tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post1696129186857222446..comments2023-11-12T17:42:42.313-08:00Comments on The Bad Genious: BG Roundtable: $3.99 Comics?The Generalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13882212598013962066noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-263828499645729142008-12-20T14:51:00.000-08:002008-12-20T14:51:00.000-08:00I've been a avid reader [I'm hardly a collector wi...I've been a avid reader [I'm hardly a collector with many comics thrown on the floor] and sometimes creator of comics for most of my life. Like everyone, I've seen the prices go up. But $3.99 for a monthly book? Insane. Warren Ellis had it right it with FELL. Cap your books at $2.00 and keep it moving. My buying habits have already changed, partially due to price but mostly due to reading habits. I just prefer to read a complete story in a trade [and it looks better on my book shelf]. Of course some books I just can't wait for the trade, like Invincible which I pick up everytime it comes out...but even when I do I always think back to "you know I really should wait for the trade for this...". I'm sure alot of folks feel that way, with this price increase looming most folks won't have a choice. I can deal with a $2.99 book. Although my gut tells me, even now most books should only be $2.00 or $2.50. But in this horrible economic downturn is raising the prices up a whole dollar good fiscal sense? Now small independents really don't have a choice with prices. They snag a very minor piece of the pie so they need to maximize profit on a small print run as best they can. But Marvel, and DC? And to a lesser extint Dark Horse and Image? C'mon guys! Think outside the box here. $4.50 gets me a 500 page Vogue monster. Now granted you can't charge the kind of page rates for ad space that they can, but perhaps you are underselling ads you do have if $3.99 is the best you can do. Go down in paper quality. Decrease the page count to 20, 17, or 15. Have the books come out in black and white for the monthlies and only color them for the trades. I dunno...something! Just my two cents [with the price of these damn comics going up, that's all I can afford!]Christopher Taylorhttp://orbitercloud99.blogspot.com/Space Station Orbiter: Cloud 99https://www.blogger.com/profile/04747912001342007186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-64628503351981880682008-11-02T08:29:00.000-08:002008-11-02T08:29:00.000-08:00I'm surprised my comment didn't make it on the rou...I'm surprised my comment didn't make it on the roundtable... <BR/><BR/>But here it is, uncensored. <BR/><BR/>What do I think about $3.99 comic books?<BR/><BR/>Fuck that.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12499127155591828226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-67316331305240880532008-10-28T17:14:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:14:00.000-07:00Oh, and you're right...Ellis' fanbase gives him a ...Oh, and you're right...Ellis' fanbase gives him a huge leg up on the other guys you mentioned. However, were Marvel and DC were to go this route and use big name talent, then I think they could be just as successful.Chris Warehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16973510218830922850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-52018356841177246682008-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00I totally agree with you that this model could wor...I totally agree with you that this model could work.<BR/><BR/>One thing I'm not interested in, though, is paying to read content online. If I'm going to pay for reading material, I want to have something I can hold in my hands, I think.Chris Warehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16973510218830922850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-91924718220927260892008-10-28T15:37:00.000-07:002008-10-28T15:37:00.000-07:00...so you agree with me then?And I didn't forget F......so you agree with me then?<BR/><BR/>And I didn't forget Freakangels, it's just not as good an example that the model can work as the others are. Warren Ellis has a rabid, built-in fanbase to make that project a success. Others have to grassroots it with a lot less exposure - but they have.<BR/><BR/>(And besides - Penny Arcade is several times bigger than Freakangels!)Koshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17346019570419633653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-68830146577132340922008-10-28T13:08:00.000-07:002008-10-28T13:08:00.000-07:00Ah, but Tim, you're forgetting one of the bigger o...Ah, but Tim, you're forgetting one of the bigger online comics right now and it's written by one of the biggest names in comics: Freakangels by Warren Ellis. They just solicited the trade on that and, from what I read on the associated message board, it's already sold out from the publisher. So it does seem possible to give away content online for free and still be able to sell collected editions of it.Chris Warehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16973510218830922850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892865276755822178.post-84157035513368501922008-10-28T12:58:00.000-07:002008-10-28T12:58:00.000-07:00There are a lot of online comics that are releasin...There are a lot of online comics that are releasing printed collected editions of material they've given away for free. Mostly they're comedic at the moment, as that's the dominant genre, but there's no reason the model couldn't work for others too.<BR/><BR/>Order of the Stick, Narbonic, Penny Arcade, PvP - all examples of having done just this.<BR/><BR/>It wouldn't surprise me to see Marvel/DC go a similar direction. Ad-supported online delivery, trades as the physical editions.Koshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17346019570419633653noreply@blogger.com