There can’t be that many bronies, can there? IDW has announced that they have sold 1 million copies of their My Little Pony comics, launched late last year. An interview with IDW’s Ted Adams at ICv2 reveals the secret weapon: outside comics shop distribution including Hot Topics and the holy grail of all comics sales: Scholastic Book Fairs:
That one million copies includes print single issues, trade paperbacks, and the special Scholastic Book Fair edition, which was a two-issue collection with a pony bubblewrapped on the cover, IDW CEO Ted Adams explained. My Little Pony #1, which has had four printings, is the bestselling comic in IDW’s history.
In addition to Scholastic Book Fairs, IDW sells My Little Pony comics and graphic novels in comic stores, bookstores, and in other specialty retail such as Hot Topic stores. “Hot Topic is continuing to order it, so it’s clearly selling through for them,” Adams told us.
This doesn’t include digital sales, which are still strong as well, Adams says.
While everyone is going to make brony jokes like I just did, the truth is, MLP actually appeals to the core audience of young children, particularly girls. “At every store I stop in, when I introduce myself the retailer starts taking about entirely new customers the titles is bringing in, little girls, kids coming in with their parents,” Adams told ICv2.
Expanding comics audience by offering a variety of material? Who could ever have thought that would work!
That’s the funny thing about hits. You can’t predict them and you can’t plan them. They just sort of happen.
This comic-loving dad buys ’em for his My Little Pony-loving daughter.
IDW is also the publisher of much of Dave Sim’s upcoming output, are the not? Quite the eclectic mix… I would find it highly amusing to have Dave do a variant cover for MLP.
If it’s acceptable for females to read comics featuring men in tights punching each other, why isn’t it acceptable for males to read comics featuring talking animals?
I find it disconcerting that the same day that this site has an article about how comic companies don’t do enough to market their comics to females, they have an article which (jokingly) insults males for reading a “girls” comic.
It helps that the art and coloring for these comics is gorgeous and clearly told! http://andypriceart.deviantart.com/art/Tea-Love-s-fantasy-life-with-Big-Mac-396495961 And I love the jewel-tone colors that’s consistent throughout the entire series; IDW has really nailed it with the types of colors little girls can easily fall for. Really, I don’t see how girls could NOT want to gobble this up! It’s lovely. <3
“Expanding comics audience by offering a variety of material? Who could ever have thought that would work!”
It works because IDW knows that there are other people who want to read comics other than the long underwear lovers.
I googled some pages from the comics. Coloring was interesting but I’m not sold on the “easily told” part.
If you want to see what constitutes a comic that is easily told check out Usagi Yojimbo. That is a perfect example of what “easily told “is all about . Plus, it’s a great book.
The other success: Ninjago. Lego superhero comics published by Papercutz.
New York Times bestsellers, also carried by Scholastic Book Fairs.
At a past ICV2 NYCC panel, the head of Scholastic Book Fairs mentioned he had sold 200,000 copies of “Smile”. I wouldn’t be surprised if that number has reached 1,000,000.
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