The Ant, Or The Grasshopper??

A modest proposal:

Many of you out there aren't old enough to remember the concept of a "skip week."

You see, with 12 months--but 52 weeks--in a year, you've got 4 "extra" weeks in the year. And back in the day, when the Big Two were all there was, and they published fewer titles, and they cared about maintaining their schedules, they basically took those weeks off--"skip weeks"--in order to put out only 12 monthly issues per year, rather than 13. Nothing (well, virtually nothing) came out during those skip weeks. So, 4 times a year, no comics (although Marvel & DC didn't always use the same weeks as skip weeks...so the blow was lessened).

In more recent times, though, "skip weeks" have become extinct, obsolete. More companies releasing stuff, the Big Two publishing far more titles and mini-series and specials, more and more books being late...there seems to be always enough to publish, eliminating the need for the dreaded skip weeks.

Ah, but this year, it's back. Due to the way the holidays fall, Diamond will not be shipping any books for December 30, the week between Xmas and New Years. No books. Nada.

Which is quite a pain in the hinder.. it's a week many people have off from work and pockets full of gift certificates, so it would seem to be a prime week for people to hit their local comic shoppes for new goodies. Sorry, not this year. No new books for you!!

(There have been rumors online that Diamond will ship Blackest Night #6 the week of 12/23, but "ask" retailers not to put it out for sale until 12/30, so there would be a "big" new title to draw people into the stores. A noble idea, if true, but it seems destined for failure, as once one store breaks the embargo--even accidentally--the floodgates will be open.)

So here is my modest proposal: Save one comic a week.

Counting tomorrow, there are 9 Wednesdays before the dreaded skip week. So, if you set aside just one of your purchased new comics each week between now and then, you'll have a stack of 9 new, unread comics to read that holiday week. A little nest egg to soften the blow from the dreaded skip week. Delay the self-gratification, and set aside a little Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa present for yourself.

Of course, every person will doubtless choose a different comic to save for themselves each week...which means that any and every comic over the next 9 weeks will be unread by someone out there. So, in order to avoid spoilers, no one should comment on any new comics, or write any reviews, or kvetch about anything Bendis has done, until December 30th. Total new comic blackout in the blogosphere...just write about old comics, or Smallville, or Rickroll folks for the next nine weeks. Anything except new comics, because if we do write about new comics, we'll be spoiling someone's Christmas!!

Remember...one new comic per week, set it aside. Together, we can take the skip out of skip week!!

[Editor's note: Due to a necessary impurity in his brain, snell has no intention of going along with this mad scheme. He talks ant, but man, he's 100% grasshopper...]