Had a bit of a problem with the computer where I was at, the last time. I wanted to have a MARVEL IDEA SUBMISSION FORM signed and notarized, but it didn't happen, yesterday (April 30th).
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Had a bit of a problem with the computer where I was at, the last time. I wanted to have a MARVEL IDEA SUBMISSION FORM signed and notarized, but it didn't happen, yesterday (April 30th).
You need a submission form notatrised? That's surprising.
(Also, I assume you've looked into this: you've put a © on your submission; don't they already have their own © for it?)
I like that you back up your pitch with stats; but do you need a little more of the actual meat of the issue? Plot outline, more pictures than headshots?
I hope this goes well. I'd love to see a new series created by one of us! :)
~ Le Messor
"Good, better, best, never let it rest, till you good is better and your better, best."
~ David Rees
Not to be a downer, but I’m pretty sure Marvel don’t accept unsolicited submissions, and you have to be invited to pitch.
And in this market a oneshot of that size is unlikely, with a gatefold cover even moreso, and no variants *sigh* even moreso.
Le Messor - on the MARVEL IDEA SUBMISSION FORM, "5. You warrant that you are the sole owner, creator, inventor and author of the Material, that you have the full right and authorization to submit the Material and that no other person or entity, unless disclosed to Marvel by you in writing, has or shall have any right, title or interest in or to the Material." The FORM stipulates a whole lot more, but the year is usually where I put the copyright mark.
Phil - And that's why ALPHA FLIGHT will probably not do anything other than what it's been doing in Captain Marvel.
Okay, that follows then. :)
The Immortal Hulk is looking good for our heroes. (Well, Walter at least - and the writer knows he is Walter, not just a Sasquatch.)
~ Le Messor
"One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever."
~ Chinese proverb
I think it'll take a 'superstar' writer/artist team wanting the book to make them more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
So let me get this straight: you run down a comic book format that: (1) isn't currently being overused; (2) would make ALPHA FLIGHT stand out from the 300+ other comic books [and their space-taking variant covers], and; (3) have enough room to adequately tell a story with at least 10 main characters.
This is what I found out on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: Captain America # 1 is going to have a wraparound cover (by ALEX ROSS, no less). Please confirm the page count for that issue. The DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS PREVIEW catalog has a double-gatefold cover, plus an order form that can be detached with ease. IMMORTAL MEN # 1 and BRIMSTONE # 1 have super-gatefold covers that a(re) part (of) a poster. It's very easy to tear something down, but it's a lot harder to build something up. The question with regards to ALPHA FLIGHT is: which one is MARVEL doing?This last question I ask solely because I don't know the answer to it: Phil, do you work for MARVEL?
Garry, I don't think Phil is running the idea down; I think he's just trying to keep your expectations realistic.
Especially since, as you say, Marvel is tearing Alpha down lately - so they're less likely to print the book.
Go ahead and submit this, but know that they aren't likely to say yes.
~ Le Messor
"There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity."
~ General Douglas MacArthur
Not sure where giving my personal opinion and constructive criticism became a personal attack, but hey ho.
I merely stated that in this market it's unlikely; if it were a viable, profitable (being the key word) option then Marvel would already be doing it regularly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
That strengthens my point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
If Captain America, arguably one of Marvel's biggest characters, especially off the back of the biggest film opening of all-time, and written by a NYTimes best-selling author, can only get a single wraparound cover, and a 40 page (including adverts) #1 with 7 variants (Plus store exclusives) at $4.99 then there is NO chance AF will get a gatefold wraparound cover, no variant covers and 40 pages for $3.99.
The extra pages for the gatefold and the extra pages for the issue would raise the price dramatically.
Artists can't be expected to work for free.
Printing presses can't be expected to work for free.
The extra distribution for the extra weight isn't free.
Marvel is a business.
Which are mostly text, or reproduced images, at no extra cost to artists.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
And I'd be VERY interested to see the budget and sales figures GDP for those.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
The last time Marvel had a gatefold wraparound cover it was for the $4.99 40 page (including adverts) Age of Apocalypse #1 in July 2015 as one of 5 variant covers (and using connecting artwork for the #1-5 standard covers meaning no extra cost to artists).
This sold 88,346 copies.
