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Thread: Layoffs at DC?

  1. #106
    Astonishing Member kingaliencracker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vordan View Post
    Good analysis as always Ascended. Do you think DC will continue to rely on their current talent on the main books then, or could we see creative shake-ups coming? Bendis is almost certainly losing one of the Superbooks if not both soon. Tomasi’s Tec sales have been weak so I could see him getting booted off as well. Frankly I’m not even sure who the top selling talent at DC would be right now. Snyder, King, Tynion, and Bendis (maybe)?
    Bendis' run sales-wise has been a complete disappointment. But I foresee him continuing on because his name still has value (however diminished), and I think some of the issues with his sales numbers can be attributed to wrong fit for the books he's been assigned. I think if you put Bendis on Batman (for example), coupled with a strong marketing push it would be very successful.

  2. #107
    Ultimate Member Sacred Knight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DragonPiece View Post
    Honestly, it seemed clear there was a relaunch already being planned for early next year. I'm surprised WB didn't wait for that to happen before doing these layoffs.
    Maybe they caught on to the pattern? That the tried and not-so-true idea of attempted fixes upon broken parts doesn't work long term. In such a scenario I could understand why they might have felt there was no reason to wait for the next batch of proposed "fixes" after Death Metal and just cleaned house now, and come what may in regards to what the new blood that comes in proposes.
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  3. #108
    Ultimate Member Lee Stone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frontier View Post
    Okay, this really surprises me after how successful DC's YA GN's have been. I hope this doesn't mean less of those.

    Supposedly Tom King had Doyle removed as editor of the Bat-Books over creative differences.
    Too bad Wolfman didn't think to do that with Peterson in the '90s.
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  4. #109
    Astonishing Member Darkspellmaster's Avatar
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    My worry on all of this is that AT&T is going to lead to an Atari like situation where they're going to screw over all aspects of WB and DC and kill them both.

  5. #110
    Ultimate Member Holt's Avatar
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    DC Comics and streaming service DC Universe have been impacted by parent company WarnerMedia’s corporate realignment, with layoffs at both units. But a source tells Variety that through WarnerMedia’s streamlining efforts, the DC brand will actually be expanding, with DC chief creative officer Jim Lee overseeing creative of all DC-related growth in the company.
    https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/dc-...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

  6. #111
    Ultimate Member Ascended's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vakanai View Post
    Hope you're right, I mostly buy the classics, minis, Black Label, YA, Kids, OGN stuff, so if more focus goes into those kinds of stories done as OGNs at bookstores/Amazon, I'll be okay. I don't follow the monthlies. And it is a healthier market with a larger audience.
    If you don't follow the direct market, I think you probably have a lot less to worry about.

    I'm thinking this will hit the LCS harder than it'll hit the other markets. From what I saw in the articles, digital fans might actually have reason to be excited, if that does indeed become a focus (I think there's good opportunity there myself, though OGN's are I'd put my best efforts). People who mostly buy the various OGN's and books...I dunno, I think losing a third of your product is like a year with only 2 Marvel movies when you're used to 3; it doesn't suck too bad. But the floppies and their monthly schedule? I think they're gonna take a hard hit. Hell, articles did say a 40% cut right? That's f*cking brutal (assuming it's true?).

    Oh, on the up side, we may get an increase in classic reprints, across multiple formats. Didio famously bitched about those out-selling the new content, and they've gotta be cheap as hell to produce. And reprints would be a good way to keep secondary characters "around" with the main line cut to sh*t. They could cancel Nightwing but reprint his old Dixon stuff, the classic NTT, etc., so Nightwing would still be on the shelf (not that I won't cry like a loser if his book gets axed right as the Ric crap finally ends).

    I think this could *possibly* deal a crippling blow to the direct market, if publishers can't pick up the slack....but I don't think this will be what kills the floppy. I think it's just another implosion, and comics will get through it just like they did last time. I think we all know where the direct market is ultimately headed, but I think there's gas left in the tank.

    Course, I have been wrong before.

    Quote Originally Posted by Vordan View Post
    Good analysis as always Ascended. Do you think DC will continue to rely on their current talent on the main books then, or could we see creative shake-ups coming? Bendis is almost certainly losing one of the Superbooks if not both soon. TomasiÂ’s Tec sales have been weak so I could see him getting booted off as well. Frankly IÂ’m not even sure who the top selling talent at DC would be right now. Snyder, King, Tynion, and Bendis (maybe)?
    Thanks man. Time will tell if I know what I'm talking about or if I'm just a dumbass with a degree right? Like I said, this isn't my industry, I'm just making semi-educated guesses based on business theory that might not even apply here.

    As far as creators go.....who knows? We don't know know enough about the situation to really say. I'd assume they'd just keep their most successful creators and cut the rest, but if product quality is a major concern or they want to appeal to other demographics, then maybe they'll bring in new people.

