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Lying In The Gutters – March 15th 2010
Welcome to another week of Lying In The Gutters. Let's kick off, shall we?
Top Ten Posts Of The Week
There was one big story this week. The same one that started last week. It dominated Bleeding Cool, was picked up by mainstream press and the implication will be felt today and tomorrow as publisher after publisher files in to Diamond Book Distributors Headquarters in Baltimore to ask what they hell went wrong…
1. Is It Happening Again – This Time With Barnes & Noble?
Far in the lead was news that Barnes & Noble was doing, well, what Amazon had been doing the past week. The glitch. Selling DBD-distributed titles at an unsustainably low price. And the smoking gun that maybe, just maybe, this was a Diamond data entry fault – and the possibility they might have to pick up the tab.
With hundreds of thousands of comic-book orders at the wrong price flooding in to at Amazon, the company pulled the Buy button from every DBD listing, including pre-orders. Sales tanked for everyone – aprt from Random House-distributed DC Comics or course who seem to have seen an uplift.
3. Eve Johnston Receives DC Comics Freebies – Is Her Objectivity In Doubt?
My favourite story of the week. My daughter Eve gets a box of DC freebies, very kindly sent under the new regime at DC – and proceeds to diss most of them. As a postscript, she ended loving all of them by the end of the week.
4. The Great Amazon $25 Giveaway Of 2010 Bleeding Cool
It seems everyone in the comics industry got a $25 freebie from Amazon for the glitch – so what did you do with yours? The charity donation angle was a popular one.
5. Amazon Still Not The Business Of Selling Comics
The realisation that something was very very wrong. When Amazon were still not selling new comics or taking pre-orders. And the reaction of various publishers to the news was ian interesting one. Also, Bleeding Cool statistics to show just how few of the omnibus orders were being filled…
6. How To Break Into Marvel? Drop The S-Bomb It Seems
Big story for a Saturday, with another example of swearing in comics that are intended to be suitable for children, from Marvel.
7. The Mass Amazon Cancellation Rending Of Garments And Putting On Of Sackcloth
As people began to get their cancellation letters from Amazon, it was a sad sad day for some. And Twitter was full of woe.
A look through some of Joe Michael Straczynski's internet posts over the years pertaining to Superman and DC Comics – and an indication that he's setting his sights high.
9. The Great Amazon $14.99 Graphic Novel Sell Off Of 2010
It was the third most-read item last week, it's still in the top ten as mainstream media sources continue to link to it, the post that launches a thousand" shipping soons" – until they were cancelled
10. Tuesday Runaround – From Amazon To Alpha Flight #106
The first shot of someone's Amazon order as it arrived. People came round in their thousands to gawp.
Bubbling Under:
Frank Miller's website launch, issues with Diamond and publishers in the week ahead, Bleeding Cool launching a #notaglitch Comics Local section, the controversial claiming Amazon compensation guide, my review of Kick Ass, reports from Emerald City Comic Con, Jedward in Batman, the male Slave Princess Leia, the return of the Muppet Wicker Man comic to the site stats, Bizarre Butts of Kato, the Cape pilot script review courtesy of Ain't It Cool suddenly finding it while announcing Summer Glau is cast, Clifford Meth Vs Hollywood, the look of Kick Ass, Detective Comics winning the GLAAD Award, and the leaking of the Twilight Manga.
Top Five "Did You Miss" Of The Week
1. The Bleeding Cool Twinterview with Popgun Vol 4.
2. Sam Worthington getting picked for Dan Dare.
3. A Preview of M.D.Wilson's Hate You Forever
4. Ryan Otterly's Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark
5. Two blonde bombshells arrested over a planned terrorist atrocity to murder a Danish cartoonist.
Top Five Things I Should Have Linked To But Didn't:
1. Chris Sims' take on the Oscar nominee Honest Movie Title posters – but with comics instead!
2. Heidi MacDonald interview Rantz Hoseley about the Longbox launch.
3. Johanna Draper Carlson reads Archie Comics so you don't have to. Well, I don't have to anyway.
4. Chris Sims, David Uzumeri and Laura Hudson take on Portal Comics' gender-swap heroes in their 2007, 2008 and 2009 calenders and find a few SFW ones they can use. Asterix And Obelix for favourite… though how could they miss out Dra. Manhattan?
5. Paul O'Brien underlines a rather entertaining plot hole in a recent issue of X-Force.
And the most Ego-Quenching Quote Of The Week: "The toughest by far are Rich Johnston (who, as an industry watcher, is less "significant," and thus harder to confirm and pin down)"