Invincible Appreciation Thread 5 5

[Invincifans]

Are sales bad though? I thought the book maintained at respectable numbers for an indie title.

 

That's what I'm thinking. Exactly how many more issues need to be sold to make whomever happy each month?

 

Also, props on the 9.8, she's a beauty!

 

Look at it as a business. If you had a property and you saw the market adapting to certain trends, why not take a chance to grow your business as opposed to being stagnant. It's not that they don't currently make anyone unhappy, it's just that any business goals should be for growth.

 

There is an artistic side as well as a business side.

 

Look at it as diversification - as I said before, let Walking Dead rake in the big bucks while it is enjoying it's day in the sun. What is wrong with pursuing Invincible as a passion project? Even so, it certainly still has more than enough readers to be turning a tidy profit.

 

Does everything have to have every last bit of potential profit squeezed out of it? It is similar to saying every movie has to be Avatar. That sort of entertainment is fun, but I also like to sit down and watch Clerks or Reservoir Dogs every now and then as well.

 

Robert Kirkman is the person getting the Walking Dead money. Two other people own Invincible. It's not just a passion project for them.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Invincifans

[SquareChaos]

Isn't it just Walker and Kirkman? I honestly don't know those details, but I do know Walker hasn't really done a ton of work on the book since Ryan started in on it - I know from reading the back matter in the trades that he does do some stuff for the book still, but it hardly seems to be his main focus?

 

I'm sure there are people in here way more knowledgeable about this than me, so I'd be curious to hear their takes.

[Invincifans]

Isn't it just Walker and Kirkman? I honestly don't know those details, but I do know Walker hasn't really done a ton of work on the book since Ryan started in on it - I know from reading the back matter in the trades that he does do some stuff for the book still, but it hardly seems to be his main focus?

 

I'm sure there are people in here way more knowledgeable about this than me, so I'd be curious to hear their takes.

 

Kirkman (40%), Walker (30%) and Ottley (30%) are each owners of the Invincible property. Cory still does some of the designs for the books. Last thing I am positive he designed was the new look for Robot.

 

(Edited to have the exact numbers correctly posted)

Edited April 3, 2015 by Invincifans

[simplyrob]

There is zero TV/Movie/Anything talk for Saga.

 

I thought I was in the Invincible thread.

 

Look at it as a business. If you had a property and you saw the market adapting to certain trends, why not take a chance to grow your business as opposed to being stagnant. It's not that they don't currently make anyone unhappy, it's just that any business goals should be for growth.

 

I get that. You gotta see that the undeniable growth for comic properties these days is the screen, not changing the said properties themselves. Thats what makes me nervous. I'm all for growth, you know this.

[SquareChaos]

Isn't it just Walker and Kirkman? I honestly don't know those details, but I do know Walker hasn't really done a ton of work on the book since Ryan started in on it - I know from reading the back matter in the trades that he does do some stuff for the book still, but it hardly seems to be his main focus?

 

I'm sure there are people in here way more knowledgeable about this than me, so I'd be curious to hear their takes.

 

Kirkman, Walker and Ottley are each 33% owners of the Invincible property. Cory still does some of the designs for the books. Last thing I am positive he designed was the new look for Robot.

 

Yeah, that seems to be his main focus - character design. I didn't know Ryan had a third part of the ownership, that is awesome to hear.

 

I get that they would want the book read by more people, I understand only Kirkman is lighting cigars with hundreds, but... I don't think this is that type of book really.

[Invincifans]

There is zero TV/Movie/Anything talk for Saga.

 

I thought I was in the Invincible thread.

 

 

You said you needed TV or movies for sales now a days. Saga is one of the highest selling books with no TV or movie hype.

[Citizenvain]

I knew Ryan owned a piece but would've never guessed one third. Glad to hear it.

[Invincifans]

I knew Ryan owned a piece but would've never guessed one third. Glad to hear it.

 

This is from Ryan on an old image boards post.

 

Ryan Ottley explained that...

 

Quote

Capuga is close. It is a 40/30/30 ownership. That's how we split merch and options and such, the comics themselves are split 50/50 who ever is working on them. So for a hard cover that Robert and I worked on we split 50/50. If Cory has a 2 issue run in there then he gets a percentage of the HC for those issues he did. We don't get paid when others use each others characters. The created by at the beginning of each book pertains to the title, not every character in the book. SO if there was ever a battle beast mini it would only say created by Kirkman and Ottley. Or like Guarding the Globe, since I created some of those characters too, it has our 3 names. So it mainly has to do with titles. Yes I've created plenty FOR Invincible, but I didn't create Invincible himself, so my name is not there.

