What makes a hit comic? In a thread over at Millarworld, Mark Millar tries to explain:
A book needs 2 of 3 things to sell in the direct market… a big writer, a big artist and a big character. 3 is better but to really do well you need at least 2. This is why the Millarworld books sell so well every month as they’re aimed at established readers. Trade sales are more mainstream and so the artist doesn’t need to have established himself at Marvel or DC.
It’s an interesting thread overall, if only for the glimpse inside Millar’s take on how to promote your books and your brand:
Like Marvel, I also embraced a multimedia approach and quickly got them going as movies, T-shirts, games, toys and had the success of those bring heat to the new projects… I’ve timed this carefully. Not just building a rep on company-owned, but I think the cycle at the moment is people wanting fresh concepts like they wanted them in 1992. There’s only so many times a villain can come back in the old books. The Millarworld books so far show the audience and multimedia potential is unlimited. A lot of people really hadn’t gotten what I’ve been doing here, but they’re starting to see it now. All going well we’ll have 2 or more movies a year coming out by 2013 and beyond.
Millar also promises that he will continue to be the center of his own brand:
I’ll never bring in other writers. That’s the huge mistake Image made when they expanded too fast in 93/94 and collapsed their model. People knew picking up an Image book meant they were getting one of their fave Marvel artists, but when other guys were writing and drawing those books they diluted their appeal. I’d rather write 3 volumes of Kick-Ass and have them permanently in print with movies, TV shows, games, etc, than have someone come in and dilute what makes it work.
Say what you like about Millar, he’s maintained a level of success from the Marvel work that made his name through to his own creator-owned work, so he’s clearly doing something right…
January 16th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
I think that Mister Millar has some of this correct, but I would disagree with him on a few things. A GOOD writer, a GOOD artist and a GOOD character would be the best things in my own opinion, for what it is worth.
January 16th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
I’d say a good artist and a good writer can make a so called bad character into a good one. Look at characters like Daredevil and Swamp Thing.
January 16th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
I would say there are numerous exceptions to this rule, where a good but not well known writer can elevate an unknown property with a young up-and-coming artist to hit status, like Morning Glories, or the inverse, where a popular writer and a popular artist can’t bring heat to a less mainstream character, like Bendis and Maleev on Moon Knight.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
there’s no such thing as bad characters, just bad writers… like Millar. He’s a bad writer that tricks people into thinking he’s a good writer when in fact he just copies established ideas and characters and puts his own spin to it.
January 17th, 2012 at 11:05 am
Arent some tired of coming up with excuse to bash him ?
He’s talking here about what SELLS not what’s good or ideal for a book . And so far , bare a few exceptions he’s not wrong . Look at the biggest selling issues of the last 2 decades and you’ll see the trend verifying itself .
“He’s a bad writer that tricks people into thinking he’s a good writer when in fact he just copies established ideas and characters and puts his own spin to it.”
Or he’s just a good enough one to some folks , and guys like you repeating the opposite ad nauseam hoping it would become an established fact .
So yeah he got a few stinkers (oh my god i still shudder at Trouble) and some ego , so what ?
I should be used to Nrama filled since inception with people downright negative on every thing on every article , but still …
January 18th, 2012 at 9:01 am
There are a few bad characters. Off the top of my head: Two-Face, Ghost Rider, Hulk, Wonder Woman, and Hawkman.
January 18th, 2012 at 9:08 am
Hulk? Wow, that’s just ridiculous.