Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comic Y, Comics, dc, dc comics, entertainment, harley quinn, jimmy palmiotti, loot crate

Jimmy Palmiotti On The Harley Quinn Comic You Can Only Get From Loot Crate

So I asked Diamond Comic Distributors if the completely exclusive Harley Quinn #1 One Shot in this month's Loot Crate was distributed from DC to Loot Crate via Diamond?

If it was, it will be counted as their best selling comic book of March, despite never being sold in a comic shop, with sales of up to half a million.

If it was not, that might be an issue between Diamond and DC regarding their exclusive distribution contract.

Diamond declined to comment.

The comic is now selling for up to $28 on eBay, more that the $20 cost of the crate, as Harley Quinn readers realise that this is the only way, now, that they can get a copy.

There is no requirement that the comic ever be reprinted, collected or sold digitally. This could be it.

The comic, tucked inside the March Vs box landed on some lucky Loot Crate subscribers doorsteps on Saturday without any kind of knowledge that such a project had been underway. And most surprising, was that Amanda Conner had drawn most of it.

Co-writer of the comic, Jimmy Palmiotti didn't know the distribution details. But he was happy to talk about how he came to write what may well be the most widespread, yet sought after comic of the year.

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Rich Johnston: How do you craft a comic for such an audience, knowing that it will be read by half a million?

Jimmy Palmiotti: When the opportunity to work with Loot Crate came about, the idea we all had in mind was to create a fun, off-the-wall, brand new Harley Quinn one shot that was easy to follow and offered up a fun story that both fans and totally new readers would enjoy, showcasing the fantastic work of Amanda, Chad Hardin, Paul Mounts and John J Hill. At first it was intimidating, knowing that this single book would get into the hands of so many people, but I think this forced the team to try even harder to make this issue a major standout and have elements that showcased what we've been doing for the past few years on the series without alienating a single new reader. It's always a delicate balance, but we were up for the challenge and I think the book came together beautifully.

RJ: Do you think here's a chance you could get a noticeable amount of the readers to pick up another issue?

JP: With the huge audience Loot Crate has, we figured even if a small percentage of people reading the book for the first time enjoyed it, they might go to a local comic shop to hunt down some other issues. If this happens, and I think it will, then we have succeeded in what we set out to do, which is entertain and get more people reading not only our comics but any comics in general. I am a firm believer in that once you get someone in a good comic shop; it will change their life and the way that they look at the medium. We have so many wonderful books to offer people and discovery in any way is important. We thank Loot Crate and DC for this wonderful opportunity.

RJ: Who has done what in the comic, how was it divided up?

JP: Amanda Conner and I wrote the issue, with the bulk of the art done by Amanda, and a few pages featuring classic Harley, Joker and Batman by series regular Chad Hardin and Alex Sinclair. All of the color was by the amazing Paul Mounts with the talented John J Hill on lettering. This book features the " A" team on the regular series on this one shot, and although it stands alone, it also fits into continuity introducing a new character to the Harley Universe.

RJ: Did you feel any more pressure this time around?

JP: The real pressure was making this something special and in just one issue we see Harley in a fight against pollution of our seas, meet up with Power Ggirl, bring a dead friend back to life, deal with an ex, have a conversation with a dog, and have a run in with the JLA in their headquarters. We tried to cram a lot of madness into one issue and you can tell just how much fun everyone had doing it.

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This is not the first exclusive comic that Loot Crate has commissioned, with a Street Fighter Udon comic in a previous box – but that felt more like an injoke, with Loot Crate employees appearing in the comic. The Harley Quinn title is the real deal. And it took everyone by surprise…

What will be next? And if it does top the Diamond chart without selling a copy in a comic store, will there have to be changes in the way the chart is compiled?

I haven't got my crate yet. So the images are courtesy of FloWDrivR on YouTube…

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