Archie Comics To Relaunch Red Circle as Dark Circle in 2015

[Bslythegamerguy]

I think the biggest problem isn't that they don't sell...
It's that they're trying to sell them to the wrong audience.

WHo are they trying to sell these books too then? When you publish an all ages title that's written for the light hearted reader or a younger reader than that's the market they're selling it to. I contend that the biggest reason that the all-ages books from Marvel/DC didn't sell well was because no kid is going to be able to afford an entire line of comics priced between $3-$4 per issue, those should have been $1.99 or lower to draw in more fans. And if you're looking to get more readers who may already be buying comics than attach a bigger name. Imagine Mark Waid or Geoff Johns on an all-ages DC Batman book priced at $2? It would probably do very well.

[Lee Stone]

WHo are they trying to sell these books too then? When you publish an all ages title that's written for the light hearted reader or a younger reader than that's the market they're selling it to. I contend that the biggest reason that the all-ages books from Marvel/DC didn't sell well was because no kid is going to be able to afford an entire line of comics priced between $3-$4 per issue, those should have been $1.99 or lower to draw in more fans. And if you're looking to get more readers who may already be buying comics than attach a bigger name. Imagine Mark Waid or Geoff Johns on an all-ages DC Batman book priced at $2? It would probably do very well.

For starters, you can't sell all-ages comics in a comic shop.
It's predominantly an older (20+) male audience there.
Shop owners are not going to stock up on all-ages comics because this audience won't give something like that a second glance. Meaning it won't sell.

True, there are kid sections at comic shops but they exist mostly to keep the kids away from the near-mint collector's items that come in each week. Kids can be rough on comics and this keeps them away from any possible investments.
Also, the shop owner won't feel queasy about displaying the latest t&a comic cover on the regular shelf if he has a designated kid area.
And by keeping the area small, it displays to parents that the shop is more for adults, which means they're less likely to leave the kids unchaperoned.
I imagine nothing makes a comic shop owner cringe more than a group of young kids that have wandered away from their set kid zone.

When I worked in a video game store, parents would drop their kids off almost every day, as if it was free daycare. And these kids would play the demo games and loiter for hours until their parents came back to pick them up.
Imagine if comics were sold there.

Granted, there are some places, like Hastings, that has a good display area for comics and is less intimidating to parents. But then, because of the size of the store, parents still don't want the kids wandering too far from them. Which means they go to the areas the parents go to.
Barnes & Noble seems like a good alternative. However, the comics are lumped in with the magazines and that area has too much adult foot traffic for kids to plop down and browse. The only area I've seen kids actually read comics is in the manga section, which has less foot traffic and a wider selection (and characters that speak more to them).

And I agree about the price barrier.
Kids (and teenagers) will buy a $5-10 manga. Because it's more bang for the buck. And more familiar to them.
Comics, by comparison, are too expensive. And seen as a relic from their parent's childhood.

So, what would I do?
1. Market them to video game stores.
2. Package them as Viz/TokyoPop-sized OGN digests. For $5-10.
3. Do damage control on the whole "comics aren't for kids" mentality that's essentially barricaded out new young readers (and female readers). Make the image of comics more kid-friendly.
4. License YA novel franchises, such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, and put celebrity creators (like Mark Waid or Geoff Johns) on them.

[Bslythegamerguy]

Don't sell kids COMICS in COMIC BOOK stores....? Well, you would have to....

But that doesn't mean they couldn't be found at Wal-Mart, CVS, or other locations like toy stores or video game stores. But yeah, charging $5-$10 for over sized all-ages books isn't going to get the job done. The idea is to get them cheaper so children can afford to buy them. Even though you may get more content for your money they won't be able to afford it and kids have a mentality that having a larger quantity is better than having just one with more in it.

[Dylan Davison]

http://13thdimension.com/enter-the-d...ies-bold-move/

A really great interview if you have not seen it already. Talks about how Dark Circle got made, addresses the "dark" part of Dark Circle and talks about the characters and other stuff! I can't wait!

[Bslythegamerguy]

So, what order do you think these books will launch in? Personally, I'm thinking The Shield is going to launch first, but after that I'm not entirely sure what to expect. Any input? Also, when do you all predict that this line will finally launch? My guess is March or April of 2015.

[Dylan Davison]

So, what order do you think these books will launch in? Personally, I'm thinking The Shield is going to launch first, but after that I'm not entirely sure what to expect. Any input? Also, when do you all predict that this line will finally launch? My guess is March or April of 2015.