 

Ryan

 

[Citizenvain]

Very cool. Thanks for that.

[simplyrob]

You said you needed TV or movies for sales now a days. Saga is one of the highest selling books with no TV or movie hype.

 

You mean this?

 

That's what all the cool kids are doing these days, comics just aren't enough anymore.

 

I'll stand by that. You want big sales (like TWD previously mentioned), that's what you gotta do. Just a matter of time before Invincible and Saga go that route. These creators aren't dumb, they're in this for money. The transition to screen poses the biggest possible margin of profit and expansion of the properties, especially with the way the Hollywood market is eating up comic book properties.

 

I hope Invincible succeeds with the new format, i think it sucks the books changing, that's all. But who am I? Nobody.

[SquareChaos]

Is there some official announcement or something concerning the 'new direction' that I have missed?

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Yea I still don't understand how it is a new direction… It sounds like they just moved venues but otherwise it is the same old Invincible.

 

I'll have to go pick up my copy of the book, but it has changed numerous times over the years. After the Viltrimite War it went in a different direction. After 100, it went in a different direction. I'm just not following what is so drastically different about it.

[followtheleader]

Newest issue was pretty good. But not something I'd want to see full time.

 

I truly hope it doesn't go in the direction of a Deadpool or Harley Quinn. Those are some straight up garbage.

 

It's true, an animated series (with Kirkman direction) would be amazing for this book. I'd almost prefer that than a live-action.

 

Patrick

[Invincifans]

There will be issues to fit what new readers expect, and what old will. The 121 cover has been done for long enough that I had forgotten what it was when I posted earlier today. (#Humblebrag, RIP Harris)

 

I'm excited for everything. I personally think Ottley should be insanely more popular than he is, and know he is very popular. I was extremely worried going in to 118 with a new tone and how it would go down from summaries I got before I saw the printed pages, but then I saw it. I think it delivered extremely well.

 

The Mark and Eve scene was awesome to me. It could have easily hit the standard trope and had Eve get angry at Mark, but like the book always does it handled it in the unexpected manner.

 

And if you just want some violence gore porn, well look at the cover of #120. That issue should hit that want and hard.

[SquareChaos]

So... I guess I'll ask again since you seem to have a lot of info... was there some official announcement (or an unofficial announcement) about what this 'new direction' is? This is sort of the only place I get my Invincible news other than when I read the book in hardcover.

[Invincifans]

I'm the guy who does the Official Facebook page for Invincible. I'm pretty sure there was an announcement without searching, but if not, I'm pretty official. I run Ottley's table at conventions I go to.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

I'm the guy who does the Official Facebook page for Invincible. I'm pretty sure there was an announcement without searching, but if not, I'm pretty official. I run Ottley's table at conventions I go to.

 

And what was the announcement? That Mark and Eve were leaving Earth? Why is that a bad thing?

[Invincifans]

Bold new direction for the book was pretty much the announcement. New era in the title. It's not a bad thing to me. It's going to be more of a family/slice of life based intergalactic than just a Superfighting Superheroes book. It's been edging that way since Conquest though. We haven't really seen a big fighting arc end in an actual fight in quite some time.

[maloney414]

There is zero TV/Movie/Anything talk for Saga.

 

I thought I was in the Invincible thread.

 

 

You said you needed TV or movies for sales now a days. Saga is one of the highest selling books with no TV or movie hype.

 

SAGA is a different beast.

 

It came out during the current post WD speculation craze. Orders on #1 were massive due to speculation, then fans stayed because they liked the story. And despite BKV saying he has no intent of making a movie or TV show, speculators know BKV has many ties to those arenas.

 

 

 

 

 

[maloney414]

I think Invincible's biggest problem is its success. SAGA is still only 20 issues or so. So is most everything else you guys are referring too at Image outselling Invincible. They're easy for new readers to catch up on. Buy one or two TPB's and you're good to go.

 

New readers are often intimidated by starting to read a new comic with 100+ issues to catch up on. The compendiums was a great idea. Making them as cheap as possible is key, so new readers have a way to join the series.

 

A true new jumping on point for new readers isn't a bad idea, but I hope the violence and action don't get sacrificed. New location with new enemies and storylines is fine. But Invincible has been firing on all cylinders recently and a new creative style in storytelling isn't necessary.