As you have noted, ComicsPRO is taking place right now, and important industry conversations are taking place. The press is not allowed at ComicsPRO, which makes us sad, but we understand that some Industry Conversations are SO important, that they must be private.

Of course that doesn’t  prevent some things from leaking out. And given the woes that Marvel has been undergoing for the last 18 months or so, you’d think ComicsPRO would be their big chance to promote their “Fresh Start” and get all the good will flowing again.

But it seems that Marvel was more concerned with any word leaking out to comics websites, than with getting the good word out there, at least according to this tweet thread from Fantom Comics’ Jake Shapiro. 

https://twitter.com/jake_shapiro/status/966868694474178561

https://twitter.com/jake_shapiro/status/966869404968370176

https://twitter.com/jake_shapiro/status/966875053936721921

 

We’ve dealt with Shapiro in the past and he’s more of an indie guy, but an honest one, so no need to doubt his word. Especially since at recent Marvel retailer events similar things have taken place. The Diamond Retailer summit presentation last year was closed to the press,  and at the San Diego Comic-Con Diamond lunch, security guys forced me to delete a photo of a cover that had already been released from my phone.

God forbid anyone get some positive news about Marvel out there!

Of course, it’s ALSO possible that Marvel fears words being taken out of context, or some kind of weird confrontation, as occurred at the NYCC retailer meeting, where a “bigoted Santa” retailer stood up to rail against gay Iceman.

While I’m not on the ground, I hear that Marvel’s main retailer handler, SVP David Gabriel, was originally not slated to go to ComicsPRO. He actually hasn’t gone in several years (although he does go to San Diego, NYCC and Diamond, to be fair) and it’s his birthday this weekend.

However, I’m also told that he was persuaded that this might be a good time to show up.

New Marvel publisher John Nee is on the scene and palling around with Marvel talent, as you can see from the twitters, Nee is a personable rep for the company, so smiling is good.

While I understand the need for privacy, paranoid secrecy is not a good look for Marvel at this time.   Talk about needing a fresh start….

Retailer/journalist Matthew Price IS on the scene and tweeting a few bits, including a standing O for Dinesh Shamdasani’s eagerly awaited keynote.

 

 

 

8 COMMENTS

  1. Isn’t it amazing how Marvel keeps digging their grave deeper and deeper? If they really want to right their sinking ship and actually have a “fresh start” then maybe they should just clean house starting with those at the top.

  2. My writing note whithout being there: same attitude, same miscommunication, same results. Relaunch is in fact a good term: smells like it’s gonna be the same thing, all over again.

  3. “None if you chose this because it was a path to wealth and fame. You chose it because you love comics.”

    LOL! Try telling that to guys who joined Image in the early 1990’s.

  4. Serious question: during the Q&A, did anyone go after Marvel for the whole “CB Cebulski posing as a Japanese guy” scandal?

    I honestly can’t see how Marvel plans to bring Cebulski to San Diego as EiC. They’ll have to replace him by June, at the latest, if they want to avoid CB getting hammered by activist fans during the Hall H presentations.

  5. “bigoted Santa”

    Just another reminder that Heidi LOVES bullying as long as the “right people” are the ones being bullied.

    Mike

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