Hello, everyone! Got a strange and diverse assortment of topics for you this time! So let’s begin! Even after 35 years of working for Marvel, I sometimes forget that we use live ammo. so recently, upon realizing that my final issue of AVENGERS was coming up, I made a joke as to what we should do as a variant cover to mark the occasion. Now, I wasn’t serious, but everybody was suddenly really enthusiastic about the idea—and so this past week, I got in the final art for what has to be the stupidest variant cover I’ve ever put out, certainly. It’ll be on
The Checker books with the bad reproduction republished Moore's full Supreme run, including The Return and Judgment Day. They also had an incredibly pungent chemical smell from whatever printing process they were using, as I recall. I just flipped through them and thankfully that seems to have dissipated over the past 20 years.
You’re right about that poor Supreme reprint Tom, I have that book.
A complete cleaned up collection of all that material would be most welcome, I’d buy it. But I guess a lot of Rob’s old catalogue may have rights issue after various buy out’s?
What’s your source for the Quality Comics stories you cover? Seems like they’re public domain(-ish?) and available via Amazon and other websites but I wondering if there’s a source more trustworthy than others. It would be nice if DC did a “Best of Quality Comics” collection but I’m guessing there’s not a huge audience for that.
Thanks again for these newsletters, Tom. My question this week is a matter of great social and political import, which I hope will be a valuable contribution to the record of comics history. As you've been sharing stories from your earliest editorial credits, I'm curious about your earliest listed writing credits, too. According to the internet, which has not yet failed me, these were 1990's Count Duckula #14 and #15. What can you tell us about your experiences with this first assignment?
One of the greatest aspects of the 2000s-ers Ultimate Universe was it was limited to four books a month. If you had to set up an Ultimate Universe for the Distinguished Competition, what four titles might you initially focus on?
I read and loved a collection of the latter half of Moore's "Supreme" run from my local library when I was a wee lad, and I've since found almost every issue in back issue bins pretty cheaply. I do think the original issues are the way to go - not too terribly hard to find, relatively inexpensive, and better-looking than those Checker trade paperbacks. Great series, especially once Chris Sprouse comes aboard.
Thank you for these columns and and the BTS info you provide. While I know it's not your call, you might be able to find out the answer. After months of the George Perez covers being available at cover price, the last two are not. Which was a (frustrating) surprise to me. I guess my question is why the change, and will this be the new standard for those covers going forward? Again thank you.
Excited to see solicits for the new Punisher Max series by Garth Ennis (I am also enjoying the new Punisher series by David Pepose as well - don't see any solicits past #4 - hope it continues).
My question relates to what do you think about how an audience follows a character or 'adopts' him or his symbol in a way a publisher did not expect.
I know some fringe elements have taken on the Punisher skull but David Choe also noted how the Punisher is the quintessential New York hero of the 80s/90 that people love. You cannot control your audience but do you retire the hero/symbol because of some fringe elements (and taking it away from others who enjoy it)? or do you carry on knowing it is something you cannot control?
(aside from the Punisher there was the Pepe the Frog cartoon who became a symbol that his creator did not intend for, and I am sure more examples throughout the history of comics can be found).
Interested to know your thoughts on this (as it relates to a 'negative light' of the symbol of course - the other way around is a pleasant surprise - I know Alan Moore was happy that protestors started using the Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta mask during protests for example).
I recently have gone down the rabbit hole of websites that collect monthly lists of sales units for comics, going back a couple decades. This has made me realize that quite a few of my favorite comic books of the last few years have not sold great, and I understand a bit more why there might be less of a few particular characters or kinds of stories than I would like.
How much do poor (or positive!) sales influence the decision to hire a given creator back again for another title? Are sales outcomes affected more by factors like the characters involved/timing/overall market more than the individual creative quality of a book?
Hey Tom! Thanks as always for the newsletter. I’m going to piggy-back off Montana’s question a bit. How much does critical reception--most notably the Eisners--play into a creator’s prospects for more work? Similarly, does that kind of reception play into the decision of whether or not to continue a series? And if so, can it offset sales to any extent? I go back again to the Thompson/Casagrande Black Widow series. It seemed like it got the axe not long after the Eisner win for Best New Series.
