tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post5194749044789828569..comments2023-12-20T04:59:07.043-08:00Comments on ink destroyed my brush: After Watchmen: the DC marketing blitzinkdestroyedmybrushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09037083364689982443noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-26379943428948646172009-03-24T22:19:00.000-07:002009-03-24T22:19:00.000-07:00The "Spider-men movies" made me giggle. I'm such a...The "Spider-men movies" made me giggle. I'm such a grammarian barbarian.<BR/><BR/>I've never successfully converted an adult. That's why I give all my friends' kids those Marvel kids books you can get at any dollar store. Teach them how to read on Spider-man and the Hulk.Kidsishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14531006647626539668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-69897120106783461682009-03-20T16:13:00.000-07:002009-03-20T16:13:00.000-07:00Shit, I actually left a response from work--must h...Shit, I actually left a response from work--must have closed the window or screwed it up.<BR/><BR/>Charles, I hate to do this, but I really think the problem here is within the writing of the column itself. I do think that quality recommendations, like the kind you refer to (specific to why a new reader liked Watchmen) would be far more beneficial than any random list. I don't disagree at all with a lot of what you said, and I think your "Duh" pretty much covers what I took a bunch of breathless paragraphs to say. I think this marketing plan, as flawed as I believe it is, falls on the more positive side of things. At the same time, it's been met with what strikes me as some pretty garish praise without an acknowledgement that ANY marketing doesn't translate immediately to GREAT marketing.<BR/><BR/>My only real disagreement is your statement about "And that is completely opposite to everything that I've seen in the last 25 years, and certainly now more than ever."<BR/><BR/>That's why I copied and paste all those titles above--because the ability for a new reader to navigate their way to comics they like the way they liked Watchmen is tied into whether they've got their ability to tell the difference between the recommendations of a Charles Yoakum and utahsaintsfan124, who thinks that Justice Society of America--all volumes--is the follow up to Moore and Gibbons.<BR/><BR/>That list up there--that's how comics readers (some, not all) genuinely responded to the question of "After Watchmen" on popular websites like Newsarama, Occasional Super-heroine, the DC Comics message boards, all top of google search results. <BR/><BR/>I feel like you're saying that new readers should be able to navigate their way to quality recommendations when they'd have no way of knowing the difference. How are they supposed to make it to you, or me, or the "good" comics stores? That's just as buried under a sea of thoughtless advice as good comics are buried in the Barnes & Noble shelves.Tucker Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10793079084633425826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-46898692419062641902009-03-20T16:09:00.000-07:002009-03-20T16:09:00.000-07:00"but how do they know to come to comics experience..."but how do they know to come to comics experience in the first place (given how sucky parking is on Divis?)"<BR/><BR/>Well, we have good walk-by, certainly (I verbally hear "Oh, a comic book store, cool!" at least once a day from someone strolling past)<BR/><BR/>Also: google, et al., we get any number of people who find us via the web, after being intrigued by something they've read elsewhere on the web about a title or creator or or film or just the idea of it in the first place.<BR/><BR/>I mean how does anyone find anything?<BR/><BR/>"That person who would never ever walk in the front door is the one that i'm most worried about you never getting as a customer."<BR/><BR/>I guess I'm wondering why the "never ever"? Because they can't find us? Or because of some inherant bias or something?<BR/><BR/>I think there is both a general awareness of comics as a medium, as well as the existence of comic shops as a concept, so it's not like we're, dunno, poetry stores or something.<BR/><BR/>I dunno, everyone in the entire world owns clothes, and buys more each year - but I'm reasonably sure there's more general awareness about both comic stores in general and Comix Experience in particular than there are for any of the three clothing stores that are within a block of me.<BR/><BR/>Advertising is EXPENSIVE (and often ineffective on a single-store basis), and marketing is hard... but new people DO find me every day, so we must be doing something right? <BR/><BR/>Right now I'm in Memphis with 100 other attendees at a professional conference held BY the retailers FOR the retailers, so I'm not really at all worried about the health of my marketplace at this exact second -- the enthusiasm and hard work is VERY evident right now, and virtually everyone is reporting from decent to exceptional sales right now, in a very down general economy...