Just waiting on the conditions for 2018, 'all art must be done while hopping, panels taking no longer than 10 seconds each...'
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/08/23/free-comic-book-day-recommends-no-anthologies-for-2017/ (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/08/23/free-comic-book-day-recommends-no-anthologies-for-2017/)
Also:
QuoteAnd of course, no flip-cover book/images, as per usual!
If they mean those back-back comics with half printed upside down so they can be flippeded over and read from both ends, there seem to always be plenty of these on FCBD
I have to be honest, I find myself a little baffled by the attitude of the organisers of FCBD. IIRC retailers have to pay for these, publishers have to subsidise them and the only benefit either see is potential increased footfall which is normally regular customers anyway. What exactly is to stop Rebellion, or any publisher, going down the 'annual freebie' edition and producing it in whatever size, format or structure they choose? I mean seriously, can someone explain it to me like I'm a three year old!
Most of them are anthologies of sorts, so this doesn't affect just 2000 AD but also Dark Horse and the like. What do they want? Just standard US comics with a single story? Idiots.
This would disproportionately affect smaller publishers and/or those with no huge franchise cash cows, so I assume it's Diamond moving the goalposts so as to squeeze out the indies to favor their big earners.
These restrictions seem ridiculously draconian!
Isn't the whole point to attract more readers and increase comic book store attendance?
The 2000AD FCBD is pretty much the only one worth reading anyway so bang goes FCBD 2018 for me if there's no Prog! :thumbsdown:
*sorry meant FCBD 2017.
The article does seem to suggest that 2000ad won't be as affected as others they are recommendations and
QuoteDiamond representatives tell me the likes of 2000AD have less to fear, rather publishers with different titles to promote all in one book, or too many licenses to placate by including them in FCBD – 2000AD, the Attack On Titan Anthology, even the CBLDF comic, that's just thing being promoted each time rather than the whole publisher line.
Though this is just Bleeding Cool speculation (the above quote) at this time.
What is a little more worrying for me is the fact they seem to be switching the goal posts to make it harder for smaller publishers to promote their lines. Its all well and good suggesting the recommendations are there to promote the better value books and I get that. However for some giving a little of lot is the only way they can participlate I'd image. I must admit some of the publications this year did have very little actual content but this seems a clumsy tool to solve that problem. Being an anthology isn't the problem in my mind, rather the amount of original content and if it is an anthology making sure the tales at least in part are stand alone short stories to give readers a complete tale or two. Mind I suspect this would have its own problems.
This was the first year I actually went up to town to FCBD. What struck me about a lot of the comics I picked up was with 2000AD you got complete tales, similar to what you might see in a Summer Special. (There were some others with complete tales as well).
With most of the others what you got was the first part as a lead into a longer story which just ended abruptly with the tagline "to be continued in <insert name> issue "xyz". There was then one or two back up stories which similarly ended abruptly with the "to be continued in..." tag line.
So I found those with complete stories to be on the whole good (if memory serves the other one I liked was Serenity). The other sort just came across as a blatant plug for whatever comic, but there weren't really a good read of themselves, more a taster to see if you liked it and would the then buy the series. (BTW the total number I went onto buy currently stands at zero).
I'd imagine 2000AD could simply put one reprint or all new Dredd tale in under '2000AD: Judge Dredd'. It might actually boost sales to those usually reluctant to buy an anthology.
It does seem pandering to the two companies who make least effort with FCBD - whose efforts are usually reprinted dross that even their fanboys note is sub-par. Companies like BOOM! and Fanatgraphics are going to be hit more by the 'no anthologies' rather than Rebellion with is one big 'draw'.
Rare mention of recent circulation there: 60,000 units in 2014 - I wonder how that translates into progs/megs sold each week/month?
I imagine that's the circulation for FCBD, not 2000 AD/The Meg in general.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 24 August, 2016, 01:10:08 PM
I imagine that's the circulation for FCBD, not 2000 AD/The Meg in general.
It is - that's why I was wondering what the orders are like for progs and megs.
That'd be a real shame. Boom's output (and Fantagraphics) have been things of beauty in the past.
Still, wouldn't be something I liked if it didn't utterly undermine itself with stupid decisions.
They tried to stop 2000AD from participating in 2016. Maybe this is a pretext for doing it again but more successfully next year.
