Triple Feature!
By Tim Hartnett
SoF, Skidmarks, and excellent correspondence!
You may have recently read about a certain upcoming webcomic project of mine, drawn by the certain son of a certain legend (in case you didn’t, look here). Be sure to check this column and SBC’s message boards for frequent updates about the status of the project. It will be quite large for a webcomic, and I think you may be pleased if you give it a try.
I started writing The Story of Fantasy in the fall of 1996 at the young age of twelve. It was in novel format, and I would often bring pages into class for my peers to read. By the spring of 1998, SoF was approaching well over 200 8½ X 11 pages, which, as you can imagine, is quite a feat for such a young person as I was.
Upon entering high school, I lost a bit of interest in the project, as most of it was highly juvenile at the time, and I branched out to write a spin off novella. The characters in this second work were later interwoven into the first, and after countless rewrites (most of which have been in the past few months), it is that plot which will soon be printed here on SBC in comic book form.
Josh Adams and I are working on trying to make this the best, with high ambitions in regards to layouts and story. We’re doing this in the old Marvel way: I write a “guide”, or “plot outline”, then he draws the layouts, I give suggestions, he finishes them, I script the work, and then it is lettered and released. While no one knows exactly how long this will take until we’re satisfied, I will say that SoF should be released by the summer of this year.
So why is it called, of all things, The Story of Fantasy? Well, the answer is routed in the conflict. As I said in Mr. Naso’s AtR, there certainly is quite a lot of thoughts running through the many characters’ heads, and it is in those thoughts that different fantasy worlds are created. The stories of those fantasy worlds play quite a big role in the main plot, and thus we derive the aforementioned title.
As stated earlier, stay tuned for more details. Now onto Skidmarks, sent to me by my good friend, Richard Starkings…
Skidmarks is Active Images’ latest foray on the trade paperback market, and as usual, the quality of work is some of the best available. The project is a black and white short that was previously available in the UK independent market from 1988-1990. The plot follows young Bic (a nickname derived from his surname) on his quest through the burdens of youth. A bike enthusiast, young Bic happens upon the golden opportunity to acquire a new set of wheels. Unfortunately, this opportunity constitutes a theft by simple observation, and Bic devises a party to raise money to pay for the bike. What follows is quite an adventure to secure grounds for the party, as well as girl-troubles and simple teenage problems which are so wonderfully depicted in the highly expressive artwork.
In a way, Skidmarks is the pilot episode of a Skidmarks television series, in which we’re certainly curious as to what adventures Bic and his new bike embarked upon.
Ilya’s tale represents a very convincing portrayal of the ambitions of youth, and it is highly recommended for anyone seeking a fun, smart, incredible ride.
For more information, visit: www.activeimages.com.
Finally this week, we have some correspondence from David Grodsky:
Hey Tim,
Just read your article about Price.
I agree that comics are overpriced. I'm 34 and make $40-50k a year, read about 20 titles a month and even I have to be frugal with how much I spend. I actually wish all my comics were $2.25. Only about 1/3 of my comics are $2.25, the rest are $2.50 - $2.99. Of course, I do get a minimum 30% discount through ComicsNow.com, but STILL, that's a lot!
I agree that there are many problems that affect the industry. I want to respond to the points you bring up though - IMO some are valid, a few are only partially. I have a dual degree in Public Relations and Economics, have been reading comics since 1976 - with a break for a while - and have more than 4000 comics so I think I bring a unique perspective:
Inflation/Deflation
I agree, but you should understand that this quotient is applied across the board to any improvement brought to the industry. Color separation immediately increased the production cost - brought on by demands of the market to keep up to date on production values - and that also increase cost as that makes the aggregate cost now bigger. That means that if you want to pay for a book today that is exactly on par with the inflation costs since 1969, what you'll get will be of the same production calibre as you got in 1969. Improvements costs money and the consumer almost always pay for it, fact of business.
Creator's Salaries
Yup. I may be a budding comic writer but I'm not biased here. I think that A FEW people are worth the money they get paid. The name alone can bring in new readers...BUT THOSE READERS COME FROM THE CURRENT READER POOL ONLY!!! I don't know of anyone who is brought into comics just because a writer is on a book, not even Rucka. The market has over-inflated the price paid for talent at the expense of other books in the market since there are no new readers.
Cannibalization is what is occurring here and since that happens, I actually think all creators outside the highest echelons are overpaid. See my added point below about this issue too.
Gimmicks
Thank God I missed the early 90's days of this (I took a 9-year break). I don't have a problem with this so long as the Gimmick is a quality gimmick that can actually raise the value of the product - and so that the product is available in a non-gimmick format. I love gimmicks, I just don't think I should have to pay MORE for it. Same REGULAR price, no matter if it's a gimmicky or non-gimmicky format. If I choose to buy both types, that's my choice, but don't try to charge me $10.00 for some stupid Blue Foil Holo-cover of Wolverine #8, which is part 2 of a 5 part arc. What a bunch of crap.
Low Sales
Lack of marketing - that's the primary cause. DC IS PART OF THE LARGEST MEDIA COMPANY IN THE WORLD!!!!! Why in the freakin-a am I not seeing co-branded, promotions EVERYWHERE?????!!!!!! Because some suits have their heads up their asses, that's why. Marvel has the right idea, get the character out thereto both kids and adults while you make someone else pay for it. You really think Marvel pays to put the Hulk on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? The smaller houses can do the same too, it just takes creativity to get the product out there and get someone else to "buy" in. Brand recognition creates interest in the primary product, that's what product tie-ins are all about. We see them all over the place because they WORK.
