OVERSTREET REVIEW Review

[500Club]

Tom? Arnold? Can you guys push for market reports in the update? It seems obvious that they'd be a big drawing card for sales of the publication.

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

Everyone should keep in mind that this is just issue #1 in a monthly series and a new endeavor for all involved. Plenty of room to grow, evolve, add things people want, eliminate things people hate, etc. as the series goes to #2 and #3 and so on. And we see and hear what everybody's talking about too, never fear. .

 

 

[JLA_ALL_THE_WAY]

...Tom? Arnold?...

 

I love that knucklehead! He was great in "True Lies" and his buffoonery does not go un-noticed on BDSSP.

 

Plus, anyone who could be with Roseanne for ANY length of time is braver (read: nutzoid) than I.

 

Rick

 

PS:

[greggy]

...Tom? Arnold?...

 

I love that knucklehead! He was great in "True Lies" and his buffoonery does not go un-noticed on BDSSP.

 

Plus, anyone who could be with Roseanne for ANY length of time is braver (read: nutzoid) than I.

 

Rick

 

PS:

 

You again Rick?

[JLA_ALL_THE_WAY]

Yep, you better believe it!

 

I'm like a bad penny; I keep showing up when least expected...or wanted.

 

Ooops, guess I should be in the coin forum. But how much fun would that be?

 

Hey look- it's the synchronized tomater twins, oopsie & doodle!

 

Rick

[HooDeeDoo]

Everyone should keep in mind that this is just issue #1 in a monthly series and a new endeavor for all involved. Plenty of room to grow, evolve, add things people want, eliminate things people hate, etc. as the series goes to #2 and #3 and so on. And we see and hear what everybody's talking about too, never fear. .

 

 

Now that we've gotten your attention, could you please answer a few specific questions regarding your first issue?

 

1. Your CGC sales and new title price spreads are anemic in the extreme, did you REALLY think the information you were offering was sufficient to justify a price of $6.50? It's a "yes or no" question.

 

2. You knew that it was going to be 36 pages long. You laid it out with 2 pages of editorial content and SIXTEEN PAGES of ads, leaving only 18 pages of info. Did you feel that all that hard work that was put into those SIXTEEN PAGES of info justified a $6.50 price? It's another "yes or no" question.

 

3. Yes or no, are you proud of your initial effort?

 

4. Yes or no, do you feel that, overall, $6.50 is a fair price for this first issue?

 

5. What radical changes are you planning for the second issue so you don't duplicate this initial train wreck?

 

If you want some constructive advice, you guys need to sit down and figure out the POINT of this "publication".

 

One of two things is at play with the current "Overstreet Review":

1) You're intentionally ripping us off

or

2) Everyone involved with its publication is an incompetent.

 

If you think it's a fine first effort then you're an insufficiently_thoughtful_person and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the second issue or anything else in the publishing world.

 

If you agree that, on the whole, it's a embarassing failure then you need to fess up and not hide behind, "Oh we're just evolving and growing and wanting to hear feedback because we're such a bunch editorial imbeciles that we couldn't tell that we just made people pay money for a big pile of horse manure."

 

If I were Bob, I'd sue for defamation of character.

 

I await your reply.

[drbanner]

...train wreck...intentionally ripping us off...everyone involved with its publication is an incompetent...you're an insufficiently_thoughtful_person...it's a embarassing failure...we're such a bunch editorial imbeciles that we couldn't tell that we just made people pay money for a big pile of horse manure....sue for defamation of character.

 

Dude, take a second, relax, and unwad your panties - you spent six bucks and don't like it, we get the point!

 

You're acting like your world has been rocked and that the very fabric of reality hinges on the quality of a monthly comic book 'zine...Arnold says he's listening, no need to go medieval on him.

 

Want a better publication? Then I suggest you provide specific suggestions, comments, and positive input instead of person_without_enough_empathying and moaning in general terms about how it's a big ripoff. I don't see you providing a single suggestion, so instead of sounding like you want a better magazine you simply sound like an *ss hole.

[Illiterati-migration]

Dude, take a second, relax, and unwad your panties - you spent six bucks and don't like it, we get the point!

 

Damn Overstreet apologist.

[Illiterati-migration]

[HooDeeDoo]

You're acting like your world has been rocked and that the very fabric of reality hinges on the quality of a monthly comic book 'zine...

 

And you're accusing ME of hyperbole?

 

The reason I'm going medieval on them is because they're Overstreet/Gemstone.

 

It wasn't done on a laptop by some living in Cleveland. It was done by the big boys who actually drive the prices of this hobby. They're more than welcome to put out a bad publication, however, the insult is what they're CHARGING for it. THAT'S what's inexcusable. They had to have looked at what they put together and thought to themselves: "Hmmm, $6.50, this takes balls."

 

Furthermore, since they ARE the big boys, they should know better than to put out this piece of junk before they've figured out what they're trying to do. This attitude/excuse that they're on a learning curve is nonsense and a cop-out. If they need me and others to tell them how to do their jobs then they're a lost cause.

 

If you think I'm being hard on them, you should have heard what I had to say about Madonna's new album.

 

[shadroch]

Here is what I would have liked to see,and will look to see before I buy issue #3(Issue 2 is already dead in my eyes) Market reports, and not just someone mailing it in,good reports like Doug Sulipa or Vincent Zurzolo.

