Bongo is the successful comics publishing company that nobody knows about. Although it will celebrate its 17th anniversary this year, and has mastered the periodical-to-trade business model, and has been happily plugging along publishing essentially creator-driven comics for all that time….no one in the comics industry EVER talks about Bongo. Sure, publishing Simpsons comics seems like a no-brainer…but do you think the books would have lasted this long as a licensed title at DC or Marvel?

Well, now there have been some changes. And some new branding. It has a new logo to start with —three’s a trend! And long-time art director Nathan Kane has been promoted to Creative Director, replacing Bill Morrison, who, we’re told, has joined Simpsons creator (and Bongo owner) Matt Groening to work on new projects.

They’ve also released a 16-page insert for retailers to explain where the company is and where it’s going.

Bongo’s titles include:

SIMPSONS COMICS
FUTURAMA COMICS,
BART SIMPSON
SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES
BONGO ONE-SHOT WONDERS
SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED
TREEHOUSE OF HORROR
SUMMER SHINDIG
WINTER WINDING
SIMPSONS SUPER SPECTACULAR

and distributes SPONGEBOB COMICS. With SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES, Bongo has gone back to publishing creator-owned comics…and they deserve lots of props for that.

Although long the silent star of the comics biz, we suspect you might just be hearing more about Bongo in the near future. If nothing else, when successful comics company are discussed—one with worldwide distribution models and a highly successful trade publishing program—Bongo should definitely be included.

Here’s the retailer marketing insert in total:

By Todd Allen

Last week, I conducted a survey on how people buy their comics.  The results of which are eye opening.  67% — a little over 2/3 — of respondents listed a form of pre-ordering as the primary purchasing method.

A few caveats with that:

• This survey is representative of the readership of The Beat.  It does not necessarily reflect all comics readers.
• Since this is a survey from an online comics site, this is probably slanted towards dedicated fans, not casual readers.
• I would expect the Digital percentage to be a little higher from an online survey.
• In the comment section on the original survey, many people expressed a use of mixed purchase modes.  Most frequently a variation on “I have a pull box, but I also look at the rack and will pick things up there.”

That said, it’s likely the average purchase volume of the dedicated fanbase is higher than casual readers.  Certainly, your pull box subscribers tend to order more books.  I also have some confidence that a 783 response survey has statistical significance for The Beat’s audience.  Particularly since the percentages changed very little once the survey got past 300 responses.

Let’s look at these numbers in a couple different ways.  Pull boxes and mail order are forms of pre-ordering.  Shopping off the rack and digital tend to be buying as things come out.  From that perspective, 58% of the audience pre-orders.  If you throw out digital, 67% of the print audience pre-orders.  If you just look at people buying comics at physical retail (remove mail order from the equation), then 57.6% pre-orders.

The first thing this says to me:

If the majority of the dedicated consumer base pre-orders, the publisher and/or creators cannot complain when the consumer has a bad reaction to a product announcement solicitation.  If the market buys sight unseen, they have the right to complain sight unseen.

Now, if you think that buying sight unseen is a strange market… well, I might agree with you there.

Yes, some of the pull box people will wait to make a decision on a new title until they see it on the rack.  Of course, with pull boxes being a significant percentage of sales, those pre-orders are going to have a significant influence on what a retailer orders for the shelf.  You also have 19.4% that are going mail order and making the retail rack a secondary thought at best.

Certainly, this trend will have the largest effect on new titles and especially new independent titles.  You have to get the pre-ordering consumer’s attention at the same time you’re soliciting the retailer.  Normally, selling to a retailer is called “sell-in” (i.e. you’re selling to get IN the stores and on the shelf).  It’s a B2B (business selling to another business) sales function.  You do that when the Diamond catalog comes out.  Then as the comics ship, you switch over to “sell-through”  and market to the consumer (B2C, is the jargon for that) .  Clearly, there’s a very serious blurring of the lines between sell-in and sell-through in the comics market.  Clearly, comic publishers need to be marketing to the consumers at the same time they’re marketing to the retailers.  Most industries would look at you like you’re crazy if you said that, but the Direct Market is a strange beast.

Pull boxes and mail order effectively replace the traditional notion of a magazine subscription for collectors.  Some of that would explain the percentages.  Pull boxes are frequently referred to as “subscription lists” and function as standing orders for many retailers and mail order companies.  Which again, makes it a little more interesting launching a new title where you’re effectively looking at people subscribing sight unseen.

I also suspect that the percentages change a lot from shop to shop and city to city.  Anecdotally, I’ve found a lot of differences between comic shops, in terms of how easy it was to shop off the rack and how easy it was to just walk in and pick up what you wanted.  New York City, for example, is so much of an off the rack town, the common discount method is to give you a rebate after you’ve spent a certain amount of money.  (For example, after you spend $100, you’re award $20 credit towards your next purchase.)  They don’t keep track of your books, just what you spend and pull boxes are an afterthought.  On the other hand, I spend a couple weeks in Iowa, there’s not enough time to pre-order, so I need to call in advance and hope there’s a shelf copy that can be pulled.

The secondary danger with too much of a consumer pre-order mentality is when the shelf stock is too low and potential new readers can’t find what they want.  You can’t complain about new readers coming in if you’re not stocking the goods.  Make no mistake about it — pull boxes and guaranteed sales are great for the retailers’ bottom line.  On the other hand, there are apparently a few stores that may be more of a subscription service than they are a retail establishment.  That’s not an unreasonable business model, but it is a different business model.

It would be interesting to see a wider survey on this matter and try to account for more casual readers.  (I’m looking at you, Bonfire Agency.)

And here’s the official word and examples of treatment. Looks like the Vertigo and MAD logos have been adjusted to include the Gotham-lettered branding for now.

Now that we can see the actual treatment, it’s clearer how “the Peel” works as a symbol as opposed to a readable name—so even with the peel, the lettered DC Comics part is included. On that basis alone the peel works a lot better.

Ultimately what all this says is how design has expanded to include so many other elements of branding. A logo has to open a movie, represent an app, start a video game and not just sit there and look amazing on the page. You don’t get any better than Milton Glaser, the designer of the Bullet logo and a legend of design…but his approach doesn’t work for current media, either.

So…moving on! How about that WATCHMEN 2 logo?

All that said, this spine treatment does have an incredibly 80s physics textbook feel to us.

DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company and home to iconic brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, revealed today a new brand identity.  The new identity is reflective of the company’s mission to fully realize the value of a rich portfolio of brands, stories and characters, distinguished by incredible breadth and depth across publishing, media and merchandise.  A new logo for DC Comics was also introduced, closely aligning with DC Entertainment’s new mark.

“It’s a new era at DC Entertainment and the new look reflects a dynamic, bold approach while at the same time celebrates the company’s rich heritage and robust portfolio of characters,” stated John Rood, EVP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for DC Entertainment. “It was just a few months ago that Superman, Batman and many of our other Super Heroes were updated when we launched DC Comics – The New 52 and now it’s time to do the same for the company’s identity while remaining true to the power of storytelling which is still at the heart of DC Entertainment.”

DC Entertainment worked with Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading brand consulting and design firms, to develop an identity that creates a visual connection among the company, its three brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD and its vast array of properties as well as celebrates the power of the company’s stories and characters.  The design of the new DC Entertainment identity uses a “peel” effect – the D is strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C – symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment’s portfolio.

“It was our goal to capture DC Entertainment in a dynamic and provocative identity.  Our solution is a living expression which changes and adapts to the characters, story lines and the ways fans are consuming content,” explains Nicolas Aparicio, Executive Creative Director at Landor’s San Francisco office.  “The new identity is built for the digital age, and can easily be animated and customized to take full advantage of the interactivity offered across all media platforms.”

The new brand identity will come to life across all consumer touch points in order to create a clear and consistent message in support of DC Entertainment.  The new identity will begin to appear on comic books and graphic novels as well as new websites in March.  Consumers will also see the new identity rolled out over time on other DC Entertainment products from Warner Bros. including film, television, interactive games and merchandise.

“We believe our new brand identity will strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters, this new look allows them to easily do this. In addition we were excited to update our identity, it’s not often a company gets to revisit something as important as its brand and we took the opportunity to make sure it represented the multi-media business we set out to build with the formation of DC Entertainment,” said Amit Desai, SVP of Franchise Management for DC Entertainment.

A piece at business site Fast Company has unveiled the new DC logo — and yeah, it’s been chosen because it can be animated and — probably — make a sound. John Rood and Amit Desai, senior vice president of franchise management, roll out the new malleable, adaptable, interactive logo:

Thus the dowdy grey gosling has been revealed to be a firebird of infinite potential — necessary, Rood says, because DC’s characters must now be branded beyond their core demo.

The “DC” logo reads as a “D”-shaped page that pulls back to reveal a “C” that could either be an obvious letter or infused with elements of a property or character. Digital devices (computers, tablets, smartphones, touch-screen displays, gaming consoles) will enable users to peel back the “D” to expose a character, image, or story. The “C” can be customized to the colors and qualities of the property it’s promoting: silver and gray for the corporation, blue for DC Comics, or–as suggested by the graphic below–sparks for The Flash, green for Green Lantern, or a mist for Batman. All are unified by a common font–the serendipitously named Gotham Bold.
The logo’s adaptability will facilitate a fresh and innovative way to reflect ongoing corporate and creative initiatives. “The peel element can tie back to the storytelling content or character we’re showcasing, and leverage those colors,“ says Desai. “The ‘C’ can be a vessel to showcase stories and character. It’s unexpected, requires a little thnking and some storytelling behind that mark.”

Tellingly — the outlet used to showcase the new logo is not a comic book but an iPhone:

Is there anything this logo cannot do? Maybe tell transmedia stories or create a motion comic.

The new logo will appear on comics starting in March.

.

When I worked on the front lines of retail, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was unofficially the end of our holiday sales period, which usually started the first weekend of November.  Of course, our clearance sale would continue on through the end of February, but this was the day we could finally relax and “get back to normal”.  (As well as take vacations, which usually were frozen during the Holiday shopping season.

So, here’s a snapshot of what’s selling over on Barnesandnoble.com .  For simplicity’s sake, I’m only listing those titles which chart above #1000 for all books on BN.com .  This is a snapshot taken at 3 PM today.  This is the order they were displayed, so rankings might be a bit disorganized.  I have no understanding how their algorithms work, I’m just reporting what I saw.  The dates after the title are when that particular edition was published.  Titles and authors link to BN.com .

#175

#265

#408

Diamond has just hired Chris Powell to the slot of Executive Director of Business Development for the comic book specialty market (CBSM). Powell is a familiar industry figure due to his many years at Lone Star Comics and as the head of ComicsPRO, and as a CBLDF board member.

This new position was advertised by Diamond last year, and Powell will work with Chuck Parker and Roger Fletcher to create new programs for comics retailers, with a stated goal of creating more brick-and-mortar stores.

Obviously this is a tough time for the CBSM — but heck, it’s always a tough time for the CBSM. Having a knowledgeable industry vet like Powell hired just to work with stores seems like a very smart move for all concerned.

PR below:

Powell is currently the General Manager and Chief Relationship Officer of Lone Star Comics & mycomicshop.com, based in Arlington, Texas.  During his 20+ year career in comics, he not only helped manage the very successful Lone Star business, but also served as a Founding Board Member of ComicsPro, and as President of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Board.   Chris will begin his new position at Diamond in March.   In the meantime, he will remain at Lone Star assisting owners Buddy and Judy Saunders as he transitions to Diamond.

Diamond announced the creation of this new executive-level position last Fall. The top priority of the job will be to “spearhead the design and implementation of supplier supported programs to encourage and assist current CBSM retailers to improve and expand their businesses, with an emphasis on creating additional brick & mortar locations.”  In his new role, Powell will be based at Diamond’s Home Office in Timonium, and report jointly to Diamond Executive VP & COO Chuck Parker, and VP Sales & Marketing Roger Fletcher .

“We created this new position because we believe in print comics and the future of the direct market,” said Parker. “We‘re coming off an exciting year in 2011, and we think there’s continued opportunity for growth in our industry. We believe that Diamond, working in conjunction with our suppliers, can do more to help existing retailers grow, and to help new retailers get started.  I am truly very excited to have Chris working with our team on this very important goal. ”

“We’re very pleased that Chris will be joining Diamond,” added Fletcher. “His successful hands-on experience in every aspect of comic retailing, and his strong relationships throughout the industry, make him uniquely well-suited for the position.”

Said Powell: “As soon as I read the job posting from Diamond, I knew this was something I had to pursue.  The Direct Market has been very good to me in the 21 years I’ve been at Lone Star, and this is a unique opportunity to give back.  It’s going to be a big job, but I’m looking forward to diving right in!”

