Why I Still Read Comic Books In 2026?
I grew up in a world without internet. As such, the only pastime during my teenage years was read and re-read comic books. My parents were torn between comic books and other forms of entertainment. To them, comic books were the lesser evil.
Reading comic books is still my favourite time to relax. I have always been mesmerised by the story telling and artwork. For a few dollars, I am suck into an entirely imaginary world. As long as I keep the comic books pristine, I can always revisit that world and story. It was those moments; I forget about my schoolwork and stress of growing up.
As I grow older, I appreciate comic books more, not for the escapism but as a product. I admire the artist's resilient who every day sits behind the desk to draw and colour the panels. The team of story tellers who need to come up with enough plot points to keep the readers engaged. The many creative ways to convince readers to buy the next issue and adapt to the escalating demand of old readers. In a nutshell, the quality of the comic books has to be consistent for long periods of time.
Comic books is a high pressure and high demand business. I doubt I can survive in this industry. Comic books has thought me about the importance of showing up consistently, listening to your customers and never giving up. It is okay that your current issue is not very good, you can always improve in your next issue. Life is like that, if we have failed once, there is always another chance to try again.