The Energon Pub

Sabrblade wrote:But what's wrong with using comics as the medium of expansion? A lot of times, comics can do things that movies/cartoons can't do. Just look at the G1 cartoon vs. the Marvel comics. Marvel G1 had a solid overarching story with a richer history and wider cast of characters than the cartoon had.

I'm not going to argue the benefits of the comics, because I agree.

But Hasbro's main income TF wise would come from the sale of toys which is pushed by a movie or TV series.

Not only that, how many in the demographic that the toys are aimed at, actually buy and read comics these days?

Burn wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:But what's wrong with using comics as the medium of expansion? A lot of times, comics can do things that movies/cartoons can't do. Just look at the G1 cartoon vs. the Marvel comics. Marvel G1 had a solid overarching story with a richer history and wider cast of characters than the cartoon had.

I'm not going to argue the benefits of the comics, because I agree.

But Hasbro's main income TF wise would come from the sale of toys which is pushed by a movie or TV series.

Not only that, how many in the demographic that the toys are aimed at, actually buy and read comics these days?

maybe not as many as one would think, I can't find ANY comics near me, ever!

Burn wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:But what's wrong with using comics as the medium of expansion? A lot of times, comics can do things that movies/cartoons can't do. Just look at the G1 cartoon vs. the Marvel comics. Marvel G1 had a solid overarching story with a richer history and wider cast of characters than the cartoon had.

I'm not going to argue the benefits of the comics, because I agree.

But Hasbro's main income TF wise would come from the sale of toys which is pushed by a movie or TV series.

Not only that, how many in the demographic that the toys are aimed at, actually buy and read comics these days?

Yes, it is truly a sad reality. Especially with more and more bookstores closing their doors. Kids these days just aren't reading comics as much as those from earlier years. They're missing out on a lot of great (as well as poor) stuff, and don't get the full fill of some of the best TF comic stories out there. I wish they were more widely available and promoted better than how they are now, with the cartoons and movies dominating the entertainment market of the franchise.

Same goes for the Japanese cartoons. Like the comics, those get largely ignored and missed out on and, as a result, the fans continue to miss out on some good stuff.

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:Short version: Star Trek, but with Transformers.

That happened. It was called "Beast Wars Neo".

I have two responses to that:

1. Like that, except, if it sucked, then my idea would suck substantially less.

2. No such thing as original thought. Humanity has been making up stories and the like for millenia, for about as long as we realized we could, hell, probably since mankind existed. Combine that with seven billion minds all having thoughts and dreams at the same time, even if you can think up something that hasn't been thought before, it's very likely someone else is thinking it as well.

Short version: being truly original is difficult.

Burn wrote:Not only that, how many in the demographic that the toys are aimed at, actually buy and read comics these days?

Actually very few. It's probably why the comics tend to be just a bit darker. (Hi, Sunstreaker's decapitated head begging to be killed!)

Sabrblade wrote:I wish they were more widely available and promoted better than how they are now, with the cartoons and movies dominating the entertainment market of the franchise.

They're severly dropping the ball in the digital era.

Sure, most are embracing things like ... ugh ... iPads ... but where's the promotion for them?

Marvel and DC especially, they have so much other merchandise out there why aren't they pushing their digital comics?

Burn wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I wish they were more widely available and promoted better than how they are now, with the cartoons and movies dominating the entertainment market of the franchise.

They're severly dropping the ball in the digital era.

Sure, most are embracing things like ... ugh ... iPads ... but where's the promotion for them?

Marvel and DC especially, they have so much other merchandise out there why aren't they pushing their digital comics?

ANSWER 2 SHORT REASONS:

(1) DC,MARVEL & other comic book companies know where their bread & butter lies. they ain't about to go full stream & upset "diamond comics" the main/only distributer of comics in america to comic book stores. by going digital this steals money away from the "diamonds comics" distributer.

(1 a) I suspect this is the main reason were not getting any mail away subscriptions inside our IDW TF comics. because "diamonds comics" distributer is like a tight oiled mafia organization. they prevent this from happening. if fans were able to get comics delivered to their house by comic book companies like IDW. then this would make comic book stores close down. because lets face it,if you had the option of getting something delivered to your mail box. then chances are you wouldn't have to resort to going to these sleezy/dirty./germ infested comic book stores,With scarry/creppy looking super fiscal comic book store workers inside.

