Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
#26
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating: Companies need to bring the prices per issue down. Printing cost is not as high as people think. Distribution cost is more due to there being a monopoly (Diamond). But in general, comic books are too expensive for a kid to go and buy on a weekly basis.
The third part that needs to improve is the business has more to do with the local comic shops. I can tell you that 75% of LCS standing today have one of these issues:
1: Either they look abandoned, with an old school owner that barely puts an effort to improve the store appearance and the only reason they are still standing is because they have been grandfathered into Diamond's 90 day terms and they have a loyal but small customer base.
1: Either they look abandoned, with an old school owner that barely puts an effort to improve the store appearance and the only reason they are still standing is because they have been grandfathered into Diamond's 90 day terms and they have a loyal but small customer base.
2: Gatekeepers. For some fucking reason, many stores have fucking gatekeepers that make new customers feel uncomfortable and not wanting to return. These gatekeepers judge you for purchasing things like Deadpool or Harley Quinn and the boast about being true fans, "not like these fairweather fans that come in when they see something in the movie theater". Fuck gatekeepers
3: Owners are either comic book savvy but not business smart or vice versa or either. Many of the new comic book store owners don't have any business sense at all. One of the reasons I saw many store fall during the past 2 years was because the owners didn't put the effort to crunch the numbers and live within a budget. I saw many stores crumble by ordering excessive amount of books, statues, toys or other stuff that they couldn't sell.
You'd think it'd be like magazine sales. They get X amount of books, bi-weekly or monthly and you sell them. But since comics started becoming less and less mainstream, they have to do all these gimmicks and variants, and other shit to keep the die hard collectors coming back.
It seems like demand is going down and down for printed, monthly comics. They can't even keep comics around in book shops or drug stores, so what's going to happen to comic shops?
Me personally, I enjoyed going to Barnes & Noble or 7-11 for a book or soda and having a comic cover catch my eye. I think that's how I discovered Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. The only bad thing is that those places only offered Marvel and DC superhero stuff. If you want some variety, they didn't offer any. Even with magazine racks still around there's a variety of mens/women's fashion, celebrity stuff, weddings, health and fitness, kids stuff, national geographic, news, etc.
The comic rack in mainstream stores? Superhero, superhero, superhero. And Archie.
Manga seems to still have a way more healthy business model. I go to Japanese stores, and there manga section is incredibly varied. They have the typical shonen stuff, horror, sci-fi, medieval fantasy, romance, even biographical works, like one of Steve Jobs! And the art is almost always top notch.
#27
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Reading comics was a lot more fun when they cost a dollar and there were only two Batman titles.
When I was a teenager, I could spend less than twenty dollars a month and read Batman, Detective, JLA, JLE, Daredevil, Incredible Hulk, all of the X-books (Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, Wolverine, and Excalibur) and whatever else caught my eye.
I remember when it was actually a big deal when they launched a THIRD Batman title.
I just have no interest in the convoluted mess that Marvel and DC have made of their universes with reboots, renumberings, relaunches, alternate universes, perpetual crossovers, and overextended lines. They've lost me as a reader forever.
When I was a teenager, I could spend less than twenty dollars a month and read Batman, Detective, JLA, JLE, Daredevil, Incredible Hulk, all of the X-books (Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, Wolverine, and Excalibur) and whatever else caught my eye.
I remember when it was actually a big deal when they launched a THIRD Batman title.
I just have no interest in the convoluted mess that Marvel and DC have made of their universes with reboots, renumberings, relaunches, alternate universes, perpetual crossovers, and overextended lines. They've lost me as a reader forever.
#28
Banned
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Example A of corporate stupidity at DC Comics. Last week Batman #89 came out and tomorrow Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #3. Both books have sold out before launch. Why? Because DC Comics debuted in a cameo on Batman and tomorrow a full appearance in Hell Arisen of the new Joker female sidekick, Punchline. So where does the corporate stupidity come about? Well, DC came out TWO WEEKS ago and announced these 2 books as being the first appearances of this character. Well, the final cutoff order for both of these books was THREE weeks ago, so many LCS didn't order enough to satisfy this new demand for the book, losing hundreds/thousands of dollars in sale. Most LCS order Batman cause it's Batman and it sells but many LCS decided to forgo and either order small quantities (1-3 copies) or no quantities at all of Hell Arisen 3 since issues 1 and 2 had been poor sellers and the cover price is $4.99. Why the hell couldn't DC Comics announced the appearance of this new character at least before the final order cutoff? Both DC Comics and LCS are leaving thousands of dollars on the table because of this stupidity and now, some customers are pissed at their LCS and some are pissed at DC. This boneheaded move is simply another one of those that adds to bad decisions in the comic book world.