By Todd Allen

Over at Publisher’s Weekly, I was writing about how Marvel has trouble keeping their books in print and had some retailers tell me how Marvel’s sales suffer for it.  Now with Diamond’s 2011 year-end sales charts coming out, WOW, do things look odd.

Of course, a comic shop doesn’t have to order graphic novels from Diamond.  A lot of them are now ordering from book distributors like Baker & Taylor.  You’d see Hark! A Vagrant in Diamond’s top 500 books and Habibi much higher than #240 if all of the DM were buying their graphic novels through Diamond.

Marvel’s best selling title was Kick-Ass! at #49.  Yes, there were 48 graphic novels that sold better through Diamond than anything Marvel put out in 2011.  Does that startle you?  Here’s a list of Marvel’s Top 20 Sellers and their 2011 rank for Diamond:

What do we really have here?

Kick Ass - Marvel's Best Selling Graphic Novel?

An Icon title by Millar, followed by a 2010 release by Millar (that’s something of a one-off “What If” book), followed by a 2006 release also by Millar (and again a one-off, not part of a continuing series).  Then Castle, a licensed original graphic novel.  By now we’re down to #71 overall.  Then Nemesis, another Icon title by Millar.  Finally, Marvel’s 6th bestselling book, #87 overall is the first volume of Uncanny X-Force and we finally have a collection of an ongoing Marvel universe title  charting.

Contrast that with Marvel’s sales in monthly comics and it’s a stark difference.

What’s the composition of Marvel’s top 20 graphic novel titles?

Icon = 6
Licensed = 4
Marvel Universe = 10

Half of Marvel’s top 10 books aren’t in the Marvel Universe.  Of those 616 titles, 2 are Deadpool and 2 are Jonathon Hickman’s Fantastic Four run.  Did you have Deadpool pegged as one of Marvel’s most important graphic novel properties?  Me either, but it appears to be up there.

Similarly, the Ultimate comics line, which used to be a big seller, first charts all the way down at #21 for Marvel / #220 for Diamond with the second volume of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man.

Are the traditional book distributors moving a lot more Marvel books than I think they are?  How different are Marvel’s graphic novel readers from their monthly readers?  Is the prominence of the Icon titles in Marvel’s Diamond rankings indicative of a different reader demographic or indicative of the Icon books being kept in print, as opposed to Marvel’s tendency to let volumes fall out of availability?

I don’t have concrete answers to those questions (though I look forward to the annual leaking of the BookScan report and getting a better handle on Marvel’s bookstore fortunes).  All I know is, Marvel’s taking a back seat to all sorts of publishers, when it comes to graphic novels.  Dark Horse, DC, Dynamite, Image, Legendary, Oni and Top Shelf all had at least one title that sold better through Diamond than anything than Marvel.  That just seems a little odd.

By Todd Allen

ICV2 has their December 2011 Diamond sales estimates up and the downward correction would appear to be continuing.

The big debating point here would be DC returnability.  IIRC, Diamond’s been adjusting the numbers to allow for returns (10%?), but relatively few people believe that retailers are returning that much, when taken across the industry.  So anything returnable is probably a little under-reported.

So how bad is the correction?  Justice League’s still #1 with an estimated 142K copies ordered, but only 3 other titles (Batman, Action and Green Lantern) are over 100K.  Detective #4 was reported at 89K as a returnable book, and since Detective #1 still charted in December (4K copies), I’m thinking there may not have been many returns on that and it will probably be in the mid-to-high 90s once the returns are over.

Marvel couldn’t manage a 100K seller, topping the charts with just under 86K for Defenders #1.  Marvel’s next highest book is Uncanny X-Men #3 with a hair over 64K copies.  Avenging Spider-Man went from 112K in November to 60.6K in December.  Incredible Hulk relaunched with 106K in November and is down to 46K in December.  Marvel’s best selling book that _hasn’t_ had a new #1 in the last 6 months?  Avengers #20 at 57K.  Marvel’s #5 title.

With DC, the drop from #3 to #4 is looking a bit more like the drop from #2 to #3.  Marvel… they’re living off relaunches and things are falling back down to Earth rapidly.

Back to the 52 soap opera – how low can it go?

Men of War #4 is estimated just shy of 15K with return adjustment.  Figure… 16.5K with 10% return reduction?  That’s… not great.

Fables sets the Vertigo pace with an estimated 17.6K.  How many of the new 52 are selling less than Fables and in Vertigo numbers range?

With Diamond’s return adjustment intact: Men of War, Blackhawks, Static Shock, Mister Terrific and OMAC.

Bumping the these numbers 10% to wipe out the return adjustment (unless these low sellers are getting returned at a higher rate than, say, Batgirl): Men of War, Blackhawks and Static Shock.

Ironically, I, Vampire is up at 19K — it’s the most Vertigo-esque of all the new 52 and it’s up at least 2K on Fables.

Best selling creator-owned book: Kick Ass 2 at 45K.

Best selling creator-owned  independent not written by Robert Kirkman: Lady Mechanika from Aspen with 21K. Very healthy numbers for creator-owned!

Number of indies over the 10K sales line: 31.

Shade watch: Down to just under 19K.

Eyeballing the bottom of the charts, it does seem like the indies are trending up, though a lot of activity in the 10K+ range is on licensed properties.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in particular, seems to have a new lease on life.

Over on the graphic novel side… well, if you heard if was kind of a slow month, think how much slower it would be without 21K-worth of a new Walking Dead volume, as Kirkman charts with 3 volumes of his franchise in the top 10.  Where would graphic novels be without Kirkman?  Much lower, that’s where.

Fables V. 16 comes in at #2 with 11K.  Sales drop of drastically from there, but Walking Dead and Fables are two of, if not _the_ two, largest tpb titles still in active production.

Marvel’s highest selling graphic novel isn’t really a Marvel book.  The latest volume of Criminal is technically an Icon book.  Criminal V. 6 outsells the X-Men: Schism hardcover 3.6K to 3K.

ComicsPRO, the retailer advocacy group, has announced the 2012 nominees for their third annual Appreciation Awards, which honor pioneers in the direct market:

The direct market has been crucial in developing comics’ place in pop culture and remains the way most comic-book stories get from creator to fan.  ComicsPRO wants to honor those people who stand in that gap and help smooth that process.   From publishers, distributors, marketers and more, a lot of people are involved in bringing the stories we all love to market.  ComicsPRO would like to stand up and recognize those who have been simply the best at what they do, making the comic-book direct market more successful for all of us.

