DC and Punishment

[Rynan]

As a prospective comic book artist/creator, I think this news pertains those of us who want to be or already are.

This was posted last week at "Lying in the Gutters" on Comic Book Resources.

"TIMELY COMICS

There's been a lot of fuss of late about late comics. How they damage publishers, retailers, brands and consumer loyalty. Well, DC are taking a stand and it's gong to be brutal for some.

Sources close to freelancers inform me that DC Comics has a new in house policy for pencillers. Aside from very specific contracted creators (such as Jim Lee), any penciller contracted to work on a monthly book must deliver complete turnaround of 22 pages of work in four weeks. Not a month, four weeks. If that schedule isn't maintained, they'll pull pages and assign them to other creators. And you may run short of future work. A reduction in quality is more acceptable than a reduction in quantity.

Specific examples I've been given include the recent issue of "Wonder Woman" was half Dodson and half Ron Randall. Also why Koi Turnball was dropped from "Jack Hawksmoor." And it has been pointed out that there are already three fill-ins on the new "Legion" schedule.

Creators are also being dropped from exclusive contracts over this new regime. Expect certain publishing vultures to swarm."

Thoughts?

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

A reduction in quality is more acceptable than a reduction in quantity.

What a load of shit. I hate this.

Consumer loyalty? Especially if it's DC then up the ass with those fans who complain about tardy issues. I got way tired of "bloo bloo bloo All-Star Superman #3 is late bloo bloo Grant takes his sweet time" as if there aren't an assload of other titles that come out.

Personally I don't like when I'm reading a comic and suddenly the penciller changes. I forgot which ones this has happened in but it does occur. I also HATE rushed art because MY GOD you can fucking tell. You know when my loyalty as a consumer becomes offended? When that crap rears it's anus, when the stuff that's naturally going to happen in the wake of that new policy occurs.

I don't read many comics anymore, and Marvel and DC were never too much (not to say there weren't titles I adored) my thing so it's not like they're "losing" me, but such are my opinions.

The deadline will be the death of quality.
Ring the bell.
Ring the bell.
Pay the toll.

Boodeeboo!

[Edited]

[Rynan]

Well, it's not like DC is making many friends anyway, what with terrible work environments, too much editorial control, the alienation of youth markets and continually getting bitch-slapped by Marvel, it's not really surprising to me that they would punish artists just to try to secure their ever dwindling place in the market.

I think this will backfire on them in a bad way, seeing as I believe most young artists right now are looking toward independents or the internet to tell their own stories instead of writing glorified fan fiction. Saying that your going to punish them won't help your cause. Let's also not forget the growing disinterest in "superheroes" all together, with most, including myself, thinking that they're hurting the art form with their over saturation and, IMO, lack of acceptance that they are a children/young teen genre.

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

Well now all of that is beyond me. At least how DC works on the inside.

And it's been over a year since I quit my job at the comics store, but I was there five years and there seemed to be no shortage of fans for the men and women throwing cars in tights. It's been absolutely steady, could even say it grew what with the movies and such.

And I'd disagree about the young teen/child thing, I'd have to agree with one of the regulars who commented on how Marvel and DC "realized who there audience were", the kids who read them when they were young and grew up. I sold at least 10x more super-hero comics to adults than I did teens/tweens/or lil' kidlings.
That's why you have Marvel Knights, and JLU and such. Titles that have to re-gear themselves toward the younger audience, because the normal ones aren't.
Unless your just saying plain and simple super-heroes are just for kids, which I disagree, no matter how clever or convincing Ennis may be about it.


Of course, my store wasn't every store ever, so my in-retailer observations aren't exactly absolute, but I do think it plugged me in to that certain comicking atmosphere/wavelength that most fans aren't privy to. (did I use privy right?)

[Rynan]

And I'd disagree about the young teen/child thing, I'd have to agree with one of the regulars who commented on how Marvel and DC "realized who there audience were", the kids who read them when they were young and grew up. I sold at least 10x more super-hero comics to adults than I did teens/tweens/or lil' kidlings.

And when those kids get old and die, who will be left? No one, that's who. All the hip kids are growing up reading manga like Naruto instead of the now "adult oriented" American comics(their offerings to kids are meager at best). Even I read more manga than comic books. Heck, I can bet soundly that most people on this forum have read more manga than comic books. If wasn't so intent on breaking into the field, I would even to venture to say that American Superheroes, in their literary form, are old hat, better for nostalgia than anything else.

And because these kids and young teens are growing up with manga, they'll aspire to tell stories like those which they grew up with, like how I want to tell stories like the comic books and cartoons I grew up with and how many current industry people want to tell stories like the ones they grew up with(Batman becoming more like DKR Batman for example). This is the factor that will leave publishers like DC in the dust, seeing as they can't(or won't) latch on to this youth market and thus secure their loyalty for the future. No, they would rather try to take their current temporary market to the cleaners, before fizzling out against the changing tide.

[subobeyliminal]

I can safely say that I have read more comic books than manga.
A LOT MORE. Heh. I think I have read...one manga.

And though I've been a loyal DC fan, they've been slowly alienating me these past years.
I know DC and Vertigo are connected; will this new policy mess with Vertigo's artists too?
Because...Vertigo's where it's at.

...yo.

((and yes, you did use privy right! Bravo!))

[derram]

A reduction in quality is more acceptable than a reduction in quantity.

Man, that's great stuff. Hey, why not just shit in the envelope? By the time it reaches the editor I'm pretty sure all 22 pages'll be covered! Problem solved.

But, ya know... I try to look at this from both sides... and it still doesn't make sense. Unless you take into account the fact that the people at DC are obviously full of themselves.

[Rynan]

But, ya know... I try to look at this from both sides... and it still doesn't make sense.

Well, to give you a perspective of DC's "situation", here's a Dimond Comics Sales estimates for Jan. 2008. I cropped it down to 1-20.



If you notice, the most selling DC title is at number #12, while Marvel rules the top selling spots. As I said before, Marvel is bitch slapping DC. And it has been for months. It's not really any surprise that DC is running around blaming other people for this, instead of, say, bad editors, artist frying 52 events or lack luster stories.

No, it's obviously the artists that are to blame for this witchery.

[Teim]

Stick me in the "more comics than manga" crowd too.


I can understand DC wanting stuff done by when they say they want it done, they're the ones paying the artists at the end of the day, so it's their choice. Of course, if I was paying artists I'd want them to do a good job so I can sell comics on the strength of the story AND the artwork.

In the end, who really cares though, DC will retcon everything in 10 years and make this all pointless anyway.

[The Flying Dracula Hair]

I'll make YOU pointless!

[Teim]

Oh no! All the Earths just merged together and I disappeared!!!!

[Rynan]

In the end, who really cares though, DC will retcon everything in 10 years and make this all pointless anyway.

Wait, what? I don't think new company policy is affected by a retcon.

By the way, expect the next DC retcon very soon. Like next year or sooner.

Actually, this entire "comics crowd" development has peaked my interest. Exactly how many of you do read superhero comics? Like Batman, Superman or X-men?

[subobeyliminal]

Right here!
Although you probably already knew that, Ryebread.

[Teim]

I meant the comics affected wouldn't matter becasue the continuity would totally change again.

I try to stay away from superhero comics now, they kind of lost their appeal when I realized that I would never get the kind of closure I'd want. But I still read the the odd Deadpool comic and I read "The Killing Joke" the other week because I'm excited about Dark Knight.


Oh and MAX series The Punisher, because it is insane.

[Rynan]

I read "The Killing Joke" the other week because I'm excited about Dark Knight.

I pity you.