Comic Book Resources

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."

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PictureBox goes the pre-order plea route

Powr Masters 3

Dan Nadel posted a press release at Comics Comics yesterday that, in addition to announcing two upcoming books from PictureBox -- Powr Masters 3 by CF and If n Oof by Brian Chippendale -- asked fans to ensure these books got printed by ordering them now:

These two books are among the best graphic novels of our time, but they need your support. Like a lot of publishers, PictureBox is looking for new ways to navigate the current terrain. To that end, we are attempting to raise the money for these books ahead of time. It’s all an experiment these days.

So we are looking to you, as a community of readers, to help make these books a reality. Everyone that orders advance copies of one or both of these books (up until August 1) will receive the book itself and a signed silkscreen print upon the books’ releases. Everyone that orders in advance by June 20, 2009 will have their names hand-lettered in the book with their corresponding level of support (see below). We need about 400 of you per book to step up and help make this a reality. Let’s come together as a community.

Nadel has PDF previews up at the site, and he's also offering an interesting, PBS-style tiered system of support, where, say, $45 nets you both books and the prints, but $150 nets you the books, the prints and a full color drawing by one of the artists.

It will certainly be interesting to see what the response to this idea will be. The ability to gain two prints by ordering ahead certainly is tantalizing, although now I'm suddenly worried that PictureBox is in worse financial shape than I had previously thought.

You can read Nadel's full press release after the jump:

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Family fight erupts over the future of Asterix

Asterix and Obelix

The daughter of Asterix co-creator Albert Uderzo is publicly criticizing her father for selling his stake in the books' publisher to Hachette Livre, and authorizing the company to continue the series after his death.

"Today, I'm rebelling," Sylvie Uderzo wrote in the French newspaper Le Monde. "Why? Because Asterix is my paper brother. I find myself entering into battle against, perhaps, Asterix's worst enemies -- the men of industry and finance."

Albert Uderzo, now 81, created the enormously popular Asterix in 1959 with the late writer Rene Goscinny. Editions Albert Rene was founded in 1979, two years after Goscinny's death.

The sale last month to Hachette, approved by Goscinny's daughter Anne, gives the French publishing giant a 60-percent stake in Asterix.  The remaining 40 percent remains with Sylvie Uderzo, who claims her father previously had intended the comic to end once he dies.

She blames her father's advisers for pushing him into a "180 degree turn."

The Asterix albums have been translated into 107 languages, and have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.