Quote from: sheridan on 24 August, 2016, 12:43:37 PM
60,000 (FCBD) units in 2014 - I wonder how that translates into progs/megs sold each week/month?
Probably around 5-6 times the number of comics Tharg shifts each week
(link (https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=42838.msg914306#msg914306)). That's an indication of how many potential readers
2000ad could be reaching but for some reason doesn't.
Tharg should cut FCBD out of the loop by producing a stripped down version of
2000ad/The Meg for free
monthly distribution round the nation's comic shops, to lure lapsed customers or nerds who think
2000ad's only Dredd or Slaine.
Our sub money seems to be keeping the Command Module lights on at the moment, but there may come a time when the free distribution/ad revenue model of
Metro (http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/15/metros-audience-4164994/), the
Standard (http://www.metroclassified.co.uk/productsandaudiences/esdatadistribution), and the
NME (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/nme-readership-soars-past-1960s-beatles-peak-six-months-after-going-free-a6867826.html) makes sense.
Imagine 300,000 - 3.5 million commuters reading
Kingdom and
Lawless every morning, on their way to work or school.
This would be the NME that's now full of vacuous tat and no actual journalism because it's produced on a shoestring and almost certainly going to go down the toilet soon? Just imagine: Judge Dredd followed by 20 pages of listicles.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 25 August, 2016, 08:35:18 PM
NME was always full of vacuous tat and no actual journalism
I agree.
Oh, give over. I'm not a huge fan of what the NME became, but it was at least a proper magazine before it went free. Now, it's barrel-scraping tat of the kind you get on endless clickbait websites. I'm not saying that some kind of targeted promotional 2000 AD wouldn't work (the Beano tried it a while back and got a big circulation bump), but as an ongoing concern, the comic would be dead in the water if it tried to ape freesheets.
I get the impression that the problem is that most anthologies for the free comics are excerpts of other continuing titles. The problem is that 2000ad is an anthology. The argument, surely, is to say that the 2000ad given away is one pure, unadultared, edition of 2000ad?
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 25 August, 2016, 08:35:18 PM
Just imagine: Judge Dredd followed by 20 pages of listicles.
Wasn't that the Judge Dredd Mega-Specials with the ceaseless Dredd story indexes?
No. The Mega-specials were three or four stories at 6 or 8 pages each, with maybe 6 or 8 pages of a story index (and in only one or maybe two specials, not all of them). And some of us appreciated having a story index.
Quote from: Richard on 26 August, 2016, 02:01:05 PM
No. The Mega-specials were three or four stories at 6 or 8 pages each, with maybe 6 or 8 pages of a story index (and in only one or maybe two specials, not all of them). And some of us appreciated having a story index.
I quite liked the story index booklets that were given away with a few progs in the nineties (I have an image of one being attached to a Sean Phillips ensemble cover, with gold additions) though wasn't so keen on the ones appearing in other places. All a moot point as we have the internet now and such things aren't really suited to print publications these days.
Quote from: sheridan on 26 August, 2016, 05:51:44 PM
I quite liked the story index booklets that were given away with a few progs in the nineties (I have an image of one being attached to a Sean Phillips ensemble cover, with gold additions) though wasn't so keen on the ones appearing in other places. All a moot point as we have the internet now and such things aren't really suited to print publications these days.
Especially when wikipedia has lists of stories for 2000AD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_AD_(comics)#List_of_stories) and Judge Dredd (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Dredd#List_of_stories).
We getting one next year then Thargy baby!? :)
No anthologies for 2017AD and
no apologies for 2000AD either.
Quote from: Dash Decent on 13 December, 2016, 11:42:38 AM
No anthologies for 2017AD and
no apologies for 2000AD either.
I thought I heard that there was a loophole that 2000AD could exploit?
Is this not the case?
If not, that's a right pisser!!!! :thumbsdown:
I thought the rule was no anthologies of comics not published as anthologies. If your entire comic is an anthology you are OK.
Quote from: James Stacey on 13 December, 2016, 03:11:50 PM
I thought the rule was no anthologies of comics not published as anthologies. If your entire comic is an anthology you are OK.
It's still a bullshit move. I've worked on BOOM's FCBD book for the last three years, and they commission original, self-contained shorts to showcase three or four of their books. Black Mask's FCBD offering last year had two original 12-pagers tying into the Young Terrorists and We Can Never Go Home series.
