$3.99 price point...will WE show Marvel it's a bad idea?

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

I am so glad you posted this wood. We talked all yesterday on the Top Cow 2.99 topic about the problems going forward with format and price. My question is this.  Even though DCBS gets you the books at 1.79 , isn't the purchase of these books  still rewarding marvel for the rate hike?

I can tell you our LCS is hurting from people speaking with their wallet. about 1/3 of the customers stopped picking up there pulls and showing up at the shop in the last couple months.  another 1/3 have not spent more to pick up all their books and have already trimmed their pulls. 

I myself have fully jumped to trades on books charging 3.99 that I wanted. I had to pass on Skottie Youngs wizard of OZ.
My new rule is if it is 3.99 I am picking up the trade where I can read without the adds and have a nice collection for my bookshelf.

[Matt H.O.W.L.]

Most of the stuff I download isn't available in trade format, anyway, so a publisher isn't losing any money from my actions.

I don't think they're losing much potential money, either. Meaning, I don't think the prior availability of scans of Tomb of Dracula online has hurt the sales of the omnibus when it was released. I might be wrong, but I think fans who want the title will happily pay for the printed format. What do you think?

[VinceB]

I don't think they're losing much potential money, either. Meaning, I don't think the prior availability of scans of Tomb of Dracula online has hurt the sales of the omnibus when it was released. I might be wrong, but I think fans who want the title will happily pay for the printed format. What do you think?

Definitely. My comic purchases have GROWN thanks to the availability of digital comics. If I enjoy something I've downloaded and read, I'll BUY it because I want to OWN it. If I didn't enjoy a digital read -- obviously of a title I don't already buy -- chances are very good I wouldn't have bought it, anyway.

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

I am not a Torrent guy. And have always been light on my monthly floppys. I spend about 40$ total on monthlys.
If we had an Itunes like online comic shop with safe virus free 1 click purchases at midnight wednesday morning I would spend easilly up to 100$ a month on singles.  There would be a lot of midnight impulse purchases.

[Derek Coward]

Interesting post, Wood. Almost completely the opposite of what I was going to say on the next episode of Comic Book Noise (Episode 150: Defending $3.99), but very interesting.

[citizenDave]

I'm starting to think that Marvel is trying to intentionally kill the floppy format. Charge a price that the market cannot bear, price the format out of existence.

They believe that hideous digital viewer subscription thing of theirs is the future of comics. *shudder* They advertise it on mainstream websites and send plenty of spam emails about it. When was the last time they did that for their print media?

[deadcowaroma]

I'm on board with a boycot. Just wanted to mention though that we really don't have to boycot all $3.99 titles, just the ones Marvel will be producing. I'm fine with giving $3.99 to smaller press books, because it's not setting a precident, but when the largest publisher in the industry attempts to jack their prices, I'm not buying it!  

Just to add to the downloading conversation, I do download comics regularly, but most are books I have already bought online and am waiting to be shipped to me. I think it's a pretty fair way to use downloading.

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

Interesting post, Wood. Almost completely the opposite of what I was going to say on the next episode of Comic Book Noise (Episode 150: Defending $3.99), but very interesting.

I think defending 3.99 is an uphill battle. My money is on this being the breaking point for the industry 3.99 + poor economy+ poorly recieved event = death of LCS' and radically reformed industry.  How many people have you heard say they got out in the mid 90's. This will likely be that time again. In 10 years something will get readers back and they'll talk about catching up on stuff they misssed when they left comics in 2009.

[Wood]

Interesting post, Wood. Almost completely the opposite of what I was going to say on the next episode of Comic Book Noise (Episode 150: Defending $3.99), but very interesting.

Well I'm hella sure looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter Derek. Loved the HATE talk the last two eps.

 

[zack kruse]

Just out of curiosity...and I've mentioned this before, is there anyone who views the price hike as a removal of a barrier to entry for some indie titles? If there's no discernible difference in price between a mainstream and independent title, only the content within, does it not make it at least a little easier to jump from, say, Punisher to Fear Agent?

I realize some of the obvious faults with such a question, but I'm curious as to what some fan reaction may be.

[clever_username]

Just out of curiosity...and I've mentioned this before, is there anyone who views the price hike as a removal of a barrier to entry for some indie titles? If there's no discernible difference in price between a mainstream and independent title, only the content within, does it not make it at least a little easier to jump from, say, Punisher to Fear Agent?

I realize some of the obvious faults with such a question, but I'm curious as to what some fan reaction may be.

