§ Nice Art: Tokitokoro’s Variant cover for It’s Jeff: Jeff the Land Shark #5. I know Halloween is over, but the spirit always lives on a little.
§ Kibbles “n’ Bits has been away for a long time but after David Harper mentioned how much he liked it, I had to struggle to the keyboard one more time. It’ll be a little brief but I’ve been swamped with extracurricular activities and deadlines and projects and allergies. But K’n’B is never far from my heart. This time just some news stories that I didn’t have time to make into news stories so in the great tradition of journalism….ladies and gentlemen, the ROUND-UP!
§ Speaking of David Harper he had a long, necessary look atthe bloated world of variant covers.The story includes charts and graphs. Please subscribe to SKTCHD if you haven’t already! Anyway, the problem is the variant economy is now baked right into the larger comics economy in a way that would be difficult to extract.
We know the numbers. We know these variants move the needle. But are they a good thing or a bad thing? That’s a question I asked myself and others as I developed this piece, and the truth is, there are plenty of pros and cons. Let’s start with the former, and easily the biggest plus is these covers are making those involved — retailers, artists, publishers, etc. — a lot of money. Multiple people told me that demand is still immense, even as concern mounts about the sheer number being produced.
More specifically, these covers can dramatically enhance the sales of a comic, sometimes by six figures on the high end. Even for smaller books from publishers with lower MOQs, a sturdy lineup of these variants can completely change the fate of a series. That can make them feel not just valuable, but necessary.
§ Speaking of journalism, Chris Arrant, most recently of Popverse, is cooking something up for January!
The solicits for my next comic project is out. Pre-order now for a January 7 launch.forms.gle/8BNXDhBmgQ9g…
No spoilers just yet. But expect the same curiosity, industry connections, independent thinking, and enthusiasm for comics that have fueled his journalism and career. But now with a blinding focus to help people understand comics better.
Looks like it’ll be weekly and boy, could we use another news
§ But journalism is not quite dead! Comic Book Yeti and The Beat’s own Zack Quaintance are teaming for a new business oriented comic podcast. Thank god! The first episode is about the efficacy of artist alley and they talk to Sean Peacock about it.
I haven’t had time to watch/listen yet, but I will next time I’m cleaning up. Comic Book Yeti, whose real name I don’t know or have forgotten, even made a CHART to go with the chat,and of course I am going to run it here. The rise in con prices since 2023 is notable, but it’s mostly “in the ballpark” increases. But we’re all feeling the squeeze.
TWO charts in one week? It is truly morning in America.
And now some more news!
§ If the name “George Shedd” fills you with joy, here is a new project you will want to bookmark: StripReprints.com. It’s a consortium of small publishers who put out reprints of comics strips that are off the beaten path, and the site will serve as a kind of catalog for their books. The offerings range from the old, old classics to modern webcomics. Initial publisher include:
- About Comics, who have been issuing comics reprints since 1999;
- Classic Comics Press, who focus on runs of strips likeCisco Kid andMary Perkins On Stage;
- Comic Strip Appreciation Group, who bring out complete collection series of classic strips like Oaky Doaks and Tailspin Tommy;
- JD Press, who recently launched with a reprint of a classic collection of Mopsy;
- Origin Comics, who have already announced a second volume in their Thimble Theatre reprint project;
- Smallbug Press, where cartoonist Charles Brubaker collects favorite strips from the last forty years;
- Homeworld Press which presents The Complete Annie by Leonard Starr;
- Hogan’s Alley magazine has so far just issued one strip collection, The Complete Betty Brown, Ph.G.
I’ll let the press release explain the rest.
The world of comic strip reprint collections has come a long way in recent years. Where it used to be that only the most famous and popular strips got significant reprint collections, the rise of print-on-demand technology has brought with it a number of small publishers eager to find interesting strips that have been overlooked by larger publishers. Now a group of those publishers have gotten together and made it easier to find these books by uniting behind a single website,StripReprints.com.
At the new website, readers will find a wide range of strip collections covering a century’s worth of material ranging from the pre-Popeye Thimble Theatre up to modern webcomics. Some of the strips are famous ones from mainstream newspapers, like the long-running Captain Easy, while others gather strips from less commonh, over a hundred different titles collecting over sixty different strips were listed on the site
StripReprints.com is not a store. Instead, it’s a catalog where each book’s listing includes links on where to order it, usually from a print-on-demand service company like Lulu.com or Amazon. Volumes range from a $5.99 pamphlet up to big $80 hardcovers. Folks looking for some savings will find the current Lulu.com discount there, when available.
