BOOM! Cancels Muppets + Pixar Titles

[tomkaters]

The newstands are a pipe dream. In fandom their seems to be the idea that the move to the direct market was made in the face of incredible newstand success. In comparison to numbers today...yes there were more sales, but actually quite small and shrinking in the realm of newstands. Moving to the direct market was at least partially in reaction to the growing ambivalance of news stands.

The newstands don't want comics.

[IanG]

Did Boom ever get their comics in to Walmart? I had read that was Mark Waid's plan but I don't know if that ever happened.

[Ryan 'gobo' C.]

The newstands don't want comics.

The newsstands barely want news and magazines.

[Scott C.]

The newstands don't want comics.

Has anyone even checked out these fabled newstands anymore?  Unless you get a prime spot on the checkout line, most grocery and drug stores I've been too have a fairly negligible selection of magazines.  Stores don't want newstands so why would they want comics?

Maybe we've got to accept that we're a niche market.  We're all told that print is dead or dying.  Why would we want to be part of a distribution system that's designed for newstands and mass market?

Put it this way, if there aren't enough people out there to support an Oprah magazine, what makes you think there are enough people out there to support a Muppets comic?

[tomkaters]

Has anyone even checked out these fabled newstands anymore?  Unless you get a prime spot on the checkout line, most grocery and drug stores I've been too have a fairly negligible selection of magazines.  Stores don't want newstands so why would they want comics?

Maybe we've got to accept that we're a niche market.  We're all told that print is dead or dying.  Why would we want to be part of a distribution system that's designed for newstands and mass market?

Put it this way, if there aren't enough people out there to support an Oprah magazine, what makes you think there are enough people out there to support a Muppets comic?

Exactly. I just think it is funny that when the topic of distribution comes up there is always the cry of "Get them in the grocery stores! Like when I was a kid"...as if the only thing stopping that from happening was comics itself.

[MarioMuscar]

From the December Previews Catalog for comics to be released in February...
DEC100830   CHIP N DALE RESCUE RANGERS #3   $3.99
DEC100832   DARKWING DUCK #9    $3.99
DEC100834   DONALD DUCK #363    $3.99
DEC100841   MICKEY MOUSE #305    $3.99
DEC100845   UNCLE SCROOGE #400    $3.99
DEC100849   WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #716    $3.99

ahh...I was referring to the Muppet Show though.

[Wood]

Has anyone even checked out these fabled newstands anymore?  Unless you get a prime spot on the checkout line, most grocery and drug stores I've been too have a fairly negligible selection of magazines.  Stores don't want newstands so why would they want comics?

Maybe we've got to accept that we're a niche market.  We're all told that print is dead or dying.  Why would we want to be part of a distribution system that's designed for newstands and mass market?

Put it this way, if there aren't enough people out there to support an Oprah magazine, what makes you think there are enough people out there to support a Muppets comic?

Newsstands are a bygone opportunity, I agree.

BUT, there is real value in being on display in book form at places like Wal-mart and Target; I would think.

[IanG]

The newsstands barely want news and magazines.

The general population doesn't read articles anymore unless it's a paragraph long and on their iPhone/android.

[IanG]

ahh...I was referring to the Muppet Show though.

I don't think Boom has solicited a Muppets or Pixar comic book since October.

[barrow]

Yep Mario you're right, I just looked at Muppet Show #11 and it's $2.99 so the whole $3.99 argument doesn't apply to this book.

[Jeff B.]

Newsstands are a bygone opportunity, I agree.

BUT, there is real value in being on display in book form at places like Wal-mart and Target; I would think.

That is the part I don't understand, look at how many business models flourish due to distribution through Wal-Mart.   Whether they are killing certain aspects of business is besides the point, they are everywhere and people shop there.  And there could be direct tie ins with trades and the movies that come out...or the lunch boxes they may sell...or the tshirts with the same characters on them.  The cross-branding with a store like that is limitless.

Getting back to the books for a minute, I have several of the Muppets trades and can't recommend them enough.  As I mentioned before, my young daughter loves them on a different level but they are well written (by Thor:TMA scribe Roger Langridge) and adults will definitely get a kick out of them.  If anyone was on the fence I would search out one of the Boom! trades, its good stuff.

