BC: Mile High's 'DC Sucks' Sale/"Hasty, Sociopathic Decisions" – Image re: DC

[The S0/\/\@7ic Si/\/\[]Dl370n]

Errrrr..... What????

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/mile...s-50-off-sale/

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/hast...her-dc-comics/

I guess I can sort of understand Rozanski and Stephenson's anger, but haven't many been arguing for years that the direct market needs to be crushed/gotten rid of for the survival of the industry?

I mean, print media is dying, isn't it? And comics sales are nowhere where they used to be. Something had to be done.

[married guy]

Mile High is more bluster than anything else.
His 50% off deal just means his prices are now the same as everyone else.

What I WILL say is the new deal DC has brokered means my store in Brisbane Australia will only be bringing in DC shipments once a fortnight.
The freight costs are INSANELY high now and individual issues will be going up to anywhere between $8.50 and $9.00 each.

[Vampire Savior]

I think it's embarrassing. DC's business is DC's business. Image should see to its own business. I don't see why the publisher of Image even sees the need to comment on this like that. If Image's business is intertwined in a way that makes it dependent on DC's business, the company should have taken measures to prevent a situation like that, just like DC has done.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I think it's embarrassing. DC's business is DC's business. Image should see to its own business. I don't see why the publisher of Image even sees the need to comment on this like that. If Image's business is intertwined in a way that makes it dependent on DC's business, the company should have taken measures to prevent a situation like that, just like DC has done.

Well, Eric Stephenson's letter was supposed to be just an internal thing to Image creators, and it was leaked. The letter was NOT a public statement by Image about DC, so it's no surprise that the letter doesn't have a professional polish to it. Also, you'll notice that the second half of the letter is really just a "rah-rah Image" message to those who create material for the company reminding them how lucky they are to publish with Image even though "they have to do everything themselves." Stephenson's just keeping his folks in line, there.

That being said, DC's job is to take care of DC, not the entire Direct Market. However, DC is not abandoning the DM; it's just changing its distributors. I've read that UCS and Lunar are offering the same discount to retailers that Diamond was and that they are working on the shipping cost issue. So, hopefully, once retailers stop acting out emotionally, they'll see that not a whole lot has changed. DC has already extended its relationship with Diamond in regard to reorders and international customers, which will hopefully smooth over some ruffled feathers in the retail community.

If there are higher costs when all is said and done, I'd like to see it stated more directly. Are we talking an extra thousand dollars per week, or are we talking about an extra twenty? Every little bit matters, but the reaction should match the inconvenience.

Let's face it, the only reason the other publishers exist is because DC and Marvel do. They account for 70-75% of the market, and the other publishers are just add-on purchases for the most part -- Walking Dead would be the only exception where it is drawing in new readers that don't read anything else. However, once the show goes off the air, we'll see a sharp decrease in the demand for those trades.

This really is a wake up call to ALL publishers that they need to explore other venues to get their merchandise sold. Also, maybe come out with some all-ages material that could be sold in bookstores because that's really where the money is. Fantagraphics was really able to re-invent itself with those Peanuts and Carl Barks hardcover reprints and get a strong foothold in bookstores whereas before they were just known for their cult adult titles. Image's "Bitch Planet" and "**** Fairyland" ain't gonna get prime display space in a mainstream book store.

Marvel is even worse than DC ever was. Marvel has never done anything to support the larger direct market the way DC did during the Kahn/Levitz years, but that's over. It seems everyone's on their own now, and that's really the way it should be.

[superduperman]

I think it's embarrassing. DC's business is DC's business. Image should see to its own business. I don't see why the publisher of Image even sees the need to comment on this like that. If Image's business is intertwined in a way that makes it dependent on DC's business, the company should have taken measures to prevent a situation like that, just like DC has done.

Advertising. "See? We're not like the corporate giants so you can trust us!"

[HsssH]

Well, Eric Stephenson's letter was supposed to be just an internal thing to Image creators, and it was leaked. The letter was NOT a public statement by Image about DC, so it's no surprise that the letter doesn't have a professional polish to it. Also, you'll notice that the second half of the letter is really just a "rah-rah Image" message to those who create material for the company reminding them how lucky they are to publish with Image even though "they have to do everything themselves." Stephenson's just keeping his folks in line, there.

I'm pretty sure that he was fully aware that this letter would be leaked.

[Mider2009]

yeah DC wants it’s items shipped on time...how evil of them boohoo

[RachelGrey]

yeah DC wants it’s items shipped on time...how evil of them boohoo

I think the thing everyone finds kind of silly is that DC is doubling down on being dedicated to the American Market, and letting the International Market price out of competition because of shipping contracts with companies that can barely even ship to Canada on time!

So yeah, the US market will get DC comics on Tuesdays! International and Canada will get comics whenever the distributors manage to make deliveries successfully outside the US market!

So I guess if you only care about selling comics in the United States this is a great decision for DC!

[skyvolt2000]

Let's face it, the only reason the other publishers exist is because DC and Marvel do. They account for 70-75% of the market, and the other publishers are just add-on purchases for the most part -- Walking Dead would be the only exception where it is drawing in new readers that don't read anything else. However, once the show goes off the air, we'll see a sharp decrease in the demand for those trades.

This really is a wake up call to ALL publishers that they need to explore other venues to get their merchandise sold. Also, maybe come out with some all-ages material that could be sold in bookstores because that's really where the money is. Fantagraphics was really able to re-invent itself with those Peanuts and Carl Barks hardcover reprints and get a strong foothold in bookstores whereas before they were just known for their cult adult titles. Image's "Bitch Planet" and "**** Fairyland" ain't gonna get prime display space in a mainstream book store.

Marvel is even worse than DC ever was. Marvel has never done anything to support the larger direct market the way DC did during the Kahn/Levitz years, but that's over. It seems everyone's on their own now, and that's really the way it should be.

Most are already doing that and have been for years.

There is a reason Marvel has IDW doing Disney books.

Oni Press and Lion Forge have deals that get there books where Marvel and DC don't.

Also books like Bitch Planet have gotten prime space at some stores. It just depends on who your staff is.

I have been to Barnes & Nobles and seen Image books showcased way more than DC books-including Batman.