Wall Street Journal Article on Comics & Pressing - Sept 23, 2005

[jimm94]

From the tone of the WSJ writer, it sounds like he's a forumite!

 

He's not, as far as I know. But he spoke to some forumites who referred him to other forumites, who referred him to other forumites, and next thing you know, the story was chock full of them.

Is he a comic collector? The article is really done so much better than the average mainstream media piece. He`s either a collector or did a very good job of learning from his sources and filtering the trivial from the important.

 

He is not a comic collector. I spoke with him about a dozen times over the past few weeks and I know he was talking to a lot of other people and asking many, many questions and doing a lot of fact checking. He did a very thorough job of researching his story.

 

Was the story idea originally pitched to him by Mark?

[FFB]

From the tone of the WSJ writer, it sounds like he's a forumite!

 

He's not, as far as I know. But he spoke to some forumites who referred him to other forumites, who referred him to other forumites, and next thing you know, the story was chock full of them.

Is he a comic collector? The article is really done so much better than the average mainstream media piece. He`s either a collector or did a very good job of learning from his sources and filtering the trivial from the important.

 

He is not a comic collector. I spoke with him about a dozen times over the past few weeks and I know he was talking to a lot of other people and asking many, many questions and doing a lot of fact checking. He did a very thorough job of researching his story.

 

Was the story idea originally pitched to him by Mark?

 

I have no idea. If it was, he didn't mention that.

[joe_collector]

and this article is in the "Weekend Journal" section, which is even softer in terms of reporting business/industry news and trends.

 

I knew it!! Don't they do book and movie reviews in there too?

[garthgantu]

 

Was the story idea originally pitched to him by Mark?

 

I pitched the reporter on doing a story about the comic book biz, and more specifically, the strange bedfellows that it has brought together as the dollar values of comics have skyrocketed. All in all, I think the article turned out pretty well.

 

And you can say what you like about the Weekend Journal section, it's the most-read section of the paper, period. Even stockbrokers like movie reviews

[joe_collector]

And you can say what you like about the Weekend Journal section, it's the most-read section of the paper, period. Even stockbrokers like movie reviews

 

Hey, I agree with that, but you have to admit that the "Wall Street Journal" reference brings with it a sense of hard financial reporting, when it reality it's a weekend pop culture piece for the WJ.

 

It's like when people state that Maus won a Pulitzer, when it reality Spiegelman received a "Special Award" and not an actual Pulitzer, and the committee made sure that would never happen again. Now I believe they can only *create* awards for lifetime achievement.

[Foolkiller]

hard to argue with you on that point.

 

And you can say what you like about the Weekend Journal section, it's the most-read section of the paper, period. Even stockbrokers like movie reviews

 

Hey, I agree with that, but you have to admit that the "Wall Street Journal" reference brings with it a sense of hard financial reporting, when it reality it's a weekend pop culture piece for the WJ.

 

It's like when people state that Maus won a Pulitzer, when it reality Spiegelman received a "Special Award" and not an actual Pulitzer, and the committee made sure that would never happen again. Now I believe they can only *create* awards for lifetime achievement.

[divad]

You all realize, of course, that this means it is clearly time to sell.

 

Good catch, and once you start seeing mainstream articles on "comic book investment" in major media outlets, the cat is out of the bag and it's time to get ready for the long ride down.

 

Guess I'm "way ahead" of the curve, eh?

[divad]

From the tone of the WSJ writer, it sounds like he's a forumite!

 

Oh yeah, this guy obviously knows ESQ and FFB personally, otherwise they wouldn't be in the article. It's an online puff piece, so you can get away with stuff like that.

 

Vince, have you ever "read" the Journal?

[divad]

It's in the hard copy. What do you mean "online puff piece"?

 

, you mean this was actually printed in the Wall Street Journal? I assumed that it was some insert or weekend magazine piece, not from the main core of the daily.

 

A "puff piece" is similar to a vanity project, designed to portray the subject matter in a positive light, and often using close personal contacts for the information and quotes.

 

I thought it was a pastry . . .

[joe_collector]

Vince, have you ever "read" the Journal?

 

Of course, that's why I was surprised that such an article would be in it. I do read the Financial Post more, being a Canuck and all, so I am not a regular WSJ reader.

[Foolkiller]

See to me, it is not really an insert, it's as much a part of the Journal as anything else that appears in that paper.

[jimm94]

 

Was the story idea originally pitched to him by Mark?

