11 O'Clock Comics Episode 29

[Matthew S.]

On a separate note do you two fellas feel this 33% increase in product cost will be a boon for the LCSs and solidify their retail future?

Frankly i think they are happy to sell the same amount of books to the same amount of people at a higher price. People are still buying some of these $3.99 in droves so that tells the retailer and the publisher that they are ok paying that amount.  

[thefreakytiki]

Frankly i think they are happy to sell the same amount of books to the same amount of people at a higher price. People are still buying some of these $3.99 in droves so that tells the retailer and the publisher that they are ok paying that amount.  

But see this is where I respectfully disagree.  I do not think everyone is going to continue to buy the same amount of product in the future months.  The customer may continue to spend the same amount but receive lesser amounts of product. 

If my theory holds true, LCSs will be making less money because R.O.I. for inventory costs will decline.


the Tiki

[deadcowaroma]

I am focusing on MARVEL by using the DCBS/Wal Mart model of pay less get more motto.  When you can buy things at such a drastic discount people will actually spend more over because the cost of the investment in trying something new will not be such a gamble.

On a separate note do you two fellas feel this 33% increase in product cost will be a boon for the LCSs and solidify their retail future?


the Tiki

I haven't given too much thought on the LCS. I guess I'd have to know what their profits on a $2.99 book vs a $3.99 book are. As a consumer, of course I'm against the books going up 33%. However, if the question is whether it's in Marvel and DCs best interest to increase costs rather than decrease, I'd say it probably is.

[David]

Frankly i think they are happy to sell the same amount of books to the same amount of people at a higher price. People are still buying some of these $3.99 in droves so that tells the retailer and the publisher that they are ok paying that amount.  

But these $3.99 books are event books (and you're getting more pages in the Final Crisis titles), minis, and one-shots.  No one is charging $3.99 for the 32 page Amazing Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Action, Detective, Green Lantern, Avengers, Daredevil, and Captain America every month.

When they do, that's where I agree with Tiki.

I do not think everyone is going to continue to buy the same amount of product in the future months.

[New Mutant]

I know that Hitch's presence on FF altered sales of the book for me: I took a look at his work on the book and put it back on the shelf. It just wasn't for me.

Jim

Karma.

DAGGERS!  DAGGERS IN MY SOUL!!!  ICY DAGGERS OF SORROW AND TRAGEDY SHREDS MY SOUL ON THIS TRAGIC AND TERRIBLE DAY!!!

Won't you come back to me, David?  I promise I'll be a better man from now on ...

[bryanb]

Another great episode guys. Damn you guys really know your shit. Really impressed with the reverence shown for older creators.

The Mario call was classic. 

[Wood]

Karma to the FreakyTiki! (he loves you)

2 quick 'fun facts' based on the last 10 minutes of the show:

Wood - I think Shane Davis is working off VanSciver's designs for the colored Lanterns as per Ethan on that last Wordballoon he did (definately for Blackest Night, I think for the Reds, too).

Chris - Regarding the 'amazing' voter turnout, 'careful what drive-by media hyperbole you assume, as more people voted in the 2004 presidential election (at least based on the totals I saw the day after the day after the election).

Steve, I read an interview with Shane Davis recently [I think it was in Wizard but I could be wrong] where he talked about designing the Red Lanterns. In that Word Balloon you referred to with Ethan Van Sciver [which was GREAT by the way], he was hard at work creating Black Lanterns for Blackest Night; I'm pretty sure he had nothing to do with Shane's work on Rage of the Red Lanterns.

Peace,

J

[Steve Raker]

Steve, I read an interview with Shane Davis recently [I think it was in Wizard but I could be wrong] where he talked about designing the Red Lanterns. In that Word Balloon you referred to with Ethan Van Sciver [which was GREAT by the way], he was hard at work creating Black Lanterns for Blackest Night; I'm pretty sure he had nothing to do with Shane's work on Rage of the Red Lanterns.

Peace,

J

You're right!  I was sure about the Blackest Night designs, but not so much about the Reds, thanks for clarifying

[bryanb]

Another great episode guys. Damn you guys really know your shit. Really impressed with the reverence shown for older creators.

The Mario call was classic. 

HA! I just realized I posted on the wrong thread. I haven't even listened to this one yet. For all I know it sucks. 

In my defense there was some whiskey involved.

[New Mutant]

"There are f**kin' thought balloons..."




ALL IS FORGIVEN, MAN!! 




KARMA TO JimN FOR NOT BUYING THE MILLAR/HITCH FF! 




KING DAVID IS BACK ON THE THRONE...




...of my heart.




( to El Dave!  Don't make me have to scratch yer eyes out!  You can have Jason Wood...! )




Seriously, I had to chuckle when David's f-bomb was lobbed.  It's nothing to hear Christopher sling 'em, heck it's downright apropos, but seeing as a ripple went through the 11 o'Clockers when the Price deployed his ... well, heck.  That wasn't just for me.  That was for the whole of humanity. 

