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The XFL boasts of the complete access its fans have to the grim-and-grit ty; putting the folks in the stands right there in the middle of the action. The cameras sweep every vantage point; the players are interviewed on the JumboTron during the game; at the Las Vegas Outlaws game last Saturday, it looked to me like cheerleaders were in the stands giving lap dances.

And that’s the comic book industry in 2001.

The comic book industry is so desperate for media attention, they’re doing lap dances in the stands.

Comics fans have an unprecedented access to the folks who make the comics, and the folks who make comics have instantaneous feedback if they want it. I was contemplating a bit of this article, and I thought, “I wonder what some smart comics fans think about all this?” So I went on the Warren Ellis Forum on www.delphi.com/ellis/chat, to see who was awake at that hour and talking about comics. If you’re on Warren’s chat, you’re a smart comics fan, and that’s a fact. So, since these chats happen in real-time, and are limited only by how fast you can type, I wrote quickly, “How do you feel about the unlimited access you guys have to comic book information? To other fans? To pros? To news?” Here’s what I got: Jacob Corbin: I could do without the eight hundred thousand news sites and the endless press releases. If I read another press release I shall bleed from the eyes. But I like the sense of community. Andi: I think that the access to information is sometimes far too excessive. You end up having groups of fans who expect to control the outcome sim ply because they have access to certain people.

Silence: far superior to access of other relative "celebrities", decent info about coming events and products, access to obscure items via Ebay etc.

Stuart Nathan: There are some people whose voices I could do without. But one thing about internet use - you very quickly learn that you have to fil ter. Sites like the WEF help sort the signal from the noise. Jacob Corbin: I like the interaction with other readers. I don't know many comics readers in KC aside from my immediate circle of friends. It's nice getting other people's perspectives and recommendations.

So it seems to me that the day is coming soon when fans see the comic book industry get up in the morning, it’s not going to look as pretty as it

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