Joe Quesada was asked about the retailer poll and, in discussing it, stated that:
“If a major account tells us they like a business policy because it helps them move more units and order more Marvel product we will listen much more intently than if five tiny accounts told us they didn’t.”
I’ve no doubt.
Me, all I know is that thus far the responses are coming in so lopsidedly against Marvel that it’s becoming embarrassing. At the very least…at the VERY least…it makes very understandable and defensible why Heidi would have stated “most retailers” are against it. Marvel’s opinion thus far seems buoyed by an ostensible majority that is not only silent, but tongue-tied.
It is entirely possible that the Fortune 300 doesn’t want to be bothered saying anything. But I’m not exactly tracking with why that would be. Perhaps they worry about being publicly villified by other, opposing retailers. But I’ve made clear that confidentiality will be honored where desired, and I’d like to think people take my word for it.
I submit another possibility. Just food for thought:
The notion that some retailers are smart enough businessmen to know that Marvel had already committed to their current policies. Policies which, I should re-emphasize, are working…at least as far as Marvel is concerned. So why rock the boat? Perhaps one doesn’t stay in the inner circle unless one says what people want to hear. Maybe they figure that if they don’t say what Marvel wants to hear, Marvel will stop listening altogether.
I don’t claim to know. I don’t know, because I’m not hearing from these many retailers who support Marvel. I *am* hearing from retailers who identify themselves as top sellers in the marketplace, and I gotta say…they’re not loving the policies.
The purpose of the poll is not to pillory Marvel or make anyone out to be liars. It was to spread information. It was to explore why a CBG columnist reported one thing and Marvel said in an incredibly aggressive manner that she was wrong, holding her up for public ridicule while doing so.
Maybe retailers who tell Marvel they support their policies don’t want to admit they’re just saying what Marvel wants to hear. Or maybe they don’t want to risk putting themselves at odds with other retailers. There’s no way to know. Heck, maybe they just don’t give a dámņ about polls, in which case we’ll never know.
But it certainly would be nice to.
PAD
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What I’ve never been able to figure out is why retailers are so supportive of a company that has historically done more to hurt them than anyone else in the industry. Marvel flooded the market in the 80’s with substandard material in an attempt crowd out up and comers like Image. Then they put tons of stores out of business with the Heroes World distribution fiasco in the 90’s. Now they started a no reorder policy in attempt to shift more of the financial burden to surviving retailers. Lastly, let’s not forget that they “revamped” their Previews listings making it even harder to order accurately. If this was any other industry, the offending company would’ve been shunned by their buyers. Just on principle, stores should devote more floor space, promotion, resources, and salesmanship to Crossgen, Dark Horse, DC, Image, and other publishers.
The thing that really gets me, and angers me to no end, is that Heidi was held up for public ridicule by Quesada and Jemas despite apparently being 100% right. And now Quesada is backtracking and saying that larger retailers count for more… which isn’t the same as “most retailers”.
Any idiot could figure out that larger retailers are going to count for more. Heidi was talking about MOST.
Ah well, I’ve been dropping Marvel books for some time now, I’ll just have to remember to never pick up another series until they start to care about the consumers as well as the bottom line.
Can’t say I’m really surprised by your reports of the response. Of course the fact that it is a non-scientific poll means Marvel will likely discount it with spin about how the people who responded aren’t really retailers or certainly aren’t the important retailers. Too bad someone at Diamond (or with Diamond’s list of retailers) doesn’t do any actual survey of the entire retail community. I’m sure there are a number of other issues besides Marvel’s no-reprint policy which could be helped by actual study of the industry as a whole. But much like actual sales to consumers, real information isn’t something the industry appears all that interested in collecting. Instead it operates on partial data points such as retailer orders and then extrapolates from that data to rather speculative claims of what consumers are actually doing.
I also wonder just what makes a retailer one of the Fortune 300 and who they are. Given Marvel’s focus on $$ over everything (which is understandable given the company’s economic condition), the fact is that the top orders would then likely be coming from retailers who order a lot of Marvel’s non-comic magazine material. Of course this fits with recent statements from Bill Jemas that Marvel is a manufacturer of collectibles rather than a publisher of periodicals. But if the Fortune 300 are also primarily viewing comics as collectibles, it does provide a possible explanation for why they might like the no-reprint policy.
>>Of course this fits with recent statements from Bill Jemas that Marvel is a manufacturer of collectibles rather than a publisher of periodicals.<<
Now I’m wondering…if that’s really the case, aren’t there additional taxes or something on collectibles?
That’s hardly my area of expertise. Anyone know?
PAD
Selling collectibles held for investment can be subject to capital gains taxes, but that doesn’t apply to the manufacturers of the collectibles (i.e., Marvel). It just counts as inventory for them like any other manufacturer.
Corey
I noticed the mention of the “Fortune 300” in the previous column on this matter, but didn’t catch its meaning. Can I assume it refers to the 300 or so top/richest/largest retailers in the country?
