CREATORS FRONT FOR DIVERSITY IN COMICS

[RockMyAmadeus]

They have never been in my kitchen?

 

[Boozad]

They have never been in my kitchen?

 

You're not sure?

[comix4fun]

They have never been in my kitchen?

 

You're not sure?

 

He does leave the house to replenish his supply of Funyuns and Grape NeHi.

 

Lord knows what's going on while he's gone.

[MrBedrock]

It's the dilemma that faces retailers every day, every week, every month (when we fill out those order forms). How can we order in such a way that we can successfully capture new readers while still satisfying our existing customers? How can we successfully support new projects which might appeal to new people while still adequately supporting those titles which continuously sell, generally to the same people? How can we establish ourselves as shops in such a way that we are not reliant on the two big publishers, but instead use Marvel and DC's success to grow our business to the point that we can increase exposure for new product?

 

It is hard to just say, "hey, try this new thing" to either a reader or a retailer and make it magically happen. Ultimately creator owned comic publishers have to convince retailers to expand their horizons when ordering, after all retailers are the publisher's actual customers (we buy these things non-returnable). And I am assuming that this short film was produced with the annual Comics-Pro retailers summit as the intended audience. It is a message that most of the shop owners will outwardly wildly support. But the true test will be to see how many of us (retailers) will actually go back to the office, increase orders of new creator owned titles, and formulate a marketing strategy to support them.

[jools&jim]

 

I've read titles like The Goon and other quality "indies" over the years. They're often very well-drawn and well-written, and many of the people who produce them clearly have an abiding love for comic book entertainment. But there's also a lot of turgid, overly violent, doom-and-gloom-besotted, semi-pornographic, nihilistic, solipsistic, rambling, monochromatic, or otherwise unreadable "creative writing 101" junk on those indie racks, too.

 

If these creators want to make a run at a chunk of the broader, mainstream marketplace (supposing for a moment that such a thing still exists these days for comics), cleaning up their own backyard a bit might not be a bad place to start. The last time I was in my LCS (a good long while ago, I'll admit), it was just as hard to sort out the turds from the treasure on the "indie" racks as it was amongst the many crepe-y offerings from the Big Two...

 

 

[joe_collector]

This is insane, as the reason for this "recycling characters from the 30's-70's" is because THERE ARE NO YOUNGER READERS ENTERING AND IT IS ALL AGING FANBOYS BUYING THIS DREK. SO BY PERPETUATING THIS TREND AND MARKETING TO THESE SAME ADULT FANBOYS, YOU HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF!

 

 

So sayeth the King of aging fanboys!

 

Plus, when's the last time you even bought a new comic, Vince?

 

That's the whole point nerdboy, I am not a fanboy and therefore I do not read Moderns with their idiotic, inbred stories about characters so old and decrepit, that many were passe when my Dad was a kid.

 

I have long since moved on to other literature that can offer challenging ideas and interesting characters and themes, much like Marvel comics did for me when I was 6-12 years old.

[MrBedrock]

I certainly would not call one of the finest creators our field has seen in the last 2 decades a "" for standing up for an area of this hobby that is valuable and deserves the attention.

 

I called him a because he keeps on beating the same line that just because some make something (good or bad) they are owed the same level of success as something they think is not as good. He, himself, is living proof that if you put out the goods you CAN make it. What he seems to not grasp (based on this ending commentary) is the world is full of great ideas than never get beyond the drawing board for one reason or another. If this is his call to arms for independent creators to unite then it's lost in his rant against the very system that created the means by which he wants to succeed.

I think the frustration stems from the fact that the system is set up in such a way that those who are creating the best new material are marginalized from the outset. No matter what you try to argue, the fact is that Marvel and DC do not have all of the best characters, creators, storylines, art, etc you name it. Yet they do end up year end and year out with all the top sellers. This is entirely a result of the marketing and distribution system. Some shops are financially able to buck this system and as a result a few independent books are able to get some exposure. In those environments books like Goon, Echo, and Walking Dead sell numbers that are comparable or that even exceed the biggest selling Marvel and DC books. The problem is that, while there may be as many 3000 to 4000 shops which order new comics through Diamond, only a small percentage of those even bother trying anything other than the big two. And a book like Goon will get 90% of it's sales through only 100 or so shops. Imagine what it's numbers would be if all shops gave it a chance.

[MrBedrock]

I've read titles like The Goon and other quality "indies" over the years. They're often very well-drawn and well-written, and many of the people who produce them clearly have an abiding love for comic book entertainment. But there's also a lot of turgid, overly violent, doom-and-gloom-besotted, semi-pornographic, nihilistic, solipsistic, rambling, monochromatic, or otherwise unreadable "creative writing 101" junk on those indie racks, too.

