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Great piece, I really liked what you said about the live action tv dc stuff. But then I thought about that Arrow comic with the show runners, and how that didn’t really work. Maybe the talent just wasn’t right. If they were up for it, sticking Valentine and some of those other creators you mentioned and getting cohesion ‘like Marvel Star Wars cohesion’ for that line would be a thing of beauty. But, if you were to do that, would you detach it from continuity?

Another issue, especially when it comes to initiatives and new readers, is the delivery system/venue/format. Some people just don’t want monthly drips of a story or to collect comics they just want to read stories. There are a whole world of publishers and creators making those connections now. D

These are all great ideas but I’m particularly interested in the Vertigo one. I think the push they made at the end of 2015 is falling pretty flat and I’m guessing only two of those books will have any sort of lasting traction (Sheriff of Babylon and Unfollow). It’s really hard to see what kind of identity Vertigo can have now that Image is drinking their milkshake. I mean, I’m all for them putting out original, mature-reader works – especially if there is something in it for the creators – but going back to being a place for edgy, sophisticated mature-readers stories about weird DCU characters might be an ultimately more successful and brandable route for them to go.

DC needs to create some new characters, and not just superheroes., instead of reviving old series. I assume this is supposed to appeal to readers’ nostalgia, but there aren’t enough 50-something Baby Boomers and 40-something Gen X’ers still reading their comics to make this work. Create some new characters for the new readers.

“Steal a big name”: DC surged in the ’80s by “stealing” Frank Miller, John Byrne and other popular Marvel creators. Of course, they were helped by Jim Shooter’s management style, which led so many writers and artists to flee Marvel.

Question was the goal of this article how DC could sell more comics?

Because of it was only DC Unlimited is the only idea that fits that idea.

Tie in books to tv shows and cartoons don’t sell.

Vertigo comics featuring Constantine don’t sell.

Books written by minority writers like Orlando, Valentine, Tynion, Doyle don’t sell.

Diverse types of books like Omega Men, Black Canary, Midnighter, Prez don’t sell.

Short of WB magically getting the rights to Star Wars DC isn’t going to be selling comics.

I agree with Robert Mayland above. I’m not saying that DC couldn’t use a pretty hefty dose of diversity I think that the idea that somehow hiring someone of color will produce a comic book that is not only a) great and innovative and b) everyone of color will automatically read it..It’s not only demonstrably wrong (see the rest of the Top 10 comics on the list) but it’s also mildly condescending tbh.

“At the same time, it’s possible that they misjudged how big the market actually is for this kind of approach to their heroes.”

THIS. I’m sorry but it’s quite clear that Tumblr and its ilk are basically the very vocal minority (no pun intended). I agree with you that Batgirling isn’t bad but, as you said, you can’t try to build the undercard with it simply because there isn’t that much of a demand for it and no amount of promotion would help that. Also, while I’m spouting anecdotes I have a sinking suspicion that this same demographic they’re so desperately trying to court is of the same generational mindset that most of their media should be free or illegally downloaded. Obviously this is unprovable conjecture but we’re all just spitballing here anyway.

The rest is SPOT. ON. Especially the DC Unlimited idea. I’m sorry but who on Earth would pay $3.99 a pop for a DRM digital copy of a comic that costs the company next to nothing to produce?

Finally, before I step off my soapbox I’d like to add the idea that perhaps DC should shift into more of a manga approach and begin selling longer books at more affordable prices. No matter how you cut it, 4 bucks for an 8 minute read that won’t be continued for 30 more days just isn’t a good bargain. Especially in these days of super decompressed storytelling.

Everything having to do with sales, or (perhaps more importantly with the nature of a non-returnable Direct Market) the *perception* of sales really actually at the end of the day comes down to “is it any good?”

So any essay that doesn’t begin with editorial (and/or institutional) direction is, probably, missing the point.

-B

Hi Brian,

Maybe, but I’m not privy to actual conversations that occur regarding creative directions for DC’s various lines other than hearsay. Frankly, as of right now, I don’t know what DC’s editorial direction even is, if you were to really ask me. Perhaps you have better insight?

I sure hope no one ever actually makes the argument that good sales = good comics, cause there’s a whole lotta not very strong (IMO) X-Men comics that would disprove that thesis right quick.

