Larry Young, Master of Marketing
- Posted by Johanna on April 2, 2007 at 10:00 am
- Category: Graphic Novel News
Even when I don’t care for AIT/Planet Lar books, I have to admire the creativity of the man behind the company. Larry Young is the best comic marketer of our time.
Giant Robot Warriors was first published at the end of the 2003. Now, we’re further away from 2001, artist Ryan Kelly is better known for his work on Local, and there’s a big robot movie due out this summer. So Young has reissued the book.
What’s different about it? The previous edition book comes wrapped in a new dust jacket with a more dynamic cover image, back cover praise from Variety.com and other sources, and flaps that explain the premise and provide creator bios. Oh, and this review copy came with a letter that explained the whole thing, just in case I didn’t catch on.
This is the kind of thinking more publishers and creators should aim for. “How can I get a three-year-old book more attention? By improving what I can (a new wrap makes an old book look fresh) and figuring out what hooks will catch a reader’s attention.” Genius!
If you’re curious about the insides, here’s a real review.
April 2, 2007 at 11:03 AM
It’s really a shame that the bar is set so low in comics that something like this is deemed worth noting. I mean, is it a good idea to help move some inventory? Sure.
“Genius”, though? Not so much.
April 2, 2007 at 11:25 AM
Not to mention the fact that Stuart Moore, writer of Giant Robot Warriors, is also the writer on the New Avengers/Transformers crossover book launching along with said giant robot movie.
It’s good timing, for sure, and GRW is a really good read.
April 2, 2007 at 6:23 PM
Giant Robot Warriors was the one book that made me stop buying books from Astronauts in trouble/ planet larry young. The book was so middle of the road mediocre. Just because the publisher seems to love the book doesn’t mean it’s a quality work.
April 3, 2007 at 9:44 AM
[...] Johanna Draper Carlson dubs AiT/Planet Lar’s Larry Young “the best comic marketer of our time,” pointing to his reissuing of Stuart Moore and Ryan Kelly’s 2003 graphic novel, Giant Robot Warriors … just in time for the Transformers movie: "Giant Robot Warriors" cover artWhat’s different about it? The previous edition book comes wrapped in a new dust jacket with a more dynamic cover image, back cover praise from Variety.com and other sources, and flaps that explain the premise and provide creator bios. Oh, and this review copy came with a letter that explained the whole thing, just in case I didn’t catch on. [...]
April 3, 2007 at 12:49 PM
Put me in the “Larry Young: Marketing Genius” column.
April 4, 2007 at 12:16 PM
It’s a fine graphic novel, and the strongest Stuart Moore comic, bar none.
April 7, 2007 at 2:54 AM
Damn, Dan, that’s a hell of a compliment coming from someone as typically discerning as you.