How will the CoronaVirus affect the comic industry?

Discussion in 'Comic Books and Graphic Novels' started by Omegashark18, Mar 12, 2020.

  1. Deathcatg

    Deathcatg Well-Known Member

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    Got my first new floppie in a couple months now that Diamond resumed. Curbside for my LCBS is more work than I expected (pay ahead of time, make a vague appointment of when I'll be by the store due to limited parking concerns), but looks like this is the new temporary normal.
    0520201147.jpg
     
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  2. AzT

    AzT Moderator News Staff TFW2005 Supporter

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  3. Tekkaman Blade

    Tekkaman Blade Professor of Animation

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    IDW just laid a bunch of people off after talking a loan for the virus from the government. Not looking good for them staying in business much longer.
    IDW Publishing Permanently Lays Off Staff
    Now IDW Lets Go Of Employees, Permanently

    They were betting everything on their netflix shows with the exception of Locke and Key, none of have made it past 1 season. Netflix also isn't picking up many more of their properties.
    So they are in a financial hole and probably can't climb out of it anymore.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2020
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  4. TheLastBlade

    TheLastBlade Well-Known Member

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    That tends to happen when either you don’t market well, or people just didn’t want the product. The former being a big weakness with Netflix that eventually leads to the latter.
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2020
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  5. Novaburnhilde

    Novaburnhilde Local assistant deity

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    Now IDW Lets Go Of Employees, Permanently

    Bound to happen sooner or later, the pandemic has only expedited the process. While Bleeding Cool isn't always the best source for this kind of info, they appear to have gotten a statement directly from IDW publishing, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt unless anything comes up that contradicts it.
     
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  6. AzT

    AzT Moderator News Staff TFW2005 Supporter

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  7. Fafnir72

    Fafnir72 XYxInfinity

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    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
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  8. Wreckgar

    Wreckgar Anthony Stark Veteran

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    IDW should have just laid them off immediately so they could have started to collect unemployment with a contingency to rehire when this was over instead of waiting a month plus and then deciding to pull the trigger.
     
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  9. C.W. McConvoy

    C.W. McConvoy 破壊大帝

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    Knowing how badly mismanaged the comics industry is, I'm going to assume these were the most competent people working at IDW.
     
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  10. DukeFett

    DukeFett Well-Known Member

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    If you're furloughed you can apply for unemployment, once you start making less money (and then also less than the unemployment benefits), you can apply no matter what.

    What really sucks though is bringing them back for two fucking weeks. That totally screws them up for their unemployment having to re-apply and all that. They should still qualify, but it's a PITA they didn't need.
     
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  11. lordsmurf

    lordsmurf Well-Known Member

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    - IDWM is a zombie company right now.
    - AT&T apparently doesn't want to do DC anymore, so it's on a deathwatch now.
    - Disney will probably keep Marvel Comics as is.
    - Image and rest are mostly non-superhero/non-property artsy/indy titles, and many of those come and go all the time.

    I think Diamond needs to have its kneecaps whacked. From what I've always read and heard, these are mafia-like SOBs that turned the comics industry into a racket.

    And I think that gaming in comic stores is what killed it for many comic collectors. Years ago, you could go into a nice quiet store, and talk comics with the staff or fellow patrons. Grab some related toys and collectibles, too. But then the non-comic gamer crowd came in. Mostly immature loudmouths. Staff began to cater to them, and our comics and collectibles were pushed out. Fine, screw you. Many years later, "comic" shops have learned that those people were fickle, and have moved to online gaming venues. So your store is empty more than not. I started buying comics from Amazon because the stores were nothing but cesspools of neckbeards. So don't whine to me about Amazon taking your business. You gave it to them willingly over the past 2 decades!
     
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  12. Scrapper6

    Scrapper6 Lord of Constructicons

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    If this means we lose another Sonic Series I guess I won't be collecting anything anymore. IDW dies, my book pile dies with them because I haven't touched a Marvel or a DC in decades.
     
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  13. Deathcatg

    Deathcatg Well-Known Member

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    So... ... "Our Comeback will be bigger than out Setback" anyone?
     
  14. Mojom

    Mojom Well-Known Member

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    Hello! Any chance you can DM me a list of recommended/trustworthy eBay sellers?
     
  15. Rated X

    Rated X Banned

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    I would think comic book art and storylines are something that could be worked on from home, no ?
     
  16. Bumblebee2000

    Bumblebee2000 Well-Known Member

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    Potentially and I get the vague impression some have been continuing, and also the vague impression that they weren't all working from a centralised location in the first place. Its more that every part of the process after that shut down and digital-only releases to circumvent that isn't the done thing
    I mean I'm annoyed that I just started buying Supergirl and then it ended and now I can't get the last issue so I don't know how I feel; the industry needs big changes but DC's other stuff has continued to support the stores that rely on them which I strongly agree with, in-terms of "the industry needs to evolve" that is. Limited options when we're trying to control a pandemic and even then there will be some books now from DC at least and in a country with different circumstances than America my local has been using a few methods to get the books that aren't being published to people without having them in store. So now that they are being published that will be less of a struggle.
    But thanks to Diamond digital (not Diamond) isnt even a major considerable option.
     
  17. RodimusZero

    RodimusZero Steezin fo no Reason

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    Really wish another company could get a crack at Transformers... I haven’t liked anything this one’s come out with, nothing.
     
  18. SouthtownKid

    SouthtownKid Headmaster

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    It is. And they do. But then are they supposed to mentally will their work into people's homes?
     
  19. Macross7

    Macross7 Well-Known Member

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    Considering that they probably just send a digital copy to the printers to have printed, it seems 100% of the publisher side could be done remotely. I know even before the virus, artists didn't have to work in the office.
     
  20. Tekkaman Blade

    Tekkaman Blade Professor of Animation

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    DC just changed their printers from one in Canada which was shut due to the virus to one in the states that never shut down as it was considered essential. I posted a link over in the DC discussion about it.
     
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