Is this somehow less preferable than just re-printing something? I thought the point of FCBD was to get punters into comic shops...? Surely original content unavailable anywhere else is more likely to do that than a re-print of material at least
some of the punters will have seen before?
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 13 December, 2016, 03:27:44 PM
Quote from: James Stacey on 13 December, 2016, 03:11:50 PM
I thought the rule was no anthologies of comics not published as anthologies. If your entire comic is an anthology you are OK.
It's still a bullshit move. I've worked on BOOM's FCBD book for the last three years, and they commission original, self-contained shorts to showcase three or four of their books. Black Mask's FCBD offering last year had two original 12-pagers tying into the Young Terrorists and We Can Never Go Home series.
Is this somehow less preferable than just re-printing something? I thought the point of FCBD was to get punters into comic shops...? Surely original content unavailable anywhere else is more likely to do that than a re-print of material at least some of the punters will have seen before?
Yes, it does feel as if it is a political move to benefit the big and lazy names - why do they care what the content is? What justification have they given - confused and angry readers returning their free comics?
Quote from: Leigh S on 13 December, 2016, 05:05:04 PM
Yes, it does feel as if it is a political move to benefit the big and lazy names
Quite. If what they really mean is "Please don't fill your FCBD title with ads and short re-printed snippets of books in your current line" then why not just
say so?
Quote from: Dash Decent on 13 December, 2016, 11:42:38 AM
No anthologies for 2017AD
Hmm. I'm not sure how they're defining 'anthology'... the BOOM FCBD book for 2017 (http://www.comicsforsinners.com/free-comic-book-day-2017-gold-sponsor-comic-books-announced/) has three stories in it...
Sorry, I was just rhyming about what had been posted above. I hadn't intended it to be taken as new information. Sorry guys!
I agree with everyone however about the pointlessness of all these rules they keep bringing in (like the size question last time). Yes, they should have some standards (minimum page count, not too much reprinted content, complete stories rather than TBC, etc) but there seems to be something else behind these strange pronouncements. Comics are a weird, fun entertainment where men can fly and bend steel in their hair bands (or vice versa, Dr Spooner). If the publishers want to do something really creative, size-wise, page count wise, whatever, they should be able to give it a go.
The only 'real' reason I can think of is that they need to ensure everyone keeps the unit cost down as the comic shops have to buy the titles, and won't do so if they're too expensive.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 14 December, 2016, 07:34:22 AM
Quote from: Dash Decent on 13 December, 2016, 11:42:38 AM
No anthologies for 2017AD
Hmm. I'm not sure how they're defining 'anthology'... the BOOM FCBD book for 2017 (http://www.comicsforsinners.com/free-comic-book-day-2017-gold-sponsor-comic-books-announced/) has three stories in it...
How about, 'anything not named 2000AD, that may be considered worthwhile' that seems to be the current criteria!
The best FCBD are 2000AD and Boom. The old Fantagraphics collections are things of beauty, and BOOM has kind of continued that (basically if its got Mouse Guard it's a treasure).
I'd rather it was all original anthology pieces...
Quote from: dweezil2 on 12 December, 2016, 04:21:20 PM
We getting one next year then Thargy baby!? :)
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/12/19/free-comic-book-day-2017-titles
(http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/1482157775/FCBD17_S_Rebellion%20-%202000%20AD%2040th%20Anniversary.jpg)
Sweet cover and a very interesting list of creators.
That cover is the shit!! :thumbsup:
Is it by Phil Winslade?
And awesome news Molch-R!
My pitchfork aimed towards the FCBD panel remain safely stowed for now!!!! :lol:
One more question.
Will there be some new strips amongst the sexy reprint stuff? :)
Quote from: dweezil2 on 19 December, 2016, 07:24:57 PM
That cover is the shit!! :thumbsup:
Is it by Phil Winslade?
The cover is by the great Mike Perkins.
Quote from: Robo-K33F on 19 December, 2016, 08:20:03 PM
Quote from: dweezil2 on 19 December, 2016, 07:24:57 PM
That cover is the shit!! :thumbsup:
Is it by Phil Winslade?
The cover is by the great Mike Perkins.
Awesome!
I like muchly!!! :thumbsup:
More Dani! Fantastic.