 

I pitched the reporter on doing a story about the comic book biz, and more specifically, the strange bedfellows that it has brought together as the dollar values of comics have skyrocketed. All in all, I think the article turned out pretty well.

 

And you can say what you like about the Weekend Journal section, it's the most-read section of the paper, period. Even stockbrokers like movie reviews

 

[garthgantu]

Thanks, Jim - but I really only got the ball rolling and tried to help Conor stay on focus (to what degree I was successful in this regard is quite debatable!)... others were at least as responsible for convincing Conor there was a story to be told.

 

As for the Weekend section being "lighter" than the rest of the Journal, I wouldn't debate that. But to get this story in the middle column of the front page, or the front page of the Marketplace section, would have required very specific information that is basically impossible to come by. Those whohave it aren't willing to provide it to a journalist.

 

The real challenge was in convincing the reporter that the "pressing issue" wasn't just four fan-boys whining... we got some way down the right path in this sense, but try to imagine convincing a WSJ reporter who knew nothing about comic books that making a comic slightly flatter could increase the values significantly - let alone that it has an adverse affect on the comic and/or is being done in ways that border on market manipulation or fraud. That's a tough tightrope to walk...you have to get to a level of detail and understanding that would make most people's eyes glaze over.

[FlamingCarrot]

Why didn't any of the forumites direct the reporter to Hammer?

 

Would've definitely made for some lively quotes!!

[Foolkiller]

To me, getting him to investigate Ewert would be an even better story. Explaining to him that there's a major dealer out there destroying books to make a profit and the fact he presses would be worth looking into. Seriously.

 

Thanks, Jim - but I really only got the ball rolling and tried to help Conor stay on focus (to what degree I was successful in this regard is quite debatable!)... others were at least as responsible for convincing Conor there was a story to be told.

 

As for the Weekend section being "lighter" than the rest of the Journal, I wouldn't debate that. But to get this story in the middle column of the front page, or the front page of the Marketplace section, would have required very specific information that is basically impossible to come by. Those whohave it aren't willing to provide it to a journalist.

 

The real challenge was in convincing the reporter that the "pressing issue" wasn't just four fan-boys whining... we got some way down the right path in this sense, but try to imagine convincing a WSJ reporter who knew nothing about comic books that making a comic slightly flatter could increase the values significantly - let alone that it has an adverse affect on the comic and/or is being done in ways that border on market manipulation or fraud. That's a tough tightrope to walk...you have to get to a level of detail and understanding that would make most people's eyes glaze over.

[divad]

To me, getting him to investigate Ewert would be an even better story. Explaining to him that there's a major dealer out there destroying books to make a profit and the fact he presses would be worth looking into. Seriously.

 

Thanks, Jim - but I really only got the ball rolling and tried to help Conor stay on focus (to what degree I was successful in this regard is quite debatable!)... others were at least as responsible for convincing Conor there was a story to be told.

 

As for the Weekend section being "lighter" than the rest of the Journal, I wouldn't debate that. But to get this story in the middle column of the front page, or the front page of the Marketplace section, would have required very specific information that is basically impossible to come by. Those whohave it aren't willing to provide it to a journalist.

 

The real challenge was in convincing the reporter that the "pressing issue" wasn't just four fan-boys whining... we got some way down the right path in this sense, but try to imagine convincing a WSJ reporter who knew nothing about comic books that making a comic slightly flatter could increase the values significantly - let alone that it has an adverse affect on the comic and/or is being done in ways that border on market manipulation or fraud. That's a tough tightrope to walk...you have to get to a level of detail and understanding that would make most people's eyes glaze over.

 

There is a link in the report - Why don't you contact the writer? All of the initial legwork has been done . . .

[Foolkiller]

actually diva, I already did, first thing I did this morning.

[divad]

actually diva, I already did, first thing I did this morning.

 

 

I should have figured you did already . . .

[jbud73]

You all realize, of course, that this means it is clearly time to sell.

 

Good catch, and once you start seeing mainstream articles on "comic book investment" in major media outlets, the cat is out of the bag and it's time to get ready for the long ride down.

 

Guess I'm "way ahead" of the curve, eh?

 

[divad]

You all realize, of course, that this means it is clearly time to sell.

 

Good catch, and once you start seeing mainstream articles on "comic book investment" in major media outlets, the cat is out of the bag and it's time to get ready for the long ride down.

 

Guess I'm "way ahead" of the curve, eh?