Welcome To Your New Favorite Island
Welcome To Your New Favorite Island
Plus, A Weird Thought About How Comics Are Being Read
On Wednesday of last week I met GARRY BROWN in person for just the second time. We signed at Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood for our new collaboration, FALLING IN LOVE ON THE PATH TO HELL from Image Comics. We’ve been crafting this one for a long time, and I did try to have our Image book drop on a different week than my last X-Men collaboration, but the fates decried these two ships pass each other this week.
I’m tremendously proud of both the end of X, and the beginning of the new path. I was worried that they’d be competing with one another. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Our new creator owned book sold out before end of the first day at the distributor.
We're reprinting and here’s our eye-popping (gouging) second print cover courtesy of Garry Brown’s inks that lie under his painting of the first issue, and our crack designer Elliott Gray.
Today is the last day to get your order in for our second print.
Now, on another matter: Each creator-owned comic is its own small business, and we’re always thinking about the business angles. One common joke amongst readers and creators is the size of our “to read” piles. It’s not uncommon to hear that some of us are weeks or even months behind in reading, and are facing quite a stack.
I don’t think there are sales consequences for comics that take place in Gotham, or in Marvel’s Manhattan, but I think there is a danger to creator owned books that you picked up to try but haven’t fallen in love with yet.
A couple of retailers have found that some “Wednesday Warriors” — the readers that are in shops every week to buy comics are buying the first issues of a comic series, and not actually getting to read it until much later. Unfortunately, these customers return to shops only to discover that the series they dug is wrapping up with perhaps a shorter run than the creators would’ve liked.
I doubted it could be that big a problem, but I’ve had several retailers talk to me about it. It’s at least worth a discussion then: should we ask readers to bump creator-owned comics to the top of the reading pile?
On the one hand, I’m bad at even asking folks to buy my comics. On the other hand, we know for certain that the early days in any entertainment is critical. It’s the reason you see cast and crew ask for fans to stream a show they want early in the run.
So, my favor is — bump creator owned comics to the top of your pile, and if you love it, don’t be shy. Excitement is contagious, and word of mouth is priceless.
Hope you fall in love with this comic. We got big plans.
Hope you’re well.
More soon.
GD
This is a very interesting point that I've not heard anyone else bring up before, but makes a lot of sense. If you've gone so far as to check out a new series by purchasing the first issue, it absolutely needs to be read ASAP so you can continue buying if you like it.
When I check out a creator-owned (or any comic I like enough, for that matter) and it hooks me, then I have my comic shop add it to my pull list when I come in the next week. I gather this may not work if the issue could be with people who go in once a month or so to get all their comics. I put creator-owned works at the bottom of my stack, but that's because A: the stack is never more than a few issues and B: I save the best for last. Still, I think urging Wednesday Warriors (like myself) to add titles they are interested in to their pull lists before they come out may help, too. If you read a couple issues and it's not for you, then just remove it from your pull. But this way, maybe it helps boost sales at the start of a run when it's really important to get that momentum.