Comments on: PR: What Not to Do: Excessive Pricing

By: Kramers Ergot 7: the minicomic? | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:33:10 +0000

[...] anthology series from editor Sammy Harkham and publisher Alvin Buenaventura — was a famously, even infamously, grand production. And now…it's a [...]

By: 96 pages, $125. Wait, what? - irrg! orrrrg!

96 pages, $125. Wait, what? - irrg! orrrrg! — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:36:32 +0000

[...] Some people can’t really find agreement with the publisher’s decision to make the 7th issue of anthology Gramers Ergot a $125, 96-page hardcover book. Plenty has been said and written about it but the follow up blog post on comicsworthreading.com tries to tone down the debate a bit by giving some explanation to why the book is so darn expensive. Last, the final word on Kramer’s Ergot #7, the $125 anthology: Supporter Tom Spurgeon talks with editor Sammy Harkham about its contents, contributors, and the rationale behind the price point. Among the factors: due to its size, each copy has to be bound by hand. Custom shipping boxes had to be made. And the editor wanted to do an on-site press check, so he had to fly to Singapore. [...]

By: Baltimore Comic-Con 2008: News From the Front » Comics Worth Reading

Baltimore Comic-Con 2008: News From the Front » Comics Worth Reading — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:11:00 +0000

[...] to chat briefly with Kevin McShane about the future of Toupydoops and why people were talking about Kramer’s Ergot; Joanna Estep about a fascinating-sounding series she’s going to be doing for ComicMix; and [...]

By: Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » Quote, Unquote

Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » Quote, Unquote — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:59:14 +0000

[...] – Sean T. Collins playing on the regular name of Johanna Draper Carlson’s blog series which recently focused on KE [...]

By: Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » Creator Q&A: Sammy Harkham

Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » Creator Q&A: Sammy Harkham — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:42:47 +0000

[...] volume of the Kramer’s Ergot anthology, the high price and format of which have caused some consternation in the comics blogosphere: SPURGEON: Sammy, I know that you’re aware of some complaints about [...]

By: News Story Followup: Webcomics, Middleman, Expensive Printing » Comics Worth Reading

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:07:27 +0000

[...] the final word on Kramer’s Ergot #7, the $125 anthology: Supporter Tom Spurgeon talks with editor Sammy Harkham about its contents, [...]

By: Alan David Doane

Alan David Doane — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:23:48 +0000

I read that, great piece that finally reveals what’s in the book. Definitely not on my must-buy list, but YMMV.

By: Ken Parile

Ken Parile — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:16:22 +0000

Sammy H on KE 7:

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/

By: James Schee

James Schee — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:20:19 +0000

Okay I’m ticked, House Season 4 came out on DVD today. That’s usually good news, but despite there being less episodes than previous seasons (writer’s strike) they didn’t lower the price at all! I mean dang, nearly 400 less minutes this season, and no price decrease?? Now THAT’S excessive pricing!

Oh, what’s that got to do KE7, and its price? Nothing really, I just hadn’t griped about prices of stuff this week yet.:)

By: Dustin Harbin

Dustin Harbin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:41:08 +0000

I promised I was through, but this is actually relevant: I’ve said elsewhere that I thought I’d probably order around 5 for our store (although the more I think about it, that might be excessive; but at least 3 or 4). But today I was in the excellent (but sloppy, so incredibly sloppy) Bizarro Wuxtry comic shop in Athens GA, and brought up this topic with a member of the staff, who said he thought they’d probably order, “y’know, 6 or 7 at least.” Now, this is a shop in a pretty big college community, with a pretty wide stock (although sloppy, so sloppy), and is definitely a big indie store, but still–six or seven is pretty studly. I was impressed. Anyone around Athens Georgia should support their local shop and buy one of those badboys at B. Wuxtry if they can afford it.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:03:55 +0000

At this point, that’s less than $1 a comment!

