223: TGT Rant – Online Comic Distribution Kurt Sasso Comics, Podcast, Shows, TGT Rant 1 Comment Everyone has something they want to get off their chest. Be it something in their life, or something that just grates their cheese the wrong way. Sometimes you just have to RANT to let it all out. Byron Wilkins is hosting these events and we’re joined today in studio by: Dirk Manning creator Tales of Mr. RHEE and Nightmare World! “(Online Comic Distribution) Digital distribution/online comics (NOT webcomics — but comics through Comixology and such) and the potential death of the single issue. If you liked this show share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and any other website you wish. Use the hashtag: #TGTRANT Right Click to Save as, Left Click to listen to: <a href=”http://media.blubrry.com/tgtwebcomics/recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-22928/TS-601239.mp3″>Ranting about Online Comic Distribution Models</a> One Response Brock Beauchamp March 7, 2012 One thing I would have liked to hear you talk about is subscriptions. One of the things that died with the direct market was subscription services for comic books (they still offer them but you have to search them out). I think the idea of subscriptions slots in nicely with Dirk’s points about digital-then-print. Say you’re a huge Green Lantern fan. Well, GL stars in what, 3-4 books? Enter a service like Apple’s Newsstand. Pop into the app and all Marvel/DC titles are available for $15-20 a year. Marvel/DC would make MORE money at that price considering the cost of paper, shipping, no Diamond, etc. Plus, they lock in consumer mindspace for a YEAR at a time. Every Wednesday morning, the customer picks up their iPad/Kindle. They open Newsstand and see that the new Green Lantern, Detective Comics, Amazing Spider-Man, and The Walking Dead have already downloaded automatically and are ready to read. Boom, done. One click from a customer and you get a year of comics. It’s such a no-brainer that I can’t believe these companies are so bloody stupid as to ignore it OVER and OVER again. It’s like they want to die. I just don’t get it. I spend very little on comics now (despite owning between 7-10,000 books already) because I don’t want to drive the comic book store every week. It’s annoying. On the other hand, I’m NOT going to pay $3 for an issue I can buy for $4 in print. It’s absurd and insulting to my intelligence. With a fairly priced subscription model, I’d go from spending ~$50/year on floppy issues to spending $300+ dollars simply out of convenience. I WANT to read this stuff but until they deliver it in a form I’m willing to read at a price that doesn’t feel like I’m getting the shaft, they will get almost none of my money.
Brock Beauchamp March 7, 2012 One thing I would have liked to hear you talk about is subscriptions. One of the things that died with the direct market was subscription services for comic books (they still offer them but you have to search them out). I think the idea of subscriptions slots in nicely with Dirk’s points about digital-then-print. Say you’re a huge Green Lantern fan. Well, GL stars in what, 3-4 books? Enter a service like Apple’s Newsstand. Pop into the app and all Marvel/DC titles are available for $15-20 a year. Marvel/DC would make MORE money at that price considering the cost of paper, shipping, no Diamond, etc. Plus, they lock in consumer mindspace for a YEAR at a time. Every Wednesday morning, the customer picks up their iPad/Kindle. They open Newsstand and see that the new Green Lantern, Detective Comics, Amazing Spider-Man, and The Walking Dead have already downloaded automatically and are ready to read. Boom, done. One click from a customer and you get a year of comics. It’s such a no-brainer that I can’t believe these companies are so bloody stupid as to ignore it OVER and OVER again. It’s like they want to die. I just don’t get it. I spend very little on comics now (despite owning between 7-10,000 books already) because I don’t want to drive the comic book store every week. It’s annoying. On the other hand, I’m NOT going to pay $3 for an issue I can buy for $4 in print. It’s absurd and insulting to my intelligence. With a fairly priced subscription model, I’d go from spending ~$50/year on floppy issues to spending $300+ dollars simply out of convenience. I WANT to read this stuff but until they deliver it in a form I’m willing to read at a price that doesn’t feel like I’m getting the shaft, they will get almost none of my money.
