[Groop]'nother question for M.E.

[Nate Piekos]

Richard wrote:

>My solution to the unemployed comic creators - don't cater to the
>collectibles crowd.  Use the cheapest, shoddiest newsprint you can find.
>Get advertisers of junk toys back in the magazines to help with production
>costs.  Focus on creating a few quality-content comics and give them
>maximum exposure on the dealer racks, rather than crowding them out with
>too many titles and spin-off series.
>
>If you provide a quality product, the people will buy.  If you mass-market
>that quality, you can lower the individual cost of each comic, and increase
>the profits.  Henry Ford knew that as well.

~~~ OK, I think I've got 2 kopins to add to this.  I'm a self publisher.
I'm also a reletive unknown.   It comes down to this:  Comics don't make
decent money in the present economy. (selling the comic to an optioning
company does.. movies, cartoons, etc.)  To make ANY money with a title, you
must be able to pump thousands into promotion, or you have to be a
recognized name. (If you're a recognized name, chances are you've got a
publisher willing to foot the bill.)  You can make the best comic ever
written, but if it's not promoted, you're not going to sell it.  Those who
are looking for work don't have that money.  A junk toy company will not
buy add space if there's no promise of selling more than a few hundred
copies (yes, indie publishers generally count sales in the hundreds, not
thousands.)

Now, lately I've been working with Mike Allred (ATOMICS, MADMAN), and
talking to him over the last few months.  He recently started self
publishing.  (AAA Pop is his company, publishes ATOMICS)  The impression I
get from him is that it was a tremendous gamble to do so.......  this is
Mike Allred.  A man who is known,  has published continuously through a
publisher like Dark Horse....   now I don't know Mike's reasons for not
publishing ATOMICS through DH, but now that he's up to issue 10, I get the
impression that only now, he's breathing a little easier with this venture.
Do you think a little-known inker, with what could be the best comic ever
written and drawn, could last 10 issues (figure at least 2-3 thousand for
printing costs PER issue)  without a reputation or money for promotions?
Would it surprise you to know that the indie publisher makes about 13 cents
profit through Diamond..... (that's with a 2.95 cover price... lowering
that 2.95 results in no profit.)

 We're in a tough spot friends.

~Nate


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