The roundtable participants are:
Introduction "I have no idea why it is that humans are so compelled to assess and reflect upon the changing into a new year, but I'm as guilty of this urge as anybody else. I warn you now that the opinions that follow -- both mine and those of a select roundtable of comics commentators -- will take some time to read. If you are subject to eyestrain, you might want to print this out for offline reading, or at least pace yourself, maybe take a walk around the block around the halfway point."
The round table is a good read – very political in a lot of ways, the guys defiantly pull no punches in sighting their complaints as well as praise for all areas of the comic industry.
The shutting down of Highwater Books is noted here a few times, but the guys are operating on the assumption that Highwater closing was due to it’s supposed inability to make money. I don’t know if it was the most profitable venture for Tom, but when I talked to him at Expozine this year about the announcement, his main reason seemed to be more about wanting to spend more time working on his own books, which largely till now he was unable to do – He commented on the fact that he did become a publisher in part to help fill a void in the market he felt was being neglected at the time, but he said he didn’t feel that was true any longer necessarily at all. In the years since quite a few other Indy publishers of art comix have come into existence, and many artists are being more proactive about self-publishing. Money was probably a factor – it’s always been hard to turn a profit as a small publisher. But I don’t think it’s the great tragedy the guys here are making it out to be, or quite so ominous an omen at all. In fact it could be seem and a good sign depending on your POV.
Given that many of the cancelled projects have already found homes, and the remainder that are deserving will as well sooner or latter I suspect - we may have lost a imprint, but we’re not going to be short to many comix, plus I think it’s fair to hope for a few more from Tom himself.
Here’s the compleat CBG Best of 2004
Best First Issue: RevolveR #1
Best Anthology: McSweeney's #13
Best Hardcover: B. Krigstein Comics
Best Autobiography: American Elf: The Collected Sketchbook Diaries of James Kochalka
Most Surprising Graphic Novel: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
Alternative Comic of the Year: Eightball #23
Most Exciting New Title: Street Angel
Best Trade Paperback: The Filth
Best Mini-Series: We3
Best Superhero Comic (Tie): DC The New Frontier/The Ultimates
Outstanding Graphic Novel: Locas
Best Strip Collection: The Complete Peanuts
Best Ongoing Title: Sleeper
Best Adventure Comic: Smax
Best One-Shot (All-Ages): Reggie 12 and Friends
Best One-Shot (Adult): Gravedigger: The Scavengers #1
Best Mini-Comic: Insomnia
Best Retrospective: The Collected Sequential
Best Comics Site: The Comics Reporter
Best Webcomic: American Elf
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