Rebellion announces 'Best of 2000 AD’ 12-issue series for 2020

[Frank]

Given the conversation over on the thread about Orbital getting out of the direct market and the shift to younger readers and original graphic novels, this might be a presentiment of what Tharg is sending subscribers in the post 10 years from now.

Judge Dredd might continue as four 20 quid, 100-page books per year. Lower profile stuff like Brink, Lawless and Full Tilt Boogie might be one or two books per year, maybe bundled in the same way Tharg offers his current IPC specials. I could see the Megazine going this route, soon.

Perhaps, but 2000 AD is a very different prospect from the floppies on sale in Orbital. 2000 AD has a UK newsstand presence that’s pretty widespread and almost entirely absent for standard US comics. (Ignore the Panini reprints, and there’s basically nothing of that ilk in the average WHSmith.) I also suspect 2000 AD is quite heavily subs-oriented these days regarding readership. As long as that remains sustainable, the likes of Orbital and even other dedicated comic shops ditching floppies makes no odds.

Neither you nor I know how many copies 2000ad & the Megazine shift or how *
 
If the Megazine became something like the Hachette series - six 20 quid, 100-page^** hardbacks of new material per year, each telling a single Judge Dredd story - it'd earn 50% more than the current Megazine.

As long as one of those six books per year is something like Guatemala, everyone reading this would accept being locked into an annual subscription - which isn't something that can be said for the current Megazine^***


* What Tharg's willing to tell us is that the newsstand accounts for a dwindling percentage of those figures, and his PR let it be known that subscriptions had increased as sales fell off. So Tharg's wares are increasingly a subscription proposition, rather than a weekly trip to your local newsie. Hardbacks are just a more attractive subscription proposition than floppy comics and, as the Hachette series has shown, the collector urge is strong. Stick an image across the spines and folk will keep on collecting just so they look nice on the bookshelf.

** Same volume of original strip content as the current Megazine

*** You might cannibalise some sales of 2000ad, from folks who only buy 2000ad for Dredd, but the £120 cost of an annual sub would be the same as an annual sub to 2000ad. And Tharg would save 50% on annual postage, too. Rebellion Publishing has never reported a net profit, so questions of profit and loss are, presumably, largely irrelevant to the continuation of their titles.

[IndigoPrime]

I’m aware of how things are shifting on the newsstand, having been in publishing for nearly 20 years. However, my point was simply that what’s going on in Orbital isn’t comparable to a UK-based weekly. Perhaps things will shift beyond recognition in ten years, if the newsstand business dries up; I don’t know. But it is still a big chunk of sales of all publications I work with, even if there has been a move towards direct sales via subscription.

Personally, I would be cautious to suggest the Hachette model would be something 2000 AD could or should ape. We have no idea about the sales of those titles either. Also, the business model of 2000 AD is somewhat reliant on multiple-dip. So if you transform the Meg effectively into a set of graphic novels, you lose one revenue stream (book reprint); furthermore, the notion that hardbacks are what people want to see is hardly matched by the output from Rebellion itself. Brits, it seems, are more heavily wedded to softback trades than HCs (more’s the pity – I much prefer HC editions).

[Frank]

... if you transform the Meg effectively into a set of graphic novels, you lose one revenue stream (book reprint)

You don't see many Megazine trades, these days. As far as Meg-Dredd's concerned, Dead Zone's the last one I can think of. Lawless has had a collection, but I'm not sure many other current Dreddworld strips* have.

I put in the hardcover thing just for you.


* Wagner's Dark Judges thing and the Dredd3D stuff, too

[Richard]

Hardbacks are nice but they take up more space, something which I am running short of.

Anyway, I'm delighted that this is happening because it can only be good for 2000AD.

[Rogue Judge]

This is great news - sign me up! Sounds accessable in North America so I'm excited and will definitely pick up the series.

[IndigoPrime]

For me, HCs are good for durability. Too many of my softbacks have warped.

[TordelBack]

This sounds like a good project, although I am personally glad there isn't going to be any new material included. My double-dipping habit on some of the old stuff is approaching double figures (Nemesis sweet child, I'm looking at you. And as for that there Apocalypse War...)

I was about to huffily declare that I certainly wouldn't be buying any putative bimonthly £20 Meg replacement, before remembering that I don't buy the Meg regularly anyway. You're part of the problem, Mr. Back.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

This is great news - sign me up! Sounds accessable in North America so I'm excited and will definitely pick up the series.

This is the target market which Stevie thinks Tharg is aiming for here. Hatchette are servicing newsagents well with Thrills of yesteryear with the Ultimate Collection in the British Commonwealth. But an import hardcover that doesn't fit into spinner racks for the direct market in the States? Uh uh.

So let's make something that is Diamond-friendly instead.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

This will be reprint stories ? Any new material at all ?

Was just thinking the same thing.
Even 6 pages of new Dredd or Future Shock material would entice those Squaxx reluctant to pony up for reprints.

I'm not completely sure, but I believe DC comics have done something similar recently with their '100 page Giant' range (i.e. 10% new material + 90% reprints).

Perhaps Tharg could commission P. Craig Russell to adapt Warren Ellis's letters to the Nerve Centre into comics.

[levers]

Starburst have posted a review of the first issue https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/best-2000-ad-1

Apart from Dredd these are all the first few parts of stories from Brink, Jaegir, Halo Jones...It'll be interesting to see if they pick up the conclusions in the following issues, or leave new readers dangling and forcing them to hunt down the finales!

[sintec]

I've been trying to convert a colleague at work to 2000ad.  He's currently mostly reading the classic US stuff, Batman, Swamp Thing e.t.c. I passed him my softcover of America when I got the HC Hachette version and that went down well. Will definitely be pointing him at these as a good intro to some of Tharg's other delights.

[rogue69]

there are a few retailer preview copies of this now on sale on ebay for £40

[IndigoPrime]

Urgh. Good to see that no-one appears to have bought one.

[Bolt-01]

Really? That's poor.

[broodblik]

The first 5 issues plus issue 0 (free comic book day issue):