On this, the last day of Comic-Con 2009--when even die-hard fans may have had their fill--we close out our weeklong tribute to comic books on a contrarian note: Stop Talking About Comics Books or I'll Kill You
, by Ookla the Mok, from their 1998 album Super Secret
. Best known for their filk songs, Ookla the Mok (named after a character from the animated TV series Thundarr the Barbarian) actually have great sympathy for comic book fans and are a popular draw when they perform at science fiction and comic book expos. As the title of this song implies, the narrator simply doesn't share his partner's enthusiasm for comic books: I don't care if the Hulk could defeat the Man of Steel/I'm gonna rearrange your face if you continue to debate/Whether Logan's claws could pierce Steve Roger's shield. . . Stop spending all our cash on back issues of the Flash/Or I swear to God you're gonna spend your twilight years alone. The song also touches on a distinction that is significant to writers, artists, fans and publishers, but lost on most neophytes: Okay, you can call them graphic novels/But they're still just plain old comic books to me. Near the end is a reference that comic insiders will appreciate, The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide
--for serious collectors.
