IDW Comics - Meta Discussion

@The Smiling Pony
 
@Ponynstuff320 (Toon-n-crossover  
Ah, this is how Ted Anderson got his way into IDW?

“Currently no news on anything else than few covers, Bobby mentioned something about needing a better time to think what story he might have aside for me, apparently he likes to keep the ongoing storylines under their current artists. Who knows how legit a reason it is but that’s all I’ve got until further notice.”- Pencils, today
 
So basically, they told him that he has no chance unless there’s a new series.

@Itsthinking  
To what is assume

@Ponynstuff320 (Toon-n-crossover  
What? He said Curnow doesn’t have a place for him.

August comic sales are out.
 
FiM #58 (Pinkie in Discord’s dimension one-off) sold 10,037 copies.
 
Movie Prequel #3 (Capper’s origins) sold 6,907 copies.
 
The Prequel collection sold 1,487 copies.

Ouch…

@The Smiling Pony  
I was reading reviews of the Movie prequel, seems like a few were upset by it. Mostly new people who were confused where the actual ponies were. Also inconsistency with the prequel stuff.
 
Honestly, the Movie Prequel as a whole didn’t exactly read or look like anyone was giving their 100% effort.

It’s not surprising the prequel comics sold poorly. They relied on the selling power of the My Little Pony brand yet contained few ponies. The point of course was to introduce the new non-pony characters outside Equestria, but it was done in such a cursory and dull manner that there is little to talk about.

@Itsthinking  
Agh, I was Itsthinking’ed!
 
Now seriously, who honestly believed that a prequel pony movie comic without ponies would sell well?

@Anonycat  
@kleptomage  
I mean, it openly said in the description that it was about new, non-pony Movie characters.
 
Makes me wonder why one of the recently announced arcs is going to heavily involve non-pony Movie characters.

This is why putting important backstory stuff in side materials is a BAD IDEA, because it’s very likely that not many people will have access to these side materials.

@Itsthinking  
Evidently they want to milk the cashcow for all what it’s worth before it finally runs dry.
 
It remindes me when The Smurfs comics began to be sold in my country and everyhing went fine until they tried to push “comics” made out of screencaps with added text, and then they replaced the Smurfs with Johan and Peewit stories, but the comic still was sold as a Smurfs one.

@Jarkes  
Though what if you watch the movie without the backstory stuff?

@Anonycat  
How would you know?

@Jarkes  
I believe the comics are just fleshing out the backstories of the characters. Take the Tempest comic for example: The movie will probably explain to the viwers that she helped him conquer Equestria, so that he would be able to restore her magic. That’s all the info you need. But if you want to see how Tempests and the Storm King meet for the first time you can read the comic. It’s not important to understand the plot, but it adds a few more details.

@Jarkes  

 
The thing is it’s not important backstory stuff. It’s unimportant backstory stuff, but it may be interesting to some, like me.
 
An animated feature or mass-market paperback is a bad place to put it, but if they want the story told, a niche comic that’s available electronically almost worldwide and bypasses most localization markets is a great place to put it.
 
I have a feeling they will have a not-insignificant number of additional prequel comic sales after the movie’s out already and people go back and look at the supporting materials. There’s still plenty of people avoiding all movie spoilers, I’m sure.
 
 
@Anon-a-Miss  
This

@Anon-a-Miss
 
@cheezedoodle
 
Yeah, I guess. It’s not like, say, putting a supporting character’s entire motivation and backstory into 4 short “episodes” that are only available as special features on Blu-ray sets for the series that won’t all be available until the series has been over for 3 months. (glares at Toei and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid)

@Anonycat  
Pony aside, this quote is apt:
 
“I’m sure it has nothing to do with their publishing of licensed properties that just aren’t selling at all, or the dilution of said properties in creating a continual crossover between the various properties, OR the further dilution of said properties by creating something from them nobody was asking for (i.e. the Funko POP versions – which I didn’t order for my shop and nobody missed), OR the poor quality of the books based on the licensed properties.
 
But, let’s blame Marvel!”

@Anonycat  
@Itsthinking  
Unfortunately, that’s how capitalism works. If you don’t already have the money, you can’t get the money you need to get the money you need to get the money you need to get the money you need to get the money you need to get the money you need to get the money you need to get the money… Barring random market shakeups it’s either a Catch 22 or a foregone victory…

@Itsthinking  
>over 90% decrease since last year in net income
 
Damn.

@Wiimeiser  
This isnt capitalism, this is blaming someone else when in reality your own product is crap.

@Wiimeiser  
You could always just make a product that people want. IDW’s problem really does seem to be brand dilution and not actually providing products that people want. I’m not sure how much Hasbro mandates are responsible, though. They are the ones who probably make them make much of the IPs that don’t sell into comics. Still, they have a lot of other stuff they could drop.
 
 
@soundtea  
What amuses me in that article is all the random people claiming that it is social justice stuff when in reality again, IDW’s problem is their desire for quantity over quality.

@soundtea
 
Sure sounds a hell of a lot better than “Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to get shitty writers doing whatever they want with our flagship IPs” for one’s ego.

@Anonycat  
Really? Because given what I’ve seen Marvel try to do with its comics…
 
 
 

 
I thought they’d be tanking, too.