Posted in: Comics, Digital, Recent Updates | Tagged: Batman, Comics, comicspro, dc, fear itself, flashpoint, lee bermejo, marvel, matt fraction, MVL

Vertigo Original Graphic Novels Are Walking Dead?

Published Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:18:21 -0600

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:34:19 -0600

Comments

In Dallas, right now, comic book retailers propping up the bar, thinking about going to bed, as part of the ComicsPro retailer meeting, with presentations by a number of companies.

We know about Marvel's upcoming death count and DC's upcoming Batman OGN NÖEL with the dieresis on the wrong letter, button and badge count, but what else is going on?

DC's digital plans seem to be similar in theme but using a different system to Diamond Digital. John Rood, one of the DC Entertainment High Five, told retailers he wanted to maintain comic stores as centres of fandom. Jim Lee wants to find a way to use retailers in DC's digital plans, despite that's what Diamond Digital had announced they were doing without mentioning DC, the previous day.

Vertigo also confirmed plans that Bleeding Cool had previously reported, a cutting back on original graphic novels, to focus on monthly serialised titles.

They have some seriously high profile OGNs this year but as a DC senior exec explained to me, they just don't bring in the revenue spent on them, and this was the main reason Vertigo last three editors last year. The current line are the books that were too far along in the production cycle to cancel.

Oh and Boom! are sending retailers 100 Hellraiser bookmarks each to help promote that series, written by Clive Barker and Christopher Monfette, and drawn by Leonardo Manco.

Stan Lee was awarded the ComicsPRO Industry Appreciation Award, accepted by Chip Mosher and Matt Gagnon of Boom! Studios. Jack Kirby was awarded the ComicsPRO Industry Memorial Award, accepted by Bob Chapman of Graphitti Designs

And in their goodie bags, retailers found this rare Comics Pro Walking Dead #81 variant.

Todd McFarlane has issues with what he calls a "computer programmer" cutting up his Spawn into panel bits fior digital consumption, but promises 15 issues of Spawn over the next year, and arranging virtual creator tours of stores via the likes of Skype.

And as for yesterday's (updated) piece on Marvel's announcement they're to kill a character every quarter, Matt Fraction tweeted;