Loved her atmospheric Euro style b&w art on Fiends in the last issue.
Ina perfect world she would be drawing Flesh.
Old green bonce just posted this up...
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Article/189313-Your-First-Look-at-2000ADs-Free-Comic-Book-Day-Silver-Comic (http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Article/189313-Your-First-Look-at-2000ADs-Free-Comic-Book-Day-Silver-Comic)
Some fine looking Progidge there! :thumbsup:
Looks like all new material? Good stuff, 2000AD's FCBD superiority continues unabated :lol:
Quote from: Satanist on 20 January, 2017, 01:31:24 PM
Looks like all new material? Good stuff, 2000AD's FCBD superiority continues unabated :lol:
Hope is reprint, pretty sure
Deadworld is too.
If anyone's picking up their FCBD goodies in Manchester tomorrow, I'm planning to meet up with Hawkmumbler for a quick pint around 12ish, all forumites welcome to join us!
Does anyone know of any stores which might offer these online please? I remember that there used to be one or two but I am unsure if any still do.
Unfortunately something has come up and I might be unable to make it to a store tomorrow. I would rather give my money to a comic shop than someone on ebay since the store has paid for the issue anyhow.
Cheers
Nic
Calling all Squaxx! Can you help a bruvver out?
NapalmKev's inability to source a copy due to lack of local support and being at Work at the same time, Extravaganza!!! (https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=44390.msg954344#new)
Cheers
Quote from: walrus on 05 May, 2017, 04:55:58 PM
Does anyone know of any stores which might offer these online please? I remember that there used to be one or two but I am unsure if any still do.
Unfortunately something has come up and I might be unable to make it to a store tomorrow. I would rather give my money to a comic shop than someone on ebay since the store has paid for the issue anyhow.
Cheers
Nic
Can't guarantee it, but Mega-City Comics in Camden (who do mail order) had some left over last year, which they were offering for £1 each (which I think is about how much it costs the shops to get the copies).
Great to see Sweeny Toddler in the prog!
Thanks Sheridan. I am hoping for some good news and being able to get to a store but I will try them if not.
Cheers
Just picked up my 2000AD and it's an American size. Is that normal or does it depend where you get it?
Last year's was"normal" 2000AD size.
Not a problem- very happy to have- just wondering.
No 2000AD at Croydon Forbidden Planet!
Quote from: Magnetica on 06 May, 2017, 11:13:51 AM
Just picked up my 2000AD and it's an American size. Is that normal or does it depend where you get it?
Last year's was"normal" 2000AD size.
Not a problem- very happy to have- just wondering.
It's the new normal.
Ok read it.
Best thing was the Blackblood tale. Really funny, even though it's a joke we have already had on ABC Warriors. The art looks just like Bisley's on the Black Hole.
Dredd confirms what those reading Lawless already know - Phil Winslade is an art droid of the very highest quality. Looks great coloured too ( even though he said he took the Lawless job because it was in black and white).
Anderson is a bit throw away and seems to be an [spoiler]excuse to get Judge Death to feature - again[/spoiler].
The rest is fairly recent reprint apart from a one page Tharg story.
Overall I like it.
A most excellent FCBD prog at first goamce, even if a tad shorter than previous years!
Many thanks to the honourable DDD for the catch up and drinks post shopping spree, a most enjoyable morning!
Picked mine up today, day after FCBD. Kinokuniya in Sydney had plenty of 2000 AD issues left. Which is either a good or bad thing.
Was a solid release. Really did enjoy the artwork Phil Winslade on the JD story. And Blackblood was excellent. Nice tribute to Steve Dillon on the back cover.
Well I made it to a three shops yesterday morning but none had any 2000AD left. One had a decent supply but it was popular there. The other two sounded like they didn't have many to begin with. Have managed to get one on ebay now for a sensible price rather the the ones which were going for £15 this morning. Looking forward to it arriving.
A Place In Space have copies for 99p, including postage, for those who missed out!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142375586885
Interestingly they have last years too.
2000AD was probably the second best this year, after BOOM*. The two are typically the best but the rest were... uninspiring. Amazed at how poor 'Riverdale' was as the cover was nice, the TV show is enjoyably soap-opera-y and the general direction of Archie Comics has been inspiring...