It is entirely possible that the Fortune 300 doesn’t want to be bothered saying anything. But I’m not exactly tracking with why that would be.
Like I said elsewhere, it’s a matter of psychology. In general, in any situation, those who are unhappy are more likely to speak out. Who does the local politician get more calls from; people who just wanted to call to say he’s doing a good job, or people whose garbage isn’t being picked up? That’s why, in scientific surveys, the surveyor contacts the respondents directly, rather than asking them to contact him. Of course that is completely impractical in your situation, but there you have it.
I do think the majority of retailers probably don’t favor this policy, but you’ll probably get more lopsided results this way. In any event, Marvel’s new “weighted retailers” formula doesn’t have much to do with it.
Maybe the retailers that would normally complain feel like …what’s the point. Our socialized form of distribution doesn’t help matters. And I thought we hired them to do our pìššìņg on windy days. Marvel actually has a policy, that they stick to? Well, in any event Thanks, for caring enough to at least have a poll. Wave the white flag, it’s easier.
I just cannot believe Marvel’s attitude toward smaller retailers and in essence saying only the opinions of the Fortune 300 matter to them. It’s a shame too because I buy several Marvel books and really enjoy them. I look at it as I’m supporting the creators on the books instead of the company. When Diamond shorts (or doesn’t ship his copies at all) my retailer and then Marvel doesn’t have extra it hurts my retailer and me. And then Diamond points the finger at Marvel and Marvel points the finger at Diamond. By the way, can somebody please explain to me how Diamond isn’t considered a monopoly? Is it a case of the government not caring about what’s going on in the comic retail community since it’s such a small industry here in the states? I’m not trying to go off on a tangent here, I’m just curious.
My understanding is that Diamond isn’t considered to have a monopoly because comic books fall under the wider range of “publishing.”
(And is there anybody except Chuck Rosanski (sp?) who has out and out stated that this is a good thing for everybody? I’ve seen some retailers get snide and say how ordering correctly is a retailer’s job, but that’s as positive as it gets.)
Being a monopoly isn’t a crime. Using a monopoly in one area to become a monopoly in another area is, though, and that’s why Microsoft was prosecuted (they tried to use their OS monopoly to create a browser monopoly, and they’ve pretty much succeeded in that illegal maneuver, even though a few people such as myself use only Lynx and Netscape).
davidh
Part of the problem with this whole issue is that Marvel won’t shut up. They keep antagonizing retailers by getting in their figurative faces and telling them Marvel knows what is good for them and if you don’t think so you’re dumb. They insult retailers on a regular basis directly and indirectly and they think that is good policy for some reason. Maybe if Marvel wouldn’t make such a big deal about the no-overprint policy the issue would die down. . When people have a problem with DC and Image, it doesn’t become this big of a deal because even though they most likely don’t care about small retailers much either they don’t throw it in our faces like Marvel does. They even pretend to care sometimes. I know that criticism is hard to take, but sometimes it is best to just turn the other cheek and let it go. Ignoring retailers isn’t the best policy, but it beats the heck out of insulting them or others like Heidi on a regular basis.
Every time Marvel insults a retailer because they disagree with a policy or like the gentleman from California who is suing them and they have to mock him because he doesn’t even really matter to them since he doesn’t make the Fortune 300, they lose my respect and they anger me. That is not a good relationship to build upon as a business. They are acting in an incredibly immature fashion and it will hurt them in the long run.
What they don’t understand is that most comic book retailers that are left, aren’t doing this to get rich quick like people did in the 90’s, we are here because we love comics and we want to turn things around for the long term and get new readers into this industry. There have been numerous opportunities for Marvel to get new readers or get the old readers back and they have failed to capitalize on these opportunities almost every time due, in large part, to their no-overprint policy. Most of their stunts like U-Decide have been geared to appealing only towards people already buying comics to spend more of their hard-earned money. The problem with solely trying to appeal to that market is that there is a limit to those funds. They would be better served by focusing more attention on trying to get new readers rather then telling people who don’t agree with their policies that they suck.
Jemas has done nothing for the comics industry except antagonize people. Quesada has done wonders on the creative side of Marvel and sales went up accordingly. Sales have been down the last few months and I’m not sure if it is because of the no-overprint policy or because of Marvel’s total negativity and acting completely unprofessional towards anyone who doesn’t agree with them
Creatively, Marvel hasn’t been this good in years. For some reason though, they don’t want to tell people outside of the comics world, “Hey, comics are cool again! You people really should check this stuff out!” Instead, they spend their time telling people that disagree with any thing Jemas and Quesada say that they don’t matter if they aren’t wealthy enough, they are stupid or they are liars.
I say enough with the insults! Marvel should publicly apologize to Heidi and to the retailers they have insulted, or at the very least they should stop insulting people altogether. Until they do, I for one will do my utmost to support DC, Image, Dark Horse and the independents because that is where the future lay, not with a company who only seems to want to make enemies of the people who are supposed to be your allies. As a retailer, I won’t hurt my customers by not carrying Marvel’s product if they want it, but I can do my best to support and promote the other companies who think I matter. Make Mine Anything But Marvel!
