Another round of layoffs at DC

[Timothy Hunter]

Is it true that the collected editions division of DC will be massively affected by this?

[Vordan]

So is this the last round or will there be more? Not sure what’s left to cut that isn’t outright closing down divisions...

[Digifiend]

Archie is barely holding on because they too have alienated fans. They were not too happy with the Riverdale movement in comics.

Losing Sonic the Hedgehog must've hurt them too.

The thing is DC’s sales are actually up. They’ve been selling a lot better during the pandemic according to Lee, and lots of other comics creators have said Covid has been a boon for trade. This isn’t really about sales, least not DC’s, it’s because AT&T was so stupid they took on over 100 billion in debt and are now being forced by stockholders to gut themselves to try to get that debt down.

Surely selling more stuff should get that debt down, since the profits would go towards paying it off? Seems to me like this won't actually clear the debt faster.

[Frontier]

Losing Sonic the Hedgehog must've hurt them too.

That was a big bummer, on-top of ending the Mega Man book.

The worst part is they spent so much money on licenses for the Worlds Unite event and it just ended up being partially what did them in.

[Crazy Diamond]

Losing Sonic the Hedgehog must've hurt them too.

It would be funny if Ken Penders ended up being the reason why Archie Comics died. The weird drama with their president didn't help matters. It's a shame because I liked the post Genesis Wave Sonic comic and stuff like Sabrina yet the later just seemed to never come out consistently. Same with Afterlife with Archie.

[Ra-El]

Anyone thinking this is about only making DC stronger or more efficient is kidding themselves.

They are simply firing the people that have the bigger paycheck and promoting someone to do their jobs and paying them probably less than half they used to pay last person.

[prepmaster]

Its the end of DC as we know it.

[shooshoomanjoe]

DC will never recover from this. Comics aren't exactly making money. Down the line, DC will likely cease publishing and become a licensing company licensing its properties for cartoons/video games/movies.

Maybe they'll sell off to Disney.

[Bruce Wayne]

So is this the last round or will there be more? Not sure what’s left to cut that isn’t outright closing down divisions...

AT&T is $150 billion in debt. As long as they are struggling to pay it off, they are going to keep on cutting until WB is skin and bones.

[Noodle]

Archie is barely holding on because they too have alienated fans. They were not too happy with the Riverdale movement in comics.

Riverdale brought more popularity to the Archie brand than it's seen in probably a good decade or so.

The Archie comics are barely holding on because there are constantly massive delays with the books. When you average a good 3-4 months between issues, people aren't going to keep waiting for it.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Gossip: DC Comics, Abandoning Comic Shops and Comic Cons?

I have heard versions for this rumour on and off for the last 15 years, alongside the word that Dan DiDio was going to be fired as DC Comics publisher. And for fifteen years neither came to pass – until Dan DiDio earlier this year, which seemed to set of dominos up to this week, and beyond. But this week I have heard it more times, from more senior figures than before – and for the first time I didn't get any pushback from the kind of people who normally push back on this sort of thing and say it is a load of stuff and nonsense.

That the Warner Bros firings of yet more DC Comics senior staffers, and the subsequent fallout across the company is part of a series of measures that will include a switch away from month print comic books towards digital comic book serialisation of stories, then collected in trade paperback sized volumes, or larger, thicker, anthologies aimed at a general mass market, a bookstore market, the bookfair market, the likes of Amazon – and then comic book stores and the direct market almost as an afterthought.

That the content being published and publicised will be pulled back to characters and storylines that have a big multi-media presence, so we're basically talking Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Harley Quinn, and Suicide Squad.

Bleeding Cool named a number of redundancies made by Warner Bros in recent days as well as adding further details as to what was taking place at the publisher the day afterwards, later partially corroborated by Comics Beat. No other comics news source has reported further details as yet. This may be because DC Comics has not issued any official press release.

It is notable that the naming of the departure of the likes of Adam Philips, Director, Marketing Services and Stuart Schreck, Sales Manager with 47 years at DC Comics between them were the principal figures who dealt with the direct market of comic book retailers, which led to much lamenting from comic shop owners as a result.

The other thing to bear in mind is that is this were to happen, and that is still up in the air, it wouldn't be for some time. DC is publishing their February solicitations tomorrow, whatever the DC Omniverse thing is meant to kick off in March, with a big company-wide relaunch and the return of titles such as Harley Quinn. Another lead creator is meant to be taking over both Superman titles, just as Brian Bendis did. And Brian Bendis has a big event to follow as well – and then there are the greenlit Black Label books, the YA and Kids OGNs and much more -all this is baked into current DC Comics schedules, which have seen a number of titles such as Batgirl, Young Justice and Hawkman come to an end in recent weeks. So if this does happen – don't expect it any time soon. Just watch for the signs as the company starts to change gear.

