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Sideshow Vote: To be, or not to be? That is the question

Started by broodblik, 04 May, 2022, 04:43:13 AM

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broodblik

It is that time again when the regular prog gets replaced by a regen prog. Love it or hate it, I believe it is here to stay. I have seen many arguments for or against it. So here we are here is the question: Should regen prog exist or in which capacity? So how do you feel:
-   Yes, keep it as it is 4 regen progs and 46 regular progs a year
-   Yes, keep it but do it like the Meg make it a floppy each quarter
-   Yes, keep the regen prog but depending on economics make it is own publication
-   Let's go guns blazing here and replace the prog with the regen prog
-   No stop this we know what happened to doctor Frankenstein's monster
-   Regen is its some funky new energy drink?
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Colin YNWA

I love the Regenes as an idea, I like the execution a lot of the time, though as with the Prog, its not always successful but it needs to continue as a way to attract new readership to replace us aging ol' relics, but beyond that to push the comic into new and interesting places. It improves the diversity in thrills, characters and creator and all in all is a massive positive.

In the real world I doubt the economics would justify it becoming its own thing, at least for now so I'd keep things as they are. In this fantasy world of a vote I'm happy to be able to forget all that and go

  Yes, keep the regen prog but depending on economics make it is own publication

Magnetica

Yes, keep it as it is 4 regen progs and 46 regular progs a year.

My son really likes them, and in answer to "what are young readers meant to read the next week", the answer seems to be buy the Regened collections and then hopefully migrate to the main Prog when old enough.

It becoming a separate publication, has been discussed a lot and stated as not being viable, so I'm discounting that.

Aaron A Aardvark

I think we've been told definitively that a seperate publication isn't viable.

So, Yes, keep it as it is 4 regen progs and 46 regular progs a year, it's already had enough breakthrough stories to justify its existance.

AlexF

I wouldn't buy the Regened Progs if they were a seprate thing, and even though they do aim at younger readers and as such don't often appela to me, I do massively appreoctate the fact that they force creators to try new ideas, and to some extent encourage Tharg to take a chance on new creators, and that injection of innovation has been as successful as e.g. the early 1990s Megazine.

So yeah, I vote to keep on going with the current version of a handful of Progs per year interrupting the regular Prog, and good luck to the trade collections!

sheridan

Pretty sure Rebellion (in one capacity or another) have said they'd like Regened to be its own publication but it isn't them you'd need to convince - it's WHSmiths and the other distributors / high street retailers.

Barrington Boots

I'm not a fan of Regened and ideally I'd prefer it not to mess with my Prog schedule, either by existing independently or not existing at all. But it seems like it's essential to the Progs survival, so with that in mind I'm going for Yes, keep it as it is 4 regen progs and 46 regular progs a year - I can easily live with it if it's securing the future of the comic and bringing in new readers.
You're a dark horse, Boots.

IndigoPrime

Ideal world, as noted, would have this spun out as its own thing. But launching a new comic is phenomenally difficult under the best of circumstances, and we don't have those, what with COVID, paper shortages and now a cost of living crisis. Also, I'm happy enough with Regened, even if I wish it didn't scythe its way through ongoing series so often.

Anyway: Yes, keep it as it is 4 regen progs and 46 regular progs a year

Proudhuff

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 04 May, 2022, 06:28:02 AM
I love the Regenes as an idea, I like the execution a lot of the time, though as with the Prog, its not always successful but it needs to continue as a way to attract new readership to replace us aging ol' relics, but beyond that to push the comic into new and interesting places. It improves the diversity in thrills, characters and creator and all in all is a massive positive.

In the real world I doubt the economics would justify it becoming its own thing, at least for now so I'd keep things as they are. In this fantasy world of a vote I'm happy to be able to forget all that and go

  Yes, keep the regen prog but depending on economics make it is own publication

This ^^^
plus the WHSmith comment. Its great other comics have now ditched the plastic 'throw aways' from their covers in line with 2K ;-)
DDT did a job on me

AlexF

One of the things that has helped a bunch of kids comics become massive sales smashes is, of course, TV (ok Netflix) adaptations: Hilda, Captain Underpants, most recently Heartstopper.

Are there any Regened stories that may ever entice some animation comapny to have a go, I wonder?

Sadly it's still much easier to get animation made when it's aimed at kids/youf, miuch as we're all still waiting on that (presumably more grown-up) ABC Warriors thingy.

Southstreeter

If it wasn't a numbered prog and was separate I wouldn't buy it. If it helps finance the prog then so be it.

Magnetica

Quote from: Southstreeter on 04 May, 2022, 07:00:01 PM
If it wasn't a numbered prog and was separate I wouldn't buy it. If it helps finance the prog then so be it.

There's some interesting psychology going on here - you wouldn't buy it if it was separate, but the fact it technically means having a gap in your collection if you don't, means it has to be purchased. I'm sure there are people better qualified than me to analyse that one.

broodblik

We can add the following option as well:

Yes, I will buy only just to keep my collection intact
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

AlexF

I mean, if you're a subscriber it's not really possible to choose not to buy 4 Progs each year. But if I was walking into a newsagent and picking a Prog off the shelf each week, I might choose not to buy a Regened Prog.

Proudhuff

I'm afraid curiosity would get the better of me... and habit, it has been almost 40 years!
DDT did a job on me