Posted in: Bad Idea, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News | Tagged: bad idea, bad idea comics, eniac

Bad Idea Tells Comics Shops They Ordered Too Many – And Counterfeits?

Bad Idea Comics tells comic shops that they ordered too many comics - but what about all the counterfeits going around?

Bleeding Cool has been talking about Bad Idea, the new comics publisher from Dinesh Shamdasani, Hunter Gorinson, Atom Freeman, Warren Simons, and Joshua Jones for what seems like ages now, spinning out of the buyout of Valiant by DMG. A direct-to-retailer publisher, eschewing digital and trade paperbacks in favour of one-cover one-per-person comic book sales from big comic book names. And now telling their retailer list that each and every one of them have over-ordered the first issue of ENIAC #1, with the following letter.

WE LOVE YOU BUT YOU'VE OVER-ORDERED ENIAC #1

Bad Idea Destination Stores,

This is a bit weird and we totally get that we're supposed to be short-sighted publishing execs who are obsessed with announcing big orders but in what must be a first in comics history:

We are asking you to REDUCE your order of ENIAC #1.

We are so incredibly proud of ENIAC and couldn't be more honored that you have all put so much faith in it with your orders but as a small, new publisher our readership is just beginning to form. Which means it's relatively small. Our partnership with you is also just beginning and the last thing that we want is any of the incredible stores that have taken a chance with us to be left with copies they can't sell. We intend to aggressively grow our readership over the next years and decades but we're cognizant that the path is a slow and steady one.

More than that, you didn't just order a lot of our launch book. You ordered A LOT! Especially considering BAD IDEA Rule #6: "Your order on the first issue of an arc is your minimum order on each subsequent issue of that arc." Which was supposed to discourage orders not blow past our most aggressive high end projections! We're working with our printer on several solutions but there is a very real chance we will not have enough copies for all the orders. So, before we're forced to do an allocation, we're asking any of you that would like to reduce their orders to take the opportunity to do something truly unique in publishing history. Please. With our blessing. Lower your order. Simply reply to this email with your previous order and tell us what you'd like the new amount to be.

Well, if Bad Idea won't publish enough copies, then others will. Bleeding Cool was contacted by Phil of Comics Talk Weekly who told us;

 After purchasing the Hero Trade ash can from Bad Idea Comics a few months ago, I've been excited to "get in on the ground floor" of a new publisher. Hence, I was excited to to find and purchase an ENIAC ash can on eBay a few weeks ago. After it arrived however, I noticed that there was zero contact information for the publisher. The only "business information" was on the back cover – an ad for Njoy Games and Comics on the back cover http://www.njoy.us/. Since an ashcan at its core is a promo item – I thought it odd that such a thing would be published without such content.

Phil contacted Bad Idea Comics and got a reply from Dinesh,

Thanks for reaching out. I'm afraid we have to be the bearers of bad news. The ENIAC ashcan you hold (as well as the Whalesville ashcan) are bootlegs! Yes, bootlegs. From what we have gathered, they were made using digital files we released on our social media platforms. They are, nevertheless, kinda awesome (we gotta admit it's pretty thrilling to be bootlegged!) and pretty valuable it seems.
The Hero Trade on the other hand is an authentic Bad Idea comic. It was released under the guise of Buttoned Up Comics because we're sneaky stinkers. It is also very awesome AND just the start. We've got plans for The Hero Trade very soon…very, very soon.
Hope that helps!

After contacting the eBay seller, igetsupgoods, to tell them they were selling counterfeit items, Phil got the following response :

There HAVE been other ashcans released. For example the "Hero Trade" ashcan from bad idea that has been selling on eBay for up to $1,000.00 and over $1,000.00 (See the three pictures that I am sending you for examples of the HERO TRADE ashcan and also, look at the listings on eBay. Click on the picture to see the full picture.). Thanks for the concern.

Phil sent them what Bad Idea had told him and received no response. You can see one of their listings here, selling it for $50.

And here's what's officially coming from Bad Idea Comics – and when.

***  ENIAC #1 ***
Written by  MATT KINDT
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Colors by DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
Cover by LEWIS LaROSA with DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
PLUS: An All-New BAD IDEA B-SIDE
FOUR ISSUES  |  MONTHLY
$3.99 EACH  |  48 PGS.  |  RATED T+  |  ON SALE MARCH 3, 2021

***  TANKERS #1 ***
Written by  ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by JUAN JOSE RYP
Colors by ANDREW DALHOUSE
Cover by LEWIS LaROSA with LAURA MARTIN
PLUS: An All-New BAD IDEA B-SIDE
THREE ISSUES  |  BI-MONTHLY
$5.99 EACH  |  40 PGS.  |  RATED T+  |  ON SALE APRIL 7, 2021

***  ENIAC #2 ***
Written by  MATT KINDT
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Colors by DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
Cover by LEWIS LaROSA with DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
PLUS: An All-New BAD IDEA B-SIDE
FOUR ISSUES  |  MONTHLY
$3.99 EACH  |  32 PGS.  |  RATED T+  |  ON SALE APRIL 7, 2021

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!