Hey, everyone,

I have a question prompted by a comic coming out very soon from a major indie label.

Are there any regulations in place to penalise publishers who solicit comics they don't intend to publish?

If a publisher intended to surprise readers by permanently ending an ongoing title, but they didn't want the solicits to give away their plan, could they "dummy solicit" upcoming issues with impunity?
Or are there consequences for soliciting non-existent issues?

Surely there must be some policy in place, to protect comic retailers from ordering and paying for comics that are not intended for publication, but who enforces this?

Any insight you could offer would be appreciated. Thanks!

~L~

 

I feel like that would be up to Diamond. If they allow it, there’s not really any system that could penalize the comic company, is there? Other than comic shops feeling burned and offering less support to future books from the company/creator.

 

This must be in reference to TWD announcement, and no, I don't think there is anything to prevent a comic company/creator from doing this beyond some possible negative publicity.

 

Not entirely sure how far in advance shops have to pay for issues they order, but presumably they'd be refunded for any money they put into one of the 'dummy' solicits.

I think it would be a lot worse for shops with comics that are solicited, are intended to come out and then just get repeatedly delayed and never materialize...or come out after such a long delay that no one is interested in them any more.

 

This isn't the first time a comic company has solicited "phantom" issues of a comic to cover a sudden ending, so no, its unlikely punishment will come out of this strategy.

 

Would you be able to give any specific examples of this happening before?

I have a vague memory of either reading about it in an article or maybe it was mentioned in an episode of "Comic Tropes?"


Edit: I was thinking of "Exiles" from Malibu Comics back in 1993. The lead characters were all killed off in issue #4, abruptly ending the series, despite issues 5 & 6 being solicited months in advance.

Reportedly retailers who had been misled into ordering these issues were subsequently reimbursed.

~L~

 

Things get solicited and cancelled all the time. This really isn't any different from that, from a process stand point.

 

Another time when it happened was Malibu's Exiles comic. Mind you, I'm limiting myself to situations where there was a clear intent to deceive by soliciting issues that were never going to get published.

According to Wikipedia Quantum and Woody was cancelled and then uncancelled as a promotional gimmick, which is also similar. And of course, there's endless covers and ads that teased things that fans have accused of being disengenuous over the decades.

Comic companies change their minds and cancel comics all the time for economic or editorial reasons, often with little warning, what's the difference to a retailer or reader between that and now, beyond the intent to deceive? How is cancelling walking dead different, legally or in the grand scheme of things, than say, border town or dead rabbit?

 

Thanks, that's exactly the example I was trying to remember!

I think it's the intent to deceive that's sticking out to me.
I know comics get cancelled all the time, as others have commented in this thread, for creative reasons and for editorial reasons, but I don't think publishers often exploit the solicitation cycle to intentionally solicit phantom issues.

It doesn't really bother me, as I'm not a "TWD" reader, but it just seemed like the kind of stunt the industry as a whole would frown on when it's done to intentionally deceive.

~L~

Edited in an attempt to remain spoiler-sensitive.

 

Just an FYI from a former retailer:

You pay for the books that they bring to your store and only on delivery. Occasional you can pay in advance, but the item is only charged if it's shipped to the retailer.

That being said, Robert Kirkman and Image can eat a whole bag of phallus. This is the kind of bullshit that marvel pulled before. You owe retailers. Your cute ass attempt to get a "surprise!" in the internet generation is asinine. Nobody gave a damn about TWD until retailers carried your comic, and pushed it so hard that first Image, and then the world paid attention. Tony was right about you Rob. Go to hell.