Stringing it out

Still developing personal rules for my increase in income.

I've decided that I'm now allowed to buy some graphic novels (i.e., anthologized comic books). The question is, should I buy one on a monthly, or half-monthly, basis?

For what it's worth, they're about twenty bucks each. So, it's not the money (although I want to avoid putting hundreds of $$$ on the credit card...). It's more about the savoring -- and the ritual.


My inclination is to do it once a month. There's a few series that I'd like to buy: Walking Dead (zombies), Usagi Yojimbo (samurai), Concrete (guy whose brain was transplanted into a rock-person alien body), and Ex Machina (former super hero who can communicate with machines, now the mayor of New York City).

According to Wikipedia, these series have 14, 24, 7, and 10 athologized volumes, respectively. Although the authors will create additional issues, I wouldn't expect more than four to six additional volumes per year ("Walking Dead" and "Usagi Yojimbo" appear to be produced regularly, while the others are more ad hoc).

So, that's 55 total volumes I'd like to get. At one a month, that's about four and a half years -- plus the 25 or so that would be produced in that time, so another three years for that backlog plus the backlog that's generated during that three years. So, seven and a half years, about.

Conversely, if I get two a month, then that's 24 a year, so two and a half years to acquire what's currently available, plus another six months or so for the backlog -- so three years total.

Either way, I'll be "caught up" in seven and half years, or three years. As part of this is the anticipation, and the ritual -- i.e., "the first of each month" or "each payday" going and buying one -- at a certain point I'll have maxed out. Although, presumably there will be other series to collect: other writers will come along that suit my tastes.


Hmm. My initial inclination was to do it monthly. But I hadn't realized how deep the backlog was for "Walking Dead" and "Usagi Yojimbo". OTOH, three years seems awfully fast (maybe not when you're in high school; but when you're forty, it does). But seven years seems like a long time to drag it out. Particularly, since, as I said, presumably there will be additional ones that come up.


Hm.


Thoughts/comments?



--GG