#29
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
...and that's going to inspire retailers to charge $25 for those comics right out of the shipping carton.
#30
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
More DC idiocy with Punchline. Her 1st cover appearance was going to be Batman #94, giving everyone plenty of time to order. And last night this, from Unknown comics, and Artgerm posted about it too since its his art:
Gonna be a lot of refunds to day from ebay sellers who were already selling pre-orders for $15 or more
IMPORTANT INFO ALERT!
DC has chose to move the Artgerm variant for Batman 94 to issue 92 instead. We have time to move the orders around so please let us know. Calling the store is the best way to move orders from 94 to 92. If you can wait until Monday that would be amazing as most of the staff is at c2e2 this week.
DC has chose to move the Artgerm variant for Batman 94 to issue 92 instead. We have time to move the orders around so please let us know. Calling the store is the best way to move orders from 94 to 92. If you can wait until Monday that would be amazing as most of the staff is at c2e2 this week.
#31
Banned
#32
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
My LCS did not jack up the price, but only had copies for subscribers and those who asked for a pull right when the news came out, no copies left for the stands. I got one since I sub, but I'd rather there be no copies left, than inflated prices.
The following users liked this post:
The Valeyard (02-26-20)
#33
Banned
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
The chaos about Hell Arisen 3 and how it’s being handled by DC, LCS and customers is the reason many people quit the business. In what could have been a glorious moment for everyone it has become instead a scramble on who has copies available and only eBay benefiting from this.
#34
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
I'm really surprised DC didnt see this coming (or maybe they did and didnt care) but a new sidekick for Joker is gonna bring out the speculators based on how well Harley has done.
#35
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
#36
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Oh yeah Death of Alfred, same thing.
#37
Banned
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Death of Alfred was different as it was kept a surprise until books hit retailers. Batman 89 and Hell Arisen 3 was publicly leaked by DC 2 weeks ago, a week after retailers could had made proper adjustments to their orders. Why the fuck they do this? Either keep it a surprise or say it with enough time for retailers to make adjustments. The way they did it basically riled up everyone, especially speculators, for a book that didn’t carry much demand to begin with. It fucks everyone around
#38
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
This retailers take cracked me up, posted on BC.
Brian Hibbs on Hell Arisen #3 – "None Of You Bought Copies Of #1 Or #2 From The Shelf"
Posted on February 26, 2020 | by Rich Johnston | Comments
Brian Hibbs owns the Comix Experience chain of comic stores in San Francisco. In his time, he has managed to sue Marvel Comics and get them to change their publishing policy. And he has something to say about this week's Hell Arisen #3, published today and selling for up to $50 on eBay, one week after something similar happened with Batman #89. He writes,
Once again there is a speculator-driven comic coming out this week that forces us to limit sales or change our natural way of doing business.
This week it is HELL ARISEN #3.
Here's the thing: unlike last week's BATMAN, where there were a good number of potential people-who-bought-earlier-issues-from-the-rack, my point-of-sale system shows me that virtually none of you bought copies of #1 or #2 from the shelf — this comic was a *massive flop*. And so, really, the only reason for most of the phone calls and such we're getting is because we've got a bunch of greedy people trying to buy it from us for $4, and flip it for $40+.
I can't countenance this as a retailer (Seriously folks, we're not suckers), and so I have to try to deflect you all. This week our plan is this: if you're not already subbed for YOTV (and you aren't), THEN IN ORDER TO BUY #3, YOU HAVE TO BUY #1 & 2 ALONG WITH IT. We're only interested in facilitating the reading of a story.
Let me go one step further: I've owned a comic book store since 1989, and I've worked comics retail since like '85. I've heard this same record many many times before: In point of fact I've personally watched the comic book industry ALMOST BE DESTROYED MULTIPLE TIMES by speculators and greed — through the B&W boom, through the 90s spec crisis, and it's happening again right now. People trying to "flip" comics are making it so PEOPLE WHO ONLY WANT TO READ THEM CAN'T DO SO.
It's not right; and it's certainly nothing I'm willing to participate in.
Please listen: if you are buying comics with the goal of flipping them for a greater price you are HURTING the comics medium, you are HURTING small businesses, you are HURTING creators and publishers….. and, more importantly, I DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY TO DO SO.