[New Mutant]

HA! I just realized I posted on the wrong thread. I haven't even listened to this one yet. For all I know it sucks. 

In my defense there was some whiskey involved.

Awwww...?!  I thought there was going be another call from Mario!!

(Can yous tell I haven't gotten through the whole thing yet...?)

[Qibai]

Great episode as always guys--

You've got me dreading the price hike to $4  :banghead:but you've also given me some context in which to view such a price hike. I'm out. $4 books means I go to full trades. I understand that this means a commensurate price hike in trades, but the In Stock Trades discount should help offset that. I know the standard, and admittedly true, rationale that if you don't buy issues there won't be any trades, but I don't care. If books can't survive and go to trade that's just too bad. I'm pretty tired of fans supporting the careers of such high paid talent. Now before anyone's heads explode, let me explain. Maybe there's a cost limit on creator salaries in comics? Yeah, I said it, maybe creators will have to pitch in financially to help the medium survive.
I also wish that companies would do a bit better market research (well, shit, all you valiant podcasters and forums ARE that market research) and see exactly how fans feel about card stock covers, paper stock, etc. Ok, rambling, thanks again for the great show guys.

[Bill Doughty]

Karma for the library mention; great under-appreciated source of comic reading goodness!

Indeed!

Well, not the library where I work, sadly, but libraries in general.  There's lots of great stuff stashed all throughout the Rhode Island public library system, and since the entire state shares one big catalog, it's very easy to get ahold of stuff without mucking around in Interlibrary Loan tedium (see, because there's a difference between traditional ILL and inter-consortium lending practices, permissions, fees, etc... not that you care, but there it is).

Anyway, it's a fantastic resource to use if you're not already, especially when you're on the fence about whether you're gonna like something enough to actually pay for it or not (e.g., Planet Hulk... I liked it, but it wasn't $35 worth of like!).

[WetRats]

Nope, I said that if they folded the characters from the canceled titles into an anthology and nabbed some TOP TALENT to write & illustrate, the result could very well sell as much as all three of the scrapped books combined.

The idea is to pull in the readers that have bought the books in the past and use the big names to attract the attention of those that had not.

OK.

But since the big names are already working on other projects, where are you gonna get more big names?

(Besides Chicago, that is...  )

[bryanb]

Indeed!

Well, not the library where I work, sadly, but libraries in general.  There's lots of great stuff stashed all throughout the Rhode Island public library system, and since the entire state shares one big catalog, it's very easy to get ahold of stuff without mucking around in Interlibrary Loan tedium (see, because there's a difference between traditional ILL and inter-consortium lending practices, permissions, fees, etc... not that you care, but there it is).

Anyway, it's a fantastic resource to use if you're not already, especially when you're on the fence about whether you're gonna like something enough to actually pay for it or not (e.g., Planet Hulk... I liked it, but it wasn't $35 worth of like!).

Agreed!

It is great for sampling stuff to gauge whether you like it or not. My library has quite a lot of books both Artsy indie and mainstream.

[VinceB]

But since the big names are already working on other projects, where are you gonna get more big names?

There are big names out there just waiting for a chance -- maybe a seasoned pro wanting to slap some polish on their fading star. What say we throw Eric Powell on the Creeper or lure Barry Windsor Smith back for a Deathstroke tale? John Byrne and Wolfman on Nightwing? Ben Templesmith and Remender or Niles on a Scarecrow solo story? Alan Davis or Gene Colan on Batman? Greg Capullo or McFarlane on Huntress? Dale Keown or Silvestri on an Azrael revival?

Sure, it's going to take a sizable investment on DC's part, but this is something -- especially if they do it on an Amazing Spider-Man-type schedule -- that can net them a nice chunk of change.

[templar]

OK time to fess up.

My 2yr old daughter decided to jump off our bed last wednesday night and land on our laptop which was closed and left stupidly on the floor by my better half!!!! Screen smashed and hard drive in the shop I am computerless as the computers at work wont let me download. So, out of the loop I am until I can get the thing fixed. #29 looks like it was a great episode and I cant wait to get stuck in once the laptops back. In the mean time I'm re-reading Long Halloween and making the trip top the LCS on saturday for my monthly stack.

Be well.  

[David]

There are big names out there just waiting for a chance -- maybe a seasoned pro wanting to slap some polish on their fading star.

It's cute when you ponder.

[Chad (Grilled Cheese Sandwich)]

It's cute when you ponder.

Is "pondering" even legal? And when did Vince start selling illicit porn?

[clever_username]

Personally I would like to see more books adopt the slimline format like Fell and Casanova. It would take a big name creator (and a consistent schedule) to see if it would work. But for $1.99 I get a ton more content than I do for the average $3.99 book.