The market's certainly moving that way, but the Big Two publishers have no incentive to change. With the comics, they get a certain amount of income, and then they get the gravy of the TPB. Without the monthlies, they wouldn't get the original shot of income, and the TPB prices would likely have to be much higher, costing them even more sales.
With the current model, they get to have their cake and eat it too. They get the hardcore junkies in every week, and they get the rest of us grabbing the TPBs when the collect the series that sell well. Initial monthlies numbers can also tell them whether or not it's worthwhile to collect any particular book or series.
Here's a thought: Asking comics publishers to quit doing monthlies is like asking RPG companies to quit printing supplements. To get off the treadmill and just produce great products. It sounds great in practice, but getting them (and their customers) to switch tracks can be difficult.
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Date: 2006-03-05 04:41 am (UTC)With the current model, they get to have their cake and eat it too. They get the hardcore junkies in every week, and they get the rest of us grabbing the TPBs when the collect the series that sell well. Initial monthlies numbers can also tell them whether or not it's worthwhile to collect any particular book or series.
Here's a thought: Asking comics publishers to quit doing monthlies is like asking RPG companies to quit printing supplements. To get off the treadmill and just produce great products. It sounds great in practice, but getting them (and their customers) to switch tracks can be difficult.