List the values of say the top 200 titles monthly and have a half page or so of obscure books on a rotating basis.

This first issue was really sad. Gemstone has become very inconsistant in the last year or so. The grading guide was a lot weaker than I expected, but they hit a homerun with the new format of the price guide.

To charge $6.50 for a 36 page booklet containing nearly half of the pages being ads was an example of hubris.

[Zonker]

If you think I'm being hard on them, you should have heard what I had to say about Madonna's new album.

 

Ya, and you'll probably be equally effective in directing the course of Madonna's next album as in influencing Gemstone at this point! I'm with Banner here.

 

Look, no problem with the initial posts: you're letting off steam and at the same time warning us to save our cash. That's appreciated. But after Arnold comes on to then escalate the public flaming is just giving him a reason to stop listening!

 

My ulterior motive here-- besides promoting civility on an Internet message board, what a novelty -- is I'm still planning to start a thread to capture this forum's errata list for corrections to the next edition of the Overstreet Guide. Would be kinda nice if Arnold were still around to at least see the outcome!

 

Regards,

Z.

[drbanner]

good reports like...Vincent Zurzolo.

 

I like Vinnie and all, but here's how his reports frequently run:

 

"Welcome to my Comic Book Market report, now let me tell you about what my wife and I have been doing this summer... ...don't eat meat... ...the market has been great! 'til next time!"

 

Doug's market reports are great, a bit lengthy at times, but great.

[OldGuy]

If you think it's a fine first effort then you're an insufficiently_thoughtful_person and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the second issue or anything else in the publishing world.

 

So tell us how you really feel.

 

Man, with loaded questions that allow for no right answer I'd tell you to go [!@#%^&^] yourself if they were directed at me. You may want to look into a 12 step program or something to help you deal with your anger a little better. All this over $6.50?

[fantastic_four]

Want a better publication? Then I suggest you provide specific suggestions, comments, and positive input instead of person_without_enough_empathying and moaning in general terms about how it's a big ripoff. I don't see you providing a single suggestion, so instead of sounding like you want a better magazine you simply sound like an *ss hole.

 

Gotta agree with that. This is what Vince's (ComicInvestor/Joe_Collector) problem was and why so many people didn't like him.

 

There are two types of criticism--destructive and constructive. Destructive criticism is when you point out the flaws in something in an aggressive way and totally ignore the strengths. Constructive criticism is when you point out the flaws in something and offer suggestions as to how it can be improved. Destructive criticism most often has the opposite effect the critic intends. It usually pisses off the person or group being criticized and blinds them to the points you're making. It rarely helps, although it can be helpful if the person or group being criticized is extremely ego-balanced and is able to ignore the negativity. Constructive criticism usually is both appreciated by the people or group being criticized--assuming they're at least somewhat ego-balanced--and it usually does help improve the body of work in question.

 

There are certainly people who can't take any kind of criticism at all, but there are far fewer people who are able to deal with destructive criticism. Destructive criticism is somewhat helpful--at least the person can tell there's a problem--but it's inferior to constructive criticism. More often than not, it destroys and doesn't create.

 

Example of destructive criticism: "Your new haircut really sucks."

Example of constructive criticism: "I thought your hair looked much better long than it does short."

[Illiterati-migration]

Example of destructive criticism: "Your new haircut really sucks."

Example of constructive criticism: "I thought your hair looked much better long than it does short."

 

"Constructive criticism" also tends to dance the fine (nonexistent?) line between actually being constructive and just being a backhanded insult. There are those who want to believe there is such a thing as constructive criticism, but there are also those who want to believe in Santa Claus. (Not a good analogy, I know, but I am suffering from a severe case of LBS today.)

 

 

[fantastic_four]

It's all the intent of the person giving it and their devotion to continual improvement. You were FULL of destructive criticism against CGC a few days ago. I personally never give destructive criticism to good people, only to crooks. And if I'm not sure either way, I lean towards constructive comments.

 

I've levelled destructive criticism at one person on these boards, and I'm sure you know exactly who that was.

[Illiterati-migration]

It's all the intent of the person giving it and their devotion to continual improvement. You were FULL of destructive criticism against CGC a few days ago. I personally never give destructive criticism to good people, only to crooks. And if I'm not sure either way, I lean towards constructive comments.

 

I've levelled destructive criticism at one person on these boards, and I'm sure you know exactly who that was.

 

Oh man, now we're getting into a gloriously hazy realm of semantics, philosophy, ethics, and morality and there's just no way in hell that I'm doing one of THOSE again.

[Foolkiller]

I think if you thought the new Overstreet Review was flimsy (and I thought it was) for $6.50 was overpriced and less than informative... just don't buy it. I flipped through it at a store and put it right back. I hope it will get better, but the loudest way I can really say anything about the publication is to simply not buy it.

 

I hate to agree with everyone, but it really was a disappointing effort. I hope for more though.

[JLA_ALL_THE_WAY]

How many people think Paula Abdul's (American Idol) comments are constructive?

 

She don't hurt no one's feelings. Of course, she's as helpful to the wannabee entertainers as Tommy's Roger Daultrey. But she don't hurt no one's feelings.

 

Just food 4 thought.

 

Rick