BSS August Discussion thread - The wedding issue

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > BSS: Bisexual Super Son > BSS August Discussion thread - The wedding issue

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Mr Hootington: Jul 24, 2008

Rhyno posted:

The catch is it needs to be a new JK written story. An adaptation or authorized book will drop in popularity quickly.

Yep. Although the cursed Child was hated in my house. In fact the purists refused to own it! The nutty people.

# ? Aug 7, 2017 22:40

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 12:03

Edge & Christian: May 20, 2001; Earth-1145 is truly the best!
A world of singing, magic frogs,
high adventure, no shitposters

Endless Mike posted:

Not really? Looking at Comichron for random issues, they tended to end up selling in the 40-50k range after a 100k+ first issue. Quite good, to be sure, but Star Wars is currently in the 70k range in its 32nd issue.

The first Dark Tower mini-series (The Gunslinger Born) in 2007 was consistently a Top 5 book, and all seven issues had initial orders of over 100,000, with the first five issues getting second and/or third prints, not to mention being a best seller in collected form both in comic shops and bookstores.

They dropped off after that, first slightly and then rapidly, I think as it became clear that they were going to primarily be largely recaps of stuff from the books with little to no direct involvement from King himself. Then the art took a hit, then they turned into straight up adaptations of the books, and they weren't selling nearly as well, though I'm sure they do better in trades than a random collection of West Coast Avengers issues or whatever in the back catalog.

The two things that I think are required in the modern era to make licensed comics sell well are:

1) The original creator, or barring that for something like Star Wars, the sort of Official Seal of Approval of the Official People Making This Thing.

AND

2) Big/good creators working on the books.

I know I wouldn't be bothering with the Star Wars books if I didn't enjoy Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen (and Stuart Immonen and some of the other artists), and I like Star Wars as a property. I like a lot of animated shows that have comic series too (Adventure Time, Rick & Morty, Bob's Burgers, the Simpsons) but I've only ever checked any of those books out when a creator I like is working on them. I'm sure I'm an outlier in some ways, but back in the 1980s (and even to a lesser extent in the early 2000s), when books like GI Joe and Transformers were huge, you had a fanbase starved for content featuring Their Favorites, which is decidedly not the case now.

I guess it kind of IS the case with Harry Potter, as Rowling has largely held back a tidal wave of Harry Potter cartoons and video games and apps and toys and comic adaptations and spin-off novels and etc. etc. etc. so a Harry Potter comic series coming out now would be big news in a way that I dunno, a Star Trek comic revival wouldn't be. In that I just looked it up and realized that IDW is currently publishing Star Trek comics that I did not even known existed.

# ? Aug 7, 2017 23:10

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Skwirl posted:

You're saying Harry Potter isn't that popular among white males? The story of the white kid who was constantly bullied the first ten years of his life only to discover he's the chosen one to save everyone isn't gonna be popular among stereotypical nerds?

I will grant that I am just a slight bit too old to have been in peak Harry Potter market having been 16 when the first book came out, but the majority of people I know who are hardcore Harry Potter fans are women. This is purely anecdotal, but the males in my age group were more into Tolkein for their fantasy stuff.

But, again, I'm not saying it wouldn't sell well. I'm saying it wouldn't necessarily sell insanely well in the direct market. I think it would do very well in digital and collected form.

Rhyno posted:

I'm just one dude in a small shop but we get asked if there are HP comics constantly. It's been discussed at retailer summits every time I have attended. DC knows it would be the best selling book ever. It's the white whale.

The first issue was the most heavily hyped and advertised Marvel comics we'd ever seen to that point. External news sites that didn't care about comics were reporting about it. We had a midnight release on the first issue with 100+ people showing up to buy it. If people care that much about DT 7 years ago I guarantee the HP fanbase would show up in shops to get the comics.

And, again, the sales don't really bear this out.
3. DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN
02/07 Gunslinger Born #1 of 7 - 216,844
03/07 Gunslinger Born #2 of 7 - 168,258 (-22.4%)
04/07 Gunslinger Born #3 of 7 - 149,168 (-11.3%)
05/07 Gunslinger Born #4 of 7 - 139,545 ( -6.5%)
06/07 Gunslinger Born #5 of 7 - 132,090 ( -5.3%)
07/07 Gunslinger Born #6 of 7 - 128,336 ( -2.8%)
08/07 Gunslinger Born #7 of 7 - 124,609 ( -2.9%)
6 mnth (-42.5%)

Excellent sales, no doubt, but #1 was only the 5th best selling comic for the year (and #2 the month it came out after Civil War #7), and #7 came in at 43. Later series just drop from there (the first issue of the following mini sold fewer than #7 of the first). Again, none of this is anything bad, but either your memory is off or it didn't sell anywhere near what Marvel was hoping.

EDIT: Didn't see the new page. E&C makes good points too, as usual!