(2) For some strange reason most comic book buyers think that all their comics are worth serious money. most either don't know or fail to do the proper research that second hand comics are worthless these days & are no where near the price the buyer originally paid for it at retail. the majority would never buy digital. we had this discussion over at the TFCC boards when I was a member their & posted a thread asking this same question. some TFCC members thought their club magazine/comics were worth serious money. others claimed the paper & art work was too beautiful to view in digital format & that would be a minus. some wanted the luxury of holding the paper comic in their hands & argued a digital transfer would look like garbage,tiny,weaken the art & make it look like a cheap chinese KO toy,

1. Only makes sense if there's a legal contract requiring it. Also Diamond Comics Distributors does not qualify as "bread and butter."

1a. Blatantly false. Digital distribution services like Steam haven't hurt sales of physical copies of video games, there's no reason to assume it would hurt comic book stores. Also there's a number of comics (From Marvel and IDW, I think, among others) available on the PlayStation Network. Also it's really insulting to comic book stores and workers the way you worded that.

2. That's opinion, and not a preventive one. It's actually the same with everything in digital distribution. Some people prefer physical copies over digital ones, but like Steam, it doesn't make digital distribution any less profitable.

Shadowman wrote:1. Only makes sense if there's a legal contract requiring it. Also Diamond Comics Distributors does not qualify as "bread and butter."

1a. Blatantly false. Digital distribution services like Steam haven't hurt sales of physical copies of video games, there's no reason to assume it would hurt comic book stores. Also there's a number of comics (From Marvel and IDW, I think, among others) available on the PlayStation Network. Also it's really insulting to comic book stores and workers the way you worded that.

2. That's opinion, and not a preventive one. It's actually the same with everything in digital distribution. Some people prefer physical copies over digital ones, but like Steam, it doesn't make digital distribution any less profitable.

1-anytime a company makes business with another company their are always legal binding contracts required. with give & take options inside the contract. I'd assume their is a legal contract preventing IDW from going out on their own & delivering comics without diamond comics permission. as IDW signed a contact to make Diamond comics their sole distributer in america. i'd imagine IDW would have to ask diamond comics or have their contract with diamond comics contract adjusted to allow IDW to do digital comics.

1a- the comics sales/volume units don't make anywhere near the video games sales/volume units in america. video games are everywhere. comics are barely anywhere these days. you can't compare the two. that's like comparing a penny to a million dollars. or comparing the WHEEL to a micro chip. those companies who make video games have more control over the contracts than those companies who create comic books like IDW. your literally making comparisions between multi million/billion dollar video game companies verses the comic book companies who are barely scapping by,barely making any profit & are no where in the same profit dollar leagues.

1b- video game companies make more profits thus have more control of what's in their contracts. video companies also distrute to money venues. the video game companies,also the market has more competiting competitors. comic book companies like IDW make less profit & get contracts with less control options from diamond. since diamond is the only comic distributer in america,it's diamonds rules or nothing.

2-that's not just "opinion" that's "MAJORITY OPINION" regarding comic book buyers preferring paper comics & not liking digital comics.

2a- again comparing digital video games to digital comics is like comparing a penny to a million dollars or the WHEEL to a micro chip.

2c-the difference is the video game buyers don't mind buying digital video games. because some rent e'm play em,complete e'm & then return them. FWIW,The regular video game can play on the TV or computer just like the digital videp game can.

2d-the difference is the majority of comic book buyers don't like nor support digital comics. because the 2 offered formats are so radically different from each other. the paper comic on paper. while the digital comics are on a DISK.

I'd go so far as to say that while the sale of video games went up, the sale of comic books went down.

deathy wrote:anytime a company makes business with another company their are always legal binding contracts required.

Yes, but exclusive distribution rights aren't always in there. And I know it isn't in this case because this exists. Of note is numerous DC, Marvel, and IDW comics available there.

Shadowman wrote:

deathy wrote:anytime a company makes business with another company their are always legal binding contracts required.

Yes, but exclusive distribution rights aren't always in there. And I know it isn't in this case because this exists. Of note is numerous DC, Marvel, and IDW comics available there.

We don't know what's in the contracts. as those are kept private between the companies.

the fact still remains IDW signed a contract with diamond comics distributors. which granted diamond the rights to be the only distributer of their IDW paper comics.

most likely what happened was IDW & Diamond comics distibuters discussed the digital comics thing. and diamond agreed because they felt the digital comics sales were too low & their weren't enough buyers to make it a serious threat to diamond comics distributers.
so this was allowed in the original contract or added in later into the contract.