The Checker books with the bad reproduction republished Moore's full Supreme run, including The Return and Judgment Day. They also had an incredibly pungent chemical smell from whatever printing process they were using, as I recall. I just flipped through them and thankfully that seems to have dissipated over the past 20 years.
https://www.comics.org/issue/944814 (v1)
https://www.comics.org/issue/944815 (v2)
https://www.comics.org/issue/697530 (JD)
You’re right about that poor Supreme reprint Tom, I have that book.
A complete cleaned up collection of all that material would be most welcome, I’d buy it. But I guess a lot of Rob’s old catalogue may have rights issue after various buy out’s?
What’s your source for the Quality Comics stories you cover? Seems like they’re public domain(-ish?) and available via Amazon and other websites but I wondering if there’s a source more trustworthy than others. It would be nice if DC did a “Best of Quality Comics” collection but I’m guessing there’s not a huge audience for that.
Thanks again for these newsletters, Tom. My question this week is a matter of great social and political import, which I hope will be a valuable contribution to the record of comics history. As you've been sharing stories from your earliest editorial credits, I'm curious about your earliest listed writing credits, too. According to the internet, which has not yet failed me, these were 1990's Count Duckula #14 and #15. What can you tell us about your experiences with this first assignment?
One of the greatest aspects of the 2000s-ers Ultimate Universe was it was limited to four books a month. If you had to set up an Ultimate Universe for the Distinguished Competition, what four titles might you initially focus on?
Maybe your Office X-men sign could've read DANGER ROOM... ?
Sorry, I'll get my coat... :-)
I read and loved a collection of the latter half of Moore's "Supreme" run from my local library when I was a wee lad, and I've since found almost every issue in back issue bins pretty cheaply. I do think the original issues are the way to go - not too terribly hard to find, relatively inexpensive, and better-looking than those Checker trade paperbacks. Great series, especially once Chris Sprouse comes aboard.
Thank you for these columns and and the BTS info you provide. While I know it's not your call, you might be able to find out the answer. After months of the George Perez covers being available at cover price, the last two are not. Which was a (frustrating) surprise to me. I guess my question is why the change, and will this be the new standard for those covers going forward? Again thank you.
Excited to see solicits for the new Punisher Max series by Garth Ennis (I am also enjoying the new Punisher series by David Pepose as well - don't see any solicits past #4 - hope it continues).
My question relates to what do you think about how an audience follows a character or 'adopts' him or his symbol in a way a publisher did not expect.
I know some fringe elements have taken on the Punisher skull but David Choe also noted how the Punisher is the quintessential New York hero of the 80s/90 that people love. You cannot control your audience but do you retire the hero/symbol because of some fringe elements (and taking it away from others who enjoy it)? or do you carry on knowing it is something you cannot control?
(aside from the Punisher there was the Pepe the Frog cartoon who became a symbol that his creator did not intend for, and I am sure more examples throughout the history of comics can be found).
Interested to know your thoughts on this (as it relates to a 'negative light' of the symbol of course - the other way around is a pleasant surprise - I know Alan Moore was happy that protestors started using the Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta mask during protests for example).
Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs reference! Any plans for a Dazzler collab?
According to covrprice the fair market value of a 9.8 graded copy of the X-Men 11 pressman variant is about $750. Not too shabby.
I recently have gone down the rabbit hole of websites that collect monthly lists of sales units for comics, going back a couple decades. This has made me realize that quite a few of my favorite comic books of the last few years have not sold great, and I understand a bit more why there might be less of a few particular characters or kinds of stories than I would like.
How much do poor (or positive!) sales influence the decision to hire a given creator back again for another title? Are sales outcomes affected more by factors like the characters involved/timing/overall market more than the individual creative quality of a book?
Hey Tom! Thanks as always for the newsletter. I’m going to piggy-back off Montana’s question a bit. How much does critical reception--most notably the Eisners--play into a creator’s prospects for more work? Similarly, does that kind of reception play into the decision of whether or not to continue a series? And if so, can it offset sales to any extent? I go back again to the Thompson/Casagrande Black Widow series. It seemed like it got the axe not long after the Eisner win for Best New Series.
Is it true 70's Bill Mantlo intended that the first Carrion would be none other than Norman Osborn (hence his "Zombie Goblin" look) ?