For the last few years, I have referred to Raving Toy Maniac as a reliable source for information regarding release schedules for toys and collectibles. In particular, the toy website was very dependable for updates on DC Direct product, like when their merchandise would be hitting stores and any subsequent rescheduling that may have been caused by production delays, what have you.
So I thought it was odd that no new RTM updates for DC Direct had dropped since last March. As a collector, I was usually able to find some useful information at least every couple of weeks. Imagine my surprise when I checked there first thing this morning to see RTM address the mystery as their headline piece!
From their statement on the matter:
We would get the shipping date information out of the weekly “Direct Channel” newsletter that DC would email to retailers and various media. For reasons not clear to us, DC has chosen to no longer include the media on their Direct Channel distribution list. (We do still get the monthly solicitations, so at least we’ll still have the pretty pictures to post once a month for you!)
When we asked DC about this, as part of their reply they directed us to their “The Source” blog on the official DC web site. They have some interesting stuff posted there, and maybe if you ask nicely, they’ll start posting shipping dates?
Strikes me as funny that a business would cut off media resources from getting the word out about their product for sale in comic book specialty shops. As internet-savvy as your average comic reader is, I think the decision to limit this information to select sources, namely the stores themselves, does the consumer a disservice. DC Direct product, from the action figures to the statues, is by no means cheap, and personally, getting the release schedules well in advance have allowed me to budget my money properly to get the sought-after items when they ultimately arrive. Compounding this is the fact that The Source, while being a nice new provider of teasers, previews and information regarding upcoming comic books, has yet to ever cover their DC Direct merchandise, best to my recollection.
DC Direct has not posted a public comment on this, so one can only wonder why the media at large got left out of the picture all of the sudden. Maybe it’s just me, but getting the word out to the most venues possible when peddling your wares would make sense, don’t you think? Any thoughts on this, readers, why DC would sever ties to a viable information stream?
May 12th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s like DC is making it as hard to cover them as humanly possible. I want to state my position clearly that poor handling of PR and media relations have to be directly responsible for at least 25% of the market share they’ve lost to Marvel in the last five years.
May 12th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I don’t know DC’s PR for nuthin’, but if they’re trying to promote The Source as THE place for DC news, with promos and previews and stuff, they’re doing a pretty good job. I check in with them at least once a day just to look at all of the pretty.
On the other hand, I don’t think I’ve seen a single story about DC Direct, action figures, statues or other collectables there.
May 13th, 2009 at 10:23 am
DCD’s decision is good for my wallet. Without the updates at RTM I don’t know what’s dropping. And since I don’t know, I don’t run to the LCBS to buy it.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Yes, DC Direct has produced very nice looking action figures (and statues) over the years. However, the quality has been so poor, that release dates don’t matter at all to me. Why am I going to spend 15 bucks a figure, when I don’t know if it will last a week or a year? I’m not just talking one or two figures, I have 15 figures that have broken. A few from falling 4 feet onto carpet and most from sitting inside a small storage boxes kept in an closet with A/C. I’ve had figures break as I’m taking them out of the box (Aqualad snapped at the foot + 2x New frontier GL broken at the glove swivel).
Also, DC Direct has been around 10 years and they haven’t completed one team in a consistent style or scale. This was such a wasted opportunity. Also, after starting so many new lines like Pocket Heroes and minimates, DC Direct pulls the plug without completing one team. The sad thing is, they could’ve wrapped up a few teams like JLA and Titans with two more waves of minimates.
As soon as Mattel came into the picture. DC Direct became more irrelevant to me. As such, I could care less when their product will be released.
Under the myopic leadership of Georg Brewer, DC Direct is a tarnished brand to me. Its sad to me because I used to rush to my LCBS on Wednesday to pick up these figures. All that time and money wasted.