1 | Ernie Estrella

July 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm

Shola’s crazy. I wouldn’t buy USA Today just to buy Superman. Way to judge it before you actually see it. Wednesday Comics was the best thing on the racks last week.

2 | Shola Akinnuso

July 13th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

buying a USA Today is pushing it, perhaps. My point, though, is as novel as it is, fans would’ve bought it anyway.

I call it an incredibly missed opportunity. THAT was disappointing. Considering 1. The classic way the stories are told, 2. the level of quality art, 3.accessibility to a new base…this would’ve potentially brought in a LOT of new fans. I wasn’t knocking that it wasn’t one of the best this week. My disappointment was in the way it was distributed. Heck, why not both ways? That said, a better paper would’ve been preferable…

3 | Ernie Estrella

July 13th, 2009 at 4:43 pm

I don’t think so. People read the paper once and throw it out. There’s no lasting appeal being in a newspaper. I love print as much as the next guy but USA today doesn’t mean progressive to me. I think it’s a great teaser but not to have the only way to get that product. You even said that you were bummed it was USAToday. That also cost a lot to produce. Gotta weigh the cost and rewards of it. The stock it was printed on held the color pretty well considering. And there’s no way this couldn’t have been $3.99 I’ll add when you consider the cost to print that high of color reproduction on paper that could have been folded that much, to keep it at $3.99 is astonishing.

And nothing is going to bring in new readers by the dozens unless they’re interested in reading comics in the first place. Not a movie, no gimmick, and no TV show is going to do that. Why?Because when films are blockbusters but don’t translate into new comic sales then I know that being in a daily newspaper isn’t going to be a good cross-promotion. I think DC played it perfectly. Satisfy your home base and if it works then see if there’s a way to mainstream it. And there’s not to say that the idea wasn’t proposed but perhaps USA Today may not have wanted it. Can’t always assume it’s the missed opportunity of the comic publisher.

I went to a panel at SDCC a few years back with the DigitalBits guys who interview DVD producers. And many of them say that many ideas that fans think of are thought of too and are proposed but just don’t happen. For something to happen, all the parties have to buy into it.

4 | chanzero

July 13th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

As we also mentioned in the podcast, it would’ve been great if DC could’ve had some mention in the newspaper to go buy more Wednesday Comics (or any Superman or DC comics) at their local shop. That is what I’d consider a missed opportunity. Although I don’t fault DC for this, I’m sure it just wasn’t part of a realistic negotation. Again, all credit to them for putting out a very cool, fresh product and even getting USA Today to run any of it — online or in print.

Also (just to repeat the entire Wednesday Comics portion of podcast here in the comments lol), you really have to hold the product in your hands. Without seeing it physically, I too would have been skeptical about it. Granted the talent involved is top-notch, but $4 is a lot for any comic, especially when you tell me it’s 16 individual stories on newspaper. (Then again, I think all comics cost too much so take that with a grain of salt). However, once you see it unfold — or rather experience opening it yourself and reading it — you really have to love it. Again, comparing albums vs CDs. Hopefully Shola can still get to the store and become a hands-on believer also.

Possibly over-priced, but what isn’t :( Still the coolest book on the shelves last week, easily.