I highly doubt IDW was free & clear to do this digital thing without getting diamond comics distributers permission.

Chances are if their are words like "distributed by diamond comics" on all the comics books being distributed by diamond in america. diamond might get a cut of the money with these digital comics. because the digital comics do show viewers/readers the all the pages of the comics their reading including the front & back pages.

Since the MAJORITY of comic buyers prefer paper comics & hate digital comics. I don't see much money/profit in these digital comics.

I can see the paper comic book era ending instead of it switching over to digital comics. might as well watch a cartoon with animation instead of watching a digital comic with no animation.

Persnally this digital comic idea reminds me of the 1920's coin operated machines that use to have comics/cartoons hand drawn & you'd watch the comic/cartoon/movie & keep flicking a switch to turn to the next page. only those 1920's coin operated machines were more advanced as you'd get something that appeared or looked like animation moving every time you kept moving the handle/switch/whatever.

No thanks vieweing a digital comic on my screen. with me having to point the mouse over the page turner & hearing voice actors who are probably poorly paid,thus by default have less talent voice skills, the still comic art isn't for me. it just sound like a un-pleasant expereince for myself to have to endure. it kinda reminds me of those old or new read along toddler story books where you read the paper book & a audio sound track voices the words/characters your reading in the book. no thanks to that,i'm 27 years old & don't need family members or friends walking by over hearing these digital TF comics playing in the back ground.

I can read a IDW Paper TF comic in under 5 minutes when i'm really in the mood. I honestly don't need to have the digital comic slow down my fast reading of this comic issue. because the voice actors have to talk slow to read the words in the comics & my mouse or whatever has to keep pressing the next turn page. I ain't gonna sit their longer than i have to,to endure the longer digital comic reading/voiced comic process.

I don't know about anyone else. but I'd feel like I was in kindergarden. because I'd basically have a digital IDW TF comic doing the reading for me thru some talentless voice actors screaming & going thru all the emotions the characters are doing in the digital comic issues. No thanks to that.

Random theory about why kids don't read comics anymore.

I looked at my dad's collection of old comic books and noticed how affordable everything was. 10 cents to $1.00 in later years. Now comice will run $4-6 in stores. Kids don't have that kind of money and gone are the days of all the popular issues being released at the convenience store each month.

The comic industry screwed themselves when they made a move to better quality ink and paper. The target sales went from kids to adults.

Comics would pick up popularity pretty fast if they would go back to using cheaper materials and making the comics affordable to kids again.

I would own a ton of comics if they wera cheaper.

Also, leave it to Sabrblade to find the one random image on the net of the Armada McDonald's combiners. I remember being so excited when I could make the comnination and then realizing how much they sucked afterwards. Still like them though.

deathy wrote:Since the MAJORITY of comic buyers prefer paper comics & hate digital comics. I don't see much money/profit in these digital comics.

Say wha?

Production alone would be much cheaper for comic book companies.

And if they actually pushed their comics in the digital format, they'd pick up readers to compensate from the loss of those who like to live in the past.

deathy wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

deathy wrote:anytime a company makes business with another company their are always legal binding contracts required.

Yes, but exclusive distribution rights aren't always in there. And I know it isn't in this case because this exists. Of note is numerous DC, Marvel, and IDW comics available there.

We don't know what's in the contracts. as those are kept private between the companies.

the fact still remains IDW signed a contract with diamond comics distributors. which granted diamond the rights to be the only distributer of their IDW paper comics.

These two lines are contradictory. Are the contract private, or did you read them to learn of the exclusive distribution rights?

deathy wrote:most likely what happened was IDW & Diamond comics distibuters discussed the digital comics thing. and diamond agreed because they felt the digital comics sales were too low & their weren't enough buyers to make it a serious threat to diamond comics distributers.
so this was allowed in the original contract or added in later into the contract.

I highly doubt IDW was free & clear to do this digital thing without getting diamond comics distributers permission.

This is just assumptions. Unless you read the documents that you yourself claimed are private, then you've got nothing to back this up except conjecture. And Conjecture doesn't equal facts here.

deathy wrote:No thanks vieweing a digital comic on my screen. with me having to point the mouse over the page turner & hearing voice actors who are probably poorly paid,thus by default have less talent voice skills,

...they don't actually do that. Also, paycheck is not equivalent to talent.

Okay, well, I'm about done dealing with deathy. We should probably move back on topic.