The Industry Appreciation award honors current participants, while the memorial award honors DM icons who have passed away. Winners are selected by a vote of ComicsPRO members, and will be announced February 10 at the 2012 ComicsPRO Annual Membership meeting in Dallas, TX.

The nominees for the 2012 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award:

Cindy Fournier
David Gabriel
Robert Kirkman
Eric Stephenson
Bob Wayne

The nominees for the 2012 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Memorial Award are Julius Schwartz and Phil Seuling.

2012 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award Nominees

Cindy Fournier
Fournier is the VP of Operations for Diamond Comic Distributors. In the comics field since 1987, Cindy did work for the mail order division of  Mile High Comics. She then went on to work for Alternate Realities distribution company, which was then acquired by Bud Plant Distribution.  After Bud Plant sold to Diamond, Cindy was transferred to Hayward, CA, to run Diamond’s distribution center there. Since 1989, Cindy has been working for Diamond in its home office of Timonium, MD, where she oversees the myriad of duties related to transportation, warehouse management and operations.  In a very critical role for the industry, Cindy is responsible for pulling together all the various aspects of making sure retailers get their shipments in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

David Gabriel
A native of Massachusetts, a graduate of Boston College and life long comic book fan, David Gabriel has never been too far from comics. While working for Bernstein Investment Management & Research, Gabriel dreamed of creating a mecca for comics, a dream that came to life in 1999 as he started the New York City Comic Book Museum. Then in 2003, Gabriel joined Marvel and revolutionized their trade paperback program, quickly ascending to the position of SVP, Sales & Circulation, in 2007. From that position, Gabriel works with retailers to craft programs and incentives for the Direct Market.

Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is one of the most public faces of comics since “The Walking Dead” has become a cable TV ratings sensation.  He broke into comics in 2000, and in 2003, Kirkman and Cory Walker created “Invincible” for Image’s new superhero line. Shortly after the debut of “Invincible,” Kirkman along with artist Tony Moore launched “The Walking Dead,” a series highly influenced by George Romero’s zombie movies. In July 2008, Kirkman was made a partner at Image Comics. As an Image partner, Kirkman was involved with reaching out to specialty retailers to find ways to improve Image’s presence in Direct Market stores.  Upon forming the Skybound imprint at Image Comics in 2010, Kirkman continues to focus on the best ways for publishers and creators to partner with specialty shops.

Eric Stephenson
A 20-year veteran of the comic book field, Eric Stephenson started in 1992 as Jim Valentino’s assistant during the early days of Image Comics, before becoming editor at Rob Liefeld’s Extreme Studios. While at Extreme, Stephenson also scripted numerous comics, including “Youngblood” and “New Men.” After a brief stint as a freelance comics writer, he returned to Image in 2001 as Director of Marketing. In 2004, he became Executive Director, championing diversity in content and spearheading the development of “Put the Book Back on the Shelf,” an anthology inspired by the songs of Belle and Sebastian. He succeeded Erik Larsen as Publisher in 2008, and has furthered Image’s efforts to partner with the Direct Market.

Bob Wayne
Wayne, a former comic book retailer in the Dallas/Fort Worth TX area, joined DC Comics in the mid ‘80s as a Direct Sales manager and has been on the forefront of the changes in the comics business ever since. Currently serving as DC’s Senior Vice President—Sales, Wayne has always maintained his loyalty to the field of comics specialty retailing and has been responsible for many of DC’s retailer-friendly best practices. Wayne is a recipient of the Inkpot Award, commemorating his years of service to the comics industry and his work with Comic-Con International.

2012 ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Memorial Award Nominees

Julius Schwartz
Schwartz started his career in 1932 as the co-publisher of “Time Traveller,” among the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz, along with Mort Weisinger, founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency in 1934, where Schwartz represented such noted authors as Alfred Bester, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft. Schwartz also helped organize the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939. In 1944 he went to work as an editor for All-American Comics, which soon merged with National Periodical Publications to form DC Comics. Schwartz was best-known for his work at DC Comics, which reinvigorated the superhero genre in the comics industry. His updating of 1940s characters for the modern era revolutionized DC Comics. He died in February 2004 at the age of 88.

Phil Seuling
The organizer and founder of the New York Comic Art Conventions of the ‘70s, Seuling was a founder of the direct-market form of comic-book distribution. Seuling, a school teacher with a passion for comics, arranged distribution deals to buy DC and Marvel Comics direct from the publishers. In 1974, Seuling founded Seagate Distribution, which sold comics non-returnably, and the Direct Market was born. In an age when comic shops were merely second-hand collectors’ stores, Seuling saw the potential for making a direct connection between comic publishers and their most rabid fans. Comic specialty shops are possible in part because of Seuling’s foresight more than 35 years ago. Phil Seuling passed away in 1984 at the age of 50.

It’s been about a year since we covered the launch of The Bonfire Agency, an ad agency devoted to respectful and appropriate branding to the geek market, as well as market research and consulting on industry mainstays including the CBLDF and New York Comic Con. In talking to founders Steve Rotterdam and Ed Catto a year ago, it was evident that they not only had advertising matters on their mind, but also blank spots in the industry, such as getting more demographic information and helping publishers monetize via an ad network.

As 2012 dawns, Bonfire has just made a new hire, Kris Longo who joins the firm as Vice-President, Advertising Sales & Business Development following a stint at DC Comics as Manager of Advertising and Custom Publishing. At Bonfire Longo will be majorly involved with ComicsUnited, an ad network for non Big-Two comics publishers that will sell ads across books from a number of publishers.

We thought it would be a good time to briefly catch up with Rotterdam and Catto and find out a little about how Longo will be approaching his new position.

The Beat: How has marketing to the nerd segment changed in the year since Bonfire launched? Biggest lessons learned?

Steve Rotterdam: Nerds! They’re everywhere! Seriously though, the membrane between what we’ll call here “geek culture” and “mainstream culture” has continued to get thinner and thinner. There’s less reluctance than ever for members of our core “geek” demographic to identify themselves as such in terms of the things they’re passionate about and the products and brands they identify with. And it is a segment that is growing, though not to the benefit of every product category.

Ed Catto: We’ve won. And that’s a big deal. You see it with TV and movies, you see it with digital apps, and even commercials (Volkswagen’s Darth Vader spot made all the industry top ten lists). You see it with society’s acceptance. Nerd culture no longer sits in a corner hiding from the rest of society. Now Nerd Culture has come to mean the thought leaders who develop entertainment, start trends, end trends, facilitate communication and do it all with a forward-looking sense of enthusiasm.