“Marvel flooded the market in the 80’s with substandard material in an attempt crowd out up and comers like Image.”
Not likely, since Image didn’t exist in the 1980s.
The most common accusation of this sort is that Marvel produced large amounts of reprints in the 1980s in order to dry up money which might otherwise go to companies like First. However, none of the then-insiders of Marvel I’ve talked to have agreed with this interpretation; they’ve said that projects such as the Warlock, Shield, and Micronauts reprints were done because they were apt to provide good profit off of a low investment. I see no reason to believe otherwise, and have no problem with companies issuing likely-profitable product in a competitive market.
Just a few quick thoughts:
The Marvel reprints in the 80s weren’t much of a factor; Marvel is certainly enitled to print and offer product which they think will sell, or for which they feel they can develop a market – at the time, comics were so reasonably priced that the loss on any individual book was accpetable, and newsstands were a much more potent force saleswise. It may (I have no first-hand knowledge) been more of a ‘Hey, look at these new shops springing up. People actually are looking for some of our old stuff; let’s package it anew and offer it’ decision.
What is more insidious is late-shipping books, and the lack of accurate shipping information. This ties up retailer’s funds, and makes financial planning and weekly and monthly budgeting a real crapshoot, all the moreso now, when titles are significantly more expensive. A plethora of short-run mini-series is another bugaboo (retailers have no sales data when ordering #2, and, for all intents and purposes, no worthwhile sales data when ordering #3 – orders on #4 more accurately reflect sales activity on issue #1). (Sidebar for PAD: orders on Supergirl #78 and #79 – including reorders – should more closely reflect sales activity of #75.)
And an aside to those who mentioned ‘not buying Marvel books’ – this impacts your local retailer much more than Marvel — and that is not, presumably, the point of the intended action.
Just wanted to give my opinion on this ongoing debate about whether retailers like Marvel’s no reprint/no overprint policy. I do not like it and I firmly believe it hurts comic fans and retailers. Marvel won’t admit it, but it does. Jemas recently advocated that retailers should take copies of hot titles and mark them up before the newest issue comes out, thus gouging their customers. This proves that Jemas really doesn’t care about the fans or the retailers (who would have to face their customer’s wrath should they do what Jemas suggests).
What I propose that retailer do — if they haven’t already — is to boycott Marvel in a fiscally responsible way. At our store, we’ve decided to put our dollars where our mouth is. We’ve cut our Marvel orders to the bare bone, just what we know we can sell and very little for back issues, and we are investing those dollars on comics from other companies that we have wanted to try for a long time and on other product lines. And you know what? It’s working. We have about an 85% customer return on the roughly 30 new comics we’re trying, with money that formerly went to Marvel. We figure, if Marvel won’t support us, then why the hëll should we support them beyond what we know for a fact we can sell?
We also have been trying new gaming items and they have been extremely successful for the most part. If other retailers would use their cycle sheets and cut their Marvel orders and then invest that money, they might be surprised at what can happen. It’s money you’re going to spend anyway, why not spend it on something that will make you a profit, and from companies that won’t insult you?
<>
I second this motion. I posted this very same idea on PAD’s message board yesterday. I’m tired of Jemas and Quesada’s antics, their unethical behavior, their insults and their lies. Not to mention the ridiculous lateness of their books. DC, Image, Dark Horse and the others aren’t perfect, but none of them have anywhere near the flaws that Marvel does at this point. I’ll come back to Marvel when they start treating people with respect.
Mile High Comics support Marvel’s stance.
Of course Mile High supports it. They have issue #7 of Ultimates priced at $5 on sale for $3.50! Ultimate X-Men #23 priced at $4.00 on sale for $2.80! Worst of all they have Batman #608 priced at $12.00 on sale for $8.60! That’s exactly the kind of thing Jemas and Quesada support, jacking up prices on the most recent issues! I believe the current issue should never, ever be above cover price.
Mile High Comics support Marvel’s stance
To quote an old saw…
No šhìŧ, sherlock.
Who would think that a company that marks up CURRENT issues 50, 100 and even THREE HUNDRED PERCENT would like a policy that makes it easier for them to gouge customers?
Of course larger retailers support it. I would guess that a big reason they do is that for a significant portion of that “Fortune 300” most of the stores’ incomes comes from non-comic merchandise, and if 5 or 10 people a month can’t get Ultimate Spider-Man it doesn’t make much of a dent in their P&L statements.
Were they to be surveyed, I would wager that the so-called “Fortune 300” fall into two camps: one full of the shirty asshats like Mile High who hold back stock and then jack up prices, and other, larger retailers who are large and whose lines are diversified. I would bet a good amount of money that while the first group likes the policy, the second probably just doesn’t care…
JLK