2009 May
More on Marvel’s price increases
Marvel
John Turitzin, Marvel’s general counsel and EVP of the executive office, presented at the Cowen & Company 37th Annual Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in New York last week. You can find a link to his presentation, which includes audio and his slides, here (it was at 1:05 p.m. in Holmes 2; registration is required).
I initially posted a comment from, and a link to, a report on the presentation from someone who was there, but he’s since deleted his report. So I thought I’d revisit the webcast and quote it directly.
During the presentation, Turitzin gave an overview of Marvel — a “cash machine,” he called it — and the various ways it makes money, from publishing and licensing to the more recently added Marvel Studios division. Like I said on Friday, one of the more interesting portions came when a comic fan in the audience asked about recent cost increases on some of Marvel’s more popular titles from $2.99 to $3.99.
“We’re always testing our pricing on our comic books to see to the extent to which it is inelastic, and we can increase our profit in that business,” Turitzin said. He added that different books have different price points, noting the most popular titles saw a price increase, while the lower-selling monthlies, as well as the comics aimed at kids, did not.
“We’re just looking to maximize our profits for that business while not alienating our own fan base by making them feel that they’re gouged, which I hope you don’t feel,” he told the fan.
When asked if Marvel would consider lowering the cover price if revenue started to drop, Turitzin said, “Our goal is to maximize our revenue, and if we’re not maximizing revenue then our pricing is wrong, and we have to take a look at that … so you can hope we see that attrition, and our prices come down.”
- May 31, 2009 @ 06:49 PM by JK Parkin
What Are You Reading?
Madman Vol. 1
Welcome to another fun-filled episode of What Are You Reading?, where the Robot 6 team talks about comics, graphic novels and whatever else we’ve read recently. I’m filling in for Chris Mautner, who is out of town this weekend.
Today’s special guest is Scott Wegener, artist on Atomic Robo, which is published by Red 5 Comics, and Killer of Demons, published by Image.
To see what Scott and the rest of us have been reading, click on through, then tell us what you’ve been reading in the comments section.
- May 31, 2009 @ 01:13 PM by JK Parkin
Welcome aboard, Brigid Alverson
I’m really pleased to announce that Brigid Alverson of MangaBlog, Digital Strips and Good Comics for Kids fame is joining the Robot 6 team.
Brigid will cover webcomics in her new column, which kicks off this week. Here’s her description of what she plans to cover:
“’Webcomics’ is a huge topic and I plan to keep it pretty broad. I’m very interested in the business side of things and how people can make the webcomics model work, as well as evolving platforms such as iPod Touch, Kindle, etc. And I’m also very interested in the creative side of things—how people do it. I plan to have the column be a mix of material—interviews, reviews, and the occasional think piece.”
Brigid’s column will run on Tuesdays, as Tom Bondurant’s Grumpy Old Fan moves back to its original Thursday spot now that he’s wrapped up the Trinity Annotations.
Again, welcome aboard, Brigid – I’m looking forward to reading your first column!
- May 31, 2009 @ 11:45 AM by JK Parkin
Strangeways: The Thirsty – week of 5/25
Yes, there’s one page less this week. That was because of Memorial Day, and it’s likely to be the case from here on out. Apologies, but what has to be done has to be done.
Okay, back to the story. The monsters, as they say, are on Main Street. Drytown’s vampires have come to hunt in Cedar Creek. And what’s Father Murphy doing at the bar there?
Click to the jump to find out!
- May 31, 2009 @ 10:00 AM by Matt Maxwell
Pushing Daisies comic will tie up loose ends, unearth 1,000 corpses
Pushing Daisies
As the clock ticks down to the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies, creator Bryan Fuller offers a few more details on the show’s continuation this fall in comic-book form.
The Emmy-nominated comedy-drama, about a pie-maker who can (with a few critical limitations) resurrect the dead, was canceled by ABC in November after barely two seasons.
