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Somebody give an award to whoever made those things, too. What a hoot!

And here I am with the fields retyped.

Hey Heidi, some kind of glitch has Jim Kakalios’ name, email and website in the fields left of the message field, and I, (Paul Chadwick, actually, and I do dig the costumes) was able to post in his name.

I’m using the NoScript plugin for Firefox, which might be enabling this exploit.

Anyway, if you get some odd or graceless comments from “Jim,” it may be somebody else riding his identity.

Paul’s not kidding. I’m not “oong”, and this is my first time visiting the site (also using Firefox, etc).

Only posting to reiterate that there’s an issue.

jason.

To be fair, we’re in a period where the larger publishers are very prolific, and that’s affecting the Top 300 lists. In June, only 15 publishers made the Top 300, with 10 publishers accounting for 291 entries on the list.

I don’t know about Bluewater specifically, but there are are publishers whose sales stayed the same or increased that have nonetheless dropped out of the 300 as a result of the volume of releases.

I did a graph on this once, which I need to get around to updating, but you can see the trend:
http://www.comichron.com/vitalstatistics/itemcount.html

Oh, and viva Betty White. Check out her YouTube “Tattletales” appearances with husband Allen Ludden…

That 15-publisher month was a record, by the way, for the Diamond era — smallest number of publishers ever to capture the entire 300.

This, again, brings to light the question of where one fits in the industry… and in this case how awareness can or cannot traverse across media. I’ve always given Bluewater their respect, mainly because I believe in diversity in comics and since very few, if at all, are filling this niche then I say more power to them.

As for the top 300, Miller is spot on again, and for that we owe him because there’s nothing better than real knowledge. I wonder how long the iCv2 top 300 will be relevant? Perhaps it should be expanded to get the full range of industry sales data and tracking.

“I’ve always given Bluewater their respect, mainly because I believe in diversity in comics and since very few, if at all, are filling this niche then I say more power to them.”

Niche of ripping off naive artists? Naw, I think plenty of companies are doing that. However, I think their offer to pay an artist for some work with two comics (value: $4) was outstanding…

@ Charles, I’m sure you know I was talking about the *end product* niche market, not their behind-the-scenes operations with talent (which I can’t seem to connect the two topics beyond a personal jab at the company).

As for how they treat their artists; I’m not advocating what they’ve done is right, however, this topic wasn’t about that.

Have they settled those lawsuits with Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber’s management yet? Pehaps this new comic is intending to defray the court costs.

Agreed–Betty White rocks now, and she has always rocked, but it sure would be better if the pictures in the biocomic looked like her.

And you still give them press coverage….

Heidi, you just backed off your earlier claim of banning the Bluewater articles!! And all this from peer pressure from the Hollywood sites!!!

The terrorists just won.

And you still give them press coverage….

The issue is whether mainstream press coverage of a comics publication results in more sales of that publication. In Bluewater’s case, the press coverage apparently doesn’t. The possible reasons for that are worth examining. Simply mentioning Bluewater’s Betty White comic is hardly the same as promoting it. There’s no “so bad it’s good” aspect, apparently no controversial statements about White. There’s no reason to buy it unless one wants limited biographical info about White in a comics format. Perhaps the comics format and the lack of controversial content explain the low sales.

SRS

Please note: anyone who is a total asshat in this thread is going to get banned.

>>Jimmie Robinson: I wonder how long the iCv2 top 300 will be relevant? Perhaps it should be expanded to get the full range of industry sales data and tracking.

Diamond does some intermittent expansions to the list where they’ll release the Top 50 “Small Publisher” titles — small defined as publishers under 1% dollar market share. I list them every month on Comichron when they release the data. But the Small Publisher list isn’t released every month, and the result is a ranking with skips, so we’ll see #301 and #304 but not #302 and #303.

Capital City used to list nearly everything it sold, down to very small numbers. I have one (and only one) of those months online, here:

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/1995/1995-01Capital.html

It’s pretty difficult to work with lists that long, at least from my POV; it’s what’s taken so long to get more of them online. Publisher names often have to be located from the catalogs — not many would remember that Piffle Publishing was responsible for the 100 copies Capital sold of its 597th place comic book, “Phineas, Magician for Hire” #2.

An additional hundred entries from Diamond would be helpful these days and capture a couple of extra percent of the market, but the WHOLE list would be pretty messy, now that reorders are in the mix. As it is now, when a book re-charts just because of reorders, some people think that’s all it sold because they don’t think to look at the previous month. There’s no easy way to flag the reordered books.