Seriously: Fuck the fuck off. Go shop somewhere else. You don't like comics, you're not good for comics, and your money is worthless to me because what I, and every other, comic book retailer needs are ONGOING READERS. Your spending $4 today is dwarfed by a regular stable purchaser spending that every single month. On the non-returnable comics that form the backbone of the Direct Market your ONE TIME purchase is *genuinely* HURTING comics and comics stores who then have a harder time figuring out how to serve their regulars. Your purchases are WEAKENING the market, and so you are not welcome in our doors.
When I opened in 1989, there were 24 comic book stores in San Francisco, and now there are (barely) 8 — that two-thirds went out of business largely because of these bullshit speculator games that hollowed out the actual readers market, despite the local economy BOOMING beyond all rationality in that time.
You suck. You destroy the thing you claim that you value. And Comix Experience simply won't stand for it (nor have we, consistently, for the last thirty years!)
And more than that…. honestly? You're an idiot. I sell comics for a *living*, and I watch these variant flash-in-the-pans and they NEVER (*ever*) hold their value. There are a small cartel of folks who are using public-facing apps, and trading back and forth between puppet accounts to MAKE IT LOOK like there's demand for these comics featuring "Punchline", but as a guy who has been selling this stuff for decades: this moment is 100% false and manufactured. We've yet to have a SINGLE *reader* show the slightest amount of non-fiduciary interest in the character, and any comic that "every knows is going to be worth money" never ever is a month or three after it drops.
Maybe "Punchline" will be an interesting character, with an involving storyline that leads to dynamic story-telling and tales for the ages. I sincerely hope so. But speculeechs driving up the price before anyone has ever read a single page of content is a massive red flag that "Punchline" will end up no better than "The Joker's Daughter" (which was also white hot for about 45 days in 2013, and now no one would give you a dime for her eponymous comic)
Don't be a sucker. Don't help destroy what is left of the periodical comics market (idiot!) And don't think you're welcome in our stores. We've been there, we've done that, and we've had it proven again and again and again that you are the stone cold enemy of the Medium of comics.
Right now, you have a LOT of people trying to sucker and shake you down and get you to buy their comics because so many of them see a Hollywood Play, and are willing to use speculators and the worst excesses of the "collector's Market" to try and leverage that play. They too, are the enemy. Don't fall for it! Don't support them!
If you have any issue with any of this, take it up directly with me. I can always be reached at [email protected]. Leave my staff out of it, please — this is a top-down statement.
Posted on February 26, 2020 | by Rich Johnston | Comments
Brian Hibbs owns the Comix Experience chain of comic stores in San Francisco. In his time, he has managed to sue Marvel Comics and get them to change their publishing policy. And he has something to say about this week's Hell Arisen #3, published today and selling for up to $50 on eBay, one week after something similar happened with Batman #89. He writes,
Once again there is a speculator-driven comic coming out this week that forces us to limit sales or change our natural way of doing business.
This week it is HELL ARISEN #3.
Here's the thing: unlike last week's BATMAN, where there were a good number of potential people-who-bought-earlier-issues-from-the-rack, my point-of-sale system shows me that virtually none of you bought copies of #1 or #2 from the shelf — this comic was a *massive flop*. And so, really, the only reason for most of the phone calls and such we're getting is because we've got a bunch of greedy people trying to buy it from us for $4, and flip it for $40+.
I can't countenance this as a retailer (Seriously folks, we're not suckers), and so I have to try to deflect you all. This week our plan is this: if you're not already subbed for YOTV (and you aren't), THEN IN ORDER TO BUY #3, YOU HAVE TO BUY #1 & 2 ALONG WITH IT. We're only interested in facilitating the reading of a story.
Let me go one step further: I've owned a comic book store since 1989, and I've worked comics retail since like '85. I've heard this same record many many times before: In point of fact I've personally watched the comic book industry ALMOST BE DESTROYED MULTIPLE TIMES by speculators and greed — through the B&W boom, through the 90s spec crisis, and it's happening again right now. People trying to "flip" comics are making it so PEOPLE WHO ONLY WANT TO READ THEM CAN'T DO SO.
It's not right; and it's certainly nothing I'm willing to participate in.
Please listen: if you are buying comics with the goal of flipping them for a greater price you are HURTING the comics medium, you are HURTING small businesses, you are HURTING creators and publishers….. and, more importantly, I DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY TO DO SO.
