Retailer website ICv2.com posts an extensive, four-part interview with Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley that covers everything from the state of the industry, and his company’s moves into chains like Blockbuster, 7-Eleven and Walgreens, to efforts to reach female readers to Civil War and plans for 2007.
Buckley is pretty forthcoming in the Q&A, noting that sales in the chain outlets haven’t been “explosive,” but “that might be due to the fact that we’re so used to the hobby market. We are happy with it, it’s a good trial, awareness, growth business and it gives us an opportunity to get in front of a lot more people.”
Other items worth noting:
On movie tie-ins: “When I first got here, Spider-Man 2 was coming out and we had a lot of Doctor Octopus product, and we just flooded the market. We ended up with something like four different limited series. …We’re learning that we need to gear up the product and more properly balance it. The bookstores are where we get the most benefit, as far as mass market consumers stepping in.”
On genres other than capes and tights: “One thing we’ve identified is that we do really well with our genre and our genre is getting bigger in graphic fiction. But there’s definitely some interest from other categories. Our category’s gotten bigger, but the only genre where we have sophisticated genre development is our superhero action adventure stuff. So looking at the growth in the bookstore business, we can see between the sales of manga and what we’re doing, there’s interest.“
On Marvel, post-Civil War: “Civil War really upped the ante from a performance standpoint and for what the consumers expect. I’m not saying, ‘More big events;’ I’m just saying, ‘How do we keep growing the business?’”
Go read the whole thing, starting here.
November 27th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Here’s a question for Dan Buckley:
Where’s the memoriam for Dave Cockrum on the Marvel Comics website?
The man co-created one of their biggest franchises and there’s not one word of his passing on their clunky, obnoxious website.
Another sad reminder that the industry will never recognize what drives it.
November 27th, 2006 at 11:20 am
Q: “How do we keep growing the business?”
A: More variant covers. Have you tried foil-stamping, or embossing the covers? Or holograms. Dude, put some holograms on the covers. Trust me, you’ll sell a ton of books.
November 27th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
Marvel needs to be more “interested” in other genres to keep getting the Hollywood money. Especially with the disappointing results of half their movies…
Reading his take on Civil War, it seems like we’re going to keep getting more crossovers… that’s NOT a good thing…