The Shield actually has the least info about it I think, as far as images go (Black Hood has all those "cover" like images, she only has concept art really). I feel like The Fox will launch first, then Black Hood, then The Shield. Or all at once I am hoping like all in one month at least haha. I am hoping it starts early 2015, Feb or March maybe.

[Dylan Davison]

Here is some cool Shield WIP art by Francesco Francavilla!


https://twitter.com/f_francavilla/st...081920/photo/1

I can't wait for The Shield! So excited. Even though he is not the main artist on the title, I love this!

[Frogtown]

I'm really hoping these will be $2.99 at launch. I'd love to support to the line but with my pull list already as large as it is I wouldn't be able to do $3.99.

[Dylan Davison]

I'm really hoping these will be $2.99 at launch. I'd love to support to the line but with my pull list already as large as it is I wouldn't be able to do $3.99.

I asked about price at San Diego Comic-con. He said nothing is set yet, but he did say 2.99 to 3.99. Maybe some will be 2.99 others will be 3.99.

I don't know much about Archie's pricing, are many of them 2.99 or are most of them 3.99?

[Dylan Davison]

A new interview:

JK: So Archie Comics have made a big announcement and from the looks of the reception so far, looks like you have a win here. Tell us about the Archie imprint; Dark Circle Comics!

AS: Well, Dark Circle Comics is Archie’s superhero imprint, and we’re relaunching three key titles early next year – The Black Hood, The Fox and The Shield, with some amazing talent. The response has been really positive, and I’m excited to be working with people like Dean Haspiel, Mark Waid, Duane Swierczynski, Michael Gaydos, Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig. We’re trying to really boil these books down to what make these characters great and bring a more novelistic and literary feel to the books, so it’s less about continuity and history but more about story and what’s coming up, while still respecting the past.

darkcircleJK: What can fans expect to see as far as storytelling with the edger tone?

AS: I think fans can expect these books to be about the creators’ vision for these properties – it’s really the Afterlife model expanding into there Archie properties, where you get great creators and let them cut loose and really do what they do best.

JK: So we will see heroes and villains from the Red Circle imprint. Will they be completed updated as far as appearance? What about their origins?

AS: It depends. Everything’s on the table. I think you’ll see some characters that are completely different while others are closer to their original incarnations. It really depends on what works best for the current story.

JK: Will we see new heroes/villains introduced into the fray?

AS: Yes, definitely. We want to reimagine the core characters and also introduce new properties.

JK: What about creators? Will be see the awesome Archie family on some books, like Dan Parent, Dan DeCarlo? How about creators from the big two?

AS: We’re talking to a lot of talented people – but it’s too early to announce any more of the lineup. But we do have some big announcements planned once we launch the first wave, so stay tuned.

Keller_xmen_variantJK: Besides giving comic fans some great content with the new imprint, do you foresee a possibility of getting some Dark Comics characters to film or television?

AS: I’d love that. We’ll see what the response is like to the books once they’re out.

JK: What can you tell the fans that might be on the fence about Dark Circle Comics?

AS: If you like shows from HBO, FX or AMC – really curated and thoughtful programming that focuses on character, story and drama, then these books will be in your wheelhouse. We’re respecting the past but aren’t beholden to it, and we’re trying to remind people why these characters are great without using continuity as a crutch. You don’t need to have read anything before THE BLACK HOOD #1 or THE FOX #1!, etc. The launch issues will be perfect jumping on points.

JK: When will we see some teasers? Fans love the tease you know!

AS: You’ll see some new art and news in advance of NYCC.

sonicthehedgehog_264JK: Where can we follow the latest about Dark Circle Comics?

AS: You can find us on Twitter, Facebook and darkcirclecomics.com.

Thanks for chatting with me!

Source

I am still super excited for this line.

[Dylan Davison]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/10/...gura-and-more/

NYCC panel. Really looking forward to seeing these titles grow. They all sound great. I wonder who the 4th title hero is? Any guess guys? Someone we could never see coming.

[Jon Rock]

I'm really excited about this as well. Afterlife and Sabrina have been great and these sound like they can be just as great. I'm mainly looking forward to The Shield and Black Hood but I'll give the previous Fox series a try. I'm one of those people who hasn't had any experience with Red Circle before so this is exciting for me to see what's up with these characters I saw in ads in my Archie comics when I was younger.

[Dylan Davison]

I'm really excited about this as well. Afterlife and Sabrina have been great and these sound like they can be just as great. I'm mainly looking forward to The Shield and Black Hood but I'll give the previous Fox series a try. I'm one of those people who hasn't had any experience with Red Circle before so this is exciting for me to see what's up with these characters I saw in ads in my Archie comics when I was younger.

Ya I am in the same boat, never read anything before, just knew about them. And I am pretty excited!