DC drops prices!

[marvelguy]

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/10/07/for-immediate-release-dc-comics-drops-prices-on-399-titles-moves-to-299-price-point-for-ongoing-comic-book-series/


Lets see if Marvel would do the same....

[kenmacny]

Usually the 1st step on the way to bankruptcy unfortunately. Hard to get those pissed off customers back... Hopefully I'm wrong.

[illuminated]

Dang! I thought they were going on the honor system or making them free when I read the title. I thought they'd really dropped prices!

Come to find, they simply lowered them.



(Yeah, I deserve a kick in the nads for that one.)

[illuminated]

Usually the 1st step on the way to bankruptcy unfortunately. Hard to get those pissed off customers back... Hopefully I'm wrong.

They'll never get you back. You just use the Kenny Macy subscription plan, with free dings!

I figure it this way, if they start to go near bankruptcy, Disney will buy them.

In Italy, Panini publishes Marvel, DC and Disney comics.

Benvenuto!

[nocutename]

That's good news but now they just need to put out better stories. What they are doing with the Bat family is so uninteresting to me. The only thing that looks good is the Knight and Squire mini.

[kenmacny]

They'll never get you back. You just use the Kenny Macy subscription plan, with free dings!

I figure it this way, if they start to go near bankruptcy, Disney will buy them.

In Italy, Panini publishes Marvel, DC and Disney comics.

Benvenuto!

I gots to get that DVD selling again!

[illuminated]

I gots to get that DVD selling again!

The one that gives ShamWow instructions in Italian?

The one about how to use a ShamWow for a loincloth, when you've misplaced your own loincloth?


Speaking of which, where did that thing go?

[kenmacny]

The one that gives ShamWow instructions in Italian?

The one about how to use a ShamWow for a loincloth, when you've misplaced your own loincloth?


Speaking of which, where did that thing go?

I connect the ShamWow to the Slap Chop and go at for a few minutes till I see the desired results. Then a Oxyclean to take out the stains.

[marvelguy]

And about an hour after DC announced the news. Marvel followed suit. Their reasoning? The digital sales is good enough to lower prices.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28740

[marvelguy]

2 million Marvel apps has been downloaded?!?! That's the number of books printed back in the 40s!!!!

[Evil Parsnip]

In reality it makes sense - both companies want to expand, not dry up their markets and people were left, right and center buying fewer books because of price and the economy. If they could saturate the market and make more money by only doing digital editions for $0.50 a piece they would do it. In fact I think something like that might happen one day in the next decade, where print, or luxury editions as I expect they will be called, will be much higher priced but the downloads would be cheap enough that they'd sell considerably more digital copies then they do hard and digital combined right now.

It makes way too much sense as they cut out the printer, the distributors, shippers, and dealers which currently eat ~70%-85% of the current price.

If you think about the current pricing (and I'm basing this on my time as a dealer, which was a while back) but I'd buy the books from the distributor for 40-60% off cover, the distributor had to be making money, the shippers who transported the books to the distributors had to make money, the printers certainly did, so what was left from all of that was what the companies got and they had overhead and expenses to deal with. So for each dollar spent I bet right now they are netting less than $0.15 - digitally, they'll get at least 75% of each dollar. That's a huge incentive to focus on the digital initiative and to use the paper product mainly as a venue to expand your audience rather than as the mainstay of the business.

[korfcomicsgroup]

This is great. Does anyone long for the days of newsprint or baxter paper in comics with much lower prices.

[jordanscott]

this is good news.

as long as they keep an inexpensive tier for online offerings I'd say they're getting it right.

[toz1960]

This is great. Does anyone long for the days of newsprint or baxter paper in comics with much lower prices.
Oh YES indeed.

[Quato]

--

[comicmanshipper]

this has been the talk of the New York show
so far

i had a nice lunch with a DC employee

she explained to me how this is all happening

think of this in Baseball terms
Minor League Baseball's primary focus is to develop talent
for the Big League Squad
That the Minors actually show any profit is a bonus
for the Big League Team

think of the 100's of millions of $$$ (each year)
that Hollywood spends on films/tv shows/ideas that never happen

Now DC does the same thing for their parent corporation
and actually makes a bit of profit

She explained that DC would have to lose 100's of millions of $$ before even to begin worrying that something would negative would happen to the company

DC is the parent corps Minor League team
they develop concepts , characters , ideas , talent , merchandising , etc for the main company and the publisihing actually shows a profit

Warner's is thrilled with them , so much so , this is the main reason they moved or are moving a good chunk of the company to the West Coast

She stated DC would have to lose at a min. of $100+ million a year
to endanger them

Even if they lost Tens of Millions , they would still be ok

DC's publishing showing a profit is all a bonus for the parent corp.


also i asked her about the newsprint
thing , she explained printing color newsprint is now more expensive
the the glossy stock

most of the major printers have a limited amount of equipment to produce color newsprint
so the cost is now more $$$ then printing on the glossy stock

[nocutename]

I didn't even know that DC was move to the West Coast. I kinda like them HQ'd in NY.

[habib]

this has been the talk of the New York show
so far

i had a nice lunch with a DC employee

she explained to me how this is all happening

think of this in Baseball terms
Minor League Baseball's primary focus is to develop talent
for the Big League Squad
That the Minors actually show any profit is a bonus
for the Big League Team

think of the 100's of millions of $$$ (each year)
that Hollywood spends on films/tv shows/ideas that never happen

Now DC does the same thing for their parent corporation
and actually makes a bit of profit

She explained that DC would have to lose 100's of millions of $$ before even to begin worrying that something would negative would happen to the company

DC is the parent corps Minor League team
they develop concepts , characters , ideas , talent , merchandising , etc for the main company and the publisihing actually shows a profit

Warner's is thrilled with them , so much so , this is the main reason they moved or are moving a good chunk of the company to the West Coast

She stated DC would have to lose at a min. of $100+ million a year
to endanger them

Even if they lost Tens of Millions , they would still be ok

DC's publishing showing a profit is all a bonus for the parent corp.


also i asked her about the newsprint
thing , she explained printing color newsprint is now more expensive
the the glossy stock

most of the major printers have a limited amount of equipment to produce color newsprint
so the cost is now more $$$ then printing on the glossy stock

Thanks for the info!

Hope you are enjoying the NY show!!!

[Quato]

--

[comicmanshipper]

What are they creating 'new' that is making them millions? Just curious. Batman, Superman, and Watchmen isn't new. Green Lantern isn't new.

not just the characters , but the actual stories themselves
the GL film is based very much on the GJ run of the current title.
also Smallville incorporates chracters from the DCU, as does the Brave and the Bold , which lead to toy sales , etc
they have had some film success with Hellblazer , Perdition , HO Violence, we will see how RED does next (word is very positive)
oh yeah , the word is that Croc is the next Batman film villain (or one of them , though know one knows for sure)


Why do they need a print division to develop concepts? They can lose money developing concepts without spending extra money to print comics.

the thing is the comics do not lose money , they break even , or show a small to medium profit

where as brand new film/tv development deals , cost $$$ , and in most caes never happen

I work in the global corporate world of lean, mean, and green....so... who sits around approving millions of dollar to be lost in a budget over an unnecessary process... publishing comics.

it is not costing them millions of $$$ to publish $$
DC is still making a profit

You post above sounds more like a sales pitch. A marketing spin. I work for a 100 billion dollar global company. They preach being lean, not wasteful. I don't believe DC would have closed their office and laid off all those people if the picture was as rosey and concern-free for the publishing branch as you imply. Don't believe it.

Hollywood is a much different animal , Movie/TV development is waste , waste , spend , spend , and hopefully get lucky on some project (for example Artie Lange's $2 mil ABC TV development deal )

again i am just a humble comic book guy
i only relaying info.
the employee had nothing to pitch to me , other then talking
over lunch , she is a long time friend
and she did state that the layoffs were unsettling
but the majority of the layoffs were people that did not want move to the left coast

and i agree
publishing is never a totally secure thing in this day and age ( what job is? ) but talking to DC employees today thru out the show:
the general response is : things look good today , but you still are looking over your shoulder for what's coming

I guess though that is the way almost everyone employed (or not employed ) in this country feels
, and its been that way for the last 3/4 years




Q-
thanks for the reply , it is good to discuss with you again on these boards
CMS


and thanks to all for the nice comments, i am having a blast! sold out show all weekend , the panels are packed! this is 1st rate alternative to SD

[comicmanshipper]

one quick thing , i have to get back to the fun

i thought you like to hear what comic book sellers are saying
this is just a quick update in talking to some sellers
or just observing as i was catching up with friends

tpb sales ok (depends on the seller -if you discount , you will do fine , i noticed)

modern comics , real good , if under year or 2 old (and almost all DC , Marvel and some Image ) , books 2 to 8 years old just ok unless a title like the new GL or Morrison's Batman were people are trying to complete runs or RED which a lot of people seem to be looking for ,

