Month: July 2014

Originally published March 9, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1425

And no dialogue. We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces.

                                                                              –Norma Desmond

                                                                              “Sunset Boulevard”

One has to credit new editor-in-chief Joe Quesada: He’s trying. In an industry that’s gone from cyclical to cynical, the new chief is beating the drums as loudly as he can, trying to get Marvel Comics and suspicious comic book fans together. In some ways it reminds me of the school dance in the movie of “West Side Story,” where the desperate master of ceremonies, “Gladhand” (John Astin) is trying every trick he can think of to get the Jets and Sharks to mingle. In similar fashion, Marvel and the fans (not to mention the retailers) are circling each other warily, suspicious of the motives at every turn, reluctant to commit lest they suddenly discover a knife in the back.

And lord knows Quesada approaches everything with enthusiasm. It’s evocative of Stan Lee at his most “Excelsior-ish,” back in the days where Stan was so fluid that he could announce a price hike and by the time he was done, you’d be saying, “An extra nickel a book! Fantastic! A bargain at twice the price, Stan, we’re with you!” When Joey Da Q is channeling Stan Da Man, it’s almost impossible to distinguish good news from bad news. Almost.

Continue Reading “Marvel’s Silent Month” →

Originally published March 2, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1424

This week and next, we’re going to discuss various Marvel initiatives, ranging from sales to editorial stunts. So kick back and let’s see what’s going on at the house of ideas. This week:

MARVEL AND THE RETAILERS

Marvel’s relationship with retailers has always been prickly at best (hostile at worst.) One of my earliest recollections when I started in the Marvel sales department years ago was blithely hosting a retailer breakfast at a convention. I figured, y’know, feed them, run the Marvel slide show and talk about neat stuff coming up, and that would be that. Instead I wound up fielding one hostile question after another. I suddenly knew what it felt like to be a baby seal being clubbed. And that’s back when things were good in the marketplace.

In recent months it seemed that Marvel didn’t place much priority on endearing itself to its retailer base. One angry retailer sent me the following notice from Marvel, tucked into his Diamond mailing:

Continue Reading “Marvel and Retailers: the Slashback program” →

Originally published February 23, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1423–Special “1971” theme issue

I think comic books just cost me a date with Debbie Moss, and that might be the last straw.

I can’t believe I’m saying that. I mean, y’know, when I first started reading comics when I was five years old, I felt like I’d found a whole bunch of friends I didn’t even know I was missing. And here I am, ten years later, and suddenly I feel like, y’know, these same fans are dragging me down.

Regular readers of this column know that this has been coming on for a while now. I mean, for one thing, y’know, I’ve been screaming about the skyrocketing prices for ages now. When I first started reading comics, they were a nice, tidy, twelve cents. One dime, two nickels. I could go into a comic book store with a buck and buy eight comics. Y’know, pretty much keep up with everything cool that was coming out.

I can’t tell you how bad it hit me the day I walked in and they’d gone up to fifteen cents. I couldn’t believe it. Is nothing sacred? Do they think teenagers are made of money? And I feel like we’ve barely recovered from that, and all of a sudden… twenty cents? Twenty cents? For a comic book? A twenty two page comic book? And now I’m even hearing rumors that they’re talking about it going up to twenty five cents!!! Twenty five cents!!!

Continue Reading “But I Digress flashback: 1971” →

Originally published February 16, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1422

’Tennnnn hut! Eyes front, maggots. The following e-mail (I hardly get regular mail anymore) arrived from Commander R.A. Benson, USNR:

Continue Reading “BID mailbag: Retcons and Stetcons” →

Originally published February 9, 2001, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1421

I’m rapidly reaching a point in my life where it’s split pretty much dead even between the time I spent as a fan versus the time I’ve spent as a professional… well, whatever I professionally am. Since fandom is where my roots are, however, I was more than willing to go along when my fiancee, Kathleen, wanted to head down to Chattacon in Chattanooga, TN, a convention she and her siblings frequented since she was a teen. (Indeed, her brother Sean’s theme parties have become an event in and of themselves.)

Continue Reading “Chattacon” →