Marvel: Leaving Money on the Table

Comic Book Resources' review of 2006 has been made fun of by several bloggers for its participants lauding of Civil War as "the one project that had the biggest impact on the comics industry" -- which is arguably true, if for all the wrong reasons -- but I found this particular exchange much more interesting: If we're all agreed that sales are up and things look bright for the industry, how can we ride this success? The last time business was this good was the 1990s and we all know what happened there. What's the key to keeping things going…

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Much Ado About Cowboys & Aliens

I knew a lot of people in the comics industry didn't like Platinum Comics' Scott Rosenberg, but holy cow!Comics writer A. David Lewis (the excellent The Lone and Level Sands) absolutely flipped his lid last Friday upon seeing Entertainment Weekly's sporadic comics sales chart showing Cowboys & Aliens in the top spot, according to Midtown Comics:"What smarts most is that C&A is listed as the top-selling graphic novel. Yes, Entertainment Weekly crowns it as #1.First, that's crap. I think we all know that's crap. And, by 'we,' I mean people who actually go to comic book shops on an almost…

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On the Shelves: 12/20/06

Reading is fundamental. Don't waste your time reading bad comics out of habit! My weekly, semi-informed look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 12/20/06 follows. 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] PICK OF THE WEEK Walk In #1APE ENTERTAINMENT Black Coat Call To Arms TPB, $12.95 I met Ben Lichius back in 2005 at Wizard World Philadelphia, where he'd gotten himself…

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Download Comics Legally

I'm pretty sure I've seen some advertising somewhere for Wowio recently, but had no idea what it was until I saw it mentioned in this Newsarama article about Devil's Due publisher Josh Blaylock's latest project, Pullbox Online:NRAMA: What effect do you think this will have, a) on your print titles, and b) on your properties overall? Could you see a revival of, say, your superhero line?JB: I think this is great for print titles and the sale of trade paperbacks. Think of the most common scenario for hundreds of independent series out there that fail. As a customer, you see…

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Crystal Ball: September 2006 Solicitations, Part II

Support GOOD Comics! Pre-order something new EVERY month. Part I featured a look at Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse's offerings for September 2006, and now Part II casts the spotlight on the 10 most interesting books being solicited by "independent" publishers. The full solicitations for September can be found at comicsconspiracy.biz. [NOTE: Most of these titles will probably not be available at your local comic book shop (LCBS) if you do not pre-order them. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, download a convenient order form from Diamond and be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find…

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Anniversary Time!

Wow! Three years and eight years, respectively. Crazy shit!ACENTOS THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONTuesday, March 28th @ 7:00pmfeaturing TRIO CON CUATRO,plus a Showcase of past features from the series' three year run,With a special performance by SAHELIOur anniversary fiesta promises to be off all chains possible! Come check out a special presentation of the premier Latino and Latina poetic voices from the first three years of Acentos, including Rachel McKibbens, Carlos Andrés Gómez, John Rodriguez, Mahina Movement, and many more! You'll also be treated to a special set by the amazing voices of Saheli...after which, we'll top off the evening with the…

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