But Brian – some of the DC You books are amazingly good and yet don’t sell. So material being “good” is not the answer. If they’re producing good material but it isn’t what the comics fans who walk into the store every week want, then their marketshare will continue to drop. And if they’re producing good material but the retailers and/or regular subscribers don’t have any faith in it then it won’t get on the shelves anyway and the people walking in to try it out won’t see it.

DC needs to decide if they want to be a comic book company anymore or not. If they don’t, then their dwindling marketshare in the comics market doesn’t matter at all and they can just continue to do what they’re doing until they reach the point where they’re not making enough money on the comics publishing to cover the overhead. At which point they can shut it down or license their characters out to another company to publish. But if DCE doesn’t really care one way or the other about publishing comics anymore and really want to be a brand management company, then maybe they just get as much money as they can out of the market for the next few years and shut it down when the profits start to being too small to care about.

If they want to be a comics company then they need to start sucking up to the retailers again. DC only gets their stuff on the shelves when they stroke the retailers a lot because the retailers in the business continue to view Marvel as their cash cow and DC as the also-ran. So if they want to be a comics publisher they should be bribing the retailers more heavily than Marvel does – do things like make more books returnable for longer to get retailers to stock more on the shelves and take more chances, or create some incentives for retailers to stock a diverse selection of titles rather than incentivizing buying dozens (or more) of extra copies of a single title to get those variant covers they sell on eBay. It may not be “fair” that they need to suck up to retailers more than Marvel does to get their books promoted, but business ain’t fair and if Marvel is doing that much better sales wise then its time to make some drastic interventions.

If they can’t afford to do that, and still want to publish something like “comics” in house then the other choice would be to give up on the month-to-month Direct Market and push heavily into the digital realm. Cut their printing costs dramatically by giving up on floppies entirely and switching to a digital to collection pipeline that would get their books on the bookshelves faster and forget about the monthly magazine format entirely. it would mean essentially giving up on the direct market, but with their marketshare dwindling as rapidly as it has this year the DM might just give up on them if they don’t do something drastic.

But they need to do something dramatic to convince readers and retailers that they’re not in a death spiral at this point. The reboot and the jump back to 90s style comics goosed their sales for a while on the nostalgia wave, but it didn’t work for long and its not going to work again. They need to do some more fundamental things than just make “good comics” to get back where they need to be or else they’re going to leave the market one way or another.

Robert,

“Tie in books to tv shows and cartoons don’t sell”

Maybe, maybe not. The current set of books DC releases are never adequately promoted for the tv viewer, or given creative teams that general interest the LCS customer. But, do both of those things and perhaps they will move units. They just announced a “Dark Archer” comic co-written by John Barrowman. But it’s probably going to be so underpromoted and hidden in their Comixology lineup, it’ll barely make a blip on the radar.

I know Buffy tie-in comics really aren’t all that comparable given that it was considered the “official continuation of the show”, but that first issue sold 90k copies. There’s an audience out there for this kind of stuff provided you hit the right buttons.

“Vertigo comics featuring Constantine don’t sell.”

Certainly not issue 200-300 something, which is how Hellblazer was basically left for the entrenched reader. But I think it’s hard to argue that an IP that a reader recognizes, starting at issue 1, wouldn’t sell better than a creator owned one that they don’t, barring there being a superstar creative team in question (and even then, it might not sell all that well, again see: Twilight Children).

Happy New Year, Lisa!!!!!!!

I love this. The Replacement was awesome, and The Scorpio Races, and a host of other single titles. Libba Bray's for example. But the best series also do a good job of wrapping up, and showing an arc and all the other things that a good book is supposed to do. I'm thinking of If I Stay, for example, or Under the Never Sky, or Hunger Games. Katniss is so not the same person at the end of book one that she was at the beginning. Or Karou in Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight. On the other hand, as much as I loved The Raven Boys, I was disappointed that the depth wasn't there the same way it was in The Scorpio Races. As brilliant as she is, I'm suspecting that she is going to bring that depth in as an arc through the series though. Yes, I do dislike delayed gratification though, and the idea of having to wait two-and-a-half more years to see if there's a payout.

My New Year's Writing Resolution? To focus on writing the best books, the best chapters, the best scenes, the best sentences. That's all I can control.