This was not a success. (Although too, not a failure, and I know your estimated numbers are way lower)
A book selling 17,164 is a failure, and will barely cover the costs.
Exactly this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Messor
I love your enthusiasm, I love that you want to do something about the team, and are actively looking into it; I just don't want you to be shot down in flames, if at all replied to.
The problem with this, is that Marvel legally CANNOT AND WILL NOT accept blind submissions, especially of their own characters and will destroy any un-opened, unless invited to pitch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Messor
You don't own Alpha Flight. Not even John Byrne owns Alpha Flight, which means you don't have the right to any of these characters so can't submit anything relating to them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
I'd be very interested to see this form/find out where you got it - is it current?
I do not, and haven't claimed to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
I have, however worked in comics retail and still have friends/contacts that are retailers so I know somewhat about ordering and cut offs, and the perils that LCS owners face, with regards to the pros/cons of variants especially.
I also have close friends that have worked in the publishing divisions of big, but non-big-two, Diamond Premier Publishers, and others who have top 50 Image Books and we talk about this stuff all the time.
I'm not just spitballing to be an @$$.
I cannot fix Alpha Flight, but I'm not trying to. At least you're trying - and I respect that.
Why would a big-name author risk his (or her) reputation writing an on-going series that is most likely going to be cancelled or rebooted within a year? Is there any proof or evidence that a big-name author is guaranteed to bring in a successful number of books sold, whether that is 100,000 or 200,000 or higher?
I would be more inclined to submit the ALPHA FLIGHT proposal if: (1) MARVEL asks me to; (2) MARVEL asks Diana Schutz, retired DARK HORSE editor, to be the editor of this special project, and (3) Mik would consider coloring the issue...if he hasn't already assembled his own creative team.
Out of love for the book/team/title, hence my original "'superstar' writer/artist team wanting the book"Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
There's never guarantees, ever. And all I said was "more" than bit-parts in Captain Marvel; I never said a success.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
But looking at how Snyder turned Batman back into a best seller, Bendis disassembling the Avengers, anything Neil Gaiman does, Jim Lee draws etc - power in Comics today is leaning towards the creator;people are starting to follow creators from book to book rather than characters.
If Byrne came back to any Big Two book now, the numbers would probably be high, even if just for the first issue.
Exactly.
Not sure which part you’re referring to, but also not sure how it makes your original submission point.
Maybe because you are reading too much into things that aren't there? MARVEL owns a lot of stuff; I know they own ALPHA FLIGHT. That's not really what I was talking about. If I can get the MARVEL IDEA SUBMISSION FORM, you can get it. It may even be more current than 2005.
I was going to say that Phil seems to know a lot about what is successful and profitable and popular in the comic book industry. You didn't give me a chance to.
Thanks. :oops: That's probably my weakest link with art, though, (though I'm obviously highly opinionated!) and I'm not sure I could keep up with the colourists of today. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Alfan
~ Le Messor
"The trouble with having a fertile mind is that the weeds grow as prolific as the pastures."
~ P.K. Shaw
I was directly responding/replying to statements you had made/questions you had asked, so I can't see that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
If you're talking about the Epic Comics imprint one, they don't still use those, and don't accept submissions now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
Again, slightly confused as you led the discussion, but I appreciate the compliment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
If I have misinterpreted anything you've said then I apologise.
"I was directly responding/replying to statements you had made/questions you had asked, so I can't see that." I still don't know if you work for MARVEL or not (the simplest question I believe was asked).
I didn't get the MARVEL IDEA SUBMISSION FORM from EPIC. As you say, comics is a business, not entertainment. If you really want it, you will make it your business to find it. If MARVEL isn't using it any more, they should tell you. If they have a more current version than 2005, they should tell you.
Loading replies with so many points/arguments has made clarity and understanding nearly impossible.
I'm pretty sure my answer on the page before was:Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
Apologies if this wasn't clear or simple enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil
Personally, I disagree with that. To me that's like saying If I really want something I'll steal it. Marvel do not produce Submission forms any more. Ergo, finding an old one is fraudulant.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
And they have:Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil
Anyway, I feel like this has gone off the rails completely.
I genuinely apologise because that's not my intention; I genuinely enjoy the work you've been putting into this and have liked reading your pages,and would love to see more and the final product.
