Comics Scene #1 (1981)
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Here is an excerpt from Comics Scene #1 (1981), with Jim Shooter talking about the Direct Market and mentions George Perez on Marvel Fanfare.
Source: Comics Scene #1
MARVEL TURNS 20
(Exerpt)
Exploiting Direct Sales
Marvel has taken many steps to help the market grow by adding former writer Mike Friedrich as a direct sales liaison. It was through his efforts that Marvel received orders in excess of 400,000 for the premiere of Dazzler, a comic that would not appear on newsstands. Shooter adds that Marvel is the first company to extend favorable credit terms to the comic and science fiction specialty shops that have sprung up around the country.
Marvel took this a step further last month by taking three soft titles, Moon Knight, Micronauts and Ka-Zar, removing their ads, increasing the story pages, charging 75¢, and selling them in comic shops only. The move was made after Galton received the recommendation from Michael Z. Hobson, vice-president-publishing. Hobson was added to Marvel's staff in January to fill in the gap created when Lee permanently moved to the West Coast.
A comic announced last year specifically for the direct sales market will finally premiere in December. Marvel Fanfare, printed on standard cover stock with a thicker cover for $1.25, will feature art and stories by "fan favorites" and the most popular Marvel characters. Many inventory stories will finally see print including a three issue Black Widow feature written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by George Perez.
"The trouble with the book is that we are going to be using a variety of material and a variety of artists, therefore, we have little holes in the first six issues where this guy hasn't finished the inking, this guy hasn't finished the writing and so on," Shooter explains. The announced line-up for those first six issues was made in August by editor Al Milgrom.
“The problem with the direct sales market, Shooter continues, "is that they're under-capitalized. These guys are mostly small operators and, while Marvel may be able to sell a much larger volume of material, they are not in a position to stock it
"We've been trying to plan things to feed them slowly. With the current tie-ins, were trying not to give them too much in a single month. They should all have gone on sale in June, but we shipped out Raiders in May just for that reason. So we do keep that in mind and, on the other hand, we feel that were working with them in a number of ways to help them out. We feel we can help them grow.”
Shooter likes the immediate reaction and more accurate sales. Customers “are a little more forgiving in that they will buy a comic for one part of it they like such as a favorite artist. They will forgive bad writing to buy the work of the artist. I don't try to plan the material any differently for the direct market, I just try to realize that on the direct market they may buy a book for one facet or another.’
by ROBERT GREENBERGER
(Exerpt)
Exploiting Direct Sales
Marvel has taken many steps to help the market grow by adding former writer Mike Friedrich as a direct sales liaison. It was through his efforts that Marvel received orders in excess of 400,000 for the premiere of Dazzler, a comic that would not appear on newsstands. Shooter adds that Marvel is the first company to extend favorable credit terms to the comic and science fiction specialty shops that have sprung up around the country.
Marvel took this a step further last month by taking three soft titles, Moon Knight, Micronauts and Ka-Zar, removing their ads, increasing the story pages, charging 75¢, and selling them in comic shops only. The move was made after Galton received the recommendation from Michael Z. Hobson, vice-president-publishing. Hobson was added to Marvel's staff in January to fill in the gap created when Lee permanently moved to the West Coast.
A comic announced last year specifically for the direct sales market will finally premiere in December. Marvel Fanfare, printed on standard cover stock with a thicker cover for $1.25, will feature art and stories by "fan favorites" and the most popular Marvel characters. Many inventory stories will finally see print including a three issue Black Widow feature written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by George Perez.
"The trouble with the book is that we are going to be using a variety of material and a variety of artists, therefore, we have little holes in the first six issues where this guy hasn't finished the inking, this guy hasn't finished the writing and so on," Shooter explains. The announced line-up for those first six issues was made in August by editor Al Milgrom.
“The problem with the direct sales market, Shooter continues, "is that they're under-capitalized. These guys are mostly small operators and, while Marvel may be able to sell a much larger volume of material, they are not in a position to stock it
"We've been trying to plan things to feed them slowly. With the current tie-ins, were trying not to give them too much in a single month. They should all have gone on sale in June, but we shipped out Raiders in May just for that reason. So we do keep that in mind and, on the other hand, we feel that were working with them in a number of ways to help them out. We feel we can help them grow.”
Shooter likes the immediate reaction and more accurate sales. Customers “are a little more forgiving in that they will buy a comic for one part of it they like such as a favorite artist. They will forgive bad writing to buy the work of the artist. I don't try to plan the material any differently for the direct market, I just try to realize that on the direct market they may buy a book for one facet or another.’
Source: Comics Scene #1