More on the great blogger Abstract Comics debate

Kent Worcester comments on some remarks in Craig Fischer and Derik Badman's discussion.

Derik responds.

If people would like to keep going with this, may I make a suggestion? I would love to see actual close analysis of a single piece, especially one that works for you (or one that doesn't, fine, but to me that would be less interesting). If the proof is in the pudding, let's figure out what's in the pudding that makes it tasty. I would tell but I've already cooked parts of the meal, not to mention catered the whole dinner.

However, I will be so vain as to point out Jog's earlier analysis of my piece, "Expedition to the Interior" , which struck me as particularly well done. Similarly, I really appreciated Charles Hatfield's analysis of the design and overall arrangement of the anthology. Again, it may be vain to praise a critic for totally getting what you were trying to do--but, well, he did. (Now, I have a few problems with his last couple of paragraphs--namely, his view of abstract comics' place in the wider world of comics, view which results from his wider and, I would argue, too restrictive definition of comics--but I don't know if I have the energy to address that any further. I've already discussed the issue with him in some of the comments to my earlier posts here, and I'd be just repeating myself.)