Seriously: Fuck the fuck off. Go shop somewhere else. You don't like comics, you're not good for comics, and your money is worthless to me because what I, and every other, comic book retailer needs are ONGOING READERS. Your spending $4 today is dwarfed by a regular stable purchaser spending that every single month. On the non-returnable comics that form the backbone of the Direct Market your ONE TIME purchase is *genuinely* HURTING comics and comics stores who then have a harder time figuring out how to serve their regulars. Your purchases are WEAKENING the market, and so you are not welcome in our doors.
When I opened in 1989, there were 24 comic book stores in San Francisco, and now there are (barely) 8 — that two-thirds went out of business largely because of these bullshit speculator games that hollowed out the actual readers market, despite the local economy BOOMING beyond all rationality in that time.
You suck. You destroy the thing you claim that you value. And Comix Experience simply won't stand for it (nor have we, consistently, for the last thirty years!)
And more than that…. honestly? You're an idiot. I sell comics for a *living*, and I watch these variant flash-in-the-pans and they NEVER (*ever*) hold their value. There are a small cartel of folks who are using public-facing apps, and trading back and forth between puppet accounts to MAKE IT LOOK like there's demand for these comics featuring "Punchline", but as a guy who has been selling this stuff for decades: this moment is 100% false and manufactured. We've yet to have a SINGLE *reader* show the slightest amount of non-fiduciary interest in the character, and any comic that "every knows is going to be worth money" never ever is a month or three after it drops.
Maybe "Punchline" will be an interesting character, with an involving storyline that leads to dynamic story-telling and tales for the ages. I sincerely hope so. But speculeechs driving up the price before anyone has ever read a single page of content is a massive red flag that "Punchline" will end up no better than "The Joker's Daughter" (which was also white hot for about 45 days in 2013, and now no one would give you a dime for her eponymous comic)
Don't be a sucker. Don't help destroy what is left of the periodical comics market (idiot!) And don't think you're welcome in our stores. We've been there, we've done that, and we've had it proven again and again and again that you are the stone cold enemy of the Medium of comics.
Right now, you have a LOT of people trying to sucker and shake you down and get you to buy their comics because so many of them see a Hollywood Play, and are willing to use speculators and the worst excesses of the "collector's Market" to try and leverage that play. They too, are the enemy. Don't fall for it! Don't support them!
If you have any issue with any of this, take it up directly with me. I can always be reached at [email protected]. Leave my staff out of it, please — this is a top-down statement.
#39
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Yup, that's Brian Hibbs, the guy I referenced before who has done the Tilting at Windmills column from a retailers perspective for many many years. I guess his own website is kaput though (savagecritic) if he's posting via BC.
People are just going to buy issues 1 and 2 and throw them away, though.
People are just going to buy issues 1 and 2 and throw them away, though.
#40
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
The thing with Harley is that her rise in popularity was almost entirely organic, mostly due to her appearances on Batman: The Animated Series becoming a staple for a generation of children. Timm never expected her becoming one of the biggest characters at DC.
Punchline is a corporate creation dictated because Harley has outgrown her initial role as Joker's girlfriend and they need a replacement. Rarely does a character like Punchline become popular.
Punchline is a corporate creation dictated because Harley has outgrown her initial role as Joker's girlfriend and they need a replacement. Rarely does a character like Punchline become popular.
#41
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Building attractions one theme park at a time.
Posts: 10,800
Received 82 Likes
on
49 Posts
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
I was lucky because I was already reading Hell Arisen and my LCS saved me a copy. Sucks for the people who just want to read the damn thing and don't care about the flavor of the month. I remember when I had copies of Weapon H's first appearance the night before shops opened and I left them on the shelf (store was open for a midnight release). I don't buy to speculate. I buy to read.
This is the kind of bullshit that's killing an already dying industry.
This is the kind of bullshit that's killing an already dying industry.
#42
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
I was lucky because I was already reading Hell Arisen and my LCS saved me a copy. Sucks for the people who just want to read the damn thing and don't care about the flavor of the month. I remember when I had copies of Weapon H's first appearance the night before shops opened and I left them on the shelf (store was open for a midnight release). I don't buy to speculate. I buy to read.
This is the kind of bullshit that's killing an already dying industry.
This is the kind of bullshit that's killing an already dying industry.