The list of publishers and books is expected to keep growing. One of the advantages of print-on-demand publishing is the lack of “print runs”, which are the bane of strip book collection. Many a collectors start buying books in a reprint series only to find that earlier volumes are out of print, creating a situation where there’s enough demand to make the book quite expensive on the used book market, yet not enough to have a new printing done. While there are reasons why a print-on-demand book may be taken out of print at some point, by default books remain available. It only takes demand from one customer to print another copy.
Shedd, btw, is best known as a watercolorist, but was also creator of Martin Keel, above, a strip that briefly ran in the 50s.
Comic strips are one of the great examples of comics as an artform….and newspapers may be gone, but the format lives on as webcomics in a variety of mediums. StripReprints.com is a great way to delve into history and support some very dedicated publishers. Now, can someone do Deathless Deer already?
§ Meanwhile, back in the warehouse, Philbo Distributionis continuing to ramp up its offerings as an alternative distributor for indie comics. In addition to a print catalog they are offering limited returns and a shorter FOC window. The world post Diamond continues to evolve as the business shapes it. Again, let’s go to the PR:
Beginning January 1, 2027, Philbo Distribution will introduce a printed catalog, providing comic book retailers with a convenient reles, and planning their inventory. The catalog marks an important step in the company’s expansion and its efforts to bring independent publishers greater visibility in the direct market
Philbo Distribution is making independent comics more accessible with a 50% retailer discount on every order, regardless of size.
Whether retailers order a single comic or multiple titles, they receive the same discount. There are no minimum purchase requirements or complicated discount tiers. This straightforward pricing structure allows shops of every size to carry independent comics while maintaining competitive profit margins.
Understanding the challenges retailers face when introducing unfamiliar titles, Philbo Distribution is implementing a limited, no-questions-asked return policy.
Retailers may return eligible comics within 30 days, with return allowances determined by order value, excluding shipping:
- Orders up to $100: 2 comics may be returned.
- Orders from $101 to $250: 4 comics may be returned.
- Orders of $251 or more: 6 comics may be returned.
The program helps reduce financial risk for comic shops interested in expanding their independent selections. Retailers can introduce new publishers and characters to their customers with greater confidence, knowing they have some flexibility if titles do not sell as anticipated.
Philbo Distribution is also reducing its Final Order Cutoff (FOC) from 60 days to 30 days.
This shorter ordering window allows retailers to make purchasing decisions closer to release dates, giving them additional time to evaluate customer interest, review upcoming titles, and adjust their orders accordingly.
For independent publishers, the streamlined schedule creates opportunities to build awareness and generate retailer interest closer to publication.
Together, these initiatives represent a significant expansion of Philbo Distribution’s services and its commitment to connecting independent publishers with comic book retailers nationwide.
§ Late in the day my various slacks and DMs lit up with this headline:Comic book writer reveals ‘disastrous’ crypto investment– that there was a photo of “TYCOON” Mark Millar beneath it meant that everyone was going to shaden in its freude.
The story in the UK Times is heavily paywalled but I paid $1 so I could read it – the things I do for you – and I have to report the story is not quite as juicy as the headline would have you believe. It seems that Millar was on a podcast and related how he’d invested in a Soho club for crypto millionaires after moving to Surrey, a London suburb. Millar bought a 20% stake in the club, which lasted for a couple of years and then went kaput, along with what the story calls “a digital asset known as a non-fungible token.”
Honestly, losing a lot of money investing in the hospitality business is par for the course. It seems Millar was shilling NFTs for joining the club, but then, who wasn’t? He laughs off the venture as a way to get to know his neighbors. Others might have just hung out at the grocers, but I guess Surrey is a bit posh. The Club has since found new investors and reopened, as shown above, and they have a room called The Hellfire Club, because of course they do.
What is most interesting about the story is that it puts a number to what Netflix paid to purchase Millarworld back in the heady days of 2017.
Millar, 56, sold his comic book empire Millarworld to Netflix for almost £25 million in 2017. As part of the deal, he became an executive atNetflix and now creates exclusive comics, films and television shows for the company.
£25 million comes out to about $33 million in today’s exchange rate. Tycoon indeed! I have no idea where this number came from or if it’s accurate, but it does seem to be in line with the kind of money that Netflix was throwing around in the early days of their streaming empire.
The Millarworld venture remains one of the most curious tales of the Streaming Wars – to date the only shows that were made were Jupiter’s Children, Super Crooks and The Chosen One, none lasting more than a season. Still, Millar remains an IP tycoon if nothing else, with Kick-Ass and the Kingsman franchises still kicking around.