# ? Aug 8, 2017 01:00

Lightning Lord: Feb 21, 2013; $200 a day, plus expenses

Rhyno posted:

See I've long been irritated because he is clearly ripped off of Tim Hunter.

Gaiman said they both probably ripped off T.H. White.

I remember telling someone that Rowling based Harry Potter on Tim Hunter and despite being a comic fan he thought I meant the hockey player.

# ? Aug 8, 2017 01:40

Roth: Jul 9, 2016

Edge & Christian posted:

IDW is currently publishing Star Trek comics that I did not even known existed.

Chances are pretty good that IDW will be publishing a comic based on a billion other properties that none of us know about.

Is IDW just primarily focused on licensed comics? I know they do publish original stuff too, but it feels like none of those really define them like Dark Horse or Image do.

# ? Aug 8, 2017 02:30

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; Can't post for 10 years!

Roth posted:

Chances are pretty good that IDW will be publishing a comic based on a billion other properties that none of us know about.

Is IDW just primarily focused on licensed comics? I know they do publish original stuff too, but it feels like none of those really define them like Dark Horse or Image do.

30 Days of Night and Locke and Key are two major non licensed titles that IDW published.

# ? Aug 8, 2017 02:43

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Lightning Lord posted:

Gaiman said they both probably ripped off T.H. White.

I remember telling someone that Rowling based Harry Potter on Tim Hunter and despite being a comic fan he thought I meant the hockey player.

There's a bunch of people who think Books of Magic is a rip-off of Harry Potter (because they don't understand linear time).

----------------
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# ? Aug 8, 2017 03:04

Open Marriage Night: Sep 18, 2009; "Do you want to talk to a spider, Peter?"

I wonder how many copies of Love Is Love were sold just for that Jim Lee Harry Potter page?

Humberto Ramos did a good looking Harry Potter piece for a Wizard April Fools joke. Same year Geoff Johns did an interview saying he was adapting The Goonies. They got me good that year.

# ? Aug 8, 2017 05:25

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; Can't post for 10 years!

Open Marriage Night posted:

I wonder how many copies of Love Is Love were sold just for that Jim Lee Harry Potter page?

Humberto Ramos did a good looking Harry Potter piece for a Wizard April Fools joke. Same year Geoff Johns did an interview saying he was adapting The Goonies. They got me good that year.

They made a huge deal out of that HP page so I'm sure it helped move a few copies.

# ? Aug 8, 2017 05:27

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

Is Paper Girls good? I like BKV usually, but was somewhat disappointed by the last thing I read, The Private Eye.

# ? Aug 9, 2017 04:09

Roth: Jul 9, 2016

A Strange Aeon posted:

Is Paper Girls good? I like BKV usually, but was somewhat disappointed by the last thing I read, The Private Eye.

Do you really like The Goonies?

# ? Aug 9, 2017 04:17

A Strange Aeon: Mar 26, 2010; You are now a slimy little toad; The Great Twist

Roth posted:

Do you really like The Goonies?

I like it okay, I guess. So Paper Girls is like a young adult adventure kind of thing?

# ? Aug 9, 2017 04:29

Roth: Jul 9, 2016

It's like one of those 80s kids adventure movies except the characters are all girls instead of boys.

I dig it quite a bit.

# ? Aug 9, 2017 04:33

Teenage Fansub: Jan 28, 2006

It's not an overly YA comic. It just stars them.

It's very good.

# ? Aug 9, 2017 04:41

Madkal: Feb 11, 2008; I believe in all the ways that they say you can lose your body; Fallen Rib

I like it but I find it a bit meandering and definitely reads better in trades. Also I like Private Eye so take my opinion for what you want.

# ? Aug 9, 2017 04:55

Big Bad Voodoo Lou: Jan 1, 2006

A Strange Aeon posted:

Is Paper Girls good? I like BKV usually, but was somewhat disappointed by the last thing I read, The Private Eye.

The Goonies is an apt comparison. Stranger Things too, except it's more sci-fi and less horror. I've read the first two TPBs and liked them a lot.

# ? Aug 9, 2017 06:16

Red: Apr 15, 2003; Yeah, great at getting us into Wawa.

The image request thread won't allow new posts - is there a new thread planned?

# ? Aug 10, 2017 14:21

Teenage Fansub: Jan 28, 2006

Couldn't requests just happen in the funny/badass/touching threads?

# ? Aug 10, 2017 18:09

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Kate Leth is my favorite comic person to follow on twitter.

https://twitter.com/kateleth/status/895709361590292480

# ? Aug 10, 2017 19:31

Madkal: Feb 11, 2008; I believe in all the ways that they say you can lose your body; Fallen Rib

I care not for Twitter. Who is a solid follow on Instagram?

# ? Aug 10, 2017 21:09

Mr Hootington: Jul 24, 2008

Madkal posted:

I care not for Twitter. Who is a solid follow on Instagram?

It is all bad, friend.

