Comments on: Dare you face…COMICHRON???? http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:53:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: book » Dare you face…COMICHRON???? http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-111251 Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:45:45 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-111251 [...] Terry Ng wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptSpurge leads us to Comichron a site at which polymath (and CBG publisher) John Jackson Miller collates old sales figures of comics from postal statements and the like, as well as historical distributor records. The site will reward many … [...] […] Terry Ng wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptSpurge leads us to Comichron a site at which polymath (and CBG publisher) John Jackson Miller collates old sales figures of comics from postal statements and the like, as well as historical distributor records. The site will reward many … […]

]]> by: Michael G http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102236 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:24:18 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102236 It's also a bit misleading to be using Sept. 1996 for comparison purposes. That was the first month that Heroes Reborn launched, so sales on the top 4 books were much higher on those issues than they would have been just a couple months before. It’s also a bit misleading to be using Sept. 1996 for comparison purposes. That was the first month that Heroes Reborn launched, so sales on the top 4 books were much higher on those issues than they would have been just a couple months before.

]]> by: Sphinx Magoo http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102220 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:11:37 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102220 Wow! In 1968, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Thor were Marvel's top-selling books!?! I betcha Archie books still outsell many of the books from the Big 2. Wow! In 1968, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Thor were Marvel’s top-selling books!?!

I betcha Archie books still outsell many of the books from the Big 2.

]]> by: John Jackson Miller http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102061 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:55:23 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102061 Correction made -- can't believe I missed that one. Regarding Thor, I would also suggest that since Journey Into Mystery was a longer-running title than the other Marvel horror titles that morphed, it may have been racked in more places. Correction made — can’t believe I missed that one.

Regarding Thor, I would also suggest that since Journey Into Mystery was a longer-running title than the other Marvel horror titles that morphed, it may have been racked in more places.

]]> by: John Jackson Miller http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102040 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:40:54 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102040 Jim, "Superman Family" is the name of the file I started the title's record under -- meaning the first form I found for the title was in "Superman Family." So there's a little clean-up work to be done when I run the reports -- I caught all the Marvel titles that split, but I imagine there are others I missed. "Archie's Madhouse," when we get to that, is a particular headache of name changes. Any corrections like that you find that need to be made, please post in the blog or forum over there and I'll get it taken care of. Thanks! Jim, “Superman Family” is the name of the file I started the title’s record under — meaning the first form I found for the title was in “Superman Family.” So there’s a little clean-up work to be done when I run the reports — I caught all the Marvel titles that split, but I imagine there are others I missed. “Archie’s Madhouse,” when we get to that, is a particular headache of name changes.

Any corrections like that you find that need to be made, please post in the blog or forum over there and I’ll get it taken care of. Thanks!

]]> by: Tom Spurgeon http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102010 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:18:52 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-102010 Thor was reliable, well-executed and had a fantasy edge to it that other superhero comics didn't. Even when I was a kid, there were kids that only read Conan and Thor. Thor was reliable, well-executed and had a fantasy edge to it that other superhero comics didn’t. Even when I was a kid, there were kids that only read Conan and Thor.

]]> by: Ian http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101978 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:59:48 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101978 I'm a little surprised about seeing Thor above the Avengers and other books that I would figure would be a little more popular. I’m a little surprised about seeing Thor above the Avengers and other books that I would figure would be a little more popular.

]]> by: Jim Kingman http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101883 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:36:44 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101883 So what is the "Superman Family" doing in a list of comics from 1968? "Superman Family" didn't begin until January of 1974. Maybe it should be "Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen?" So what is the “Superman Family” doing in a list of comics from 1968? “Superman Family” didn’t begin until January of 1974. Maybe it should be “Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen?”

]]> by: Scott Koblish http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101630 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:09:28 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101630 I stand corrected! I stand corrected!

]]> by: John Jackson Miller http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101580 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:04:10 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101580 Actually, those are not print runs, but the Total Paid Circulations listed there, meaning returns were deducted already. I have the print runs as well for many, but not all, of those titles; I'll be looking for a way to incorporate more data into the site eventually, but for now the idea was to start getting the top sellers lists up. Thanks for the link, Heidi. I'm fully freelance these days, as noted over on my fiction site, www.farawaypress.com. The Comics Chronicles site is a way to keep my hobby interest in comics rolling, and get some needed info out there at the same time. --John Jackson Miller Actually, those are not print runs, but the Total Paid Circulations listed there, meaning returns were deducted already. I have the print runs as well for many, but not all, of those titles; I’ll be looking for a way to incorporate more data into the site eventually, but for now the idea was to start getting the top sellers lists up.

Thanks for the link, Heidi. I’m fully freelance these days, as noted over on my fiction site, www.farawaypress.com. The Comics Chronicles site is a way to keep my hobby interest in comics rolling, and get some needed info out there at the same time.

–John Jackson Miller

]]> by: Scott Koblish http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101573 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:57:44 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101573 but how cool is it to have a resource like that! Comichron rules! but how cool is it to have a resource like that! Comichron rules!

]]> by: Scott Koblish http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101571 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:52:35 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/03/26/dare-you-facecomichron/#comment-101571 Um, this is sort of an apples and oranges comparison. In 1968 the distribution method was exactly the same as it is currently for Vogue or Time Magazine - A print run percentage of 100 will actually sell 30 to 35 percent - If you read these numbers with an understanding of this then that Superman book that distributed 636K, really sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 212K. The retailer then tore off the front cover from 424 Thousand copies, marked them as credit for the next batch of Superman comics to arrive in the stores the following month and then illicitly sold them or gave them to Barber shops or libraries accross the country, which is where a lot of people, me included, first got a lot of their comic book exposure. I understand that the speculator market first got it's legs based on the illegal grabbing of that 65% of unsold comics, where speculators turned around and sold them at comic book cons for a profit. It really makes 1996 look like a great year (coming off of the big explosion in salesfrom 1986 through 1992), although everyone knows that by the turn of the century we'd all reached a nadir in sales. -Scott Koblish Um, this is sort of an apples and oranges comparison. In 1968 the distribution method was exactly the same as it is currently for Vogue or Time Magazine - A print run percentage of 100 will actually sell 30 to 35 percent - If you read these numbers with an understanding of this then that Superman book that distributed 636K, really sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 212K. The retailer then tore off the front cover from 424 Thousand copies, marked them as credit for the next batch of Superman comics to arrive in the stores the following month and then illicitly sold them or gave them to Barber shops or libraries accross the country, which is where a lot of people, me included, first got a lot of their comic book exposure. I understand that the speculator market first got it’s legs based on the illegal grabbing of that 65% of unsold comics, where speculators turned around and sold them at comic book cons for a profit.
It really makes 1996 look like a great year (coming off of the big explosion in salesfrom 1986 through 1992), although everyone knows that by the turn of the century we’d all reached a nadir in sales.
-Scott Koblish

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