Posted in: Comics | Tagged: boom, boom studios, diamond retailer breakfast, eccc, HRL

BOOM! Focuses on Marketing, Bodyslams at the ECCC Diamond Retailer Breakfast

Published Thu, 01 Mar 2018 14:30:25 -0600

Last updated Thu, 01 Mar 2018 17:57:05 -0600

BOOM! Studios's Filip Sablik gave the publisher's presentation at the Diamond Retailer Breakfast at Emerald City Comic Con Thursday morning, and Bleeding Cool ace reporter Ian Melton is live on the scene, sending us the latest updates.

Sablik began by boasting of BOOM!'s accomplishments in 2017, including having the #1 independent comic launch with WWE #1 in January, and then doing it again with Green Lantern/Planet of the Apes #1 in February. Grass Kings sold 50% more then Kindt's last independent series, and Lumberjanes, Adventure Time, Mouse Guard, and Power Rangers all sold over a million comics.

Things are only likely to get better with the publisher moving to the front of the Diamond Previews catalog. BOOM! believes that they make comics for "everyone," and also believes strongly in promoting comic book stores and working on on-time delivery, with 94% of their product delivered on time. Yeah, well, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, BOOM!.

Sablik talked about the BOOM! Guarantee program, in which a comic shop is sent a floor display with six returnable comics per month. Sablik said that 84% of products were not returned. In addition to that, the publisher releases some comics with guarantees that comic shops will have access to BOOM! comics 90 days before they're available at other locations, like Barnes and Noble, an example being Mech Cadet Yu.

As part of their marketing efforts, BOOM! paid for three million ad impressions in 2017 to present. The publisher cited cross-promotion with WWE and Saban, and announced plans to release a new WWE trailer on Saturday. BOOM! also plans to advertise their comic at WrestleMania this year, noted that the 50th anniversary for Planet of the Apes is coming soon, which should present some great promotional opportunities, and announced plans to put up BOOM! ads before the Dark Crystal returns to theaters.

There were no new title announcements, but, in June, all BOOM! merchandise will come an additional 20% discount for comic book shops, and all BOOM! trades will come with an addition 20% off in the April catalog.

Stick with Bleeding Cool all day for updates from ECCC.