Technically, Bluewater’s comics are books, as each has an EAN. Does ICv2 differentiate between a 32-page graphic novel and a 112-page graphic novel?

June 2009 (comics)
#283 WILLIAM SHATNER PRESENTS TEK WAR #1 (MR) $3.99 3,790

No Bluewater titles in the April-July 2010 Top 300 GN lists, where the cutoff is usually 350 copies.

What does BookScan say?

According to WorldCat, Bluewater’s most successful title is the Female Force collection (Palin/Obama/Clinton/Kennedy) found in 94 of the member libraries.

BN.com lists the Lady Gaga comic as the current bestseller. Amazon: Pattinson.

I give them props for their PR, but the sales team is dropping the ball. Where are the digital comics to satisfy the curiosity of the general public? Where’s the newsstand distribution? Sure, these are “books”, but what bookstore will stock a 32-page comic book on a book shelf? And how much wear-and-tear will the returned copies experience?

(Bluewater gets the chutzpah award… their Pattinson preview on Amazon features ads for other BW titles, as well as an HBO True Blood ad!)

Oh, and really, they should be marketing the heck out of the rock and roll comics. That is the most mainstream product they sell, but hardly anyone, comics press or otherwise, has noticed them.

What most people fail to realize is that comic book exposure across platforms is necessary to gain an enhanced appreciation of the media by the populous.

Comic book people are always saying “Why don’t people like comics more and give us the respect we deserve?”

The narrative art comic medium is probably the most powerful media on the planet and they don’t like us because we are too self-inclusive with our super-heroes and cult junkies. If you really want to break out of the backstreets and hit the mainstream. You have to have these niche markets that put you there. The more you help them, the more they help you.

And believe me, there are a lot of niche markets that no one has discovered yet. Any questions? Just ask.

I find it hilarious that “The Beat” can’t even muster up the courage to address their utter hypocrisy and complete lack of conviction on this matter. I also find it interesting that most of the comments give her a free pass on it. But then again, this is the site for unparalelled comic snobbery and it always lives up to my expectations.

Being a hypocrite is apparently accepted behavior but commenting on that hypocrisy is “frowned upon”. Interesting.

I’ve had wonderful experience with Dreamhost for wordpress hosting… check out dreamhost.com. It is extremely easy to set up wordpress there, their rates are cheap, their services are vast and powerful, and their customer service is unbelievably wonderful. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Might I recommend times not to post.

When Drinking:
Sure it can be fun, but you never know who you’re going to wake up next to.

When your words have been spun:
I know it makes you mad, but trust me, these people just tire you out. They’re not worth your time.

The 1st year after having a new baby:
This applies to new dads as well as moms. Whether you know it or not at the time or not, this is a form of temporary insanity which will make even people who know you well, wonder if it’s really you posting.

When you’re tired:
Sometimes you misread things and end up fighting about something the other person agrees with you on. Plus, higher typo count, which I have trouble with, even when I’m at the tpo fo ym gmae.

The comment system in use is one of the more liberal I’ve found. No password to remember, no captcha. I prefer this system. Of course, I don’t see the spam behind the scenes…

As for getting more people to comment… isn’t that the Grand Unified Theory of Blogging? If you figure out how to do that, better take out a patent, because it will be worth millions! How much advertising do you do? (And your 7zoom numbers are pretty good…)

One idea: offer professionals an opportunity to guest-post. Sure, they might have their own blog, so allow them to reprint it one week later. (And you advertise their blog on the post.) Carte blanche and tabula rasa… whatever they want to write. You send a donation to the CBLDF or HERO as compensation.

As for industry participation, you’ve got quite a few professionals appearing here. Paul Pope, Evan Dorkin, Kurt Busiek… Plus, when I attend trade shows, various booth people recognize me from comments I leave here. (I’ve only had one negative reaction that I know of…and not face-to-face.)

My own message board is moderated by myself and several deputies. Each has the authority to delete posts that violate the house rules, and block the posters from further postings. Every now and then, a jerk slips through this net, but they and their posts don’t survive for long. It works for my board, though this system would doubtless require considerable work to fit your site with its greater traffic. But, with rare exception, once a troll, always a troll, and I don’t lose a second of sleep for having banned such from my board.

