Welcome to New York Comic Con Day 0! NYCC starts on Thursday, but Wednesday is the Comics Retailer Summit. Open only to comics retailers and working press, it’s a way for retailers to meet, exchange sales ideas and get pitches from publishers.
There is a big change at this year’s New York Comic Con compared to previous years, when the Retailer Summit was traditionally held in the early hours of Thursday morning. This change makes sense. Many of the retailers attending the summit also made appearances at the show. They have stalls to set up and trucks to unload.
And swag, oh, swag. On the way into the store, the retailer received an exclusive NYCC release scarlet witch #1, this department truthful #25, choose one of these The Last Ronin II #1 or infinite frontier #1. unlimited border is an interesting choice from DC. “Do you like this variation on a three-year-old comic that has an interesting but not memorable story?” Why not yet? all existDC? And at the same time final Ronin II #1 and scully witch #1 Not as good as ministry of truth #25, at least was published this year.
There were a lot of smaller publishers at the event. Bad Idea is on hand to collect retailer information in exchange for tote bags and comics, and they then hint at mass distribution next year. McFarlane Toys was also there, showing off toys and figurines that were coming to comic shops. DSTLRY has bins on hand for retailers to check out (and browse through on eBay). Good Trouble Comics is showcasing their critically acclaimed new book, Register! Other companies on site included Mad Cave, Rekcah and Sandstorm.
In addition to smaller publishers, there are companies promoting retail management tools and ways for retailers to manage health care costs.
One panel was filled with tips on how to boost holiday sales. There are many tips that are so good that they’re obvious—create a holiday gift guide, sell mystery deals on gift wrapping by type and maturity, and maintain an up-to-date email list.
One of the big announcements made at the Retail Summit was about the partnership between Prana Direct Market Solutions and Manage Comics. The goal is to create usable comic sales data at the retail level. One of the metrics they will track is Fan Confidence Rating (FCR). It uses subscriptions and bookings to measure fan excitement.
According to their data, single-issue sales have increased. They showed a chart showing monthly sales over the past two years. There is a big peak this month Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is out and if this month’s data is current, there will be a big spike Absolute Batman Same goes for #1.
Andrew Edinwho co-wrote March series with john lewis Having recently survived a horrific hurricane that devastated North Carolina, told the assembled retailers about his new comic, Register!and anecdotes about working with Lewis. He hinted at other upcoming books from Penguin Random House and Washington, DC.
Next, Penguin Random House showed retailers how they and their customers can use their pull-to-order feature to easily order the books they want. They also have displays that they actually market to retailers. When retailers order a set of shelves and fillers, they will receive a credit of $50 to $150, depending on the bundle they order for their store.
Next up is The Beat’s 2023 Best Publisher DSTLRY. They brag about getting an Eisner nomination and winning. Did you know that their win was the first for a publisher in its first year of publishing a book? They showcased their upcoming hardcover graphic novels, including white Boat go through Scott Snyder and Francisco Francavilla. DSTLRY is giving away trash cans, but don’t worry, they will have more of the same two at their booth throughout NYCC!
James Tynion IV A retailer-only signing was made for those who stayed. So looking forward to those ministry of truth The #25 NYCC retailer variant you see on eBay is about to be signed.
McFarland By mistake he showed up an hour before he was set to speak and was immediately swarmed with requests for selfies and autographs before being whisked away by his agent.
Mike NeginAll-Star Reed Pop Staff Talks ComicBooks For Kids! , he serves on the charity’s board of directors. The charity collects comics and graphic novels for children in hospitals.
Square Enix did turn the volume up to 11 when they demonstrated it. Oh my ears! Why is the sound system set at the volume of grandma watching a show for them?
Kickstarter was next to speak, which seemed odd since their crowdfunding business model works around retailers, rather than with them.
I went out to use the men’s room during the Kickstarter, and OMG, when I walked in at 3:42 pm on Wednesday, NYCC Day 0, half the men’s room was broken. It’s going to be a long (bathroom line) weekend. Also, maybe these retailers need more fiber.
After the Kickstarter was completed, a staff member announced to the assembled crowd that it was time for a designated restroom break before McFarlane spoke. Oh no, no one told her…
McFarlane is back, offering retailers to stop by him throughout the NYCC show floor to talk to him or ask him questions. He represents Todd McFarlane Productions and Image Comics, where he serves as president. His speech was filled with the confidence and enthusiasm of a motivational speaker: “You guys are not that different from what I do every day, and when it works, it’s awesome.” MacFarlane continued the bathroom theme, telling tells a story before he entered the industry. jim shooter The portfolio was being reviewed at SDCC, but Todd arrived too late. Todd waited, though, because he knew the shooter would need to use the bathroom one day. “Always bet on your bladder,” Todd joked. When the shooter broke into the men’s room, Todd did the same thing, pretending to pee in the urinal next to Jim. “I even tugged on it.” He washed his hands, and the shooter washed his hands too, and before the shooter exited, Todd asked him to review the portfolio in the bathroom.
After the story ended, Todd took the audience with him and bribed potential questioners with exclusive coverage of NYCC peach Variant coverage issue produce The product will be on sale at NYCC on Saturday. Ask a question, get a comic!
After Todd was finished, retailers in attendance received an ultra-limited 300-copy variant of Spawn #357 signed by McFarlane.
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I attend these NYCC Retailer Summits to prevent any controversial situations. No one is yelling at publishers about LGBTQ+ characters this year, so get better! Everyone was in a good mood and had a great time throughout the afternoon. It’s great to see fellow retailers so excited to reconnect with each other. But it didn’t lead to exciting moments.
I wasn’t allowed into the NYCC showroom, nor did I try, or even want to. Everyone is still setting up their stalls and just hanging banners. It’s a frantic scramble to get everything ready in time for the 10 a.m. crowd at the Javits Center tomorrow.
Unlike past NYCC Retailer Summits, there was no free food or coffee, and I heard quite a few retailers complaining about this. Retailers want their coffee (like we all do)! But hey, those DSTLRY bins should definitely pay for a decent lunch or five.