Rotterdam: One trend that we didn’t expect to see though is that while the demo has grown and our consumers have stepped further out into direct sunlight, females within the segment seem to be spinning off somewhat. They’re still there, mind you, and it doesn’t mean that they’re any less important to publishers, retailers or brands — but from our interviews and surveys among members of the demographic, what was once all geek appears to be segmenting into “geek” and “girl geek.” As lamentable as that may sound, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for brands and marketers seeking to make genuine inroads into our community.

Catto: Lessons learned? Truthfully, we thought we’d have to explain Bonfire’s mission better to the world at large. But we typically say “we’re here to help brands and companies connect with passionate fan communities in respectful, meaningful ways”. And then people nod very quickly and say, “I get it.” Then they always give their own examples of why Bonfire’s reason for being is an idea whose time has come.

Rotterdam: Another lesson, not quite fully learned? No matter how big your mouth is, be careful to not bite off more than you can chew. We hit the ground running as soon as we opened our doors a year ago and it’s been non-stop ever since. We’ve started a LOT of fires in terms of projects and business initiatives and we’ve been blessed to have had a full-service agency supporting us in Eastwest Marketing Group, as well as colleagues like Martha Donato, Ivan Cohen, the folks at ComicsPRO and Diamond and studios like Space Goat Productions to help us see things through. Our plates are always full.

The Beat: Launching as mostly a two-man shop, you’ve now added Kris Longo as VP of Advertising Sales & Business Development. What is his portfolio at Bonfire?

Rotterdam: Just to be clear, while it’s usually been two guys doing all the talking, Martha Donato has been an important strategic resource for Bonfire since the beginning and continues in that capacity.

Catto: And over the course of both our careers, within the bubble of the comics industry and in the larger advertising world, we’ve been fortunate to work with so many of the best and the brightest. It’s been very rewarding to reach into our contact lists over the last year to partnered — or re-partnered — with talented designers, researchers, account managers and other experts who understand the world of the passionate fan as well as they do marketing.

Rotterdam: Kris is a perfect example. He was brought on because he knows this space so well from so many different angles and because, frankly, he’s a blast to work with. While he’ll work closely with Ed and myself, as well as the leadership of Eastwest, on new business opportunities, his main area of responsibility will be running ComicsUnited, one of three “business units” we established early on, the one that’s essentially an ad network for the leading independent comic book publishers.

That may come across to the layman as “getting ads in the books,” but it’s much more complicated than that and requires a much greater degree of finesse and innovative thinking. It means leveraging comics — publishers, characters, creators, readers, events — to help advertisers ranging from video games and cable networks to toothpaste brands and adult beverages deepen their connections to our hyper-passionate consumer base and all the other demographic groups they influence. It requires an understanding of how print, online and digital can and must work together to create meaningful programs that benefit the industry as much as they do brands. It requires a genuine appreciation of and respect for the ways in which comics are distributed and for the people on the front lines of that retail experience. And it requires real knowledge as to what our readership is all about. None of that comes easy. But in Kris, having worked with him as part of my team at DC, we’ve got someone who gets it on all fronts.

The Beat: Kris, I’ll ask you what I asked Steve a year ago: what are some of the things you’re most mindful of in going from a large corporation to a boutique agency?

Kris Longo: I had an extraordinary run at DC and, as a sales guy, my ability to interest a potential advertiser or partner into meeting me cold was certainly enhanced by the wow-factor of the iconic characters we represented. But while these characters had the ability to open doors in many cases, it was my job to not get them slammed in my face.
 
With ComicsUnited, we won’t necessarily enjoy the same immediate gut reaction from the ad community, but over the last 3-5 years the foundation for this network’s success has been laid. WANTED was an early breakthrough. THE WALKING DEAD is now a water cooler brand. But, moreover, the willingness and enthusiasm of the publishers we have the honor of representing to work with advertisers in leveraging compelling content in ways that are truly relevant to our diverse audience positions us as a scrappy but viable alternative to the two giants.
 
In general, I’ve been embracing something Ed Catto casually said to me over a cup of coffee recently — it’s like moving from a luxury cruise liner to a more nimble pirate ship!

The Beat: Kris, what kind of evolution have you seen in advertiser acceptance of comics as an advertising medium?

Longo: When I started doing this many years ago, it was a vastly different world. Seeing major brands in comic books — even the more endemic brands — was still something of a novelty. There was an overall hesitancy about swimming in our waters because we carried what was then a less than fashionable geek stigma, and most brands lived or died by a cool factor. But as the medium evolved and the entertainment and licensing worlds began to embrace a variety of comic properties, it began to change. The smartest influencers in media, in my opinion, are the ones who actually listen to or are part of the demographic group that they are attempting to service, and when their kids/nephews/siblings began to read comics, the fear factor began to slip away. Today it’s a much easier activation, and I’ve been fortunate to be in a position where agencies will actually reach out to me to better understand how to authentically and effectively engage the comic culture audience.

The Beat: Bonfire launched with ideas for some potentially industry changing projects. Can you give us an idea of how some of them are faring?

Rotterdam: And now that the months of development are over and Kris is on board to take it on the road, I would say ComicsUnited is faring fine. But we won’t be satisfied in the slightest until our partner publishers begin to realize revenue from the enterprise.

Our in-store retailer promotional network is next to come on line. Christened “Store Corps” because we just couldn’t agree on a name we liked better, it was introduced to some of the best, most progressive comics retailers in the country at last year’s ComicsPRO meeting in Dallas. The response was tremendous and all of the retailers that expressed interest in being a part of the network — one that compensates them with cash for supporting relevant brand-sponsored in-store promotions — have been extremely patient as we’ve spent a good chunk of our time since then meeting with brands and event agencies to line up some test programs. More on that at this year’s ComicsPRO meeting.

The Beat: Likewise, I know you’ve been working on the “Fan Pan” for marketing information.

Catto: Yes. Our “FanPan” consumer research panel is up and running! We’re still recruiting our first batch of 350 members of our core demographic, but we’ve been reaching out to the current membership on a regular basis to glean insights and test assumptions for a number of projects we’ve undertaken.

The Beat: Two topics on the Beat that I’ve been covering of late that I would love to get your take on. One is the increasing “Nerdization” of television, or as I call it, the Big Bang Effect. We’re going to see a bunch of pilots and TV shows set in nerd world — from the Kevin Smith comics shop show to a larping reality show. How do you see the “Nerd Brand” evolving?