[tomkaters]

That is the part I don't understand, look at how many business models flourish due to distribution through Wal-Mart.   Whether they are killing certain aspects of business is besides the point, they are everywhere and people shop there.  And there could be direct tie ins with trades and the movies that come out...or the lunch boxes they may sell...or the tshirts with the same characters on them.  The cross-branding with a store like that is limitless.

The issue is what drives what. Those Spider-man backpacks going to sell whether or not the comics are there. I honestly think that if those companies thought there was a huge profit to be made in comics, they would be selling them.

[MarioMuscar]

I honestly think that if those companies thought there was a huge profit to be made in comics, they would be selling them.

This.

[Jeff B.]

The issue is what drives what. Those Spider-man backpacks going to sell whether or not the comics are there. I honestly think that if those companies thought there was a huge profit to be made in comics, they would be selling them.

Yeah I know, it's not like we uncovered some huge profitable distribution model that no one at DC and Marvel had thought of yet but it would be nice to see more exposure.

[Farrell]

Fuck. The Muppet Show ongoing was my favorite book of 2010.  

And it was ALWAYS $2.99. Don't know where you guys are getting this $3.99 price point idea.

My two main reactions to this thread (except substitute 2009 for 2010.  Still love it, though) are here.  

[Gabe Infinity Watch]

Maybe Disney and Marvel will start putting them out again later

[Dean S.]

I can't say I'll miss them too much.  I bought a few of them for my daughter (7) and she never thought the Pixar comics were much and her awareness of the Muppets is pretty low.  She'd rather just read Amazing Spider-Man or Avengers with me.

IMHO, "they" are doing this wrong.  I just don't think Pixar translates well to comics.  A lot of those movies genius lies in the dual-level humor and I just don't think comics does that type of story-telling as film.  As for the Muppets, kids just don't really know who they are unless their parents have sat them down to watch Muppets Take Manhattan. 

Why is no one making a Spongebob comic or an iCarly comic or a Hannah Montana comic? 

As for selling in Wal-Mart, I would LOVE to see them try it.  You can't put the whole catalog on the shelf because that would take up as much room as the entire magazine department, but I'd bet if they plopped Avengers up there it would do pretty well and the price isn't shockingly different than magazines.

[Swany]

I can't say I'll miss them too much.  I bought a few of them for my daughter (7) and she never thought the Pixar comics were much and her awareness of the Muppets is pretty low.  She'd rather just read Amazing Spider-Man or Avengers with me.

IMHO, "they" are doing this wrong.  I just don't think Pixar translates well to comics.  A lot of those movies genius lies in the dual-level humor and I just don't think comics does that type of story-telling as film.  As for the Muppets, kids just don't really know who they are unless their parents have sat them down to watch Muppets Take Manhattan. 

Why is no one making a Spongebob comic or an iCarly comic or a Hannah Montana comic? 

As for selling in Wal-Mart, I would LOVE to see them try it.  You can't put the whole catalog on the shelf because that would take up as much room as the entire magazine department, but I'd bet if they plopped Avengers up there it would do pretty well and the price isn't shockingly different than magazines.

All three Wal-marts here in my town sell comics, the comic rack is in the toy section in 2 stores and in the Wal-mart superstore they have HC & TPB in the books section & floppies in the magazine section.

[GLewis]

If the newsstand model doesn't work for comics anymore, why does Archie sell so well? I thought that had something to do with them being in the check out lines at grocery stores. The Muppets and Disney comics would have been a perfect fit, next to the Archies. I think it might be a good idea for the big two to try to emulate some of that success. Put some stories in digest form and set them next to the Archies and horoscopes.

If I'm wrong about newsstands being part of the reason Archie still sells well, then I apologize for wasting your time.

[Farrell]

If I'm wrong about newsstands being part of the reason Archie still sells well, then I apologize for wasting your time.

   Whose time do you think you're wasting?  We're all wasting time on here.  

I think you're absolutely right about that.  I doubt they sell that well in the direct market.  I also think the fact that it's relatively cheap but thick helps a lot too.  If you put the current The Muppet Show book in a grocery store/newsstand, at $2.99 and skinnier than Keira Knightley, it might not do very well.