Who else is loving the new direction in Savage Dragon?

[Erik Larsen]

Thanks, guys. Still working through the kinks but it's all coming together. Fun times ahead.

[obii]

Any plans of getting some bigger collections out there.
Yearly HC or so?
If yes which, if no why?

[skyvolt2000]

I hadn't read the book since it first came out but some other comic folks knew I had a heavy Image pull and kept going on about Savage Dragon so I picked it back up around 185 and have been really happy with it. As a new reader I didn't feel lost (the writing style and letters page filled in a lot of blanks) and there's an energy and sense of fun that reminds me of the Silver Age super hero books. Loving the series.

Don't feel bad I got curious after seeing the issue where Angel wants to sleep with Malcolm and lucked out on getting the last 4 trades and had to hunt down issues 193-194 (this book VANISHES everywhere). Now I collect the series.

Now if we can just get Malcolm to meet some guy named Virgil O. Hawkins like he did with Nancy from Hell. hint hint

[Erik Larsen]

Any plans of getting some bigger collections out there.
Yearly HC or so?
If yes which, if no why?

I'd love nothing more but the truth of the matter is--it's simply too expensive. At this point there are 200 issues of Savage Dragon in print (including the expanded miniseries and #0) and even if I crammed 20 issues into a backbreaking book you'd still be looking at ten volumes and there simply isn't a large enough audience to make that cost effective. I wish that wasn't the case. Right now when I do put trades out they often stay in the red for quite some time. Put the whole series out in hardcovers and you'd be looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in a book that sells less than 5000 copies per issue.

[Erik Larsen]

Now if we can just get Malcolm to meet some guy named Virgil O. Hawkins like he did with Nancy from Hell. hint hint

I don't get the reference.

[Dark-Flux]

I'd love nothing more but the truth of the matter is--it's simply too expensive. At this point there are 200 issues of Savage Dragon in print (including the expanded miniseries and #0) and even if I crammed 20 issues into a backbreaking book you'd still be looking at ten volumes and there simply isn't a large enough audience to make that cost effective. I wish that wasn't the case. Right now when I do put trades out they often stay in the red for quite some time. Put the whole series out in hardcovers and you'd be looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in a book that sells less than 5000 copies per issue.

Maybe you could kickstart "Brick" editions?
Worked for Gold Digger. Twice!

[skyvolt2000]

I don't get the reference.

Sorry-I was referencing Static under his real name.

[Erik Larsen]

Maybe you could kickstart "Brick" editions?
Worked for Gold Digger. Twice!

Sigh.

It may come to that.

[EmeraldGladiator]

I did jump off right at the switch of Dragons (original to Malcolm) but nicely enough the archives is coming out this week which will allow me to pick up where I left off. I saw Mr. Larsen's interview in the Image solicit and thought hey why not get back into Savage Dragon? Unlike some Image books that get restarted but are reimagined and aren't the 'classic' book we loved originally. Savage Dragon stays truest to the original vision. I have always wondered with all of the alternate universes in your universe is there ever a thought of bringing a version of Rapture? I know the thing that was attempted in this book was to tell it in real time and have death's and events have consequence in your universe, but I really did love her as a character and would love at least some version of her to still be out there. If not in current times then untold tales of the Freak Force. Rapture and SuperPatriot are my two all time favorite supporting characters of the book.

[dishpan]

Sigh.

It may come to that.

Hey Erik, if you don't mind me asking, was your reaction in regards to the idea of a professional having to use kickstarter, or more towards the concept of these "brick" softcovers (I hadn't heard of them before) -- or both \ other?

Either is totally understandable, I was just curious. It seems it's getting more and more commonplace for real publishers to use crowdfunding to fund production, from Top Cow doing a brand new title (Golgotha) to Dynamite remastering a forgotten gem (Swords of the Swashbucklers) and fans are loving it based on what I've seen. I backed both those and will always buy all your work in every format it's released in. But I just figured if you are only printing about as many as are pre-ordered by people you can keep your costs lower and more accurate, plus make some money on your effort to re-collect them while getting readers into what's going on on the title now. Thanks!

[GOLGO 13]

Hey Erik, I know I keep asking but any chance of those big, phone book sized black & white collected editions coming out ever again? I loved that thing.

I want to get one for my son to use as a coloring book. I'm gonna need a ton of green crayons.

[Paper Monkey]

Savage Dragon is one of my all-time favorite series and a guilty pleasure. I don't always follow it month to month ( I will sometime go several months without reading comics), but Savage Dragon is the only series I will go on Comixology and purchase back issues and binge read. Only thing I wish is Erik will do more back stories in the comic maybe featuring flashback tales focusing on Dragon and Malcolm when he was a younger kid. I appreciate real-time in the comic, but Malcom and Angel grew up too fast. I believe Erik could write some great untold stories of those characters. I also have to agree about the untold tales of Freak Force. I miss that book and wish it was on Comixology.

[EmeraldGladiator]

really enjoyed my archive 8 so much so I am going back to get the trades so I can enjoy the stories in color, and am putting it back on my pull list. I am really glad Mr. Larsen did that feature in the Image ordering book it gave me a chance to give Savage Dragon another look. I also realized that what Mr Larsen is trying to do with the book is a comic in real time, characters come in grow up change and move on. There is no rehashing of storylines except for Jennifer Murphy. So I guess the original Rapture is gone for good, so is there any chance we can get a new character to take up the mantle? I loved the look of the character, and it might be interesting to see how Malcolm would react to someone carrying his mother's torch. I guess we will see.

[Erik Larsen]

Hey Erik, I know I keep asking but any chance of those big, phone book sized black & white collected editions coming out ever again? I loved that thing.

I want to get one for my son to use as a coloring book. I'm gonna need a ton of green crayons.

Those ARE out. EIGHT volumes are available and your store can get them for you. They're all in print and they collect the book from the miniseries up through #200.

[Erik Larsen]

Hey Erik, if you don't mind me asking, was your reaction in regards to the idea of a professional having to use kickstarter, or more towards the concept of these "brick" softcovers (I hadn't heard of them before) -- or both \ other?

Either is totally understandable, I was just curious. It seems it's getting more and more commonplace for real publishers to use crowdfunding to fund production, from Top Cow doing a brand new title (Golgotha) to Dynamite remastering a forgotten gem (Swords of the Swashbucklers) and fans are loving it based on what I've seen. I backed both those and will always buy all your work in every format it's released in. But I just figured if you are only printing about as many as are pre-ordered by people you can keep your costs lower and more accurate, plus make some money on your effort to re-collect them while getting readers into what's going on on the title now. Thanks!

It's the whole notion of putting together a campaign to make it a reality. That would be an ordeal and I really don't have the time or energy to do that. I have comics to create.