Commentary and advice on marketing, mostly for publishers (traditional and brands) and writers, but sometimes from a broader perspective.

COMMENT: Previews is Your Friend?

Guess it depends on who YOU are?Shopping as I do at Midtown Comics, I've never pre-ordered anything before, and as a result, have never had a need to do more than quickly flip through a copy of Previews, Diamond Comics Distributors' monthly catalog of product being solicited to the direct market. I picked up the current issue last week because I was considering a new column for Buzzscope that would serve both as a pre-ordering primer for those unfamiliar, and a less-snarky spin on my weekly "On The Shelves" post here on CBC. It's an unwieldly chunk of pulped tree,…

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Comics Took A Back Seat This Week

It was a rough weekend here at stately Gonzalez Manor, between a nasty virus laying the kids low and our respective exhaustion meters hitting their red lines, coupled with my 9-to-5 making it impossible to stay on top of my four-color fixation most of the week. Days like this are what escapist entertainment were made for. If only I could stay awake long enough to escape! As a result, not much posting here, including my missing my first Vs. Card of the Week entry. :-(Anyway, in case you haven't gotten into the habit of checking Buzzscope every day yet (why…

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On The Shelves: 1/18/06

Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month!My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 1/18/06. The full shipping is list available at ComicList.[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]AFTER HOURS 7 Days To Fame #2 (Of 3), $3.99One of several comics I owe a review of, the first issue was...interesting.AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Vaistron #3, $2.95Robot porn and so much more from the same sick bastard who…

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COMMENT: Late-night Speakeasy Musings

I haven't had the time to really follow up on the whole Speakeasy situation myself, but I have been tracking the comics blogosphere which refuses to let the story die, including this rather humorous addition: Speakeasy Comics Archives, wherein a Jonathan Martin is attempting to pull together everything relating to the company's current woes. (CBR and NEWSarama still haven't bothered to cover it, of course.) Jason Richards - proprietor of one of my favorite comics shops, R!OT Comics + Culture, in Camp Hill, PA - has been the source of some interesting tidbits (as well as some great, heartfelt snark)…

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LINK: Even More on Speakeasy

Chuck Saterlee pulls the curtain back a bit further over on the Bendis Board thread that started it all. I'm quoting it in its entirety as I wouldn't be surprised if he was asked/made to delete it at some point, as it airs what could charitably be called dirty laundry.My name is Chuck Satterlee and I have/had two books with Speakeasy. The titles are SMOKE & MIRROR and OF BITTER SOULS.My association with Speakeasy has been decent on a personal level and disastrous on a professional level.To start, I have never had a personal problem with Fortier or anyone else,…

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On the Shelves: 12/7/05

Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month!It's the home stretch for 2005! My weekly look at select comic books being released tomorrow, 12/7/05. The full shipping is list available at ComicList.[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]AIT/PLANETLAR Demo Collection TPB, $19.95Not to beat a dead horse but... [kick]AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Vaistron #2, $2.95Andrew Dabb is a very sick man, but the first issue, which I was sure wasn't…

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On The Shelves: 11/30/05

Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month!My weekly look at select comic books being released tomorrow, 11/30/05. The full shipping is list available at ComicList.[NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com]ADHOUSE BOOKS Secret Voice #1, $4.95I think I have a review copy of this coming my way, but I'd have checked it out regardless since the preview in Superior Showcase #0 put it on my radar and AdHouse always puts…

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