<BR/><BR/>-BBrian Hibbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14716523075964247914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-7614829774235417622009-03-20T14:19:00.000-07:002009-03-20T14:19:00.000-07:00Brian - reasonable rate of return, I agree. but h...Brian - reasonable rate of return, I agree. but how do they know to come to comics experience in the first place (given how sucky parking is on Divis?)<BR/><BR/>I absolutely agree that a quality comics store owner is going to be the best person to convert the neophyte to a regular reader, exactly what i think I've been trying to get tucker to see. The discriminating store owner can recommend enough of the right stuff for the person that they can become regulars, not for spiderman by the next adrian tomine or ben katchor or dan clowes book. The trick is just to get them into your door in the first place! That person who would never ever walk in the front door is the one that i'm most worried about you never getting as a customer.<BR/><BR/>Currently I love (sorry to bring up competitors here on you) James over at Isotope's approach with his layout. Very inviting to the neophyte.inkdestroyedmybrushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09037083364689982443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-12465273774872578272009-03-20T13:03:00.000-07:002009-03-20T13:03:00.000-07:00"After all, if they're going to the comic shop to ..."After all, if they're going to the comic shop to begin with, aren't they already coverted? "<BR/><BR/>No?<BR/><BR/>I mean, yes, if they come in weekly on a Wednesday to buy the newest issue of SPIDER-MAN, but we've had scores (if not hundreds) of "civilians" walking into my store over the last few months curious about WATCHMEN, as well as what might be "next".<BR/><BR/>"converted", to me, as a comics retailer, means they're back for their third or more visit within the year.<BR/><BR/>Minimum 1/4 of my sales come from the "unconverted". A quality comics specialty store can do more to convert those people into lifelong readers better than just about any other location.<BR/><BR/>(Except maybe the library. Maybe)<BR/><BR/>-BBrian Hibbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14716523075964247914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-87667496393929574992009-03-20T12:13:00.000-07:002009-03-20T12:13:00.000-07:00tucker - just because all those people put that on...tucker - just because all those people put that on the message board, doesn't mean that YOU would recommend them all. You're a discriminating man, pick 3 according to the tastes of the readers and recommend them. Again, to your music analogy, just because they like Coltrane doesn't mean that i'd send to the Metallica bin to buy a CD. Know your audience is all i'm saying.inkdestroyedmybrushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09037083364689982443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-24788931098530103362009-03-20T11:52:00.000-07:002009-03-20T11:52:00.000-07:00If it wasn't Sandman then it was Preacher.Prea...If it wasn't Sandman then it was Preacher.<BR/>Preacher would always work on the noobs. Both men and women. Garth & Steve would catch their attention with the depravity and then win their hearts with the main characters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31147228.post-4777636475621072272009-03-20T10:00:00.000-07:002009-03-20T10:00:00.000-07:00Here's a list of some of the various comics that s...Here's a list of some of the various comics that showed up in posts titled "After Watchmen, What Next?" from various comics websites, all of which are from the last three weeks.<BR/><BR/>Criminal<BR/>Sandman: Seasons of Mist<BR/>Midnight Nation<BR/>Walking Dead<BR/>The Pride of Baghdad<BR/>Astro City: Life In The Big City<BR/>The Golden Age<BR/>Sandman Mystery Theater<BR/>New Frontier<BR/>Kingdom Come<BR/>Y: The Last Man<BR/>Ex Machina<BR/>All Star Superman<BR/>Starman (James Robinson)<BR/>Justice (Alex Ross)<BR/>100 Bullets<BR/>Fables<BR/>Batman: Long Halloween<BR/>Superman: For All Seasons<BR/>Final Crisis<BR/>Joker<BR/>Nextwave<BR/>The Nightly News<BR/>Cages<BR/>Sleaze Castle<BR/>Preacher<BR/>Transmetropolitan<BR/>Planetary<BR/>Superman: Red SOn<BR/>Superman: Secret Identity<BR/>Incognegro<BR/>Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures In The Eighth Grade<BR/>Madame Xanadu<BR/>Solo<BR/>Adventures of Luther Arkwright<BR/>Tale of One Bad Rat<BR/>Alice In Sunderland<BR/>Animal Man<BR/>JSA<BR/>Uncle Sam<BR/>Cerebus<BR/>Seven Soldiers<BR/>America's Best Comics<BR/>It's A Bird<BR/>Tom Strong<BR/>Secret Six<BR/>DMZ<BR/>Scalped<BR/>Swamp Thing<BR/>Shade The Changing Man<BR/>Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War<BR/>The Authority<BR/>Stormwatch<BR/>Alan Moore's WildCATS<BR/>Point Blank/Sleeper<BR/>Joe Casey's WildCATS<BR/>Adam Warren's Gen 13<BR/>The Monarchy<BR/>Automatic Kafka<BR/>Maus<BR/>Ice Haven<BR/>Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt<BR/>Jack of Fables<BR/>The Goon<BR/>Elektra: Assassin<BR/>Supreme<BR/>Give Me Liberty<BR/>Top Ten<BR/>Blankets<BR/>Squadron SupremeTucker Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10793079084633425826noreply@blogger.com