Something more solid is the rumour at DC Comics have made the decision to no longer have a strong comic book presence at comic book conventions in the fashion they have before, any appearance will now be subsumed into Warner Bros presence. We have seen a move in that direction at New York Comic Con, but San Diego Comic-Con still had DC Comics doing the full month. Not any more, and the departure of Fletcher Chu-Fong as DC Events Director after 18 years is seen as further proof of that. Not that there are any conventions to appear at right now, but this is a decision made going forward.

Much of these decisions come down to the Warner Bros Burbank offices, and DC Comics having to justify the space the company uses with them – even as everyone is working from home. So comic books that would make a profit at other publishers, are in the red at DC Comics. Which might also mean that other publishers would be keen to license titles that DC Comics has no current interest in publishing right now, able to monetise them without Warner Bros overheads on the balance sheet. However, I understand from those who have made enquiries that the suggested price demanded by Warners for such a thing is too high for anyone in the direct market. If Warners have chosen not to publish a comic, and someone else thinks they can make a profit doing so, it would have to be an unachievable profit for Warners to agree, as things stand.

Remember, this is just rumour and gossip right now, but it is an accurate representation of what is being discussed by the kind of senior comic book people who don't usually engage in such speculation. There is however a lot of faith in new EIC Marie Javins as someone who can pull whatever still exists of DC Comics into a manageable, workable whole. And as a comic book industry lifer, if anyone can pull this together, it's her. That is, if DC General Manager Daniel Cherry III and Warner Bros President Pamela Lifford, architects of the current changes, will afford her the ability to do so.

Source: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/goss...nd-comic-cons/

[The Darknight Detective]

Maybe they'll sell off to Disney.

That's probably the last thing that would happen for a number of reasons.

[superduperman]

I wonder if they'll just farm out the comics to someone else like Marvel. I didn't used to think they would do that but they're already firing people they just hired so you have to wonder if whatever "plan" they had in mind is now up in smoke. It doesn't look like anyone's job is safe.

[Vordan]

Yeah the direct market is going to die off. I doubt it will survive DC pulling out. I doubt DC will survive all these cuts either. Batman will be fine, WW and Superman maybe (although they’ll still be treated like crap), most of the Leaguers will be ok. Say goodbye to stuff like Strange Adventures though. You’ll never see a C-Lister (or maybe even a B-Lister) get a comic again.

[skyvolt2000]

Losing Sonic the Hedgehog must've hurt them too.

Oh yes losing Sonic hurt them and so did all those Archie Afterlife books that kept getting delayed. Along with books like The New Crusaders and Shield being tossed to the side.

The Archie comics are barely holding on because there are constantly massive delays with the books. When you average a good 3-4 months between issues, people aren't going to keep waiting for it.

True. I was one that bought the New Crusaders book along with Jughead. I wanted to get into that Sabrina book.

Surely selling more stuff should get that debt down, since the profits would go towards paying it off? Seems to me like this won't actually clear the debt faster.

Remember you still have the pandemic derailing MOVIES and TV SHOWS.

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls046854270/

Look at the list of those movies. Those suckers are not CHEAP.

WW 84, Space Jam, Suicide Squad and some others are DONE. No theater to show them.

How much of the filming restrictions are going to derail a film like Matrix 4? Mortal Kombat?

Lets not forget the SNYDER CUT to the tune of $100 million. To equal that amount HBO Max would have to get about 7 million new subscribers (based on $14.99 monthly subscription). NEW folks not folks who got HBO and get Max for free.

Maybe they'll sell off to Disney.

These guys still bring in money.

Even if you only tossed out Batman books-he is NOT going to get you $150 billion.
Selling him is not going to get you $150 billion.

You want that debt to go down-STOP MAKING BIG BUDGET MOVIES. Because that is the money vacuum.

If it costs more than $10 million-don't make it.

If you must sell off characters-go bottom of the heap.

I am sure Ethan Van Sciver would love to get Tattoo Man back.

Freedom Beast? Jason Rusch? Crowbar? Hotspot?

Clear out the folks you KNOW you will never use again and can't comeback to haunt you.

Yeah you are not going to get $150 billion but maybe some creators can get back their creations.