[...] the TCJ.com website last November, the site’s had a tough go of it. They’ve had to go back on posting plans and had delays in getting things running the way they like. Shortly after the switchover, site [...]

[...] The Comics Journal releases their 300th print edition. At first, they put all of the issue online for free. Then they pull it without notice 24 hours later. [...]

If I read an interview I like, I often want to return to it later. But I don’t know if I want to do that without having, well, read the interview. If the Journal was the price of a magazine, I’d definitely buy it- but in the current format, it’s just not worth the price on the off-chance that I might consider it worth keeping.

Going online like this is the ONLY way the Journal is going to get my money- money that I’d quite like to give them. I really hope that the u-turn only applies to #300, and doesn’t indicate a complete reversal of their plans regarding online content. Right now, it feels like they don’t *want* my money…

Since I run a small publishing company using the “show it all free on the web” model I can attest that many retailers don’t understand how this model works and don’t seem to want to. But there are others who do and are enthusiastic about it. The key is to announce your plans well in advance of any ordering cycle, that way nobody feels like they’ve been ambushed.

I suspect there is some communications problem among the Fantagraphics poobahs. Hope they get it sorted out.

When I titled this site, I wanted to focus on the positive. I sometimes have a hard time remembering that direction, I admit, but I want to spend my time and money and direction pointing out good stuff, not ranting about the bad.

I did get to read some of it, and even blogged about one of the columns, and agree with you it wasn’t a smart move to do this without consulting retailers. One can argue lots of retailers ignore TCJ anyway (I frequent a well-known San Diego shop that I think sets aside a copy for me and that’s it), but certainly the ones who do order it stand to lose some sales. I was also thinking about advertisers possibly being screwed with lost sales as well, as I didn’t see any ads in the online version.

If I only read publications that didn’t make my teeth grind, I wouldn’t be able to do my job as a political commentator.

[...] Johanna Draper Carlson and Tom Spurgeon react to Monday’s Little Launch That Couldn’t here at TCJ.com. [...]

On charging for content, I am performing an experiment at this moment. My supercool webcomic SideChicks is free on the internet. It is also free on WOWIO. It is about to go up for sale in the IDW iPhone app store. If Groth’s fear is real, I won’t sell a single iPhone comic.

It’s a good question, though. I don’t know that there really ARE any “major comic periodicals” anymore. Last time I saw the Journal’s statement of ownership, they only printed 5000 copies an issue. I get that readership here on a good day. (I may be misremembering, and it may have been more in the 2000 or 3000 range. I’m erring on the side of generosity.)

I get more out of reading Journalista, CBR, and MangaBlog daily, along with many other blogs (some written by Journal contributors). I think that’s where the real coverage happens these days. Print just can’t be as timely as online.

Don’t get me wrong. For those interested in their areas of coverage, the Journal does very good work. I think we’ll have to disagree on what’s essential to know what’s going on in comics.

Like it or not, and I often find it maddening, it’s an essential read.

Your suggestion, to make up for it later, is a great one.

This was such a disappointing and confounding move; I guess it is down to not doing the right legwork before executing? I was thrilled to read the material and thought the PR move made sense given their previous announcements of focusing more on online content.

For what it’s worth, I’d recommend at this point putting the issue back online for free 4 weeks or so after the hard copy goes on sale. Might be a nice make-good for this blunder, cause it kinda pissed me off, honestly, and I can’t imagine I’m not alone.

We gave up buying the Journal, after having it back to issue numbers in the 30s, because it was just too expensive for the material, with the book-like binding, given that our tastes had moved in different directions. I was looking forward to sampling to see if that decision should be changed.

[...] And we’ll read it when our hard copy arrives, just like always. Johanna Draper Carlson has commentary, [...]

Which is too bad. I’m not buying that magazine, but I might read some of the content for free and be exposed to some advertising.

Different distribution options bring in different segments of the market. When will this sink in?

There is more to gain than there is to lose.