Comments on: Free Comics in Sunday Papers

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:38:26 +0000

Cool, thanks!

By: Cypherswipe

Cypherswipe — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:02:22 +0000

It appeared in my paper last sunday. I put a report, including scans of the cover, one page, and the accompanying articles here: http://sketchyorigins.com/comics/showthread.php?t=9341 Feel free to use them here if you want.

By: Comics Worth Reading

Comics Worth Reading — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 21:30:12 +0000

[...] Today was the first day a free Spider-Man comic began appearing in some Sunday newspapers. [...]

By: Johanna

Johanna — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:56:20 +0000

But Spider-Man is the next huge superhero movie! I think that explains a lot.

By: James Schee

James Schee — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 04:35:20 +0000

Perhaps I’m just too cynical, but my first reaction to hearing this was “Gosh that story again?”

Not only is it going to be a really dated look at what comics are like. It is also a story that most anyone likely to be interested in the material has already seen in some form or another.

Personally I would have gone either with X-Men, Wolverine where you had more of a shot of giving readers something new. Or a more modern, in the now feeling, book like Runaways.

Yet it is late so maybe I’m just to darn grouchy.:)

By: Dwight Williams

Dwight Williams — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 02:12:01 +0000

I stand corrected on the “small” part of “small history”, then, Johanna. You had your facts straight, and I should’ve remembered the Spirit from my own reading of reprints way back in the day.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:38:41 +0000

Dwight, I’d forgotten about the DC insert — I immediately flashed way back to the Spirit running as newspaper sections.

Bill, I haven’t seen one, no.

Patrick, I have no idea what internal discussions went on, but I do think that the older comics are more “family-friendly” than the new ones.

By: patrick maliksi

patrick maliksi — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:32:50 +0000

why did they have to choose the old spiderman issues?! why cant they publish the USM issues instead?

By: Bill D.

Bill D. — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:57:03 +0000

Anyone know if there’s an actual list anywhere of the papers that’ll carry this?

By: Dwight Williams

Dwight Williams — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:45:33 +0000

Interesting. Not a tactic I’d have normally expected, but it does have a small history in the comics industry due to some shops arranging for inclusion of DC’s 10 Cent Adventure editions with their local newspapers over the last couple of years.

Marvel’s decided to pick up the tactic where DC’s left off, then?

By: Lisa Lopacinski

Lisa Lopacinski — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 20:17:49 +0000

Hmmm… wonder if my paper will have it. I’ll have to make a call. Too bad Marvel didn’t bother to notify retailers.

By: David Oakes

David Oakes — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 18:32:23 +0000

That would be a “Newspaper Vending Machine”, Johanna. Perhaps not as obsolete as a phone booth, but probably not long for this world either.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:32:09 +0000

Well, it’s not promoting comics as much as Spider-Man, is it? That discrepancy seems to show the difference that can arise between the goals of a character property manager (Marvel) and retailers.

I’m curious to see what else the comics contains beyond a story — like, for instance, the Comic Shop Locator number?

By: Pitzer

Pitzer — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:27:43 +0000

I caught a full page ad on the back of Monday’s biz section, too. I think it’s interesting that this is a 1 year marketing plan that retailers/industry are just finding out about a week before it starts!