 

If these creators want to make a run at a chunk of the broader, mainstream marketplace (supposing for a moment that such a thing still exists these days for comics), cleaning up their own backyard a bit might not be a bad place to start. The last time I was in my LCS (a good long while ago, I'll admit), it was just as hard to sort out the turds from the treasure on the "indie" racks as it was amongst the many crepe-y offerings from the Big Two...

 

A great point!

[joe_collector]

Imagine what it's numbers would be if all shops gave it a chance.

 

That statement makes absolutely no sense, since as you should know, the LCS *is* the customer. If these were returnable for credit, thus making the reader the end customer, I am certain that many shop owners would "give it a chance".

[slapshot-migration]

I've read titles like The Goon and other quality "indies" over the years. They're often very well-drawn and well-written, and many of the people who produce them clearly have an abiding love for comic book entertainment. But there's also a lot of turgid, overly violent, doom-and-gloom-besotted, semi-pornographic, nihilistic, solipsistic, rambling, monochromatic, or otherwise unreadable "creative writing 101" junk on those indie racks, too.

 

You forgot "whiny, melodramatic, awkward "woe is me" autobiographical" books. I'll give any Indy a second look as long as it's not autobiographical.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Imagine what it's numbers would be if all shops gave it a chance.

 

That statement makes absolutely no sense, since as you should know, the LCS *is* the customer. If these were returnable for credit, thus making the reader the end customer, I am certain that many shop owners would "give it a chance".

 

JC has a point....

[Lazyboy]

 

DC Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Marvel Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Dark Horse Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

Look at Dark Horse now. Undisputed kings of the comic industry with a 90% market share. Oh wait...

 

Valiant Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

Well, it was in the right place at the right time... and then it died.

 

Wal-Mart was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

AT&T was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Columbia Pictures was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Microsoft was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

What, then, do all these companies have in common?

They weren't mercilessly crushed and destroyed by the corporate giants in their respective industries while they were growing?

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

DC Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Marvel Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Dark Horse Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

Look at Dark Horse now. Undisputed kings of the comic industry with a 90% market share. Oh wait...

 

Valiant Comics was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

Well, it was in the right place at the right time... and then it died.

 

Wal-Mart was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

AT&T was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Columbia Pictures was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

Microsoft was a tiny company with almost no market presence once.

 

What, then, do all these companies have in common?

They weren't mercilessly crushed and destroyed by the corporate giants in their respective industries while they were growing?

 

Your Canadian roots are showing...

[MrBedrock]

Imagine what it's numbers would be if all shops gave it a chance.

 

That statement makes absolutely no sense, since as you should know, the LCS *is* the customer. If these were returnable for credit, thus making the reader the end customer, I am certain that many shop owners would "give it a chance".

To a lucid person it actually makes perfect sense. Shops are the actual customers. Currently a small percentage of shops order Goon. Those that do sell very high numbers. If other shops gave it a try they would also presumably sell high numbers. Therefore if more shops gave it a try The Goon's total numbers would be very high.

 

So simple I hope even you can understand it (thumbs u

[seanfingh]

It's all kind of mooted anyway. I can't remember the last time there was a new issue of The Goon.

[bug33fouf]

is there a website for new creators/comics???

that is not dc/marvel

[RockMyAmadeus]

It's all kind of mooted anyway. I can't remember the last time there was a new issue of The Goon.

 

So wait, you're saying that artists NEED to be hungry in order to produce their best work in a timely manner, and that the "studios" provide the stability, structure, and discipline necessary for artists to hone their craft....?

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Imagine what it's numbers would be if all shops gave it a chance.

 

That statement makes absolutely no sense, since as you should know, the LCS *is* the customer. If these were returnable for credit, thus making the reader the end customer, I am certain that many shop owners would "give it a chance".

 

JC has a point....

 

Just to clarify, JC's point I'm referring to is the revamping of the distribution system, and the return of returnable books, not the other stuff....

 

[seanfingh]

It's all kind of mooted anyway. I can't remember the last time there was a new issue of The Goon.

 

So wait, you're saying that artists NEED to be hungry in order to produce their best work in a timely manner, and that the "studios" provide the stability, structure, and discipline necessary for artists to hone their craft....?

 

 

Ummmm, no. But thanks for playing. You get a nice selection of parting gifts including the Go 'Fingh Yourself home game.

[RockMyAmadeus]

It's all kind of mooted anyway. I can't remember the last time there was a new issue of The Goon.

 

So wait, you're saying that artists NEED to be hungry in order to produce their best work in a timely manner, and that the "studios" provide the stability, structure, and discipline necessary for artists to hone their craft....?

 

 

Ummmm, no. But thanks for playing. You get a nice selection of parting gifts including the Go 'Fingh Yourself home game.

 

Oh, my apologies. I was clearly projecting.

 

 

Wait....does "Go 'Fingh Yourself" include a sample of the lubricant used on the show...?