IDW comic sales

A general discussion forum, plus hauls and silly games.
User avatar
Onslaught Six
Supreme-Class
Posts: 7023
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:49 am
Location: In front of my computer.
Contact:

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by Onslaught Six »

Dominic wrote:I know somebody who is a huge fan of TFs who skipped "Last Stand of the Wreckers" because it was not set strictly in current continuity, (being set ~2 years or so back).
...Is it set that long ago? I thought it was implied that it was running concurrent to the first issue or two of the ongoing.
andersonh1 wrote:Now there's an extra book with Spotlight Prowl present, but subtract that and it's still a decent month at $112,940.94.
Prowl was filling in for the Bumblebee/Ironhide spot they have going right now, right?
Dominic wrote:-wonders about compilations at bookstores.
Aren't trades in general selling 'much' better than single issues? And this is given the fact that trades are basically around forever. (I can go into any mall bookstore and find at least one TF book, even if it's something like the Movie/ROTF adaptations, and in larger bookstores I can walk in and find just about everything they've put out.) So I'd assume IDW is also making quite the bit on the trades, too.
BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.
Image
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by Dominic »

Compilations are doing well, but not necessarily in comic stores. The comic store itself needs to adapt, as the publishers have adapted to a model that does not require dedicated comic stores. I have as much conceptual attachment to comics stores as anyone here.

And, comic stores do something better than most book stores in terms of getting product on time and in good condition. Comic shops are also better about holding items. Book stores can offer nebulous promises about special ordering items. But, they are inexcusably lax about filling them. (Of course, in defense of book stores, the majority of their client base seems fine rewarding such bad behavior and has no problem buying spottily distributed and/or damaged products.)

Most of the book stores around here have movie related comics, but little else.

...Is it set that long ago? I thought it was implied that it was running concurrent to the first issue or two of the ongoing.
The time from for "Last Stand of the Wreckers" actually takes up much of the time before and during AHM. Overlord held Garrus 9 for a while, just waiting for Megatron to show up and validate his tantrum. The first few pages are set during the initial attack that was mentioned in AHM. But, by the last issue, Megatron has already taken a round to the noggin.


As an aside, anyone else noticing how the fans are giving Roche/Roberts a pass about Ironfist's recruitment (offering up their own explanations for something not explicitly stated on the page). What do we all think would happen if the story were by another writer, (*cough*McCarthy*cough*)?


Dom
-heh.
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by andersonh1 »

Dominic wrote:The time from for "Last Stand of the Wreckers" actually takes up much of the time before and during AHM. Overlord held Garrus 9 for a while, just waiting for Megatron to show up and validate his tantrum. The first few pages are set during the initial attack that was mentioned in AHM. But, by the last issue, Megatron has already taken a round to the noggin.
Not to go off topic, but I'm fairly sure the timeframe for LSOTW is printed on the inside cover of the first issue at least, and the majority of the story takes place at the same time as the early issues of the ongoing (the "present day"). The flashbacks where the prison falls to Overlord take place right before AHM, and some of the other flashbacks take place during that storyline, but the bulk of the story is in the present.
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by andersonh1 »

Onslaught Six wrote:Aren't trades in general selling 'much' better than single issues? And this is given the fact that trades are basically around forever. (I can go into any mall bookstore and find at least one TF book, even if it's something like the Movie/ROTF adaptations, and in larger bookstores I can walk in and find just about everything they've put out.) So I'd assume IDW is also making quite the bit on the trades, too.
The trades have certainly become a big part of the overall business model. I have read that certain monthly books survive only because the trades sell well, though how much of that is true I can't say.
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by Dominic »

I likely just did not read the first part of LSotW as a flash-back.

In any case, the series has little enough to do with ongoing, so my friend is avoiding it. (Branding means more to him that quality.)


Which titles are you thinking of Anderson? I notice that many comic readers, including people at this forum, complain about writing for the trade, despite that model being proven and likely to become the standard for the future.

Dom
-tends to read for the trade.
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by andersonh1 »

Dominic wrote:I likely just did not read the first part of LSotW as a flash-back.

In any case, the series has little enough to do with ongoing, so my friend is avoiding it. (Branding means more to him that quality.)


Which titles are you thinking of Anderson? I notice that many comic readers, including people at this forum, complain about writing for the trade, despite that model being proven and likely to become the standard for the future.

Dom
-tends to read for the trade.
It was an offhand comment in one of the forums. I think the person claimed that Jonah Hex was still going because the trades sold well. Take that with a grain of salt.
User avatar
donosaur
Gestalt Combiner
Posts: 331
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:00 pm
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by donosaur »

I basically will only read something in trade form. I've never had the single issue hunting instinct. That being said, I can't seem to find a single damn trade of any TF comic more recent than the first movie tie in stuff. Frustrating :x
.................................................................................................................................................................... _,_,_..
...................................................................................................................................................................(..vvvvv
..................................................................................................................................................................(..../"/"
.........................................................................................................................................................(\.....(.....) )
......................................................................................................................................................... \ \../../hh hh
User avatar
Onslaught Six
Supreme-Class
Posts: 7023
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:49 am
Location: In front of my computer.
Contact:

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by Onslaught Six »

Amazon.com has everything in plentiful stock--and though you have to pay shipping, most of it is actually discounted to the $13-15 range, so at times you end up paying just as much, give or take two or three bucks, as you would at a store.

Back after I read the first AHM trade, I got a massive itch to go hunt the two individual issues that were out at that point. I kept going back to buy the rest, but the guy never ordered them. (Incidentally, it's been a year since I forgot to go and pick up my Atomic Robo vol. 3 issues I ordered, so I've probably been forgotten by now and can go back to that comic shop.)
BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.
Image
User avatar
andersonh1
Moderator
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by andersonh1 »

Trades have to be fairly profitable. There are some costs in setting up the art in collected form and re-printing, along with qc and delivery, but the bulk of the costs have already ocurred in producing the monthly book. When it comes to trade paperback collections, the costs for drawing, inking, lettering and writing have already been covered, and the art has already largely been set up for printing. Plates have been made, etc. It shouldn't be all that expensive to re-publish the material in collected format and make a larger profit margin off of older material.

IDW has built trades into their business model from the start. In fact, Ryall has said that ongoing books are a more recent development. Originally everything they published was set up to be a limited series that would be collected into a trade as soon as the mini finished. Trades aren't an afterthought with them, but a part of the plan from the beginning.

And if you look at DC and Marvel, both companies have decades of material they could collect into trades and publish. Some of the older stuff isn't very readable and might not always sell well, but some of it certainly will.
User avatar
Onslaught Six
Supreme-Class
Posts: 7023
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:49 am
Location: In front of my computer.
Contact:

Re: IDW comic sales

Post by Onslaught Six »

Indeed. Marvel and DC could literally stop producing new material at this point and live off reprinting trades of older material--there's always going to be people who need to go back and read The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen or any other number of old, important comics.

I'm pretty sure the upcoming Drift miniseries is being released biweekly for two reasons directly related to this: McCarthy writes for the trade, period. He's even pretty much stated as such that he would rather the floppies get delayed if it means a better product in the trades. (This was in relation to the art change in AHM 9.) Because of this, they're probably releasing the series bi-weekly so there's less of a wait (and thus it feels more like a trade) and also so they can get the trade out faster in the first place.
BWprowl wrote:The internet having this many different words to describe nerdy folks is akin to the whole eskimos/ice situation, I would presume.
People spend so much time worrying about whether a figure is "mint" or not that they never stop to consider other flavours.
Image
Post Reply