Boom has just released another press release regarding NORTH WIND #1, their controversial new book that debuted simultaneously on shelves and MySpace. This time they are announcing a second printing following the announcement of the sell-out of the first issues.
Par for the course for small publishers trying to prove their viability. Not so standard is the ongoing sniping between Boom and retailers on the private CBIA forum. Feelings were apparently hurt a bit by this quote from the sell-out PR:
“I only wish more companies had the inspired media moxy and sales savvy as displayed by BOOM! — whether it’s their online promotions that pull and create new readers or their simple but very effective shelftalkers. In this day of dinosaur brick & mortar stores, BOOM! is always finding new ways to help us sell, sell, sell. Kudos to you BOOM! We at Meltdown, Inc. look forward to working with all your titles to BOOST! our bottom line. Please continue to keep it innovative and keep sending us new and receptive costumers to sell all types of comics to!” Gaston Dominguez-Letelier proprietor of Meltdown, Inc. said.
In other words: Get away, you stegosaurus!
Reaction at CBIA was predictably acerbic, with many retailers reporting they had not sold out and offering their remaining copies to the stores that had with promises never to order Boom comics again.
Boom head Ross Richie points out that the CBIA is the only place there have been any complaints. “We’ve gotten a wide-range of support from just as many influential and high profile retailers nationally,” he says. Online support has been strong elsewhere. “Boing Boing picked it up, and lots of other exciting sites (some that just catalog available free digital media — for film, TV, and comics, etc) are running the story.”
You can read the press release for the second printing in the jump. Will the retailer comments cited cause as many hurt feelings as Obama’s “You’re likable enough” to Hillary? Read them yourself.
BOOM! Studios announced today that NORTH WIND #1 will receive a second printing. Hitting the market simultaneously in stores and online at MySpace Comic Books , the first printing of NORTH WIND sold out in only ten days. The second print will have a slightly altered cover to distinguish itself from the first printing.
Diamond Comics Distributors will make the second printing of NORTH WIND #1 available on January 23rd, at that time the second printing’s code will open for orders, and a Diamond Daily article will also run that day alerting retailers to its availability. BOOM! Studios is also offering retailers an additional 3% reorder incentive on all issues that have been solicited and remain in print.
In addition to the release of the NORTH WIND online to over 145,000 friends at MySpace Comic Books, BOOM! Studios commissioned a trailer for NORTH WIND that was featured on MySpaceTV and on the log-in page for MySpace. The trailer received 10,000 views in ten days and can seen here: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=25270023
While the simultaneous release of NORTH WIND has its critics, BOOM! Studios has received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from retailers across the nation.
“BOOM!’s decision to make NORTH WIND available on MySpace was an innovative and brave decision that has paid off immensely. Readers who tried it online wanted to get a permanent copy they could hold in their hands, and wound up, in most cases, looking for more. Any gateway we can find to introduce non-traditional readers to comics is what this industry needs. Congrats, BOOM!” Said Mike Malve, owner of the Atomic Comics chain, a chain that includes four retail stores, including a mobile store housed in a van, all located in and around the greater Phoenix, Arizona area.
“The MySpace promotion has brought attention to BOOM!’S new title NORTH WIND in a very big way. Regulars who ONLY get Marvel and DC are asking for it, and we sold out of all of our shelf copies the day it came out, and even had a waiting list for our reorders. We have since sold out of two reorders and the overship copies that came in. Our stores only had three people on the pull list before the book came out, but we have since sold almost as many copies of NORTH WIND #1 as we have any BOOM! book so far, including TALENT. It is easily one of the best new reads I have picked up in a while, and the exposure on MySpace will help drive people not only for this book (as people will want a copy to collect) but also for other BOOM! books as well.” Said Jon Newman, owner of the Ultimate Comics chain, comprised of three stores, in the Raliegh-Durham-Chapel Hill research triangle area of North Carolina.
NORTH WIND, written by David DiGilio, best known for writing the film EIGHT BELOW and creating the ABC TV show TRAVELER, is a five issue mini-series set in a future Los Angeles after a new ice age has covered the earth. NORTH WIND chronicles the rise of a new hero in a dystopian world where people burn books for fuel, and Skinrunners trade valuable pelts for rations and warmth. The first issue features a cover by Andrew Huerta with interior artwork by newcomer and soon to be fan-favorite, Alex Cal.
MySpace, the world’s most popular social network, and BOOM! Studios, a leader in comic book and graphic novel publishing, announced a partnership January 3rd to provide the MySpace Comic Book community with free digital downloads of BOOM! Studios’ highly anticipated new comic book series, NORTH WIND. Throughout the five-issue mini-series, MySpace users will be able to download all the issue of NORTH WIND for free exclusively on the MySpace Comic Books profile (http://myspace.com/comicbooks) the day each issue hits store shelves.
MySpace Comic Books (http://myspace.com/comicbooks) is a community dedicated to the best in comics, manga, and graphic novels. Launched in March 2007, MySpace Comic Books provides the online community with the latest comic book news and interviews and spotlights the most exciting projects, creators and events in the industry. With more than 145,000 friends, and growing, MySpace continues to see significant interest from its members in the comic book arena.
I liked Atomic comics quote: Any gateway we can find to introduce non-traditional readers to comics is what this industry needs. Also thought the idea that Atomic have a van to sell comics from is brilliant.
Time for retailers and publishers to find the readers, because I am sure they are out there if the product is good.
I think it’s interesting that Boom is offering the comic in CBZ format as well as posting the pages on the mySpace page. Good to see another company pick cbr/cbz over pdf or flash.
The hollow horn plays wasted words
Proves to warn
That he not busy being born
Is busy dying.
Ed, thank you for those Words of Dylan.
Hey, has anyone from the Big Two (Three?) approached Bob Dylan to write the next Ultimate World Civil War Event Countdown series? Celebrity writers rock!!! He would bring a spring and a fountain of flowing prose to comics!:
For example, Our Talented Comic Artists drawing this recent lyric, adapted for comics: The Siamese twins are coming to town. People can’t wait to gather around. Hulk smash.