…
not that i’d steal it

…
not that a single comic book store in the area would carry a copy of Kramers anyway

If you just say “I wish it was less expensive” you lose out on the chance to assert and bolster your own sense of superioty over elitists who clearly DO NOT RESPECT THE NATURAL LAWS OF THE MARKET. How weird is it take take a personal affront that an object is out of your price range? What does it say about you? Is it part of the fan-boy mentality?: “I made Marvel what they are by buying their comics - how dare they go from 30 to 35 cents . . .”

I can see getting angry about gas prices and global corporations, but a large comic book and two guys who have trouble making ends meet . . - You guys are viscious!

Joe Williams put it best above with his “Why is so many comics fans can’t stand it when a project isn’t aimed directly at them with the exact price point they demand?” Sammy and the rest of the contributors owe nothing to anyone. Comics buyers owe nothing to Sammy and the rest of the contributors. If you want it, buy it. If you don’t want it, don’t buy. Quit throwing stones.

-I can’t afford that but,
-I’m curious about this series now, so I’ll buy the other less expensive volumes so I can check it out.

They might ultimately buy #7 as a result. Even if they don’t, more people will have been exposed to KE in general.

Books are an escape, a magical trip. At one time VHS movies used to cost almost one hundred dollars and that was more than twenty years ago. It all becomes irrelevant, if you can afford it and deem it to be a good book then it’s your money. It seems to come down to money. It’s only paper. God knows how many people burn 125.00 dollars on much more useless things.

Limited quantities will only drive this book’s value up. It’s an investment, be it monetary or an appreciation for the art. The decision will be made either at the book store or when you click on your enter button at the checkout of any online store.

I see this book are a suped up graphic novel. So pimp my graphic novel.

Academic presses will usually print less than 1,000 copies of a hardcover edition (much fewer if it’s just cloth on boards), and around 5,000 copies of the trade paperback.

Part of the marketing of this is also the Out-Of-Print market. Try and find a copy of Absolute Planetary for sale. This volume will only increase in interest, as the new talent of today becomes respectable and meaningful in the years to come. (And Dan Clowes fans will want it now.) This book might become seminal to the history of Art/Lit Comics. AND the book can always be reprinted if it sells out.

Nostalgia is fueled by individuals who have disposable income, and long for items from the past. Myself, I search for the hardcover Eclipse and Graphitti editions from the 1980s. Twenty years from now, someone might yearn for KE7.

I absolute support publishers/creators doing stuff in whatever format/price they like. Just some sell better than others…

-B

Why is so many comics fans can’t stand it when a project isn’t aimed directly at them with the exact price point they demand? If you don’t like it, contact the artists and make your own book and put whatever price you want on it- hell, give it away for free if you’re so into “making the work accessible.”

If reduced readership of KE coincides with a more economicaly accessible and younger collection of cartoonists then what is considered “avant-garde” in alternative comics itself might change. These epicenters seem to shift every decade, and like I said before this one’s coming to a close.

To me, this is a lot like when Shepard Fairey started with Obey clothing. The price point was so high that only a select few could afford it. The Obey brand didn’t expand it’s audience until it became affordable. Even then, even though the Obey brand reaches more people, designer brands from indie art guys haven’t really expanded their audience in any significant way.

I think manga remains the best bet for comics, as a whole, to expand its audience. Manga provides a large range of genres with easily accessible stories for a great price point without any of the stigma that the stereotypical comic book store type stuff brings.

Even though those number have changed, we can assume that the print run is probably still around the same. Factoring in distributors discounts and theoretical profit margins this would place the print run somewhere between 2000-5000.

Anyone know round about how many of these will exist? I guess i’ve always figure that the runs on these books were up in the 10,000 range.

This is not something that is going to pull in the causal reader or someone that is merely satisfying a passing fancy.

It’ll get press. It’ll get reviews. It’ll be talked about on websites. So, word will get out about this book and the expanding realm of comics. But I don’t think that it will translate into sales.

Well said, well said.