For readers like us, it sounds like a good idea and I think that there could be a (slight) shift to the indy books. But average Joe Q Comic who doesn't have a pull list, read Previews or Newsarama, and just goes to a shop on random days? Not so much.

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

I think a lot of us in the forums already give books like Fear agent and proof a  look.  The forum audience probably isn't the best target for that kind of polling.

[Julian Lytle]

Ice Cube said it best...
(some lyrics changed to fit the subject...)

Give me that comic fool, it's a full time jack move
Chilly Chill, yo homie mack the track move
And I'll jack any Tom, Dick and Hank
That's the name of the SUCKERS I done ganked
I get away from a copper
Drop a dime, I'll break you off somethin proper
With the L-E-N-C-H-M-O-B
T-Bone and that's J.D.
And here's how we'll greet ya
Stop fool, come off that beat ya
feel dumb cause you're caught in the dark
(ya lil nuttin ass mark)
Raise up, cause you cant' have it back
You said - "I ain't never got gaffled like that"
Off the end of the gat you choke
Short Dog's in the house - "Whattup loc?"
Nuttin but a come up
Gimme that bass, and don't try to run up
Cause you'll get banked somethin sweet
Julian and the Lench Mob, is jackin for comics

Take that as you will...

[clever_username]

Ice Cube said it best...
(some lyrics changed to fit the subject...)

Give me that comic fool, it's a full time jack move
Chilly Chill, yo homie mack the track move
And I'll jack any Tom, Dick and Hank
That's the name of the SUCKERS I done ganked
I get away from a copper
Drop a dime, I'll break you off somethin proper
With the L-E-N-C-H-M-O-B
T-Bone and that's J.D.
And here's how we'll greet ya
Stop fool, come off that beat ya
feel dumb cause you're caught in the dark
(ya lil nuttin ass mark)
Raise up, cause you cant' have it back
You said - "I ain't never got gaffled like that"
Off the end of the gat you choke
Short Dog's in the house - "Whattup loc?"
Nuttin but a come up
Gimme that bass, and don't try to run up
Cause you'll get banked somethin sweet
Julian and the Lench Mob, is jackin for comics

Take that as you will...

Karma, sir. Lucky for me that track is on my shuffle so I can listen to it right now. Probably my favorite Cube track.

[zack kruse]

For readers like us, it sounds like a good idea and I think that there could be a (slight) shift to the indy books. But average Joe Q Comic who doesn't have a pull list, read Previews or Newsarama, and just goes to a shop on random days? Not so much.

Right, and that's one of the more glaring faults that I realize...not to mention retailers who may still balk at putting the indies on their shelves to begin with.

So, in the short term, I completely agree with you. But a little more long term, maybe we can influence that shift in not a manner that is not necessarily dissimilar to the boycott that Wood is suggesting.

[clever_username]

Right, and that's one of the more glaring faults that I realize...not to mention retailers who may still balk at putting the indies on their shelves to begin with.

So, in the short term, I completely agree with you. But a little more long term, maybe we can influence that shift in not a manner that is not necessarily dissimilar to the boycott that Wood is suggesting.

I hope it can happen. But it will take a lot more retailers like Cameron or James at Isotope who are willing to push those books. It could be just a "like this..try that" display. Or a special discount on the first issue (I've started buying a lot of indy series because of the big issue 1 discount at DCBS).

[VinceB]

Take that as you will...

Why is it I can understand (for the most part, anyway) Grant Morrison yet I have absolutely no goddamn idea what these words mean? 

[Julian Lytle]

Why is it I can understand (for the most part, anyway) Grant Morrison yet I have absolutely no goddamn idea what these words mean? 

I don't know, but hip Hop is the entire reason I understand morrison, the more you know of Hip Hop the better Mister Miracle is.

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

I don't know, but hip Hop is the entire reason I understand morrison, the more you know of Hip Hop the better Mister Miracle is.

I quite enjoy Hip Hop. But more experimental Prog music like Tool, or Trip Hop like Tricky, aare more Morrison logic enucing

[Scott C.]

I'm looking at the price point issue and thinking of just reading less comics period, no matter what the price point is.  My current thinking is that altogether I've got to make different choices and decisions about how and where I'm spending my money.  While I may not want to give Marvel my $3.99, maybe I do want to try to give a portion of that to Jeff Parker.  It may be hard, but I'm going to try and take Marvel and DC out of the equation and decide on a book by book basis whether or not I think the product is worth it.