Flashpoint #5 question

[boynightwing]

The comic store where I lived only ordered 25 copies of Justice League. I think he still has some left. He had over a dozen when I came in.

Why don't they put comics back in to grocery stores? That's how I got them when I was young. I see them at Chapters now and there is a little book store near my cottage that has about a dozen titles. I've seen them at Zellers but they want too much per issue.

[ctc]

>You can totally see why they abandoned the news stands in favor of the direct market.

'specially since there seems to have been a dip in the early 80's. I suspect the comic shops seemed like a safe haven then.

>This would not be economically possible now without an absolutely ridiculous cover price.

....and/or a few other changes, like lower grade printing.

>It would be very interesting to see Archie's numbers via newsstand/grocery store sales vs returns.

The last few I saw (from a year or so back) has a print run at around 190,000 with circulated copies around 80,000 for most of them, but (like the gap between DC's top and mid sellers) the better selling issues seem to get to around 130,000 circulated.

>I'd guess the reprints in the digests is what might help make the numbers work without the additional production costs?

I'd agree; especially when you think how much more money goes to talent these days. It costs them next to nothing to reprint and old Archie story, and each digest usually only has one or two new stories.... although it's almost surprising that they bother with new ones in the digests. I got no idea on how the current surreal "Life With Archie" is doing.

Don C.

[samurainoir]

In the early eighties, I wad the only kid i knew of who still spent his allowance on comics... My friends were all feeding the video game machines at Beckers (where I was buying comics), and saving up for game cartridges.

The real surprising move, and probably most Telling about the sales and PR they have received with Married Life with Archie is the fact that they have launched it as the headliner to their larger magazine format. Whether this model holds or not will be interesting to observe, since in the past decade we've seen Vampirella, kiss, too much coffee man, and ultimate spiderman come and go with attempts at marrying slick glossy magazines with articles to comics.

Clint is the latest attempt aimed a young men, and serializing Kick *** and the other Millarworld titles. I actually have more faith in Archie... Using the tried and true celebrity gossip and fashion tips that dominates the Checkout lines of grocery stores and drug marts.

It would also be interesting to see if Archie pays royalties or not these days... Particularly after the PR disaster behind Don Decarlo's firing. The man who is arguably Archie's "jack Kirby"... If not moreso given that up to a few years ago, everything had to look like deCarlo drew it.

[thunderbolt]

Archie comics are at Dollar General now in old school 3 packs for 2 bucks. THAT is the way to get new people into comics.

[The Toyroom]

^ I've been digging me some Archie lately...I'll have to check out DG....

[thunderbolt]

I saw it on the magazine rack inside the store. It was a DG Marketplace.

[ctc]

>In the early eighties, I wad the only kid i knew of who still spent his allowance on comics...

Around here EVERYONE my age was buying comics, but I was the only one who frequented the comic shops. (Couldn't get Grimjack anywhere else....)

>I actually have more faith in Archie... Using the tried and true celebrity gossip and fashion tips that dominates the Checkout lines of grocery stores and drug marts.

Yeah.... with the more nerdly books it's tough to find articles to pad out the mag. 'Specially since any new info on the latest science-fictiony/fantasy/superhero/toy/game/whatnot will make it to the proverbial "alt.nerd.obsessive" WAY before a mag comes out.

>It would also be interesting to see if Archie pays royalties or not these days... Particularly after the PR disaster behind Don Decarlo's firing.

It would.... I dunno if the PR thing was THAT big a deal for them; sure, it had the comic crowd up in arms, but Archie's audience isn't really the comic crowd.

>The man who is arguably Archie's "jack Kirby"... If not moreso given that up to a few years ago, everything had to look like deCarlo drew it.

Hell; he was doing half the Archie-esque ripoffs too!

One other weird thing I was thinkin' that Archie did is how flexible their publishing policy has been. They've maintained the newsrack distirbution lines from the old "mainstream" days; BUT they ALSO work like the old "independants" in that they maintain back issues, and handle other marketing in house and with (at least limited) direct to customer sales. It hasn't been "all or nothing" with them like the Big Two and a Half.

Don C.