In Steven Grant's recent column he writes about how fans can keep a book from being cancelled. He says that it's up to fans to keep interest high in a book well before it gets to the stage of cancellation, not after. Also:
"All you need to do is a) try to get your retailer personally interested in the book, or even a clerk at your store – it's amazing how much more effort retailers will put into talking up a book they personally like, and a retailer's recommendation can sway a lot of on-the-fence buyers, and b) get one other stinking person interested enough in the book to buy it. Micah Wright says approximately 11,000 people bought STORMWATCH:ACHILLES every month. If 22,000 people were buying it, it would most likely still be around."
In the past, whenever this notion of Fan Support has been broached, the most often heard response from the fans has been "It's not my job to sell comic books!"
Often, this is said by the same people who would not hesitate to tell their buddies how "cool" some new movie is. . .
"I'm doing my part!"
In Japan, new comic book day is friday, instead of wednesday. So, I make a point of hanging around the store for a while and push the 'good' stuff on innocent bystanders. Sadly, these days, JLA and THE NEW FRONTIER are the only titles I care enough to endorse.
I began "talking up" Doom Patrol once it was officially confirmed. I am 42 and this was the first title (the "Tenth Circle" issues of JLA) that I have purchased for other adults (2) to just sample in many years.
I do not know how truly virulent the "anti-Byrne" crowd really are, but I want the Doom Patrol to be a success. It is the only way to continue receiving a new supply of the kind of Byrne material that I, as a fan, crave.
And still it took showing the preview pages in the latest "Previews" to get my brother (he's 39) to commit to picking up the first issue due out in June (can't wait).
I plan on another round of this when the first issue hits the stands following their re-introduction in JLA.
There might exist a slight anti-Byrne crowd,but at least no one laughs when his name is mentioned.
I was in a comic book store a couple of weeks ago,and everyone was laughing hysterically.I asked what was so funny,and I was told that Rob Liefeild was going to be doing a book for Marvel.I almost felt sorry for the poor shnook.It was very cruel laughter.
I've made the habit of buying comics for my little cousins who LOVE superheroes (particularly Spider-Man and the Batman)...and I read comics in a public place as often as I can, so that civilans will see that a) comics are still being published and b) not all comics fans are like the Comic Shop Guy on the "Simpsons".
From posting about Doom Patrol on many other comic boards my impression is that there's a lot of potential readers who simply don't know that a new Doom Patrol is debuting, and when it will be available. It's a shame that DC doesn't seem to be placing house ads for DP right now.
I was in a comic book store a couple of weeks ago,and everyone was laughing hysterically.I asked what was so funny,and I was told that Rob Liefeild was going to be doing a book for Marvel.I almost felt sorry for the poor shnook.It was very cruel laughter.
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Ask them how many of this books they bought when he was "Hot". Somebody made him a millionaire.
The other new DC book that's being tarred and feathered for taking a fresh approach is Firestorm. And like Doom Patrol, a few outspoken, optimistic fans are being ridiculed and scolded for their support. So howabout this idea: a Doom Patrol and Firestorm fan alliance! Each group can pledge to buy and support the other's book for a certain period. We can contact them on the DC Boards and other forums. And if we can get the support of the Firestorm creative team Dan Jolley and Chris Cross, all the better.
What's your opinion on this guys and gals? Drawbacks? Pitfalls?
First of all it wouldn't be a "permanent" agreement. We would keep an open mind and support each other for the crucial opening months, say 3 or 4 concurrent issues.
Secondly, many of the new Firestorms readers are probably turned off by the DP reboot. If we JB fans want others to keep an open mind for DP, we need to do the same.
Does Dan Jolley or Chris Cross have a message board somewhere (of course I won't bring up the subject to anyone else until there's a concensus from our community here.)
This message has been edited by RodOdom on Apr 26, 2004 11:55 PM
I wouldn't ask someone who looks at Byrne's art on the DP and reads part of the JLA arc and doesn't like it to "give the book a try." I have looked at some of the art on Firestorm. I will look at the book in the store to see if the art is better "in my hands." If it isn't, William Shakespeare or Robert B. Parker could be writing it and I won't read it. Sorry.
I'm not condemning the new crew or raising a pitchfork about Ron Raymond. I am more than willing to try new stuff, but I know what like.
A Firestorm / DP alliance to me is making this more political than about a good read.
"A Firestorm / DP alliance to me is making this more political than about a good read."
Well, it's no less political than us here expressing our enjoyment and support of Byrne's work. We didn't start it, it's the Comic Book Shop guys who have politicized comic books, making it their job to tear down anything not conforming to their "aesthetics" (no offense intended to comic book retailers, I'm referring to the Simpson's caricature.)
