Over at Underground Online, John Byrne discusses “What Went Wrong?” with the comics industry. He breaks down comic history into a series of mistakes that impact the image and direction of comic books over the years. Here’s a little of what he has to say:

One could argue that the first and perhaps biggest mistake was to allow these things to be called “comic books” in the first place. The name was born out of the earliest versions of this half-tab (for half tabloid) package being reprints of the “Sunday Funnies,” the “Comics.” Because of this, they came to be called comic books, and people came to think of them as containing “comic” material — i.e., funny stuff. This is odd, given that the Comics were choc-a-bloc with adventure strips that made no attempt to be humorous, but somehow this label and impression stuck. I have often suggested we might seek another term to describe the package, but so far nothing as “user-friendly” as “comic book” has been suggested.

User-friendly, eh? I say we go techie with a new name…Wireless Entertainment Modules. They work anywhere (well, I think they’re still working out the design specs for the underwater variety of comics) and can be used for decades without needing to be recharged. They’re portable, they promote literacy, and they come in a variety of colors and genres. Get yours today!