Fuller, who also created Dead Like Me and co-created Wonderfalls, revealed last month he’d struck a deal with DC Comics for a 12-issue miniseries — through Wildstorm, presumably — that will tie up loose ends left by Pushing Daisies‘ untimely demise.
“We’ve arced it out,” Fuller tells Sci Fi Wire in a new interview that contains spoilers for the final episodes. “The dangling threads from the series with Chuck’s father and Ned’s father and the pocket watches are all dealt with, not secondarily, but there’s a whole new story that happens when there is a flash flood in the cemetery and all the bodies wash past Ned’s and it’s Ned versus a thousand corpses. That’s the story of the comic book.”
He says if the miniseries is successful, we could see more Pushing Daisies comics.
The first of the final three episodes airs tonight at 10 Eastern on ABC.
- May 30, 2009 @ 09:26 AM by Kevin Melrose
Your Mileage May Vary
from Magog #1
Recently DC announced a new ongoing, starring Magog. This surprising decision has, naturally, caused some reaction.
Jim at Comics And…Other Imaginary Tales is incredulous:
DC announces an ongoing Magog series by Keith Giffen and Howard Porter. Are they kiding? I mean the JSA has Hourman and Liberty Bell husband and wife team that is virtually untouched, Dr. Midnight, the revamped Sandman, Damage and many other characters that would be fascinating and great to carry a book and we get Magog. This guy is a bizarre homage to some of the worst 90 characters every created. Who the hell green lit this idea at DC? This is a really a bad idea in my opinion, Giffen has been more miss than hit, Porter’s style is all over the map and there is no buzz on this character. It will not last past 12 issues is my guess.
- May 29, 2009 @ 09:19 PM by Melissa Krause
The Graveyard Book wins Audiobook of the Year
The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman took home two awards at The Audies tonight, including the 2009 Audiobook of the Year award, for The Graveyard Book.
Gaiman not only wrote the book, but also read it for the audiobook version. He’s been Twittering from the awards all night, and tweeted “Argh oh god i got it” when he won.
The Graveyard Book was up against Brisingr by Christopher Paolini and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of my Father by Augusten Burroughs for the top award. It also won in the “Children’s Titles for Ages 8-12″ category and was nominated in the “Thriller/Suspense” category.
In addition, Chip Kidd’s The Learners, read by actor Bronson Pinchot, won in the humor category. Kidd has done design work for a number of comic-related books, including Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, in addition to designing covers for numerous novels.
Congrats to both Gaiman and Kidd on their awards.
- May 29, 2009 @ 08:59 PM by JK Parkin
Marvels’ general counsel on state of the business, movies and recent price increases
Marvel
John Turitzin, Marvel’s general counsel and EVP of the executive office, presented at the Cowen & Company 37th Annual Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in New York earlier this week. You can find a link to his presentation, which includes audio and his slides, here (it was at 1:05 p.m. in Holmes 2).
During the presentation, he gave an overview of Marvel — which he called a “cash machine” — and the various ways it makes money, from publishing and licensing to the more recently added Marvel Studios division. One of the more interesting portions that’s probably most relevant to those of us who buy comics came when a comic fan in the audience asked about the recent cost increase on some of Marvel’s titles. You can hear it after the formal presentation ends in the link above.
- May 29, 2009 @ 04:02 PM by JK Parkin
Annotations for Trinity issue #52
Trinity #52
Well, it all comes down to this. With Trinity #52, Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, and the rest of their intrepid band have one last opportunity to sound off about Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Who will live? Who will die? Will there be food? And where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?
Join me, won’t you, for one more trip around the triune block!
