Why no regular 2000 AD/Meg previews?

[The Adventurer]

I'm having a some what difficult time promoting 2000 AD because Rebellion doesn't seem to provide regular web-based previews for me to share with the uninitiated.

In my personal opinion Rebellion should release a 6-page preview every week that contains the Prog cover, and the first page of every serial inside. This would be an exceptionally useful promotional tool. Instead of just the cover.

EDIT: The Meg could use a preview as well.

[TordelBack]

Damn good idea, Adventurer.

[Hell Trekker]

That is probably an excellent idea.  They should put out a preview.  I personally could never be bothered with them as I like to be surprised and unspoiled when the prog hits my mat (metaphorically speaking).  Can you imagine if CBR had a preview of the prog each week up there on the front page of the site and all the attention that would get in the nonscrot yank market?!  Speaking of CBR get on there and help me spread the word.  Do it for Tharg!  http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?302540-Shouldn-t-2000AD-be-more-appreciated

[Emperor]

Can you imagine if CBR had a preview of the prog each week up there on the front page of the site and all the attention that would get in the nonscrot yank market?!

They have run previews before (in fact there is a new one just gone live, although the pages were all seen in the Alec Worley interview they did):

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview_srch&by=pubid&for=1

The problem is that previewing an anthology that has 5 or 6 page stories is tricky - as you can see there, they've been doing them for the Diamond packs and you basically end up with 1 (or sometimes 2) stories in there, which isn't something you could do every week. The alternative would be the first page of each story, which could work but it' also underline some people's anti-anthology prejudice, that you only get a short burst of disjointed stories each week. I don't really see this as being a downside, as more people might appreciate it than be off-put, the plus is that it underlines the strength of the line-up and the diversity of talent on offer, something is guaranteed to pique someone's interest.

As whole stories, the previews seem to be being deployed about right - to promote the start of specific stories, that kind of thing.

Speaking of CBR get on there and help me spread the word.  Do it for Tharg!  http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?302540-Shouldn-t-2000AD-be-more-appreciated

Yes it is a good thread a few of us have dropped in on.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

In my personal opinion Rebellion should release a 6-page preview every week that contains the Prog cover, and the first page of every serial inside.

As others far better than Stevie* have already stated, Excellent idea. What we do need first is for Diamond to settle down to shipping the prog on a regular schedule to avoid a cosmic inflation in the numbers of frustrated squaxx.

*Hell Trekker & Tordelback. Since his KTT Emperor has sadly let it all go to his head & has sunk to such Sybaritic lows as demanding sweets from complete stranger's toddlers on street corners because Tharg said so.

[Hell Trekker]

They have run previews before (in fact there is a new one just gone live, although the pages were all seen in the Alec Worley interview they did)
....
Yes it is a good thread a few of us have dropped in on.

Ah, I stand corrected, I missed those previous previews.  I was very happy to see some of you guys add to the thread on CBR in the past, I just wanted to bring it up again for the benefit of new members or those who may have missed the old post about it.  Cheers!

[The Adventurer]

The problem is that previewing an anthology that has 5 or 6 page stories is tricky - as you can see there, they've been doing them for the Diamond packs and you basically end up with 1 (or sometimes 2) stories in there, which isn't something you could do every week.

I don't like this way of doing it at all. As basically it makes 2/5ths of the issue already read, and for a book you're paying 5 bucks for, that takes away value IMO to give that much away as a 'preview'.


Dark Horse Presents always has a preview for its latest issue, of which they preview 1 (or sometimes 2) pages of their various strips (and not all of them either).

This is the model I feel rebellion should adopt. And they should host these previews on the 2000 AD homepage, and not just put them out for CBR and the like to post. IMO.

[Emperor]

The problem is that previewing an anthology that has 5 or 6 page stories is tricky - as you can see there, they've been doing them for the Diamond packs and you basically end up with 1 (or sometimes 2) stories in there, which isn't something you could do every week.

I don't like this way of doing it at all. As basically it makes 2/5ths of the issue already read, and for a book you're paying 5 bucks for, that takes away value IMO to give that much away as a 'preview'.


Dark Horse Presents always has a preview for its latest issue, of which they preview 1 (or sometimes 2) pages of their various strips (and not all of them either).

Indeed, using the first page of each story would be a better way to go to preview each prog, going with 5 or 6 pages from the same story can really only work as a preview for the prog packs (I see they've largely stopped once Diamond moved to single progs) and even then doesn't really capture the anthology idea (what if you don't like the preview? What if you do, but would like to get a feel of all the stories?). I like the way the DHP preview works - it gives a taste of the variety available and a bit of an idea about what is going on (I'm, incidentally, quite intrigued to pick it up now as that is a strong line-up they've got there).

This is the model I feel rebellion should adopt. And they should host these previews on the 2000 AD homepage, and not just put them out for CBR and the like to post. IMO.

If memory serves, you were also asking about large high resolution scans of trade (and presumably prog) covers - both ideas could be dealt with in the one press area, where you could also add the text of any press releases and promotional blurb.

I might as well get the counter-argument in now - it is extra work when there might not be many spare man hours. However, it can't be that much each week - they presumably have some blurb for each prog and all the pages are done electronically so exporting the first page of each is as easy as a press of a button.

Looking around Dark Horse have an area for press releases and that is all you'd really need (it could even run on a system similar to the news section perhaps with a mailing list to automatically email out updates, which might end up saving some time):

www.darkhorse.com/Press-Releases

*Hell Trekker & Tordelback. Since his KTT Emperor has sadly let it all go to his head & has sunk to such Sybaritic lows as demanding sweets from complete stranger's toddlers on street corners because Tharg said so.

Pffft, I was doing that long before I'd even read 2000AD.

[w3bz]

I'm having a some what difficult time promoting 2000 AD because Rebellion doesn't seem to provide regular web-based previews for me to share with the uninitiated.

In my personal opinion Rebellion should release a 6-page preview every week that contains the Prog cover, and the first page of every serial inside. This would be an exceptionally useful promotional tool. Instead of just the cover.

EDIT: The Meg could use a preview as well.

This is something we'ved chewed over on-and-off for a while but it's always been on the discussion to-do list, and strangely reared its head again recently. Not that I'd ever want it myself, horrible situation when it's part 4 of a story and shows you some important event-or-other in the first pannel...

...But yeah, I know what you mean...

[The Adventurer]

I'm having a some what difficult time promoting 2000 AD because Rebellion doesn't seem to provide regular web-based previews for me to share with the uninitiated.

In my personal opinion Rebellion should release a 6-page preview every week that contains the Prog cover, and the first page of every serial inside. This would be an exceptionally useful promotional tool. Instead of just the cover.

EDIT: The Meg could use a preview as well.

This is something we'ved chewed over on-and-off for a while but it's always been on the discussion to-do list, and strangely reared its head again recently. Not that I'd ever want it myself, horrible situation when it's part 4 of a story and shows you some important event-or-other in the first pannel...

...But yeah, I know what you mean...

Comic previews routinely 'ruin' previous issue cliffhangers. I think that's just something you have to accept. The important thing is that the preview doesn't ruin the cliffhanger of the current issue (hence, don't preview more then a single page of the story).

Anyway, its just a suggestion. Because it sucks that I can link previews easily for the latest hot Image, Dark Horse, DC, and most Indie comics the week they come out. But I can't with 2000 AD, the comic I REALLY want to promote.

[w3bz]

I can but raise it with the powers the be to see if they're keen, doing it on a regular basis I imagine won't be a problem....