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What If It was your job to save the hobby... New Readers!

107 posts in this topic

But that's the catch 22... grin.gif

 

Committed to making it work means having the finances to pay for the printing of these books and get them onto the newsstand - Marvel is so tight for money they had to auction off their boardroom doors on eBay. frown.gif

 

DC, with the backing of AOL, is another story. I'd think they could afford to use comics as a loss leader for exposure of their characters.

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If it was the EXACT SAME content (an important point) at a lower price, you might be surprised at how many "adult readers" would forego the high-end production and paper to save a few bucks.

 

This would defeat the purpose of the line and leech profits away from their over-priced, luxury pamphlets.

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I understand... another obstacle in the "current" real world, but the stock and earnings are up I think and the future looks brighter..no?

 

Remember we are looking at this as a despearation move to save the hobby as in my premise all the companies recognize that long term there will be a problem and are committed to solving it now even if its not profitable. The goal is to break even and recruit new readers. So the project will go forward and it's my (your) job to see that its successful.

 

So, again... I'm working with the premise that I will be able to fund the project one way or another (with all the comic companies)... even if that means I would have an extra spead of advertisng within the "Fan Line" or other marketing strategies to increase revenue. I like the idea of coupons for items the younger crowd uses Blockbuster, discounted movie or free popocorn, $5.00 rebate on a game purchase. Coupons will make many of the FL's uncollectable and less will survive as such. That would put emphasis on the reg. edition to buy as the collectible.

 

You've offered wise counters. Assume you're on my staff... what suggestions do you have to make the project work?

 

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Absolutely the same content... just more advertising, coupons and a different colorization process and look.

 

Excellent point... you will lose some reg. edition sales... but sacrifiecs must be made to bring more people in and have those in already buying more. It's recognized desperation.

 

Remember there is a proposed 1 week "trade in" opportunity too. Maybe some of the Adults buy the FL to read and handle and return it and upgrade to the reg so they have an unread collectible to store?

 

If it was in your lap... what would you suggest/do to make the project successful?

 

 

 

 

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A couple of replies, first to CI: I agree. At this point Marvel needs the money from the current print format. Also, history has shown that the collector mentality results in minimal sales for the less expensive version. This seems to be a perception of collectibility.

 

Bruce: I've thought about this before, and have decided it's an issue of exposure. The following suggestions stem from that:

 

-ads in video game mags and Maxim type mags

-reverse the loss of newsstand exposure - solve the returnability issue.

-press the product into bookstores - tpb's etc

-get the product into libraries

-use the 40-60 year history of backlogged stories - try a low-priced reprint book - saves on creator costs.

-find a way to make moviegoers who liked Spider-man know about and want the comics

 

For my part, I'll be handing out FF 60 and the Batman 10c book for Halloween - cheaper than chocolate bars! grin.gif

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The only way I see comics surviviing in the future is for the entire thing to crash and then have a new production and labor cost matrix emerge. Creators are making way too much for the depressed sales figures, yet Marvel and DC compete for their services and jack prices to the moon to pay for it.

 

There has to be an injection of reality put into the whole equation, rather than looking for quick fixes like putting Grant Morrison on a Marvel book, or letting "Head Crushed by a Car" Axel Alonso rip apart another character concept to gain some decidedly short-term cash.

 

I guess when you're living hand-to-mouth like Marvel is right now (Joe Q's basement is getting quite packed) there's not a lot of room for a voice of reason. New creators, revamped characters, higher cover prices, new Origin-like TPB-priced cash-grabs, and Ultimate XXXXX are certain short-term cash influxes, so why actually think for your money?

 

It's a lot like MLB, where the owners think that economic salvation is just one high-priced free agent away. Quick fixes, quick answers, and no long-term logic is what prevails in business today and I don't see it changing until comics are teetering on the brink of disaster.

 

Then they have the choice of joining the real-world or just fading away like the dime-store paperback.

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I guess when you're living hand-to-mouth like Marvel is right now (Joe Q's basement is getting quite packed) there's not a lot of room for a voice of reason. New creators, revamped characters, higher cover prices, new Origin-like TPB-priced cash-grabs, and Ultimate XXXXX are certain short-term cash influxes, so why actually think for your money?

The one thing being done right is that many of the above ideas/concepts have made for good reading. I think much of the current sales increases are quality related.

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Sure, everyone loves reading What If issues, but as the original series demonstrated, is that the whacky ideas and consumer interest peters out over the long-term.

 

Plus, it's only of interest to long-term fanboys who are voracious for something "new and different" with their old favorites. Then we have the situation of The Ultimates, where comments from Marvel regarding declining sales (after 5 issues) were that fans should get ready for something "new and different".