SPOILERS FOLLOW
“Where They Should Be” was written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza; penciled by Mark Bagley (pages 1, 4-5, 19-25) and Mike Norton (pages 2-3, 9, 12, 18), Tom Derenick (pages 6-8, 10-11), and Scott McDaniel (pages 13-17); inked by Art Thibert (pages 1, 4-5, 19-25), John Stanisci (pages 2-3, 9, 12, 18), Wayne Faucher (pages 6-8, 10-11), and Andy Owens (pages 13-17); colored by Pete Pantazis and Allen Passalaqua, and lettered by Pat Brosseau; Rachel Gluckstern, associate editor; Mike Carlin, editor.
Continue Reading »
- May 29, 2009 @ 03:02 PM by Tom Bondurant
Morse brings the Shogunaut to life on the web
The Shogunaut
Much like he did with “Dawn of the Gearheads,” Scott Morse is posting comics on his blog again. This time it’s the story of the Shogunaut, and it’s pretty awesome. Go check it out.
- May 29, 2009 @ 01:55 PM by JK Parkin
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 076
While it’s quiet inside the bar, as Father Murphy gets down to sanctifyin’, outside is another story.
Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell
Who needs holy water when you’ve got nitroglycerin?
And the winner of this week’s copy of MURDER MOON is EJurgensen hailing all the way from Yahoo.com! Congratulations, your copy will be in the mail, right after I get back from Monsterpalooza 09, featuring guests like Jim Warren, Basil Gogos, Alex Nino, the guys from GUMBY and DEAD AHEAD, Bernie Wrightson, and a whole host of other monster folk. I’m kind of amazed to be in that kind of company, really. I guess they didn’t check my credentials out.
The comics return on Monday, and I’ll probably post a writeup as well, if not here, then over on Highway 62. Looking forward to the show, and to the chance to sneak back to the San Fernando Valley. The one and only Coop is having a showing over on the other side of the hill, which I’d really like to go see, but short of a miracle (or me playing hooky), I don’t think will happen.
See you then!
- May 29, 2009 @ 01:00 PM by Matt Maxwell
Straight for the Art: ‘Hell in Crisis’
'Hell in Crisis'
Those irrepressible scamps Edward Sorel and Richard Lingeman offer their own take on the current financial crisis via Vanity Fair.
- May 29, 2009 @ 12:25 PM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the Art: ‘Swallowing the Earth’
From 'Swallowing the Earth'
DMP will be publishing one of “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka’s more interesting and perhaps controversial works, Swallowing the Earth, in June, and they’ve got a 25-page preview of the manga up on TezukainEnglish.com. Here’s a brief synopsis of the plot:
One of Tezuka’s most adult series, Swallowing the Earth treats the use of female sexuality as a weapon, and the abuses of women in human history. Zephyrus, a mysterious, icy seductress, uses her power over men to snare them into aiding her scheme to overthrow the world order in order to avenge the wrongs done to womankind over the course of history. The only one immune to her charms is young Seki Gohonmatsu, a Neanderthal-like perpetually-drunken sailor whose only goal is to drink all the liquor in the world, a crass parallel to Zephyrus’ schemes to swallow the Earth with her revenge.
So, yeah. There’s nothing exceptionally R-rated at the link, but depending on where you’re employed, you may want to consider it NSFW.
- May 29, 2009 @ 11:20 AM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the art: ‘Love’s Bride’
'Love's Bride'
Top Shelf has a 22-page preview of ‘Love’s Bride’ by Yoshihiro Tatsumi, which will be included in the upcoming AX anthology. Warning: bad things happen to monkeys in this story. Naughty bad things.
- May 29, 2009 @ 10:23 AM by Chris Mautner
Before and After: Olympus #2 covers
Nathan Edmondson, writer of the Image comic Olympus, sent over two different covers for issue #2, one by the series’ artist Christian Ward, and the other a variant by Frank Quitely. They almost look like a “before and after” set of images, but I hate to think about what happened in between them:
Olympus #2 cover by Christian Ward
Olympus #2 cover by Frank Quitely
You can read more about Olympus at its official blog.
- May 29, 2009 @ 09:30 AM by JK Parkin