The only other one of note was probably I Hate Image just for the fanboy fun, even if it's pretty one-note. Bongo was good as always.
*Last year it was the other way around before you all stone me.
Quote from: dweezil2 on 07 May, 2017, 05:41:24 PM
A Place In Space have copies for 99p, including postage, for those who missed out!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142375586885
Thanks for drawing the attention to it - was looking around and flabbergasted at some of the asking prices (£10 - really!) - glad to get this and some others from your link!
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 07 May, 2017, 10:11:41 PM
Amazed at how poor 'Riverdale' was as the cover was nice, the TV show is enjoyably soap-opera-y and the general direction of Archie Comics has been inspiring...
My daughter seemed to enjoy it, but then she is 7 and liked that it had 'Big girls drawn nicely'!
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 08 May, 2017, 07:49:37 AM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 07 May, 2017, 10:11:41 PM
Amazed at how poor 'Riverdale' was as the cover was nice, the TV show is enjoyably soap-opera-y and the general direction of Archie Comics has been inspiring...
My daughter seemed to enjoy it, but then she is 7 and liked that it had 'Big girls drawn nicely'!
Robert Crumb next?
Quote from: I, Cosh on 08 May, 2017, 07:50:44 AM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 08 May, 2017, 07:49:37 AM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 07 May, 2017, 10:11:41 PM
Amazed at how poor 'Riverdale' was as the cover was nice, the TV show is enjoyably soap-opera-y and the general direction of Archie Comics has been inspiring...
My daughter seemed to enjoy it, but then she is 7 and liked that it had 'Big girls drawn nicely'!
Robert Crumb next?
I'll soften her up with some Pete Bagge first I think...
Anyone still need a copy ? I have a spare.
Quote from: James Stacey on 08 May, 2017, 03:22:50 PM
Anyone still need a copy ? I have a spare.
I'm in the market.
PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post for you
I got to Gosh five minutes after the signing ended (as I had a lesson that afternoon) but the droids were kind enough to sign my FCBD prog. Fine chap that he is, Rufus did this excellent drawing for me on the inside front cover of Last Gang in Town which was a FCBD purchase.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_Y15flXkAUuO1k?%3Cbr%20/%3Eformat=jpg&name=large)
I headed to Orbital and FP where I picked up the IDW Dredd Werewolf Deviations, the latest prog and Hookjaw.
Really liked the FCBD prog. Never thought I'd see Sid's Snake in a prog. Good touch. I always had a soft spot for one-off stories. More so now as I can't keep up with my 2000AD reading and fall behind with many of the continuity heavy stories. Bad squaxx.
Didn't know of a Southers gathering. I figured I could pop into Hope & Anchor and would no doubt find Southers but I had to dash off as was meeting some other folks for a meal. Guess I should get into FB to stay in the loop.
Quote from: SuperSurfer on 09 May, 2017, 08:12:50 PM
Didn't know of a Southers gathering. I figured I could pop into Hope & Anchor and would no doubt find Southers but I had to dash off as was meeting some other folks for a meal. Guess I should get into FB to stay in the loop.
...or just assume if there's a 2000AD-droid-heavy signing at a central London comic shop, there'll also be a gathering.
Quote from: sheridan on 09 May, 2017, 10:44:52 PM
...or just assume if there's a 2000AD-droid-heavy signing at a central London comic shop, there'll also be a gathering.
Sod's law I was asked to meet some relatives that evening. I should've left the end of the day clear for FCBD. Was going to stick my head in the boozer but was in a rush to get back so would have been a case of hellogoodbye.
Mega-City Comics still had one or two copies left when I went in on Wednesday (can't guarantee they still have them now). Selling for £1.
A Place In Space still have copies too! :)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FREE-COMIC-BOOK-DAY-2017-2000-AD-SPECIAL-/361975378716?hash=item544769f31c:g:9ZEAAOSwq1JZDyge
Thanks Dweezil. Ordered!
My phone autocorrect changed 'Dweezil' to 'sweetie'. I'm so glad I noticed before I posted. 😆
Quote from: Mardroid on 13 May, 2017, 06:38:41 PM
Thanks Dweezil. Ordered!
My phone autocorrect changed 'Dweezil' to 'sweetie'. I'm so glad I noticed before I posted. 😆
I pretty much answer to anything, hot stuff!!!! :lol: