Expanding the Marketing

[Binker]

This has to do with the all the comic book publishers.

I was listening to Comic Geek Speak, a podcast, and they brought up the marketing aspect of comic books and they came up with an interesting idea: what would it be like if they (DC Comics) put up commericals on TV or even trailers in movie theatres to promote their comic book? I mean think about it. You watch Smallville, or you go in watching Spider-Man 3 or the next Batman movie, and either during the commericals or before ther movie starts, they show you a preview of what's coming (on the Wednesdays on TV, and the upcoming events in the trailers) in the comic book world of both DC & Marvel.

Like what-if before Superman Returns started, there was a preview stating "hey this is two hours, but you can read over a dozen hours of Suprman in his comic books. Coming this Fall; Richard Donner, the man who brought you the classic Superman movies, rejoins the Superman universe in 'Last Son'. See the beginning of this arc in Action Comics #844 this October".

Or what-if when you're watching Smallville, a commerical for either Superman Confidential, Wonder Woman or even Seven Soliders or hell Civil War comes on to tell you there is a new issue and its coming the coming Wednsday?

Something like that.

I mean Marvel & DC show their characters in their movie logos, why not expand that to show and promote their comic books along with their comic book movies?

Thoughts?

 

[Elijya]

Too expensive, comics don't make that much of a profit per issue to warrent purchased airtime

what would help alot would be for more of the notable comic personalities - like say Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Brian K. Vaughan, Brad Meltzer, Joe Q - to go on some talk shows to promote comics as a whole, and their niche in particular. Joe Q was on the Colbert Report a few months back and it was met with great results. And that was just a 5 minute interview on a comedy program. Imagine if he had a half hour on Larry King, or the View, or a popular sindicated radio show, where he could make the case in an intelligent forum that comics can be for adults, women, and are a good hobby for your kids.

NPR has had some extensive interviews with Gaiman, Vaughan, Scott McCloud (he was on last week, actually), and some others, and they get very intrigued by interesting projects like Pride of Baghdad, The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, etc. Here's a few notable podcasts:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1435177
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1140913
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6068585
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6161854
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5521170
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5445332
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5039319
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4704766
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=841850
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6393736
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5690970
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5576791

But aside from NPR (who are wonderful, and I am SO thankful to Terry Gross for giving comics so much airtime and treating them with respect) few mainstream media outlets are at all interested in comics.

How often are ANY authors on live talk shows like Leno or Conan? Oh, sure, you see Stephen King every once and awhile, maybe J.K. Rowling or somebody, but those're giants, people whose work sells in the tens of millions. And you NEVER see commericals for books and novels, and those have 1,000 times the profit margin of comics.

 

[Roughneck]

That is a hell of an idea. but Lij is prolly right and it's too expensive, though they might be able to ring in new readers if they do advertise on tv.

but yeah, just getting out there and promoting to a wider audience would be a great start, Marvel should get to work on getting bendis on Conan, sure the Networks prolly don't see it as a huge draw for them bu the other day they had a dog that made paintings.

Stan Lee would at least be a great guest.

I also always thought that Wizard should get a weekly TV show on the sci fi network or something....TO my Knowledge there is no weekly tv show about comics...and there should be.

 

[The Question]

Too expensive, comics don't make that much of a profit per issue to warrent purchased airtime

what would help alot would be for more of the notable comic personalities - like say Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Brian K. Vaughan, Brad Meltzer, Joe Q - to go on some talk shows to promote comics as a whole, and their niche in particular. Joe Q was on the Colbert Report a few months back and it was met with great results. And that was just a 5 minute interview on a comedy program. Imagine if he had a half hour on Larry King, or the View, or a popular sindicated radio show, where he could make the case in an intelligent forum that comics can be for adults, women, and are a good hobby for your kids.

NPR has had some extensive interviews with Gaiman, Vaughan, Scott McCloud (he was on last week, actually), and some others, and they get very intrigued by interesting projects like Pride of Baghdad, The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, etc. Here's a few notable podcasts:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1435177
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1140913
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6068585
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6161854
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5521170
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5445332
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5039319
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4704766
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=841850
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6393736
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5690970
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5576791

But aside from NPR (who are wonderful, and I am SO thankful to Terry Gross for giving comics so much airtime and treating them with respect) few mainstream media outlets are at all interested in comics.

How often are ANY authors on live talk shows like Leno or Conan? Oh, sure, you see Stephen King every once and awhile, maybe J.K. Rowling or somebody, but those're giants, people whose work sells in the tens of millions. And you NEVER see commericals for books and novels, and those have 1,000 times the profit margin of comics.

Actually, I've seen a few adds for novels. One I can't remember the title of, but the other was Brad Meltzer's new novel.

However, I do agree, I think if comic book creators did more interveiws, the medium would get much more positive exposure.

 

[Roughneck]

Do they still review comics in Entertainment weekly?

 

[Roughneck]

So what about this....An In continuity 4 issue mini series writtedn and drawn by some top talent featuring top characters distributed by McDonalds or Burger King or something, Free.

I say free..it would cost money, but if it were for sale the comics would only be bought by folks that want it....Make it cheaper or something but give it free to all customers.

Or Pick 4 great stories and reprint them and give them away free.

 

[Darthphere]

Do they still review comics in Entertainment weekly?

Only online.


What they need to do is get people on shows reading comics aka product placement. Get those crazy kids from One Tree Hill or something being seen reading a JLA comic or something.

 

[The Question]

Only online.


What they need to do is get people on shows reading comics aka product placement. Get those crazy kids from One Tree Hill or something being seen reading a JLA comic or something.

Well, The O.C.'s main redeeming quality is that they do just that. Otherwise, most comic geeks on TV read fake comics.

 

[Darthphere]

Well, The O.C.'s main redeeming quality is that they do just that. Otherwise, most comic geeks on TV read fake comics.

Which they shouldnt damnit!

 

[gildea]

comics are still badly distributed and badly marketed.

Civil wars delays anyone? We'll wait it out because we're the niche market but anyone else will just lose interest.

IMO best hope its trades at the book stores.

And really we all need to read less superhero orientated stuff.

 

[Darthphere]

Hopefully Preacher opens some eyes, and some pockets.

 

[Elijya]

Only online.


What they need to do is get people on shows reading comics aka product placement. Get those crazy kids from One Tree Hill or something being seen reading a JLA comic or something.

The OC already does it, hell, they have whole dialogues about comics. It's abrely noticable

 

[Elijya]

So what about this....An In continuity 4 issue mini series writtedn and drawn by some top talent featuring top characters distributed by McDonalds or Burger King or something, Free.

well, they're currently in the middle of adding reprints of several hundred spider-man issues to newspapers in several markets around the country for a few months, but they're starting from the begining, and no offense, but old Lee/Ditko Spidey's don't exactly grab kids with amazing visuals compared to saturday morning cartoons, and they don't exactly thrill adults as in depth literature