Marvel Cancellations?

[Flightpath07]

And to me, having the academy students learn for 3 years and then graduate makes more sense than the New Mutants being students for years and years and years... The kids came to the AA, studied for 3 years and grduated. That's realism.

The problem being, the kids were nowhere ready to graduate. Instead, Gage seems to have been forced to make drastic changes in a hurry, including de-powering some and killing some, in order to wrap up the book. Suddenly, the pace and direction is off in left-field compared to the rest of the series. To me, this means the writer was only told relatively recently that the book was ending.

[Le Messor]

It wouldn't be that hard for people to sign up for monthly payments for 25 months. It could be done.

That's kind of what happens already.
Also, with the suggested upfront payments - this, too, has already happened. Subscriptions.

- Le Messor
"He who doesn't risk never gets to drink champagne."
~ Russian proverb

[Jason Eberly]

I think the problem nowadays is that there are very very few artists than can do 12 issues a year.

I somewhat disagree. I think it is difficult for most artists today to draw 12 issues a year with the level of detail that they put into comics. I've felt that one of the problems of today is that everybody is trying to make every issue the next Watchmen, or <insert classic masterpiece here> instead of putting out what comics were successfully for decades...a disposable piece of affordable entertainment. Now I'm not saying they shouldn't try their best each issue, but it should be tempered within the time limitations/number of issues they are slated for. Artists like Sal Buscema may never have their work hung in The Louvre, but darnit, the man could draw multiple issues a month for decades and it thoroughly entertained me then and when I read them again now.

And the only way a company could guarantee a 25 issue run is for people to pay for 25 issues up front, before the first issue is even published, and people won't/can't do that.

Again, I feel you're focusing on the details rather than the spirit of the idea.

[Phil]

Also, with the suggested upfront payments - this, too, has already happened. Subscriptions.

Exactly, and it's a tiny tiny percent of total sales because people won't do it.

[Phil]

Again, I feel you're focusing on the details rather than the spirit of the idea.

That's fair enough, but to be realistic I have to focus on the details; if all we were looking at was spirit then comics would be free and we'd all live in perfect harmony.
I agree with you that something needs to change though.

[Flightpath07]

Exactly, and it's a tiny tiny percent of total sales because people won't do it.

I agree with you that something needs to change though.

What about a Kickstarter-type of deal? Marvel asks, for instance, who would be in favour of purchasing a comic series, guaranteed to be 25 issues (monthly) with the same artists and writers (locked into contracts), called ______, and the writer would be _____, and the artists would be _____ and _____? All interested, sign up and pledge below. If we get enough people interested, we will make the comic, and you will be billed monthly for your issues and sent them as well. Once the project is a 'go', the issues will them also appear in your LCS in order to get more people buying/reading it, but those who signed up in advance will get their issues at a slight discount and have their first issue signed by those working on it.

Why wouldn't that work? it works in other media.

I'd go for it. If it interested me, for sure!

This isn't exactly rocket-science. Just look at what is working for other industries, and modify it to work for yours! I've never taken a business course in my life, but i can figure this out.

[Phil]

But I could say yes to it now and then get bored after 2 months and stop paying.
If everyone does the same then Marvel make a loss simply producing the comic.
You can't bill monthly in that way.

If it were through a kickstarter type site Marvel would owe them fees. If they cut that site out and organised and distributed it themselves it would cost them money.
To then use Diamond and distribute to LCS's as well as doing it internally would then cost them even more money.

To have a creator sign the issue would involve Marvel flying the comics from the printer to the creator to the distributor. Even more costs.

Print media generally is dying; it's not just comics. Subscriptions are down all over the place and e-media taking over.

[Flightpath07]

Phil, although i appreciate what it is you are saying...

...if everyone thought that way;

we'd have no light bulbs, no airplanes, no chemotherapy, no hospitals, no books, no schools, no vaccines, no churches, no democracy, no poetry, no art, we'd have nothing because everyone's dreams of doing something would be dashed apart by somebody else saying "no".

Fortunately, that isn't the world we live in. Dreamers dream, and then they make those dreams a reality.

In the end, Marvel will do,what Marvel decides to do. They may come up with similar ideas as we have here, or completely different ones. BUT, they will do SOMETHING, or eventually they will die an ugly death.

In the meantime, i will support comic companies (and other companies or artists)that dream big and make those dreams a reality and share them with others, as long as i agree with what they are doing and like their product. I support dreams, and i dream myself, because i support art, and am an artist.

