Baltimore Comic-Con is primarily a meet-the-creator show, but a few publishers have set up shop. Perhaps the biggest draw this year was Bad Idea, which launched an official booth for the first time. Keen-eyed industry observers (i.e. me) noticed a new face at the publisher: Siena FallonThe former chief operating officer of the Ultimate Comics chain in North Carolina has joined Bad Idea as vice president of sales and marketing.
Fallon was selected Back in February on the ComicsPRO board, and were expected to have a large say in the organization, so it was a bit surprising that they turned to the publishing side! (They have Replacement on ComicsPRO board go through Shannon Live Bat City Comics Pro.
Even Fallon admitted the move was a bit surprising. “To be honest, it’s hard to say [how it happened]. i have always been friends Dinesh [Shamdasani, Bad Idea CEO] Since Dinesh and peter [Stern, managing editor] Been doing it”
Ultimate Comics was a “destination store” when Bad Idea launched, so that’s another connection for Fallon. As for what a destination store is…well, Bad Idea has had a lot of unusual ideas for selling comics since then They launch in 2021including selling their comics in only 200 stores initially. The idea is controversial, but amid the pandemic, it seems to be working, at least based on my conversations with retailers.
Now, Bad Idea is changing and, through its publisher, plans to make a major announcement at NYCC and relaunch in 2025.
“Bad Idea has had a healthy breakout over the past year, and we just put these books together and came up with an incredible list,” Fallon told us. “The market has changed compared to what it was during the pandemic. Retailers know it. People in the industry know it. So while [selling to limited stores] It worked really well in a pandemic environment, but now the market is completely different. The industry has gone through so much change, so it’s time for us to change too.
The changes Fallon mentioned were what many were talking about at Baltimore Comic-Con, including going from one publisher in North America to three (if you count four) general distribution in Canada. As a retailer, I can’t tell you how much this has changed my workflow,” Fallon said.
While the industry has changed, some things about Bad Idea haven’t: Their books still feature beautiful artwork, and their convention appearances include tons of stunts and giveaways. For Baltimore Comic Con, which includes daily giveaways of three new series previews Robert Venditti, death planet, with by John Wick screenwriter Derek KolstadVenditti and Artists Thomas Giorello; survive By Venditti and Doug Braithwaite (Conan, Justice) and colorist Diego Rodriguez (Star Wars, Batman); specified by Venditti and artist Raul Allen (Dune: Graphic Novel, Secret Weapon) Antonio del Hoyo (Dracula, The Crow).
All three series have 100 different variant covers. That is, each comic is strictly limited to 100 copies, but each copy has a different cover. I heard it was a logistical nightmare to get it done, but… they did it! But bad ideas also give away merchandise:
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- Dead Planet 100 Edition Comic Book
- Destiny 100 comic book
- SURVIVE 100 edition comic book
- Dead Planet: Hat
- doomed dog tag
- SURVIVE’s Lunch Box
- BAD IDEA’s bag ideas
- BAD IDEA x Sharpie (bright rose Bon Bon pink)
- Bad Idea Mints: Cream Topping aka Lick Me Quicks
Yes, there was a line every day to buy comics, metal lunch boxes (my dream), hats, dog tags, markers, paper bags, and delicious mints, of which I ate quite a few. The booth has very limited opening hours so each giveaway becomes an event.
It all sounds like a stunt, and it is, but the lines are pretty impressive and Fallon kept them flowing on his own salary.
Bad Ideas may be getting the same scorn and airplay as regular comics, but they still seem to be keeping their quirky legacy alive. “WWe always want to be ahead of the curve, which is why we changed our distribution model. This is what attracted me to Bad Ideas. As a retailer, that’s what I’ve always tried to do, come up with different ways to get comics into people’s hands, and that’s the Bad Idea brand. We’re trying to do something different.
What’s the biggest difference from selling comics to consumers to selling comics to other retailers? “You’re seeing a different side of the industry,” Fallon said. “As a retailer, you think you have a broad view of the industry, but there’s so much going on behind the scenes that you just don’t know, you don’t know what it takes to make a book, what it takes to make a cover of a book. Bad Idea has It’s highly collaborative and we’re all working together so I want to see how the comics are made.
Just in case you think I’m making this up, here’s a video of the Bad Ideas booth during the height of the giveaway craziness.
Our next batch of products is already starting to fill up the stalls! Come join in and make sure you get your favorite version of 100! pic.twitter.com/pVWqow1B34
— Bad Idea (@badideahello) September 21, 2024