I couldn’t agree more, Heidi. I read your posts every morning–you and Tom Spurgeon are my New York Times (well, you, Tom and the NYT are my NYT)–and half the time, I dread looking at the comments. So I don’t.

But then I feel I’m depriving myself of what makes the medium–the Internet, I mean–so valuable, which is that it’s publication and response simultaneously. It’s just disappointing that so many people who have so little to say want to say it as often and as loudly as they do.

To those commenters who seem to revel in putting someone down or trashing someone’s work: just drop it already. Go make something of your own. Or if you really want to comment, take a second and see whether you actually have anything to convey other than “thumbs up” or “thumbs down”. I’m really interested to hear actual commentary on whether a book is interesting or fails in some way. You’re just wasting my time–and that of many, many others–showing us how funny you think you are.

When you comment, I’m listening to you. Please don’t waste my time.

I second Torsten’s suggestion of having guest blogging by industry pros. It’s obvious a lot of them already read (and comment on) The Beat, it would be great to get some more substantive posts from them, on whatever topic strikes their fancy.

PS. On the topic of web hosts, I’ve had a fantastic experience with Bluehost.com for the past 8 years. Not sure how their rates stack up against other hosts, but their features are good and customer service is great.

Actually, I *love* the comments on the Beat. I have pretty much entirely given up on reading blog comments and messageboards (the Anime News Network forums sometimes make me want to bash my head through a wall), but I read almost every single comment on the Beat. There are a few trollish people around, but not enough to bring the whole place down, and I think deputizing another moderator or two could get rid of that element entirely. If you want to tweak, by all means tweak, but I don’t think the comments section needs a major overhaul.

See 7 useful, informative comments!

I like chicken.

I’ve been having good luck with SiteGround.com for hosting.

I have to say that I have generally found the comments on the Beat among the most polite yet, though I don’t read all the posts so maybe I’m just picking up on only the polite posters. I really have stopped posting anything more than very short posts on some “other” comics blogs around town because you have those commentators who look down from their high horses and generally try to belittle the rest through their comments, generally making up for some inadequacy within their own lives. Not something I sense here.

Keep up the good work, wherever you go we’ll follow.

Although this is the internet and there is no escape from stupid, I love the Beat’s comments section. Hopefully, you can find someone to help with the rigorous chores of moderating.

The thing that really bugs me on these comments sections are the people who talk shit on what you choose to discuss and write about (I guess some HAVE to get their say in regardless if they’re interested in a topic or not). Other than that it’s a great place.

As long as Evan Dorkin keeps posting… the Beat (and the internet) need more Evan Dorkin.

Testing…

Heh. Just checking.

Does this also mean that the Beat will tone down this new brand of snark and generalizing stereotypes in its posts – especially concerning super-hero comics, the industry or “baby-men”? And I mean this seriously.

I like the Beat comments as they are really. Moderation kills discussion and censors opinion. Plus, not to mention the fact that most moderation seems to usually fall in favor of those polluting the comment stream to begin with in most cases.

Case in point, if I wanted to read the obnoxious opinions of a bunch of neckbeards running rampant I would go to Newsarama. A vile toxic waste dump of people who no longer even like comics.

I really appreciate the fact that Heidi has this forum in which I can voice my opinion (as contrarian as it may be sometimes) and as long as I don’t swear like a drunken sailor or make specific references to sexual actions with fellow poster’s parents I can do so un-edited. I’m a blunt guy. I say pretty much everything I feel and would do so in a heart-beat in person as well (just so you don’t think I’m one of *those* types). So I appreciate this little soap box in this minuscule corner of the internet to lay the smack down if need be.

That said, I guess my point is really that I don’t care what methods you adopt in the future as long as you don’t delete my posts. And actually, while we’re on the subject, I volunteer myself as moderator.

“Does this also mean that the Beat will tone down this new brand of snark and generalizing stereotypes in its posts – especially concerning super-hero comics, the industry or “baby-men”?”

That seems unlikely.

Here is the alternate cartoon for this post:
http://xkcd.com/202/

Hahaha, that youtube cartoon is spot-on…Louis Armstrong

I love The Beat. One day I might have something newsworthy featured here and I know I would appreciate less jerk comments — in short, put yourself in the other person’s shoes before making rude remarks.

I don’t think I ever really insult the creators themselves as I respect anyone who has the fortitude to publish something and add a piece of artwork to the creative tapestry of the world.

But let it be known that I will never apologize to Julia Roberts. Ever.