 

5 issues in and you need a revamp? That must be some sort of record...

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Yep, it looked like whatever the heck they did worked! Check out the 3-5 issues, which I believe may not have been in the Top 10. Transformers and other new issues knocked it down a few pegs, so out comes Marvel with another PR revamp.

 

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo glad I buy only the odd new comic and don't have to pay to support this .

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Hmmmm.... I actually find there are more good reads out there now than at any time in the past 23 years I've been reading/collecting.

 

Personally, I like the Ultimates, both art and story wise.

 

And, on a note in keeping with the thread, this is the first thing Marvel must do... ensure that the product is good. If it is like the of the mid-90s like the clone saga, forget about new readers...

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Hmmmm.... I actually find there are more good reads out there now than at any time in the past 23 years I've been reading/collecting.

 

Unfortunately (1980+), that's probably true. I started buying comics around the 76-77 range, but my favorite era is 1971-75. There is something truly innocent and unique about that era, as it was populated not with ego-driven, overpaid, fanboy creators but by those who got paid little, yet had a real love for the medium.

 

Once again, very similar to Major League Baseball.

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but my favorite era is 1971-75. There is something truly innocent and unique about that era, as it was populated not with ego-driven, overpaid, fanboy creators but by those who got paid little, yet had a real love for the medium.

 

 

CI... I feel exactly the same... the books were back then were magic . The creatives did seem to be true fans (like the readers) and more connected. That basic stretch, give or talke a year or so in either direction, is what the Bronze Age really represents to me. Many of those books are the ones I'm trying to re-acquire now.

 

BTW... Sully and your argument that Conan #1 started the Bronze age convinced me frankly... very convincing view. Who authored that opinion initially?

 

 

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Agreed... I would take steps to ensure quality was being produced. Assume that is a given... how would you market the books? How would you get people to buy, read and repeat?

 

Let's say all the companies realize it's just a matter of time before they are cooked, they are willing to set competition aside and work with one another in terms of supporting any concept they come up with industrywide.

 

They think it's better to go down swinging, if they are going down. They have enough funds to survive breaking even or losing a little more on the idea for 2-3 years hoping the strategy starts to pay off and they are rescued from bankruptcy down the road. Does the concept have potential in those terms?

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I'm not sure, but it's a commonly held view by many. I actually started out on the 25-cent Giants theory, as that was the start of big Bronze move by Marvel (Marvel Spotlight 2, Marvel Feature 1, Marvel Premiere 1, etc.), but although I still think that is most active start of the Bronze Age, I slowly came to appreciate the importance of Conan #1 to the grand scheme of things.

 

I weighed the facts, did a quick run-down on the popular Bronze Age characters and found the vast majority of them had their basis in the release of Conan #1 and the changes it brought. It's really quite obvious when you think about it, and even Wolvie is simply Conan with Claws at his most basic.

 

Also, when you actually READ the issues, you get a pretty good feel for the drastic shift Marvel went through. I was rifling through a copy of Captain America (160?) where Solarr basically melts a pack of innocent bystanders and it really hit home about how Conan ushered in the Era of Anti-Heros, not to mention villains who murdered without compunction.

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So the Bronze Age is really equated with presenting Death in comics and maybe portraying it visually to some degree... and blood. The beginning of the loss of innocence... the popping of the "no one ever really gets hurt" cherry... is that it in a nutshell?

 

 

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........doc's right in that it is a lack of exposure that is killing comics..........price is not such a big deal......kids find money for video games etc.....they can find the money for comics.........which are still cheap relative to other consumer goods aimed at young people...................

 

...........tv is the key, somehow comics need to be MASS marketed and tv is the best medium around for this purpose................use some of the creative talent at comic publishers disposal and find a way to make tv ad's for comics work..........

 

 

..................advertise, advertise, advertise............ grin.gif

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We have a 'price perception' problem as well.

 

Does the line: Two dollars!! I remember when comics were 10c! ring a bell?

 

I got thinking today when I realized the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards my 5 and 3 yr olds like are $5 a pack. The kids seem to have no problem getting their Moms to pay for these, but God forbid paying for a $2 comic. frown.gif

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"I got thinking today when I realized the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards my 5 and 3 yr olds like are $5 a pack. The kids seem to have no problem getting their Moms to pay for these, but God forbid paying for a $2 comic"

 

 

........too many people are focusing on price here, bruce's suggestion of a fan-line produced from lower cost materials i don't think will work, the perception from kids will just be they are 'cheap and nasty'.............kids expect quality products these days, they have been trained by the media to do so..............and making comics look like they did 30 years ago is not the answer.............

 

.........it is purely and simply a marketing issue, with the right sort of marketing you can sell anything.................... wink.gif

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