Catto: Last July I was laid up after surgery and watched on television how the rest of the country saw San Diego Comic-Con. Some pieces were of the “what a bunch of goofballs these fans are” variety, but not many. I was able to see how nerd culture is evolving to become the sub-culture of cool people who know what they like, are knowledgeable and passionate, and aren’t afraid to enjoy what they enjoy.

Rotterdam: You allude to The Big Bang Theory and we reference the show a lot in our conversations with brands and agencies. But we emphasize that the audience we’re talking about is not just these four nerds – it’s these four nerds AND Penny! The spheres of influence are expanding and they’re coming from inside our community! Are we as “special” and distinct as we once were? Honestly, no. But are members of our community walking a little taller and strutting a little prouder? Yes. And that’s great.

The Beat: Another topic The Beat has been discussing is the amount of actual market research that huge advertisers spend — I used the example of Ikea figuring out how to get women to buy more furniture by targeting harmonious visions of people living in cluttered spaces. A lot of consumers are just now aware of how much clinical psychology advertisers have knowledge of to get them to buy beer. Are there any of these case studies that you think are relevant to nerd culture?

Rotterdam: Market research and consumer psychology are nothing new. They’re tried and true tools of us “gentle persuaders” and have been for over 60 years, if not longer. Most people today are quick to cite Mad Man as an example, but I’d refer you to “Lover Come Back,” a great Doris Day-Rock Hudson comedy that chronicles the development of a campaign for Vip, a product that happens not to exist.

While I was at DC, I went on record as to how unfortunate I thought it was that, apart from some advertising-related studies, we had no true qualitative or quantitative market research to help us understand our readership better. I’m glad to see that, in the afterglow of the launch of The New 52, that position has shifted somewhat. What DC plans on doing with that data, I don’t know, but I’m glad it’s being pursued.

Catto: Marketers need to understand data in order to better forecast results, change course and plan for the future. The good news is that ours is a community filled with smart people already analyzing and sharing their thoughts on a consistent basis. And that’s everything from the latest issue of a comic, to business challenges like the digitization of content and the economics of running a shop, to rumors swirling around management and talent changes within the industry. I think this is what happens naturally when you combine smart people who share deep passions.

But you asked if any case studies are relevant to nerd culture. I’d argue that all of them are relevant. That’s because nerd culture isn’t the only group that we all belong to. We’re oftentimes thought leaders in new technologies and early adopters in new media. We read comics AND drive cars. We’re into sci-fi films AND consume soft drinks. We love trading card games AND might also be heavy users in the tortilla chip category (I know I am, regrettably).

Rotterdam: Another piece of the puzzle is that younger consumers are comfortable with being marketed to. They understand that’s part of society. If a brand does it poorly or without respect, they’ll call them out on it. It’s not a stretch to note that “youthful” is so much of what geekdom is about. So in general, we feel that yes, there’s a lot of research going on, but geek culture has a “bring it on” attitude.

The Beat: Any other projects at the Bonfire Agency that we should be aware of?

Rotterdam: Too many, probably. But one thing that we’re most excited about — and were totally caught off guard by when we launched — is the opportunity to work with creators who’ve approached us to help them secure brand sponsors for their own works, particularly in the digital space. It’s an area that fell to the back burner as we became so preoccupied with “larger” projects, but it’s something that we’re very anxious to get back to — and we’ll be bringing on some experienced editorial talent to help us make some things happen here.

Catto: Everything takes time to be crafted well.

If you’ve watched any male-targeted TV programming in the last five years, you know that it only takes one squirt of Axe body spray to turn the pudgiest sportsbar refugee into a rampaging sex god with the ladies. And now the cologne company has decided to turn to the comics audience with an interactive graphic novel. YOU can view the idea for Axe Anarchy in the above video — basically normal looking schlubs and super hot women in the Brokeback pose. But all can contribute!

Social Times reported that the fans can shape the story by voting to cast the final Anarchy girl and making suggestions as far as where the action should take place.

Axe, which promotes its line of men’s products as the secret to getting any woman, shouldn’t expect AdWeek among its fans.

“It’s the first crowdsourced soft-porn fantasy adventure in comic format!” proclaimed the publication as it criticizes Axe for its objectification of women.

While this is what you would expect from the Axe brand, their overall marketing strategy is an amazing example of advertising through psychology, as this excerpt from the book Brandwashed reports. Unilever, the company behand Axe, carried out extensive marketing studies to find out how to market to the lonely man searching for a mate:

Unilever accompanied roughly 100 males (identical studies were later carried out across other European countries, North America, and Latin America) ages 15 to 50 to the pubs until three or four in the morning and (soberly, while secretly taking copious notes) watched them in action. After poring over their pages and pages of notes, via a process known in the industry as “segmentation,” the Unilever team isolated six psychological profiles of the male animal — and the potential Axe user: the Predator, the Natural Talent, the Marriage-Material Guy, Always the Friend, the Insecure Novice, and the Enthusiastic Novice.

Targeting the Insecure Novice and Enthusiastic Novice with their ads, Unilever experienced wild success, as hopeful barhoppers flocked to the spray as voraciously as the girls in the Axe ads and making it the #1 men’s fragrance brand. However, the imaging actually backfired:

The problem was, the ads had worked too well in persuading the Insecure Novices and Enthusiastic Novices to buy the product. Geeks and dorks everywhere were now buying Axe by the caseload, and it was hurting the brand’s image. Eventually (in the United States, at least), to most high-school and college-age males, Axe had essentially become the brand for pathetic losers and, not surprisingly, sales took a huge hit.

Then Axe faced another big problem. Insecure high-school students had been so convincingly persuaded that Axe would make them sexually appealing that they began completely dousing themselves in it. According to CBC News, “Some boys have been dousing themselves in Axe, apparently believing commercials that show a young man applying the deodorant and being immediately hit on by beautiful women.” It got to the point where the students were reeking so heavily of it that it was becoming a distraction at school. So much so that in Minnesota, school- district officials attempted to ban it, claiming that “the man spray has been abused, and the aerosol stench is a hazard for students and faculty.”

We haven’t seen Unilever’s marketing study for the interactive soft core graphic novel….but it sure would be interesting reading, wouldn’t it?

By Todd Allen

Today, we keep seeing attempts to bring back limited versions of the newsstand comics rack.  2011’s Barnes & Noble program being the most prominent to get a little press.  Interestingly, in recent weeks, both Jim Shooter and Chris Clarement have made comments about the demise of the newsstand system.  Coming from these two, the opinions are a bit more interesting as both were on the top of industry when things shifted over from the newsstand to Direct Market in the early-to-mid-80s.