Love him or hate him I think its great that he sets his bar of standards and sticks to it. Not many people would give up their rights to such a money generating book as the Watchmen. Let alone never taking the money from the movies.

Leaves one to wonder how long ago he wrote Neuronicon, now coming out through Avatar, and if the next League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is on schedule?
I revere Moore’s work, but the first full issue of Neuronomicon had 42 uses of “fuck” and variations thereon in its scant 18 pages of story. That seems rather unimaginative for someone with Moore’s facility for language.

I can totally understand and empathize with Moore’s “crankiness.” I’m every bit as cranky about comics due to the dumbshit comics industry and audience.

Sounds like fumetti to me. I’ll be lining up to get it. It’s also nice to know that he seems to have backpedaled on the whole ‘quitting comics’ business.

Oh, good night, enough already on this, please. In all these interviews over the past several years, Alan Moore continues to act as if DC Comics is the sum total of the comics industry, which is very silly for a very smart man. He certainly has earned the right to be cranky, but he’s become a bit sad, to me at least, when he mutters on like that about a medium that’s in far better artistic shape than he knows, or pretends to know. Or not know. Or whatever it is he’s on about these days. On top of that he bitches and moans about the boundaries of comics as art and puts out Victorian superhero fan fiction and Victorian fan porn-fiction. Okay, whatever. I’m not adding anything worthy to the pile but I also don’t condemn the medium for the crimes of the industry.

All fairness aside, Moore never condemned the medium. He says in the first paragraph of Heidi’s quote:

“I mean, I will always love and continue to work in the comics medium.”

In the next paragraph, he condemns the way the industry operates:

“It’s largely disgust – I don’t think that’s too strong a term, disgust – that I feel with the way that the comics industry operates.”

Big difference between one’s love for the medium and a condemnation for the way the industry operates and as a reader, I agree with him 100%.

I love the medium and still read comics — little to none of the new ones largely also out of disgust with the way the industry operates.

For a very smart man Evan, it seems silly that you ignored the most obvious quotes from Moore when making your own condemnation of the man’s view.

Say what you want about Alan Moore, but I bet he’d know when to use “was” and “were” regardless of the Green Lantern’s status as a pervert.

Put me in the category of those who have grown tired of what Moore has to say. Every headline is basically “Moore hates state of industry”. It’s not exactly “Man bites dog.”
I agree with much of what Evan stated. He seems either really ignorant as to what the industry has to offer or insists on driving home the fact he hates dc (and marvel) in such a way that he makes it seem like the industry has NOTHING to offer.
What bugs me about that is he isn’t really preaching to the choir. Im afraid that people who are skeptical of the medium anyway, yet recognize Moore’s name, will read what he says and dismiss much of what’s out there today.

For Neonomicon, you may be looking at the wrong bits. Watch how Moore creates panels out of the landscape, locations and props and the different levels within. Look at the use of speech balloons, especially FX balloons and how they delineate from each other (or not). Then look at how the alko-affected people can do things closer to Dr Manhattan… and what that means for their experience of reality. Moore is deliberately not using certain tools of his, specifically the juxtaposed dialogue, and finding new ones to replace them…

“Alan Moore Still Cranky”

In other news, water is wet.

— Rob

Funny how the man who subverted the Super-hero genre to his own ends AND who consistently slags one of the two major Publishers of that comics genre could engender such vitriolic attacks from the fanboys of that particular genre?

It’s almost as if by attacking him, they’re defending it. The fact that he’s LEFT writing about superheroes can only add fuel to their criticisms…

Or it could be that peoplea just tired of his bull, I mean he showed his ignorance when he talked about Blackest Night being based on one of his old throwaway stories. The guy has no clue about what is going on in comics good or bad but acts like he does. That makes him full of crap in my book, not to mention how much of a hypocrite he is truly how anyone at this point takes him serious is beyond me.

If Moore says the “Blackest Night” or whatecer concept is based on something similar he wrote for DC YEARS ago, how are you going to discredit that without any insider information?
I think the people who’re tired of his bull are people who don’t like the fact that Moore is dismissing work they enjoy. These people are most likely the ” Comic Book Guy” type of people. These people have a huge emotional investment in the current Marvel/DC paradigm.

“Moore’s name, will read what he says and dismiss much of what’s out there today.”
Most of what’s out there deserves to be dismissed. I think things are more stagnant than fanboys and fangirls would like to admit.