do I really want to read a full size comic on such a tiny screen? Where are you Apple tablet with Longbox?

Another print magazine “dies.” This time it’s the indie snob’s favorite ranter, The Comics Journal. It will cease regular publishing (it will come out twice a year) and its website will become it’s main publishing outlet. While I was an on and off reader of TCJ, I see this as a necessary evil. The money for printed entertainment is drying up. These days, publishers have to make hard choices to either switch to digital or cut back on print quantity and/or quality.

Not Comics: The new Weezer album is pretty good. It has hints of all their previous albums. While not on the level of Blue or Pinkerton, it has a bunch of fun and catchy songs. Though the Lil” Wayne rap and the Indian signing are…umm…different? Favorite song so far: Tripping Down the Freeway.