I just don't want you to go to a lot of trouble submitting unrealistically.
Busy. Please try again later.
Setting aside the baseless assertion about fraud (which, BTW, is done in a rather public forum), the more important question is: with so many comic books that actually exist, why are you at all concerned about one that doesn't? As you have stated (2 times, now) that you do not work for MARVEL, if I were to submit something---solicited or unsolicited, it would go to MARVEL. You would not know about it because you do not work for MARVEL. As you have warned (in red letters, too) that MARVEL doesn't accept unsolicited submissions, if I were to send in something anyway and MARVEL tossed it in the round file/shredded it/gave it to LOCKJAW for potty-training, you would not see because you do not work for MARVEL (and in the "LOCKJAW outcome", you probably wouldn't want to see it). And, if by some bizarro off-chance MARVEL gets a submission and says "Let's do this", it would take months before an actual comic book could be produced.
Only one person is derailing this thread, and it isn't me.
Again, Garry, I don't think Phil is concerned, just trying to manage expectations.
(Though I do think 'fraudulent' may not have been the best choice of words.)
He's not telling you not to submit, just warning you it might not go anywhere.
If I worked for Marvel I would green-light your submission idea and I think it would work. Nice job on focusing the content on what fans want! It's out of the box and hopefully the comic book industry can have the courage to try something unconventional. :)
Thanks, but I wonder if MARVEL has any plans to commemorate the 40th anniversary of ALPHA FLIGHT's 1st appearance?
What if some of the biggest-name superstars---past and present---were interested in contributing?
That would something.
That would be great!
Here's my wish list of illustrators worth the price of admission (IMO):1) Richard Corben*; 2) Rafa Sandoval; 3) Leanne Huynh; 4) Jim Sherman; 5) Greg Titus; 6) Chris Bachalo; 7) Jim Calafiore; 8 ) Clayton Henry; 9) Terry Shoemaker; 10) Walter Simonson; 11) Art Adams; 12) Neal Adams*; 13) John Byrne; 14) Tom Grummett, and; 15) Adam Warren.
* Unfortunately, no longer with us. (as of 7/5/2023)
The INCREDIBLE ALPHA FLIGHT/page layout 2Page 14 - SNOWBIRD (Narya), “travel(ling) between dimensions.” (words of JIM McCANN from CHAOS WAR: ALPHA FLIGHT)
Page 15 - “The government is in turmoil____” meeting.
Page 16 - LAWTON (re-envisioned)
Page 17 - DANNON, Lawton’s political foil
Page 18 - Others at the meeting express their concerns regarding the issues facing the nation.
Page 19 - GENERAL BRIAN WINSLOW explains the non-conventional threats to national security; the interim PRIME MINISTER reluctantly agrees that meta-human threats should be countered with meta-human deterrence.
Page 20 - The NEXUS of ALL REALITIES (aka THE CROSSROADS), as seen from Roger’s laboratory.
Page 21 - Northstar talks with Aurora about her injury (“three cracked ribs” sustained in AF# 26)…
Page 22 - …and gets into a brief argument with LANGKOWSKI/BOX until ROGER homes in on their intended target.
Page 23 - Judd, dazed, starts to remember bits-and-pieces of what’s going on; ROGER and WALTER/BOX get seriously focused on securing the target.
Page 24 - Meanwhile, HEATHER records her thoughts as she tries to relax; a power-surge plunges the entire room into complete darkness.
Page 25 - Mephisto watching ALPHA FLIGHT with interest…and malice.
This is all building to something!
That page is the "meat-and-potatoes" part of the story because it should spell out why a meta-human deterrence like ALPHA FLIGHT is needed against non-conventional threats such as: RANARK (circa MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE); WENDIGO (a super-strong cannibal); The Super-Skrull (I believe Walter would've told his teammates about this); original OMEGA FLIGHT; AIM; HYDRA; and, of course, THE MASTER and THE GREAT BEASTS.
Not everybody at that meeting is going to be for ALPHA FLIGHT, though (*cough* LAWTON *cough*).
That's as much as I can say.
I put the layouts together to see how long it would run. A veteran illustrator would probably pace it/lay it out differently, maybe less pages. Anyhow, the mock-proof of the double-gate fold cover is just about what I hoped it would be.
