There is a phrase that is bandied about in the comicbook market; that phrase is “All Ages.” While many seem to think that it denotes a comic that is specifically targeted towards children, that is simply not the case. All Ages really means that there is something within the covers of said comic that will be enjoyed by people of, well, all ages. While that may sound simple enough, somehow many writers and publishers miss the mark so widely that it is borderline criminal. They seem to think that if a story is simplified, targeted for kids, or “dumbed down” that makes it an all ages book. Nothing could be further from the truth.
First of all, kids aren’t that simple-minded, they can comprehend rather complex ideas and storylines, plus if you simplify a story too much then you lose the older end of the spectrum. Further, by simply talking down to your potential reader, you run the risk of alienating them. An All Ages book will have something for everyone. A classic example of All Ages are the Looney Tunes of the ‘60s, which were written by adults, for kids, but with a crafty eye towards containing content that entertained adults as well (especially those adults who were writing the episodes in the first place).
Such is the accomplished goal of Jay Piscopo’s comicbook one-shot, The Sea Ghost (Nemo Publishing Group, $3.99). This delightful tale comes to us leaping out of the pages of Piscopo’s on-going series, Capt’n Eli. In this stand-alone tale (that doesn’t require any foreknowledge of Capt’n Eli’s adventures), Sea Ghost is transported from his undersea headquarters on Earth to the distant planet Eris by mysterious peacekeeping aliens where he is tossed headlong into the eternal conflict between the sea-based Phlans and the land-dwelling Simas. Upon his arrival, Sea Ghost is attacked by the Phlans who believe him to be a Simas spy sent to kill them.
Sea Ghost allows himself to be captured by the Phlans so as to ascertain what is going on, then escapes to make his way to the kingdom of the Simas to learn their side of the story. What he discovers is that there is a malevolent alien that thrives on powerful, hate-filled emotions, has been goading both races to wage endless war so as to feed his own vampiric emotional bloodlust. Once Sea Ghost learns the truth, he attempts to bring the warring nations together to fight off their common enemy.
While the tale sounds simple enough (and Piscopo’s artistic renderings are simple, clean, and uncluttered, rendering it an easy read), the story itself operates on many layers. First, on its most simple level, it is a good v bad story with a clearly defined hero and villain, with a simple twist so as to add an element of mystery. On a much deeper level, the story plays out by reflecting conditions that are currently occurring in the U.S. today. There are two sides fighting a vaguely religious war each believing themselves to be on the side of “right” and thoroughly unwilling to hear what the other side is saying. Then there is an element of fear that is an undercurrent to all of their actions, prompting them to not only distrust each other, but their most trusted advisors (the wisest among them), as well as all strangers.
For its part, The Sea Ghost: The Sea Ghost in the Machine achieves all of its goals by — quite literally — having elements that will appeal to readers of all ages. In reading the story, it is also obvious to anyone who has spent any amount of time reading comics that Piscopo has been influenced by quite a few legendary creators and characters that have preceded him (from Alex Toth and Ramona Fradon, to Aquaman and Space Ghost), all of which makes a most-excellent package. The story is both light enough and dense enough to be enjoyable to its targeted audience, not an easy feat, all things considered.
Sea Ghost is slated to return in a Capt’n Eli graphic novel which is due in the Spring of 2011.
Sea Ghost website; Nemo Publishing store; Capt’n Eli website
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