Thread by @TheBigBang_

It was better than the normal Marvel #1, but around 3 quarters of what AMAZING SPIDER-MAN does. Now it's at about half of what #1 did IIRC

https://twitter.com/PeterCasazza/status/1086032136744820736

Now, where were we...

Ah yes, the ol "let's wait for the big corporations to change their model of business out of the kindness of their own hearts" recurring discussion.

Real talk, for all their speeches of supporting the Direct Market, DC and MArvel's number #1 priority is themselves. AND YOU CAN'T BLAME THEM FOR IT!
THEY ARE BUSINESSES!

Look at DC. It went from a company that was super communicative with retailers and incredibly supporting to one that decided to give a Tom King and Andy Kubert story to Wallmart.

I dunno, maybe they got big money for that. Maybe Mr. Wall Mart really loves comics and wanted some exclusives. But they literally cut out their number 1 partner, retailers in the direct market out of something that we could sell since our customers actually know these creators.

It was puzzling, but just another show of how comic book stores are seen by the corporations.
But hey, we'll still be here to welcome them back with open arms if this thing fails.
Because retailers are suckers for punishment.

You know when everyone talks about how comics are doomed and publishers are the devil blah blah..

You know who the retailers online aren't blaming?

_Retailers_

You know whose fault it is that we have 750 million variants per month?
Retailers, because they're the ones that buy them in the first place.

Marvel isn't to blame that there are 1 in 500 variants. Retailers are, because years of their practices and speculation lead to this.

Retailers that spent their lives only selling DC and Marvel and not building a diverse customer base are in danger now. Because this is a different market. And some are having a really hard time with it.

The entire situation the industry is living now? There isn't one single culprit.
It's all of us.

The Direct Market (remember, we're talking single issues here) is a delicate ecosystem.
And we've been in the middle of our very own Climate Change for a good while.

So what can we do improve things?

The Direct Market NEEDS returnability. We won't be able to raise our orders and try to get more customers in stores in the current climate when we are being asked to take on all the responsibility.

Retailers are expected to buy all these comics from publishers (buy them outright, you don't get to return what you don't sell), and then do the marketing ourselves and sell them to customers.
And hopefully we'll turn a profit.

THIS IS UNSUSTAINABLE!

You're not even marketing your own books, comic companies! An ad for NIGHTWING on BATMAN isn't marketing! You're talking to the same audience!
How is it that these massive mega companies can't market anything to save their lives?!

Retailers have to shoulder all of these different expenses of the business so the publishers can make as much money as possible and we don't even get treated as real business partners.

We are constantly asked to buy (not order, BUY) books without knowing what happens in them or sometimes who the creative team even is.

That... that doesn't work like that anywhere else.

I mean, I love Chip and totally get why he wants to keep people in suspense re: DAREDEVIL #1 but I'm not people. I'm a business partner and Marvel should have not kept me in the dark .
It's business.

Creators should be free to create and not have to worry about marketing when they're working for a corporation. Corporations have people that do just that, marketing. Put them to use.

Example: I love the creators in the upcoming AGE OF X-MAN stuff. All brilliant, talented people. Pre-orders on that are nearly _zero_ because no one knows really what is.
Because "marketing" for this is "let's put something on Newsarama and call it a day"

Those creators are fighting an uphill battle, and they seem to have almost no support from the publisher.

What's the point of releasing a book you don't believe in 100%?
Do you want to sell it or not?

The companies don't care. Because they know they'll sell enough copies to make it or at least not lose money and that's enough.

Why spend money on marketing and potentially get new customers if you're happy with milking the usual people for more?

You know why you are seeing all these announcements of new series selling out in the first 5 minutes? Of #2s selling out even before coming out?

Because publishers aren't overprinting. They rather not take that risk. They rather YOU the customer wait weeks for a second printing (potentially never coming back for it...).

Retailers aren't ordering as many comics as before, so publishers print these things as close to the bone. Then they can joyfully announce that they sold out in record time, gee whizz

If you have orders of 10 for an #1 and you print 10.5, because you rather get the (sigh) marketing bump of THIS WAS SO HOT THAT IT'S ALREADY GOING INTO SECOND PTG BEFORE COMIGN OUT... you're not helping retailers or more important the customers!

If you're putting out weekly series with no returnability and where retailers are buying 5 or 10 issues sight unseen... You're not helping.

Retailers are here to sell as many comics as possible, but it's incredible how our business partners make it so hard.
It really shouldn't be this way.
It doesn't have to be this way.

RETAILERS:
Join ComicsPro. We have a louder voice when we talk as one!
No one is going to help us, we have to help ourselves.

CUSTOMERS:
Keep being wonderful and spending money in your favourite comics book stores!

Word of warning, though, more and more stores are cutting orders as much as possible and if you're not there on Wednesday or have a pull list, you might miss out.

We've seen a big increase in orders since we started using ComicHub. Customers are definitely getting savvier about ordering comics, and now we have even LESS stuff going on the shelves.

If your local shop has it, open an account on ComicHub to manage your orders.

If they don't it's grand! Start a pull list. Tell the folks at the counter what stuff you're into and what you want to buy, all that helps.

Again, almost all the stores we know are trimming orders as much as possible, don't miss out!

Publishers: Some of you are already amazing and we love, you so much.
The other ones, let's see how we can work together more. We can sell more comics TOGETHER.
Let's get into 2019 and work it out, ok?

*looks at picture of DC comics*

This has been a very long rant (outside of work hours!) andI'm pretty sure you're tired of listening to me going on.
Thanks for joining me tonight. My name is Bruno, and if I rant is because I love this stupid medium so much.

Have a good night folks, and see you in store.