DC “may soon move to LA”
Geoff Johns and Diane Nelson are riding to the rescue of Warner Bros. as they ready Green Lantern and Wonder Woman to become the blockbusters they were destined to be, according to this profile in the LA Times by Geoff Boucher and Ben Fritz. The industry odd couple — she previously managed the Harry Potter brand [...]
Continue ReadingKirkman launches Skybound imprint at Image
The NY Times has the scoop on a new Image imprint to be headed up by Robert Kirkman. Skybound will allow Kirkman to take a more hands-on role in mentoring and editing, and offer creators an advance and marketing, in exchange for a percentage -- so it's kind of like an agency AND an imprint.
Continue ReadingIs Wednesday going to be Tuesday soon?
At the April retailer summit in Chicago, Diamond broached the possibility of making Tuesday new comics day instead of Wednesday, in accordance with retailers' wishes to get comics a day early to avoid a Wednesday morning stocking rush and so on. (The biggest Diamond accounts already get Tuesday delivery.) While most industry types at the show felt that Diamond wouldn't be asking this question unless they planned to go ahead with it, it is still very much in the thinking stages. Diamond has been running a retailer survey on their website for a few months polling shops on what day and delivery method they think would be best, and whether a $5 weekly fee to cover the costs of policing the system and prevent early sales would be reasonable. We're told that over 1,000 retailers responded, but Diamond hasn't decided how to move forward yet.
Continue ReadingShutter report: Rocketship is closed
Rocketship, the innovative Brooklyn comics shop which has been a mecca for graphic novels and forward-looking comics retailing, is closed down, several locals reported to The Beat. The store is currently locked up but with all the stock inside intact. Reached for comment, co-owner Alex Cox told The Beat that it was a real estate [...]
Continue ReadingHarvey Pekar’s unfinished projects
When Harvey Pekar died suddenly on Monday, he left several comics projects in the works, and Rick Marshall asked Pekar's recent editor, Jeff Newelt about what unfinished projects we might be seeing eventually.
Continue ReadingPvP leaves Image for self-publishing
Via PR a story that touches the current comics business on so many levels. In short, Scott Kurtz is taking his print PvP collections of his very popular webcomic PvP and returning to self-publishing via his Toonhound Studios imprint. PVP has been published by Image since 2003, and Image will continue to sell his existing collections. However future print editions of the comic will be sold online. According to the release, Kurtz won't be selling them through Diamond at all, although he'll work directly with retailers who want to carry his books.
Continue ReadingTop 10 and market share for June
Diamond has released the Top Ten and market share information for June. Here's the periodical and GN lists. Marvel and DC split the periodicals while DC, as usual, dominated the GN list.
Continue ReadingBREAKING: Zuda Comics WEBSITE shut down
About half an hour ago a memo was sent to Zuda creators announcing that the original digital comics line was being shut down. A few of the better known Zuda titles, such as I Rule the Night, Bayou and HIgh Moon will be folded into the newly announced DC Digital program.
Continue ReadingQuesada talks digital royalties and Avenger planning
This morning’s Cup O’ Joe coffee klatsch between Kiel Phegley and Joe Quesada included a lengthy segment on the whole digital royalty flap from last week. Specifically,Marvel has had them in the works for the last two years, but could only finalize the plans recently — the first payments will be going out soon after [...]
Continue ReadingNews and notes from retail and publishing
A round up of other news from the week, and some follow up on other stuff....The big, big news is that the Hasting retail entertainment chain will be going into comics in a big way, bother graphic novels, which tyhey already carry, and now periodicals, including back issues. 147 Hastings stores -- mostly in the midwest, sun belt and Texas, will start up direct marketing accounts. The move follows the success of two test stores:
Continue ReadingDC digital fallout: Royalty war
Lots of reaction and ripples from yesterday’s announcement that DC was at long last joining the digital world with their DC Comics apps for iPad, iPhone and PSP. One of the more amusing developments came from the news that DC was definitely including creator royalties for digital sales, as announced in a widely leaked memo [...]
Continue ReadingTorpedo Comics in fire sale
Hit records and stellar nerdlebirty status aren't always enough to steer a retail ship through the shoals of hard business realities. System of a Down's drummer John Dolmayan apparently learned that the hard way, as this sale for Torpedo Comics shows. The online retailers inventory and even domain name are being auctioned off to pay creditors.
Continue ReadingBuenaventura Press closure reactions
Sean T Collins rounded up reactions from creators and fellow publishers on the closure of Buenaventura Press, and it's all sad, sad sad. WE've heard bits and pieces of the story behind the story, and that's all sad too. Some of it can be pieced together with some googling, but we'll respect Alvin's wishes for privacy at this time and just reiterate out hope that he can continue to find a way to contribute to this golden age of comics art.
Continue ReadingWowio buys DrunkDuck
Via PR, electronic publisher WOWIO has purchased the webcomic site DrunkDuck from Platinum Studios. Just to make it all neat and tidy, Platinum once owned Wowio, but Wowio is now owned by a separate company, which is owned by Platinum exec Brian Altounian. Got all that straight? Wowio is on a spending spree, having recently [...]
Continue ReadingNew manga supergroup to take on pirates
There’s a new superteam in town, Calvin Reid reports at Publishers Weekly — brought together to face a mighty foe that threatens our very existence. Or to put it another way, manga publishers have realized that they cannot defeat the scanlation monster alone, and they might have a better chance together. The thirty-six members of the [...]
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