It's not ready to be a comic book...yet.
If "The New Age of Heroes" is the Distinguished Competition cribbing MARVEL's characters/MARVEL's style/MARVEL's intellectual property, than this is indeed a new age of heroes.
Beyond a shadowy cabal chasing someone/something, there isn't much of a concept for The Immortal Men, The New Challengers, and The Unexpected. While issue # 1 of The Immortal Men was intriguing, the thin plot and less-than-impressive characters quickly peter out in issue # 2. Immortal Men who are easily killed off en mass and who are really capable of saving anybody are not awesome, heroic, or entertaining.
The New Challengers at least realized that its concept and plot are best suited for a mini-series, and truth be told, it would have been a very good one if the 1st issue was told in a more coherent, straightforward manner. Trina is interesting, and could have started the book with her or the big guy, who doesn't get a chance to shine until issue # 3. And it's probably best that this is a mini-series because V Ken Marion is no Andy Kubert.
In The Unexpected, the character NEON is neither heroic, effective or interesting. There really is no reason for this book to exist because it isn't much different than The Immortal Men, NEON is pathetically ineffective at dealing with the bad-guys, and the bad-guys seem like more than a match for NEON.
The good news: the two New Age of Heroes books that are interesting and well-executed are the two that I initially didn't expect much from (initially) - The Terrifics and The Silencer.
The bad news: I stopped reading Curse of Brimstone in the middle of # 1 and have no interest or reason to finish reading it. As for Damage and Sideways (which I don't have), if I want to read the Hulk or Spiderman, I'll buy the Hulk or Spiderman. The on-line articles "BETWEEN THE PANELS: THE NEW AGE OF DC HEROES IS FAILING" by Jesse Schedeen and "Is DC's New Age of Heroes just Marvel trolling?" on Reddit go into detail with the comparisons between the Distinguished Competition's characters and MARVEL's.
If The New Age of Heroes is saying that it can do MARVEL characters better than MARVEL itself (and in a rather in-your-face manner), the proof isn't in the pudding of what I've read (except for The Terrifics). With the Warner Brothers characters, the Charleton characters, plus their own extensive catalog of characters, the Distinguished Competition may have bitten off more than it can chew.
That sounds like pretty much what I expected from The Immortal Men, The New Challengers, and The Unexpected.
~ Le Messor
"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time."
~ Abraham Lincoln
I sure hope the "edit" function can be restored so I can correct "en masse", correct "Charlton" (that must have been where the 'e' went), fix the sentence "...who are not capable of saving anybody..."/"who are incapable of saving anybody...", and add Joe Bennett to the "wish list."
Immortal Hulk # 4 is good. Real good.
Glad you liked IH4 Garry!
Any thoughts on where #5 will go?
I read the review on Bleeding Cool where the reviewer thinks that IH4 is the weakest issue of the new series. Although I've only gotten IH2 and IH3 (as a result of reading IH4), I'm not sure how anyone could jump to that conclusion so early in a series.
Not only does IH4 feature a guest-star who has a connection to Bruce Banner that is drawing them both toward each other, Walter is a man who is trying to convince himself as well as reporter Jacqueline McGee that TANARAQ is dead. The panel shows Walter doesn't quite believe it and something is very wrong.
Personally, I rate this comic book a solid 9 out of 10; I don't know if it can get much better than this, but I look forward to IH5 to find out.
Yeah, I reckon it’s just because it had no actual Hulk in the issue.
Meh! And I have read a bunch of other reviews that say it’s the best issue so far
Well, I can understand if you're looking for Hulk in a Hulk comic and don't find one, you could be a little disappointed.
Me, I'd be looking for Sasquatch, so I probably wouldn't be. :)
~ Le Messor
"At some point there are going to be dinosaurs on this dinosaur tour, aren't there?"
~ Ian Malcom
http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com...hulk-4-review/
https://comicsverse.com/immortal-hulk-4-review/
https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/comic...mmortal-hulk-4
http://community.comicbookresources....!-quot/page180
https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-b...mmortal-hulk/4
https://sequentialplanet.com/comic-r...mortal-hulk-4/
https://www.google.ca/amp/blacknerdp...-4-review/amp/