    At a solid guess, this isn't about DC's product or performance so much as it's about the fact that we're in a economic collapse with no end in sight, and companies want to cut/streamline as much as they can so their own costs don't sink them. Last year, floppies actually saw 5% sales gains (and trades saw even more). The industry was performing relatively well. Still not a healthy direct market, still a negative long-term, but we weren't nearly as close to the nuclear option as some people like to think. Sure, 2020 sales are beyond horrible, but this whole year is just one big loss for practically everybody except Netflix, Amazon and PlayStation. But it all depends on what these guys are trying to accomplish and where they think the choke points are.
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  7. #112
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    Quote Originally Posted by Holt View Post
    DC Comics and streaming service DC Universe have been impacted by parent company WarnerMedia’s corporate realignment, with layoffs at both units. But a source tells Variety that through WarnerMedia’s streamlining efforts, the DC brand will actually be expanding, with DC chief creative officer Jim Lee overseeing creative of all DC-related growth in the company. https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/dc-...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

    Having read the quote there I can feel Jim Lees stress headache from here.

  8. #113
    Astonishing Member kingaliencracker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkspellmaster View Post
    My worry on all of this is that AT&T is going to lead to an Atari like situation where they're going to screw over all aspects of WB and DC and kill them both.
    To be fair DC has been in a tailspin since New 52 more or less bombed. I honestly don't know how much more lead way you could give them when the people in charge were still hell bent on the old ways.

    I could even envision a scenario where AT&T just licenses the comic book portion to other publishers, and focus strictly on GNs, books, and other adaptable media. Think about it - DC could strike a deal with Marvel where Marvel can write and distribute DC characters, then use those stories - written by Marvel! - as a basis for their movies or animated television shows.

    And while I've heard that comics themselves are still profitable in a technical sense, the headaches of publishing & distributing monthly comic books especially with the direct market model is no longer worth the minuscule amount of money DC brings in.

  9. #114
    Moderator Frontier's Avatar
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    Well, this kind of seems like what people assumed would happen once Didio left, but I'm still not sure...

  10. #115
    Astonishing Member Anthony W's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DragonPiece View Post
    This is a lot worse than it seems apparently: https://twitter.com/asher_elbein/sta...54315770994697

    Bob Harras is apparently gone; so are editors Mark Doyle, Brian Cunningham and Andy Khouri

    Jim Lee is still at the company, but no longer publisher.

    DC Collectibles is no more.
    Marvel should snap up Harras and Bobbie Chase if they are available. Marvel needs good editors right now.
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  11. #116
    Three Legged Member married guy's Avatar
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    While I sympathise with all those who have been canned by this (I work in the tourism industry, and I am royally screwed), it doesn't really come as a surprise.
    COVID has kinda screwed everyone worldwide, especially publishing. Hard to sell a magazine when people aren't allowed to leave their homes.
    A couple of things I AM curious/nervous about....

    How long until Marvel follows suit? I'd imagine they're sitting back and seeing how this plays out before making their move.
    More importantly, as a Flash fan, the indication that mid-tier books will be going the way of the dodo?
    Will this mean cancellation of titles like the Flash?
    Definitely kills any hope of a Flash Family title. Wally fans must endure more pain.
    It will DEFINITELY mean more Batman (ugh)
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  12. #117
    Invincible Member Vordan's Avatar
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    It doesn’t say “how” they’re going to be expanding the brand. I doubt it will be via comics with so many editors being let go, that’s for sure. TV shows, movies, cartoons, games, these are great, but so many of them revolve around Batman that I have my doubts about that changing.

  13. #118
    Ultimate Member Sacred Knight's Avatar
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    Yeah the how is key. Are comics included in that expansion? I have my doubts. And that's what I care about most so the expansion of other-media won't mean as much to me.
    "They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El

  14. #119
    Incredible Member Jadeb's Avatar
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    I’d say the industry is failing, in no small part, because middle-aged die-hards have too much influence, not too little. If there’s an upshot to what’s happened today, it may be to recenter DC’s efforts on mainstream audiences.

  15. #120
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    I don't want to be on the side of the company here and it sucks sincerely that a lot of people lost reliable income, stability, health care, and so on. The way the economy/country works is that your family's well being is at the whim of what AT&T thinks makes the most sense for the future of HBO Max.

    That said... creatively, editorially DC has needed a house cleaning for a LONG time and it was obviously on the way after DiDio was out, then Johns and so forth now to here. The whole thing was a bloated boys club that basically empowered mediocre creatives like XYZ (ur fave to hate here, there are numerous) to just cycle between rebooting and killing the same characters and books.

    I like the DC characters, I'm probably the only person subscribed to both DC Universe and HBO Max, and idk, I hope this means there's an injection of new creative blood and energy.

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