[Phil]

You honestly cannot compare chemotherapy to comics, surely?

Comics are a non-essential luxury entertainment item.
Marvel are a private profit-making company; they exist solely to make a profit and as long as their product doesn't break trade description act laws they owe the public nothing else.
To even use comics in the same breath and discussion as chemotherapy shows that you clearly do not appreciate what I'm saying.

I too am an artist, and support art and dreams but I can't do that if I'm bankrupt and die of starvation. You cannot expect artists to work for free.
And I certainly can't produce comics if I've died of cancer....

[Phil]

My final comments on the matter; a very apt and timely attempt by Marvel:
http://marvel.com/news/story/19252/m..._subscriptions

[Sypes]

I think the problem nowadays is that there are very very few artists than can do 12 issues a year.
And the only way a company could guarantee a 25 issue run is for people to pay for 25 issues up front, before the first issue is even published, and people won't/can't do that.

In general, I'd totally be game for something like this. If Alpĥa Flight V.4 had that option, I would have signed up. But I think I would only sign up after a certain number of issues (i.e. after the first 4 were published). That way, I would know by that time if I like or dislike the creative team behind it enough to support the rest of the serie. For example, totally would have signed up for AF v.4 (love the writing,
Dale!), but would never sign up for Astonishing X-Men (hate hate hate the drawing!, mistakes in JP's name, Sasquatch is suddenly not dumb at the party anymore...).

But I agree that a fee for the full serie would be required, and not monthly since people would cancel that once they get bored. At 3.99 per issue, 25 issues is more than acceptable to me.

[Le Messor]

My final comments on the matter; a very apt and timely attempt by Marvel:
http://marvel.com/news/story/19252/m..._subscriptions

I love that Avengers Academy is on that list, though it's been cancelled!

In general, I'd totally be game for something like this. But I think I would only sign up after a certain number of issues (i.e. after the first 4 were published).

I agree with your 'after a certain number of issues' idea, especially.

If Alpha Flight V.4 had that option, I would have signed up.

I wouldn't.

- Le Messor
"In civilised life, where the happiness, and indeed almost the existence, of man depends so much upon the opinion of his fellow men, he is constantly acting a studied part."
~ Washington Irving

[Flightpath07]

You honestly cannot compare chemotherapy to comics, surely?

Comics are a non-essential luxury entertainment item.
Marvel are a private profit-making company; they exist solely to make a profit and as long as their product doesn't break trade description act laws they owe the public nothing else.
To even use comics in the same breath and discussion as chemotherapy shows that you clearly do not appreciate what I'm saying.

I too am an artist, and support art and dreams but I can't do that if I'm bankrupt and die of starvation. You cannot expect artists to work for free.
And I certainly can't produce comics if I've died of cancer....

I'm sorry...can anybody read what I wrote and see where i said "comics are like chemotherapy", because i clearly cannot find that!

Phil, let me break this down slowly and carefully, as you aren't getting what i am saying.

What i am telling you, is that people on this site (and elsewhere, surely) are coming up with new(ish) and innovative ways for Marvel (or the comics industry) to do things differently. It's a discussion of ideas. Nobody here is saying "Marvel has to" take any of these ideas and run with them. We are brainstorming, throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks, in order to spark more creative ideas on this subject.

Unfortunately, the point i was trying to make with my last post, was that you seem bound and determined to be negative about everything brought up as a new idea.

If you think Marvel doesn't need to change (which i don't think is what you are saying, but nevertheless), you or anybody else is totally cool to have that opinion.

What i DON'T like, is getting the feeling that any new idea is assigned a negative viewpoint automatically. You pointed out to me an awful lot of "no"s, most of them based around money.

But my point was, if everyone with a dream, every inventor, every artist, every scientist, if they all let negativity stop them from coming up with ideas; or with trying to implement the ideas, if they stopped because the monetary cost might be too much...I don't think i'd want to live in that world. We wouldn't have very much, and everybody would be depressed and dead inside.

I want people here to feel free to come up with whatever ideas they want, whether they are new or rehashed. That's my point. Every viewpoint is valid, every idea is treasured, because somebody came up with them and voiced them here. Discussion is what this site is all about, isn't it?

[Jason Eberly]

Blessed are the cheesemakers!

[Le Messor]

Clearly he's being metaphorical; he means any manufacturers of dairy products.