I honestly think Firestorm and Doom Patrol are in exactly the same ship. While it's not necessarily the same crowd who are throwing stones, they have exactly the same attitude. If changes are made that go against the versions of the characters they are familiar with, it's time to pull out the torches and pitchforks.
It's an unorthodox idea, I know, but it might help both books. And it will be a lot more fun than us writing desperate "save Doom Patrol" letters a couple years from now!
This message has been edited by RodOdom on Apr 27, 2004 11:46 AM
Well, good luck to you. I plan to do this organicially, which is to say, I'm going to tell people I hang out with who like or used to like comics to try it. I may also give a copy to my son to pass among his friends to try and get some of them hooked.
I honestly think Firestorm and Doom Patrol are in exactly the same ship. While it's not necessarily the same crowd who are throwing stones, they have exactly the same attitude. If changes are made that go against the versions of the characters they are familiar with, it's time to pull out the torches and pitchforks.
I don't think they are in the same metaphorical boat at all. DOOM PATROL has the same cast of characters as when they first appeared in the '60s. Knowing JB, he'll write them as close to, if not spot on, "on model" as he can. Sure, the team has new members and they're appearing for the very first time in the DCU, but that's totally different than the new FIRESTORM book, where the powers are more important than the character. So instead of Ronnie Raymond and Professor Stein, we get a new kid on the block with Firestorm's powers. The only reason this one flies with less vocal criticism than Green Lantern/Hal/Kyle is that the latter has more fans.
I'm a fan of Crisscross, so the art doesn't bother me at all. I'll pick up the book in the store to see if I like it. But if you're as big a fan of Firestorm (Ronnie, Stein, powers et. al.) as James and myself are, then I don't think that it's so unusual to hear that we may not be picking up the book because we don't feel the character is going to be the same. I know that won't be true of DP, hence not being in the same boat.
It's an unorthodox idea, I know, but it might help both books. And it will be a lot more fun than us writing desperate "save Doom Patrol" letters a couple years from now!
Why are you so sure we'll have to be writing "save Doom Patrol" letters in a couple of years? I have every faith that this series will be a hit for DC. Word of mouth from people on this board, fantastic writing and art, TPBs issued in a Vertigo fashion shortly after six issues or so (I hope DC is going in this vein)...I've been around comics for a long time and this one has the smell of success all over it. We shouldn't be lax, but I don't think we should prepare for the worst otherwise that's the image we'll project as we talk the project up and try to get new readers ("We don't want to write "Save DP" letters, so read the book won't you?" "What do you mean? Is it that bad that DC wants to cancel it?" "No, no, no, I'm just trying to stave that possibility off." "It's a possibility? I don't want to jump on board a book that's going to be canceled.")
This new Firestorm series is like Marvel launching a new Spider-Woman series without Jessica Drew as the main character.
In other words, while not what I'm clamering for, it's not a problem at all. Might even be good.
Just because the character doesn't have the following of Spider-Man, Superman, Batman or the X-Men doesn't mean that it's cool to be dismissive of the fans who supported his original run and have picked up his appearances in other comics since the cancellation of that run. In other words, 'cause you don't really care about who's in the suit doesn't mean there aren't quite a few people who do. It may be good, but it's not Firestorm. The only person that can wear Spider-Man's costume is Peter Parker. I feel the same way about Firestorm and Ronnie/Stein. The character is more about the sum of his parts and not just the powers themselves.
"In other words, 'cause you don't really care about who's in the suit doesn't mean there aren't quite a few people who do. It may be good, but it's not Firestorm. The only person that can wear Spider-Man's costume is Peter Parker. I feel the same way about Firestorm and Ronnie/Stein. The character is more about the sum of his parts and not just the powers themselves."
I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm sure some people feel that way about Jessica Drew and Spider-Woman. I feel that way about the DC's verion of Captain Atom. That doesn't mean there weren't some darn good issues of DC's Captain Atom, though.
That doesn't mean there weren't some darn good issues of DC's Captain Atom, though.
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Well, it kind of does. If I felt about the Charlton Captain Atom as I feel about Firestorm, I probably wouldn't have read the book. No matter how well Cary Bates wrote it and Pat Broderick and Rafael Kayanan (IIRC) drew it, I would feel like I was reading an impostor.
Sometimes I think that the reason there was so little resistance to Barry Allen Flash, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Ray Palmer Atom, and Katar Hol Hawkman is because Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, Al Pratt, and Carter Hall were gone for years and years and there was an almost entirely new audience for them and the hangers on were grateful to get anything.
Which brings us back to Captain Atom. I believe many of Captain Atom's fans were in the "grateful to get anything" mode by the time the Cameron Scott version appeared.
Since I am not in the grateful to get anything mode, I think I'm going to pass on Firestorm if the new art is as offputting as it appears.
Current Topic - Interesting tidbit from Steven Grant's column