#43
Banned
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Like I've said, this problem snowballs into something bigger because we get resentment from both sides: retailers and customers. Hibbs is in the wrong here. A customer doesn't have to give you a reason as to why they buy the book. If the person buys the book to read, great. If he buys it as a collector, great too. If he buys it to flip, even though I don't agree with the idea, that's the customer's prerogative. Put the blame where it belongs: DC Comics. The riled up the customers and didn't deliver for the demand.
I've heard and confirmed horror stories about several LCS and Hell Arisen 3. A guy I know had the book on his pull list at one of the local LCS. The owner, who is an asshole in general, told him that Diamond had shorted them completely on that book specifically. At that point, they guy was disappointed and somewhat angry because he felt cheated and knew in his heart something was off. Well, the story gets worse when the guy decides to go on eBay and see if there was anyone was selling the book nearby and he found that yes, there was a new seller with 0 rating selling a copy of the book for a buy it now of $75 and another copy as an auction. The guy decides to pull the trigger and do the BIN and guess what? When he paid for the item, he received a receipt from Paypal with the name of the LCS store owner that had stiffed him. The LCS owner, who has an ebay account already for the store was using a burner account to sell these Hell Arisen books that he got.
Another story has been of stores that do pre-orders on ebay and them cancelling the pre-orders for Hell Arisen 3 for both regular copies and graded ones with a variety of bullshit excuses. One seller said that ebay wasn't letting stores do pre-orders anymore (bullshit). Another said that they were shorted of the books, only to relist them later at a much higher price.
Any LCS that made some of these shitty moves deserve to go bankrupt. They are fucking the customer for a quick buck. Still, at the end of the day, the industry as a whole is the one that suffers.
I've heard and confirmed horror stories about several LCS and Hell Arisen 3. A guy I know had the book on his pull list at one of the local LCS. The owner, who is an asshole in general, told him that Diamond had shorted them completely on that book specifically. At that point, they guy was disappointed and somewhat angry because he felt cheated and knew in his heart something was off. Well, the story gets worse when the guy decides to go on eBay and see if there was anyone was selling the book nearby and he found that yes, there was a new seller with 0 rating selling a copy of the book for a buy it now of $75 and another copy as an auction. The guy decides to pull the trigger and do the BIN and guess what? When he paid for the item, he received a receipt from Paypal with the name of the LCS store owner that had stiffed him. The LCS owner, who has an ebay account already for the store was using a burner account to sell these Hell Arisen books that he got.
Another story has been of stores that do pre-orders on ebay and them cancelling the pre-orders for Hell Arisen 3 for both regular copies and graded ones with a variety of bullshit excuses. One seller said that ebay wasn't letting stores do pre-orders anymore (bullshit). Another said that they were shorted of the books, only to relist them later at a much higher price.
Any LCS that made some of these shitty moves deserve to go bankrupt. They are fucking the customer for a quick buck. Still, at the end of the day, the industry as a whole is the one that suffers.
#44
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
#45
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
Yeah, he stopped doing The Savage Critic several years ago. He still does his Tilting at Windmills column, but it's hosted at www.comicsbeat.com now.
#46
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
He only seems to do the Tilting at Windmills column irregularly now. The last ones were in December 2019, two in August 2019, and one in May 2019.
It seems like he only does one when he gets the Bookscan numbers, or wants to vent about something.
That said, I do wonder why that rant showed up on Bleeding Cool, and not as a Tilting column...
It seems like he only does one when he gets the Bookscan numbers, or wants to vent about something.
That said, I do wonder why that rant showed up on Bleeding Cool, and not as a Tilting column...
#47
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
The thing with Harley is that her rise in popularity was almost entirely organic, mostly due to her appearances on Batman: The Animated Series becoming a staple for a generation of children. Timm never expected her becoming one of the biggest characters at DC.
Punchline is a corporate creation dictated because Harley has outgrown her initial role as Joker's girlfriend and they need a replacement. Rarely does a character like Punchline become popular.
Punchline is a corporate creation dictated because Harley has outgrown her initial role as Joker's girlfriend and they need a replacement. Rarely does a character like Punchline become popular.
And "Punchline" has a weak design.
#48
New Member
Re: Dan DiDio out as Co-Publisher at DC
I'm not too current on much modern Batman so they probably did a "reveal" story in the modern era about Gaggy but the only time I remember him appearing was in 1, maybe 2, issues in the 50s or 60s. I thought of him a few weeks back when I finally got around to watching the Joker film because the one guy at the clown shop that's nice to Arthur is a dwarf and I thought, "Hey, he can be Gaggy". Gaggy was a dwarf if you didn't already know.
#50
Banned