Shooter sums up the dying newsstand market like so:

What seemed to be happening was this: The Newsstand market, with its many tens of thousands of outlets (around 75,000, I think) served by the 400+ ID Wholesalers in North America was continually bringing in new readers. Some of them became enthusiasts and found their way to the comics shops. But new newsstand buyers kept turning up to replace them.

Titles like G.I. JOE, Transformers and Star Wars helped attract new readers at the newsstands. Most people, especially kids, didn’t know or care who Iron Man was, but every kid knew G.I. JOE. Sooner or later, a kid with a Snake Eyes figure in his pocket was bound to pass a spinner rack somewhere.

The newsstand cast a wide net. It funneled wannabe collectors into the comics shops. In a way, the spotty, unreliable, inconsistent nature of newsstand distribution was a good thing, because someone who just had to have every issue was more or less forced to seek out a comics shop.

He then sets up his idea to throw the newsstand a bone before it disappeared and the conflict with Carol Kalish

As the Direct Market boomed, increasingly it became the focus at Marvel. It was a low-margin business, yes, but it was firm sale, and it was pretty easy to target Direct Market consumers. We knew what they wanted.

It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Kalish loved it. Direct Market success meant success for her. She pushed hard to make it our main business. She wanted it to be our only business. The Direct Market was her turf.

But all Marvel was my turf. I felt that we needed the newsstand market. That, if we became completely dependent on the Direct Market, we’d wind up in the same position as when we’d been entirely dependent on the newsstand market. Up the creek without a paddle. Screwed. Helpless. At their mercy.

I spoke with Marvel’s newsstand sales manager, Denise Bové. Denise was in charge of our dealings with Curtis. Like me, she felt the pendulum had swung too far. So did our Curtis account people.

We came up with a number of support-the-newsstand-distribution ideas. I suggested, for instance, doing a newsstand exclusive. Why not? You know the Direct Market shops would go to their local ID’s and buy copies anyway. It would be a big hit for the ID’s, and maybe the retailers they served. And great PR in that market. Maybe get them interested in comics again. A little.

We all know who one this one, but it’s interesting to hear Shooter’s account of Kalish’s anti-newsstand speaking point:

Kalish vehemently opposed a newsstand exclusive. She vehemently objected to any support of any kind for the newsstand. She claimed that the Direct Distributors and shop owners would see any such things as betrayal, rise up in anger and retaliate against Marvel. Why not just hand the Direct Market over to DC?

Which is the exact argument that’s used for any non-Direct Market proposal to this very day.  Anybody heard this argument applied to digital over the years?

Kalish is considered a saint in many corners.  Shooter specifically mentions her cash register initiative earlier in the article.  It’s the first time I’ve heard her placed as driving the stake through the heart of the dying newsstand market, rather than the savior leading comics to the Direct Market.

Then over at CBR, you’ve got Claremont recalling the transition:

Comics publishers are used to looking in a very, very narrow focused prism. It’s like when I started writing X-Men. Our “meat and potatoes” money was made of newsstand sales, while anything that came through the Direct Market was considered gravy. In everything we did in those early years up through the ’80s, everything we sold to the Direct Market was pure profit because we’d already paid for the printing with our newsstand sales; we were just cranking out money.

But on the flipside, when DC made the decision to go exclusively to the Direct Market, it made life much easier because they’d have the orders in before they set the print runs and would just print a marginal amount of extra copies. That way you didn’t have to worry about 200,000 excess copies unsold by the newsstand, for example. But the negative to being exclusively aimed at the Direct Market is that you’re selling to a committed audience and not bringing any new kids in the door. When Marvel followed DC’s route for the Direct Market, they were going for guaranteed profit and minimal risk, but newsstands had a much bigger potential for sales and induction of new readers.

Once local comic shops began going away in the ’90s, it put a lot of those readers out because not many people are willing to drive 40 or 50 miles for comics; they’ll simply move on to other things. The fiscal decision in the ’90s to maximize profit at the expense of investment was like cutting our own throats. But on the other hand, the guys making those decisions are now billionaires.

Claremont lays the blame on DC moving into the DM and Marvel following.  Shooter says Kalish and the suits abandoned the newsstand for the non-returnability of the DM and DC followed.  Both agree on the economic argument for the newsstand.

The funny thing is, everyone used to just agree that the newsstand was in a lot of trouble at the time.  Has it now been long enough for hindsight and blamestorming to kick in?

By Todd Allen

Challengers' Patrick Brower makes a friend

Sometimes it feels like people forget that different comic shops have different sales patterns, looking at the comments on the various industry website postings.  Challengers Comics + Conversation, a shop in Chicago with one of the higher profiles in that area, has released their top 200 sellers for 2011 in the both the monthly issues and graphic novel categories.

Monthlies

1. Justice League #1
2. Action Comics #1
3. Batman #1
4. Pilot Season Seraph #1
5. Superman #1
6. Fear Itself #1
7. Batwoman #1
8. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 (All-New)
9. Batman #2
10. Justice League #2

Now right off, you’re probably saying “Pilot Season?!?  WTF?!?”  That issue was co-written by Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.  Briggs isn’t just an all-star football player, he’s a dyed in the wool comics geek.  Challengers’ Patrick Brower tells me, while it wouldn’t have taken over the #1 spot, Top Cow sold out and they could’ve used a more issues.  Briggs and his cohorts, Phil Hester and Jose Luis were at Challengers for a signing.  Hopefully Challengers lived it up while they can.  Briggs has been in a contract dispute with the Bears (as is normal when dealing with the Bears notoriously “frugal” front office) and there’s no guarantee he won’t move elsewhere in the off-season.  The Oakland Raiders, for instance, would be much closer to the Image offices in Berkeley.

The next thing you may notice is that Batwoman’s a little higher on that list than you might expect.  I’m under the impression, much like Sandman was in the 90s, that Batwoman has a network of stores where it sells significantly higher.  Fear Itself charts high for the year.  The Ultimate Spider-Man relaunch is big.  Nothing’s too surprising, outside of Pilot Season, though perhaps Vertigo performs a bit better for Challengers than other places.

Challengers is known as an indie-friendly store, so where do the non-Bears-related indies start showing up?  Walking Dead #80 turns up all the way down in the #85 position.  Walking Dead and Pilot Season: Seraph are the only indie titles to show up on the top 200 list, though several issues of Walking Dead turn up.