# ? Aug 10, 2017 21:22

The Question IRL: Jun 8, 2013; Only two contestants left! Here is Doom's chance for revenge...

Madkal posted:

I care not for Twitter. Who is a solid follow on Instagram?

Stephen Amell.

Most pornstars too, but they have all started to move to onlyfans.com

# ? Aug 10, 2017 21:37

Ghostlight: Sep 25, 2009; maybe for one second you can pause; try to step into another person's perspective, and understand that a watermelon is cursing me

Wow, I'm not sure charging $5+ a month for your instagram is something anybody but pornstars could really do.

# ? Aug 10, 2017 22:14

Samuringa: Mar 27, 2017; Best advice I was ever given?

"Ticker, you'll be a lot happier once you stop caring about the opinions of a culture that is beneath you."

I learned my worth, learned the places and people that matter.

Opened my eyes.

Madkal posted:

I care not for Twitter. Who is a solid follow on Instagram?

# ? Aug 10, 2017 22:56

Aphrodite: Jun 27, 2006

Ghostlight posted:

Wow, I'm not sure charging $5+ a month for your instagram is something anybody but pornstars could really do.

Pornstars and "boudoir" cosplayers.

# ? Aug 10, 2017 23:47

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Aphrodite posted:

Pornstars and "boudoir" cosplayers.

Paying money for the second one is way more depressing than the first, good on the girls for getting paid, but ugh.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 05:28

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; Can't post for 10 years!

Skwirl posted:

Paying money for the second one is way more depressing than the first, good on the girls for getting paid, but ugh.

There's a lot of lonely motherfuckers out there who validate themselves by their massive list of "friends" on facebook and instagram.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 05:30

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Rhyno posted:

There's a lot of lonely motherfuckers out there who validate themselves by their massive list of "friends" on facebook and instagram.

Yeah, but those friends don't cost money.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 05:52

CapnAndy: Feb 27, 2004; Some teeth long for ripping, gleaming wet from black dog gums. So you keep your eyes closed at the end. You don't want to see such a mouth up close. before the bite, before its oblivion in the goring of your soft parts, the speckled lips will curl back in a whinny of excitement. You just know it.

Is there any reason at all to follow porn stars on any social media except for the obvious one, which makes no sense to me because porn is free anyway and why would you want that poo poo showing up uncontrollably in your feed when you don't want it?

# ? Aug 11, 2017 05:55

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

CapnAndy posted:

Is there any reason at all to follow porn stars on any social media except for the obvious one, which makes no sense to me because porn is free anyway and why would you want that poo poo showing up uncontrollably in your feed when you don't want it?

A lot of them are funny too.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 05:56

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

https://twitter.com/Rollmaninoz/status/676537302735130625

# ? Aug 11, 2017 06:17

Madkal: Feb 11, 2008; I believe in all the ways that they say you can lose your body; Fallen Rib

Skwirl posted:

https://twitter.com/Rollmaninoz/status/676537302735130625

Kent would never clench his fist at someone who saves lives.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 06:21

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Madkal posted:

Kent would never clench his fist at someone who saves lives.

I like to think he's just really pissed about a doctor denigrating the hard and important work of reporters, which can and does save lives.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 06:29

The Question IRL: Jun 8, 2013; Only two contestants left! Here is Doom's chance for revenge...

CapnAndy posted:

Is there any reason at all to follow porn stars on any social media except for the obvious one, which makes no sense to me because porn is free anyway and why would you want that poo poo showing up uncontrollably in your feed when you don't want it?

Well people might be attracted to specific porn stars and want to follow their stuff. Instead of looking through the You Tube like websites for badly watermarked/ edited versions of their videos.
Plus there can be more interactions with the Stars and for larger backers you can get personalised videos.

Unm, at least that's what I heard. (Hides the thousands of Euro spent on Asa Akira.)

# ? Aug 11, 2017 10:54

Lightning Lord: Feb 21, 2013; $200 a day, plus expenses

It feels like someone triggered one of those trap sprung posts in here.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 11:06

Lurdiak: Feb 26, 2006; I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.

What kind of loser pays to see photos of scantily dressed women.

Anyway, I have to go to my second job to pay for my 1200 dollar monthly Patreon subscription to every artist that draws Overwatch nudes.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 11:11

Endless Mike: Aug 13, 2003

Rhyno posted:

There's a lot of lonely motherfuckers out there who validate themselves by their massive list of "friends" on facebook and instagram.

My ex did the opposite of this. She had a massive number of FB friends and would scroll through and get upset that she wasn't a trust fund kid who could spend all her time doing drugs and going to bad concerts

# ? Aug 11, 2017 15:09

Air Skwirl: May 13, 2007; Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed shitposting.

Endless Mike posted:

My ex did the opposite of this. She had a massive number of FB friends and would scroll through and get upset that she wasn't a trust fund kid who could spend all her time doing drugs and going to bad concerts

I often feel the exact same thing.

# ? Aug 11, 2017 17:34