Comments on: And now a word from Jim Starlin http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:54:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Apr. 9, 2007: It occurs to me that yesterday was some kind of holiday http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-121562 Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:32:00 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-121562 [...] “If things continue the way they’re currently going, a reader won’t be able to pick up a mainstream graphic novel without having to pick up a half dozen other books, in order to figure out what’s going on in the original book they bought.” - Jim Starlin [...] […] “If things continue the way they’re currently going, a reader won’t be able to pick up a mainstream graphic novel without having to pick up a half dozen other books, in order to figure out what’s going on in the original book they bought.” - Jim Starlin […]

]]> by: Torsten Adair http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-120172 Sun, 08 Apr 2007 15:28:54 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-120172 Well, consider this: I work at one of the largest Barnes & Noble stores. Currently, we have one large bay of DC and Marvel combined, four bays for manga, and one for comics literature/graphic novels. I have about eight feet of shelf for Marvel, and a big chunk of that is taken up by the Essentials line. Flooding the market won't work in bookstores, as they have budgets and computer inventory to track sales. Also, bookstore trades are returnable, which can make a serious dent in the bottom line three to six months later. Well, consider this: I work at one of the largest Barnes & Noble stores. Currently, we have one large bay of DC and Marvel combined, four bays for manga, and one for comics literature/graphic novels. I have about eight feet of shelf for Marvel, and a big chunk of that is taken up by the Essentials line. Flooding the market won’t work in bookstores, as they have budgets and computer inventory to track sales. Also, bookstore trades are returnable, which can make a serious dent in the bottom line three to six months later.

]]> by: Tag http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119256 Sun, 08 Apr 2007 01:33:48 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119256 I'm glad somebody of note in the comics industry understands this. In thinking about this problem recently, a terrible thought occurred to me which unfortunately will sound like tinfoil helmet territory, and perhaps it is, but it's worth considering: What if, after building back up goodwill amongst what readership was left and slowly winning over new converts, the big two, beginning, I think, with "Avengers Disassembled" and presently (hopefully) peaking, decided to declare war on their mutual competition, that being those upstarts who were "stealing" away their once near-monopoly of the racks, attracting more literate readers who cared nothing for the follies of the speculation boom? And what is more iconic of that trend of maturity than the graphic novel/collection? Think of it as a one-two punch: Marvel & DC glut the shelves with their assorted tie-ins and one-shots that the obsessives MUST have in triplicate, leaving less room for smaller outfits' books, and said crossovers are less independently viable than they are together, making all but the most ginormous collections irrelevant, in the process beefing up the back issue business for completists (and who has the most copies of back issues to spare than the publishers themselves?). Paranoid, yes, and I can see the holes in the theory for myself, but not outside the realm of possibility, sadly and frighteningly. I’m glad somebody of note in the comics industry understands this.

In thinking about this problem recently, a terrible thought occurred to me which unfortunately will sound like tinfoil helmet territory, and perhaps it is, but it’s worth considering:

What if, after building back up goodwill amongst what readership was left and slowly winning over new converts, the big two, beginning, I think, with “Avengers Disassembled” and presently (hopefully) peaking, decided to declare war on their mutual competition, that being those upstarts who were “stealing” away their once near-monopoly of the racks, attracting more literate readers who cared nothing for the follies of the speculation boom? And what is more iconic of that trend of maturity than the graphic novel/collection? Think of it as a one-two punch: Marvel & DC glut the shelves with their assorted tie-ins and one-shots that the obsessives MUST have in triplicate, leaving less room for smaller outfits’ books, and said crossovers are less independently viable than they are together, making all but the most ginormous collections irrelevant, in the process beefing up the back issue business for completists (and who has the most copies of back issues to spare than the publishers themselves?).

Paranoid, yes, and I can see the holes in the theory for myself, but not outside the realm of possibility, sadly and frighteningly.

]]> by: Rob Spencer http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119107 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 23:37:01 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119107 I think he meant Joe Sweden. He's done some TV stuff, too. I think he meant Joe Sweden. He’s done some TV stuff, too.

]]> by: ~chris http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119062 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 22:29:17 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119062 <i>Josh</i> Whedon? Josh Whedon?

]]> by: Joe Field http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119001 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 20:17:08 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-119001 "Good self-contained tales make for good graphic novel collections down the line." That is worth repeating! And good self-contained stories in periodical format are "seeds" for growing new readers. Joe Field Flying Colors Comics Concord CA http://FlyingColorsComics.com “Good self-contained tales make for good graphic novel collections down the line.”

That is worth repeating!
And good self-contained stories in periodical format are “seeds” for growing new readers.

Joe Field
Flying Colors Comics
Concord CA
http://FlyingColorsComics.com

]]> by: M. Lusk http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-118922 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:24:14 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-118922 He's right. These ridiculous crossover events that have to weave in so many regular titles are detrimental to the tpb market for regular series. Why is this so hard for the Big Two (especially Marvel) to understand? For the sake of the short term buck, they're lessening the product's appeal in its PERMANENT form, the tpb collection. He’s right. These ridiculous crossover events that have to weave in so many regular titles are detrimental to the tpb market for regular series.
Why is this so hard for the Big Two (especially Marvel) to understand? For the sake of the short term buck, they’re lessening the product’s appeal in its PERMANENT form, the tpb collection.

]]> by: Rivkah http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-117597 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 21:32:19 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/04/06/and-now-a-word-from-jim-starlin/#comment-117597 Wow. Pretty art. O_O Wow. Pretty art. O_O

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