Retailer Fury At Marvel NYCC Panel

[Miles To Go]

An exchange between direct market retailers and Marvel Comics editors became heated in the closing minutes of Marvel’s Retailer-Only panel at New York Comic Con 2017, starting after a unidentified retailer expressed concern about Marvel’s lenticular variants not selling well in his store.

Marvel executive editors Tom Brevoort and Nick Lowe fielded the question, thanking the obviously upset retailer for his feedback. However, the retailer cut Lowe short to express his distaste for Marvel’s recent trend of replacing or altering its existing characters.

The retailer speficially cited examples such as characters that don’t reflect the ethnicity, gender, or sexuality of their predecessors – specifically expressing his distaste for Iceman “kissing other men,” and Thor “becoming a woman.” The retailer’s complaints sparked an outcry among the other retailers present in the room, some echoing his frustration, with multiple attendees raising their voices to speak over each other.


The original speaker called for “creating new characters and not messing with the old guys. The old guys are solid,” while a second said that Marvel has “never replaced its characters like this.”

Lowe pointed out that the changing nature of the identities of characters was engrained in Marvel’s history, pointing out examples from James Rhodes to Frog Thor. The retailer responded that Marvel has “never replaced them all at once before,” going on to say that he has had Marvel Cinematic Universe fans come into his store to find Avengers comic books only to leave “when they see that Thor is a woman and Captain America is a black man.”

Lowe reiterated that Marvel is bringing many of its recently-absent characters including Steve Rogers back to the forefront in its “Legacy” initiative, and that Marvel would continue to focus on creating characters and stories that reflect “the world outside your window,” a longtime Marvel adage. He also stated that Marvel will continue to publish characters that fans of all backgrounds can connect to, before closing the panel at the planned time.

This seemed to do little to calm down the increasingly heated retailers, who congregated around Marvel Senior Vice President of Marketing David Gabriel in the hall outside the panel, continuing to vociferously express their frustration and anger over these issues.

https://www.newsarama.com/36750-reta...ycc-panel.html

[Holt]

specifically expressing his distaste for Iceman “kissing other men,”

Stay classy.

Bleedingcool said it was even worse than Newsarama's report.

Two older retailers started raising their voices arguing about diversity and how it does not work. The words “black”, “homo” and “freaking females” were used multiple times

[gurkle]

To be fair, BC also said that the retailers who talked like that were booed by other retailers.

I think Marvel probably replaced too many characters at once, but I've also known retailers like that, who think it's the product keeping us out of their stores and not their own obnoxiousness.

[Citizen Kane]

Good, I'm hoping that Marvel begins to realize the intense distaste the comic book community has towards their antics. When more voices are raised, maybe we'll begin seeing changes for the better.

[KurtW95]

James Rhodes Iron Man was two years and frog Thor was three issues. What Marvel is doing now is replacing established and loved characters or radically changing existing characters. Also, people actually liked Rhodey.

[Captain M]

Moments like this when I want Marvel to replace the entire universe so these dumbasses get even more triggered

[Triniking1234]

I thought this retailers being angry with Marvel was a myth?

And where's the bad cell phone video for proof?

Excelsior.

[Geek Mangacomic]

I wish all retailers were like my local ones.
Chill people who sit around geeking out and playing table top RPGs everyday.

[jen]

Stay classy.

Bleedingcool said it was even worse than Newsarama's report.

Very disappointing to say the least.

[Knives]

Nothing wrong with diversity just is not necessary to kill classic characters or throw them in the mud to benefit the new ones.

Even though if consider that these Retailers could have a point ( which I disagree) being rude or inconvenient never helps.

[Vic Vega]

These guys are going to protest themselves into Marvel realizing that the retailers and the retail market itself is the problem and just go digital once and for all.

Unlike DC during the New 52 Marvel has the Star Wars franchise, they could actually pull off cutting the cord to the brick and mortar stores.

[Crimz]

No wonder people think comic fans are mouth-breathers who live in their mother's basement...

[The Negative Zone]

At this point, these "replaced characters" nonsense is getting ridiculous. Captain America is back, Thor getting his hammer back is likely coming up after the death of Jane Foster, they're teasing Tony Stark coming back. But nooooo I guess everyone wants to scream "NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!"

[Captain M]

At this point, these "replaced characters" nonsense is getting ridiculous. Captain America is back, Thor getting his hammer back is likely coming up after the death of Jane Foster, they're teasing Tony Stark coming back. But nooooo I guess everyone wants to scream "NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!"

No. I mean obviously I'm not talking about the retailers,but most people who complain about these stuff aren't up to date with anything, they just like spreading hate and ignorance. Their problem is not with Marvel replacing characters. They just can't stand that not everything specifically is made for them anymore

[Citizen Kane]

These guys are going to protest themselves into Marvel realizing that the retailers and the retail market itself is the problem and just go digital once and for all.

Unlike DC during the New 52 Marvel has the Star Wars franchise, they could actually pull off cutting the cord to the brick and mortar stores.

I consider this to be an absolutely ludicrous notion. Digital sales have always been exponentially lower compared to physical sales. There are reasons for this.

If Marvel wants to "cut the cord" with brick and mortar stores, they should begin developing a distribution center from where they can handle their own orders and sales.