$.25 books or cheap books , not happening , people rather pay full price from a seller who has his stock in order
too much for people to do at a show like this , then sludge thru unorganized books-
i wonder how these guys afford table costs?

books from about 1980 thru 2000 , nearly all dead , with a few exceptions

Silver and Bronze , some interest , nothing to exciting

Gold always ok , though with the prices of Golden Age , you only have to sell a few things for the show to be considered a success

Toys - dead in the water , Statues - interest but the problem is people do not want to carry around such large items at a show like this

odds and ends : DVD's , animation cells , etc -this is not really the show for this stuff
though cheap Video Games seemed to be doing ok

Artists Alley was packed , this looks to be a huge deal at this show

[marvelguy]

Interesting report, CMS. I've always wanted to go to NYCC. I hear it's more comics-oriented than SDCC. Plus, it's closer to home than SD.

[Quato]

--

[nocutename]

I am going today and am hoping it isn't too packed. It's my first really big con so I don't know what to expect except that tons of people will be there.

I will try and take pictures to post later today.

[jordanscott]

Thanks for the reply. This does sound like what any employee would say that kept their job after a layoff. Especially if the chopping block is active until August 2011 as referenced by the filing they made to the state of New York. Had I not endured about 7 waves of layoffs in the last decade and the loss of good friends and coworkers to unemployment, I might believe the 'everything is rosy' report. I do really believe that the people you spoke with believe everything they've said. Thanks again.

Q

You work for IBM?

I do. lol you pretty much described most of corporate america but it rang true to me and my experiences.

[Quato]

--

[jaydeebee]

Back to the subject of lowering comic prices, never thought I'd see the day that I was glad to see a $2.99 price tag on a new comic! But I'm glad to see DC and now Marvel lowering their prices back to $2.99, but that alone will not draw me into picking up titles which I have dropped. Content is important to me and both companies, Marvel being perhaps a tad worse, have moved beyond content and into marketing. The tactic of endless event leading to event leading to event, has worn this reader out even more than the high prices did. Furthermore, a great story doesn't have to culminate in the killing of a beloved character or in having someone's arm ripped off (listening DC?). Comicdom doesn't need seven Incredible Hulks of various colors or two Captain Americas, and we don't need a bunch of Batmen( or even one Wolverine). Comics need characters who are interesting, writers who can write and artists who can draw, and editors who edit instead of pretending to be carnival barkers.

As for digital comics...bleh, they can keep 'em. That's one line I won't cross.

[jordanscott]

Back to the subject of lowering comic prices, never thought I'd see the day that I was glad to see a $2.99 price tag on a new comic! But I'm glad to see DC and now Marvel lowering their prices back to $2.99, but that alone will not draw me into picking up titles which I have dropped. Content is important to me and both companies, Marvel being perhaps a tad worse, have moved beyond content and into marketing. The tactic of endless event leading to event leading to event, has worn this reader out even more than the high prices did. Furthermore, a great story doesn't have to culminate in the killing of a beloved character or in having someone's arm ripped off (listening DC?). Comicdom doesn't need seven Incredible Hulks of various colors or two Captain Americas, and we don't need a bunch of Batmen( or even one Wolverine). Comics need characters who are interesting, writers who can write and artists who can draw, and editors who edit instead of pretending to be carnival barkers.

As for digital comics...bleh, they can keep 'em. That's one line I won't cross.

#cloud9#

[toz1960]

Back to the subject of lowering comic prices, never thought I'd see the day that I was glad to see a $2.99 price tag on a new comic! But I'm glad to see DC and now Marvel lowering their prices back to $2.99, but that alone will not draw me into picking up titles which I have dropped. Content is important to me and both companies, Marvel being perhaps a tad worse, have moved beyond content and into marketing. The tactic of endless event leading to event leading to event, has worn this reader out even more than the high prices did. Furthermore, a great story doesn't have to culminate in the killing of a beloved character or in having someone's arm ripped off (listening DC?). Comicdom doesn't need seven Incredible Hulks of various colors or two Captain Americas, and we don't need a bunch of Batmen( or even one Wolverine). Comics need characters who are interesting, writers who can write and artists who can draw, and editors who edit instead of pretending to be carnival barkers.

As for digital comics...bleh, they can keep 'em. That's one line I won't cross.
Yep! That pretty much sums it up for me.