By: Bill Williams

Bill Williams — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:03:38 +0000

Rick,

I’m sure some of us take PayPal.

Bill

By: Rick Bradford

Rick Bradford — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:57:45 +0000

This thread has been hilarious. Seriously, I want to thank you all. I never make it all the way through nutty discussions like this but here I am, at the bottom of this one. Heartfelt thanks for providing this free entertainment (although I admit I would’ve willingly paid $125 for it).

By: zack soto

zack soto — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:49:39 +0000

hahahaha.

sigh.

By: Tucker Stone

Tucker Stone — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:34:19 +0000

Alan Coil, you are the man!

By: Alan Coil

Alan Coil — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:23:22 +0000

Some posters keep stressing the size of the thing as if that justifies the price.

It doesn’t, else plus-sized escorts would cost more.

By: Steven Something

Steven Something — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:32:20 +0000

Its oversized, which is kind of hot right now and interesting, therefore its more expensive. Buy it or don’t. Jesus.

By: Bert Teague

Bert Teague — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:32:15 +0000

When I saw the Jonas brothers – who I love – on tv, they said the would be nothing without the fans. Ally David Dont is right. It’s people like him who made Alvin and Sammy what they are today, and this book is a cold slap in the face. You’d be nothing without us – how dare you! So until Sammy apologizes, I’m saving up for 26 issues of the maxi series Infinity Crisis. I’m glad i can just admit in public that I am hurt.

By: knut

knut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:25:51 +0000

It’s also important to keep in mind that Buenaventura Press isn’t selling the majority of these books for $125 a pop, they’re probably selling them for somewhere between $50-$60 a pop (depending on what the distro deals are.) He might be able to move a small chunk of his stock at conventions or appearances for $125 a pop, but I’m sure they factored in direct sales as a minor portion.

The real retail price of this book is $80 from Amazon.com. I think they are smart enough to realize that the majority of their sales will come from this. There would have to be a pretty damn good reason to drop an extra $50.

Looking at the distro price in that $50-$60 range, then factoring in the overhead of the books ridiculous print specs, shipping, and a payroll of 50 or so artists, the price is legit.

The real question is whether or not they should have done a book of this magnitude to begin with? Let’s say the book was 32 x 42 and 200 pages. The price would probably be over $500. Sure, it would be cool but there would be no markey for it, and these guys are smart enough to know that. They are flirting with the boundries of their market by releasing a $125 volume, but I think in the end they will sell through them. There couldn’t be that many copies in existence, I’m goin to guess around 2000-3000 (will the number be released at some point?)

I think the argument that they are hurting the books relevance by pricing out casual observers is possibly legitimate. Casual observers are necessary to relevance (imo) but like Tom mentioned who are we to set this projects goals. Maybe it just wants to be a luxury item. There is always a market for luxury items in any business.

By: terrywhalen

terrywhalen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:26:18 +0000

This is crazy. It’s like saying “I really like that new Cadillac, but they priced it out of my range, what is wrong with GM are they stupid, pricing it that much, I can’t afford it.”
I don’t plan on buying this book, because I only really like a few of the artist in it, but that doesn’t mean I think Alvin and Sammy are some kind of carpet baggers for charging what they are. Anyone who say they are pricing this book at what they are because of any other reason then, THEY HAD TO TO PAY THE ARTIST AND MAKE A SMALL PROFIT, IF THEY ARE LUCKY, are the stupid ones, sorry.
I really don’t understand why some of you are offended, in other area’s art this wouldn’t even be a issue. Like I saw a review for a new book of photos of Joy Division last night in RECORD COLLECTOR, 500 pounds for a book with less pages then this one, at a smaller size, every copy they printed sold out all ready. 500 POUNDS! No bitching about the price, it sold out.
This book will be a work of art, even if I don’t like all the artist within, I know enough about Alvin’s and Sammy’s work to know it will be.
So get over it all ready, buy it, don’t buy it, whatever, but stop whinny like a bunch of fanboys.