Love you and sending hugs! Clink your glass for me tonight!

M.

Agreed. I love series, but there's nothing like a satisfying stand-alone read. I just finished THE DIFFERENT GIRL (which comes out in Feb.) and it definitely fell into that category. Happy New Year!

I agree completely. I feel manipulated by the ones that have cliffhanger endings, in fact I stopped reading one popular series after the first book (I won't name it) ended in mid-scene!
Like you, I want to be so enchanted that I wish to return to that world and unravel more of the mysteries, not be left dangling.

A book that really left me awed and satisfied from beginning to middle to end was Seraphina.

Wishing you a bright and satisfying New Year, Lisa!

I loved Fracture by Megan Miranda. There is a sequel, but Fracture was wonderful all by itself.

Loved THE REPLACEMENT. I am a series girl so unfinished endings when I know there is more to come doesn't bother me. Each book in the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series has worked for me as its own unique story. Happy New Year.

Happy new year, Lisa! I'm not much of a series girl. Maybe it's my short attention span, but I like for a story to wrap up nicely, and then I move on to the next one.

Great idea to keep the goals in front of your face and a constant reminder. I do need to think of a clever way of keeping my goals before me and more importantly my motivation burning as bright as it does at the beginning of the year. Best to you in 2013.

You too, Julie. I hung the poster I made in the hallway going downstairs (where my vision board is also hanging), but still, I just pass right by it without really looking at it. So, I thought I'd try this. Maybe it will be my "magic bean." I have a tendency to get distracted by things that are not on my goal sheet. :) Happy New Year!

Ha, I love these! Happy New Year!

*laughs* Great comic and list. Happy New Year to you too!

Anna - Happy New Year to you too!!

Adriana - :D Glad you enjoyed.

hehe :) The author in me says I need to write more, not spend time elsewhere.

Thanks for the little fun imagination!

Fida - it's all about finding that balance! :D

Oh these are hilarious! I also resolved not to write in pajamas, that way it feels like work

Bekah - LOL, but that would eliminate my 4AM epiphanies!

Okay, I'm still gigglin over the TSA agents.

Margo - thanks! He he he

Love it - although that last one is pretty hard to imagine! :)

Hope your 2011 is full of joy and magic!! :)

Jemi - the same to you my dear!!

Lisa, these resolutions crack me up! Some writers (ahem) can visit Starbucks without the laptop since we don't have one. Wah, wah, wah!

Julie - You can't use that excuse for much longer, Julie!! ;)

Unicorn resolution: Dial down smugness of being near-perfect mythical beast.

Happy New Year - great resolution - to laugh more often, mine is to eat less chocolate.

I'm glad you can laugh about it.
I think primitive life wears thin rather quickly.
I'm still madly in love with my dishwasher (mechanical) in NY.
It was hell without one in Maroc. (Husband or Imail mostly did them - but endless.....)
Hope you are back to normal now?

word verification: nomogia
is that the word for normal state? -or lack of it?

Thanks, Kelly-- you too! Wow, chocolate... that's a hard one. ;-)

Elizabeth-- I agree, much as I find the notion romantic. (But the thought of an outhouse in January? No thanks!)

Luckily we got power back last night. Not sure if I'd be laughing today otherwise.

I hope you're saving these words...

Hurray for resilience and laughter!

I'm so glad your power is back and you were able to get your work done.

Thanks, Vivian! Resilience really is such a useful word!

I can honestly say I don't envy your dilemma, but glad you see the silver lining in it.

Hope you made your deadline! :)

Thanks, Tom! Yes, made the deadline, happily. :-)

Loooove this post Jen! Particularly the conversation at the end :o)

Oh man, painting without electricity is tough but it sounds like you managed it just fine!

We lose power just frequently enough (annual windstorms - and always during a deadline week) that I've now invested in a clutch of halogen lanterns to paint by. Not ideal, but at least that makes it possible. Am going to add the gatherer of take-out food to list of essentials!

Thanks, Ali! We had a good laugh over that!

Tara-- The halogen lamps are a great idea- I'm going to have to get a few. And yeah-- losing power is a great excuse for take-out food... though our stove is gas so we COULD make spaghetti or something, but, you know, we feel like we deserve it because of the inconvenience... ;-)