Increased Revenue
Here I don't agree with you fully. While I admit to increase prices just because you think you can is stupid - see my THERE ARE NO NEW READERS comment previously - sometimes this cannot be avoided. All markets are speculative and sometimes people overshoot or undershoot what the market will bear. To stay in business, this sometimes must occur. The trick is to recuperate and keep the price the same. On that point, I think the houses fall flat.
Longer Stories
Having written about 30 comic scripts to date, I really do think the 22-page format is fine. I think 24-25 is optimum but 22 really works for plotting and moving a story along. However, I don't have a problem with 48-page one-shots. It's a hell of a lot better than having to buy a 2-3 part mini-series. But let me ask you - WHY DOES EVERY 48-PAGE ONE SHOT HAVE TO BE IN DELUXE FORMAT AND COST $6???!!!!!
And don't even get me started on those crappy Secret Files issues that DC turns out. Two stories, not even 30 pages long, a bunch of lame-o drawings - all for $5.95. FU DC!
Distribution
You have no idea how much this impacts costs. Unfortunately, the market will need to grow to force competition here. But the market can't grow due to the other factors we are talking about. Catch-22.
Poor Retailer-Company Interaction
Rule #2 in marketing - If you have to decide between marketing an established product or a new one, always go with the new one. Brand loyalty can keep the old product alive (for a little while, at least) while you create a new market for the new product.
You hit this one square on the head. If an executive tells you that it's better to sell 10,000 more copies of their #1 ranked book than their #10 ranked book, fire him!!
three more
A - Self-image
I really think that a lot of people - in and out of the comics industry -really don't see comics as anything of value. Really. The creators do and the immediate management does, but go up the chain and the view changes. I think the climate is changing a little, but really, why do they still think of the fanboy as the NORM? Cause he is. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT CAN'T CHANGE!!!!! Until those in charge see past this image as the core audience, nothing will change. As much as I think Joe Q is a dick, he knows the value of comics and has brought Marvel into a new golden age. And that's what he gets paid for, not to be my best friend. If we had more people of his intensity pushing comics and the icons in them, those OUTSIDE of the industry might just change what they view as valuable about comics.
B - New Markets
If Americans could only see what goes on oversees...Here's an idea!!!! Why aren't classic literature books being updated and turned into comics for pre-teens? Can you imagine the market for that in schools as an introduction to actually reading the material? If I saw a greatly drawn and written Moby Dick comic, I bet I'd be more willing to read it for my 6th Grade English Class.
I'm not saying ignore the fanboy market, I'm saying look to new ones. Why do you think comics sell in the hundreds of thousands oversees? Hello?
C - Production Costs
I'm not talking about personnel. I'm talking about the nuts and bolts of the book. Paper, ink, separations, software. While these are really, really cool, it does not take the place of a good story or a well-drawn story. Why in the F*** does Superman/Batman have a cardstock cover? Is it because it has a $2.99 price tag - or is it the other way around? How about paying an artist 25% less but then provide him a large supply of paper and inks and pens and software to do his work? THINK people!
This business needs to not just think outside the box, it needs to crawl completely out and build a bridge into someone else's box. Because they aren't going come to us.
Oh, and to address the implied question you raise in your article – how much would I be willing to pay for comics? $0.99 for kiddie stuff like Justice League Adventures, $1.50 - $2.00 for everything else at 22-pages, $3.00 for 48-page stories. This is a fair price to me and doesn't make me to cringe.
Thanks for listening.
David Grodsky
Dear Dave,
Thank you for writing an outstanding response letter. I’m always thrilled to hear from people who have a long-term base for my discussions, rather than someone with just an interest in many different fields like me. Your perspectives are not only unique, but they are very researched and literate.
Allow me to point out how fortunate you are to receive a ≥$30 discount on your comics purchases. I only receive 10% at my local shop, and most people I know don’t even receive that. In addition, I make very, very, little disposable money myself; most financial support still comes from my parents. I’m in college right now, and am also working just to keep my car and car insurance, which as you know is insanely expensive for young men my age.
You bring up an excellent footnote to the inflation argument. And while I certainly agree, understand that I was merely saying that inflation happens no matter what, even as production values and costs change over time. Some interesting further reading may be Rich Johnston’s interview with former Marvel editor Jason Liebig, in which he discusses how higher production values were regulated to those with high industry prominence, and not those who were more capable of putting out a consistent, quality product.
I always thought that since comics are a relatively small community, we’d try to stick together and not worry about the outside conventions of entertainment, especially when it comes to salaries. If you want to make more money, go elsewhere. I think it’s fairly clear that most comic book writers who make huge amounts of money are not there to write a good book, but to write a book that will carry their name, an unfortunate reality in our image-driven society.
Something I forgot to mention in my column last week, which you so skillfully describe is the lack of marketing. I sometimes don’t know what the comic companies are thinking. Are new readers just going to get the urge to go to a comic shop/bookstore some day? With DC’s huge money pool (as you pointed it), it would be relatively easy for them to get comic ads to the proper demographic through the proper medium. You’d think we’d see Marvel comics ads on TV with the money they’re making off of movies. Or at least, the money they could give Dave Cockrum.
Tie in a comic with a movie for the mass market. Make a comic spinoff of a popular music album or a book. There’s several ways of marketing which is perhaps the most relevant reason for lack of comics readership.
Furthermore, you have a good argument about increased revenue. Movies bring in increased revenue; perhaps the publishing division think they can do the same. But I think the whole “increased revenue” argument has to be looked at after the others.
Finally, you are absolute right about paying $1.50-$2.00 for an average book. I think that is a wonderful compromise that is certainly achievable from what we’ve talked about.
Thanks for the response, and best wishes!
---Tim Hartnett
Next week will be yet another column, right here in SBC’s soapbox, and be sure to e-mail me with any comments or questions. Until then.
The title of this week’s column is a play on Skidmarks writer Ilya’s name, which means “there is” or “there are” in French.
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