Graphic Novels

1. Sixth Gun TP VOL 01
2. Serpent’s Storm
3. LOEG III Century #2 1969
4. Walking Dead TP VOL 14 No Way Out
5. Daytripper TP
6. Petrograd GN
7. Batman Noel Deluxe Edition HC
8. Sixth Gun TP VOL 02
9. Fables TP VOL 15 Rose Red
10. Batman Year One Deluxe SC
11. Walking Dead TP VOL 01
12. Batman RIP TP
13. Locke & Key TP VOL 01 Welcome to Lovecraft
14. Walking Dead TP VOL 02
15. Chew TP VOL 01
16. Batman Hush Complete TP
17. Morning Glories TP VOL 01
18. Blacksad HC VOL 01
19. Fables TP VOL 14 Witches
20. Chew TP VOL 02
21. Batman the Long Halloween TP
22. Oz HC Ozma of Oz
23. Chew TP VOL 03
24. Demo TP VOL 02
25. One Soul HC GN
26. Off The Record Collection
27. Walking Dead TP VOL 03
28. Batman Dark Knight Returns TP
29. Scott Pilgrim GN VOL 01
30. Chew TP VOL 04

And now you know where all the indie books went.  Serpent’s Storm, by the way, is a novel by Amber Benson of Buffy fame and I seem to recall there being a book signing involved.  17 of the top 30 graphic novels are indies.  Two prose books.  Ozma of Oz is the only Marvel graphic novel and that sure isn’t the Marvel universe.

Interestingly, not all of the books on the list have Diamond Distribution.

#98: reMind — that’s a webcomic available in a small number of retail outlets.

Having something like reMind in your top 100 sales list really is the definition of an indie friendly store, don’t you think?

Now, Challengers’ sales stats probably aren’t representative of the industry as a whole, and that’s the point.  Challengers might be a little heavier into graphic novels than other stores.  They certainly seem to be heavier into indie graphic novels or the industry sales charts would look a lot different.

It does look like Challengers knows how to work a signing for big results… though if you haven’t lived in Chicago, it may be hard to describe exactly how beloved a figure Lance Briggs is to the at-large population.  He’s a top 5, if not top 3 player in a very sports-obsessed town.  A Lance Briggs signing in Chicago is probably bigger than having Jim Lee, Grant Morrison or Brian Bendis signing.

If you have $679,000.00 sitting around, you can buy Los Angeles’s The Golden Apple, one of America’s best known and longest running comics specialty stores. It’s for sale on eBay right this minute.

The sale price includes $300,000 in inventory in comics, games, toys and so on. You can make an offer.

Founded back in 1979 by Bill Liebowitz, one of the leading retailers in the rise of the direct market of the ’80s, The Golden Apple was a forward-facing store with a wide range of merchandise and a steady stream of events and signings – some of them historic. LA celebrity comics readers were regular customers over the years, and the store was frequently used as a film location when a comics shop was called for.

Liebowitz died in 2004, leaving the store to his wife, Sharon; son Ryan soon came in to run the business at a new location on Melrose Avenue and La Brea.

In a statement, Ryan wrote:

“My father passed away several years ago, Mom is nearing retirement age & I have many other career aspirations. I am currently a partner in a Production Company, Motion Comics company & a Catering business. I am looking for a chance to put the necessary time & effort into those and other projects.

“The fact is…Golden Apple is the most well-known Comic Shop in the world and we’re looking to sell it. We are NOT going out of business, bankrupt or ANYTHING that is negative.

“Moreover, we just had KISS sign autographs in the shop a few weeks ago and Tom Morello is scheduled for January 14…we are still THE PREMIER SHOP!

“We are simply selling our amazing precious rare collectible item on eBay…Golden Apple and ALL its assets.”

A brochure on the sale has several interesting factoids, including this product mix breakdown:

In the brochure, the Liebowitzes make it clear that running a comics shop is just not what they want to be doing at this time…but for the right person, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime.

We’ve been running several e-tail items here on The Beat over the last few weeks but as the precious hours until Christmas morning tick away, there’s no time to trust to the Post Office, so may we suggest a trip down to the local comics shop for some great gifts? Here are some stores with gift suggestions of their own:

• Joe Field at Flying Colors in Concord, CA has an ad about shopping local that is running on local TV stations. And here’s a Gift Guide video. AND a nice shopping list to print out:

• The Big Planet chain in metro DC has this spiffy cut-out gift guide

• Edward Greenberg at Collector’s Paradise Comics & Gallery in SoCal suggests a couple of items which are doing well:

In both of our stores, one of the biggest lines of products for holiday gifts has been the Eaglemoss line of Metal Figurines. Each one is individually boxed, and come with a very good quality magazine on the character. Over 300 characters from Marvel & DC have been made and we try to have as many in stock as possible. People come to us for the selection, which is second to none.

• Jason Grazulas at BSI Comics in Metairie, LA suggests:

Transformers Vault
“Officially licensed by Hasbro, Transformers Vault: The Complete Transformers Universe reveals, for the first time ever, a comprehensive history of the Transformers. Fans now have a hands-on guide to the epic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, including the toys, the original animated series, comics, collectibles, and merchandise, as well as animated and live-action feature films. Five visually driven chapters go behind the scenes of everyone’s favorite robots in disguise, featuring early animation sketches, interviews with creators, patents, prototypes, action-figure designs that never made it to production, vintage packaging art, and development art from the films.”

Batman Noel
“Written by LEE BERMEJO Art and cover by LEE BERMEJO Inspired by Charles Dickens’ immortal classic A Christmas Carol, BATMAN: NOEL features different interpretations of The Dark Knight, along with his enemies and allies, in different eras, from writer/artist Lee Bermejo (JOKER). In this spectacular, oversized graphic novel, Batman must come to terms with his past, present and future as he battles villains from the campy 1960s to dark and brooding menaces of today, while exploring what it means to be the hero that he is.”

• Steve Anderson at Third Eye Comics in Maryland tells us his two-stores have their own gift guide up. And he has a gift suggestion:

My own personal last minute gift suggestion is Walking Dead Rise of the Governor. This has been mega popular, as it’s an item that most fans will like, but have not yet gotten around to purchasing themselves yet. I’m still impressed by how many people are coming through for this one.

As far the number one gift idea we’ve been recommending? Batman the Black Mirror. A good Batman graphic novel never fails, and this is one that fans who may have read the story in issues, would still want to own.

These all sound great to us — and check out past Gift Guides for more ideas. Happy shopping, everyone!