CAPTAIN AMERICA #25: GETTING THE SCOOP

[MattBrady]

by Kevin Huxford

Much coverage has been given to the events of Captain America #25. It all started with the New York Daily News. Marvel had provided them with an exclusive on the story, with the coverage hinging on it being kept an exclusive prior to the release of the issue.

The man behind that exclusive coverage was Ethan Sacks, an entertainment columnist for the New York Daily News and apparent comic book fan. Now with the flood of reaction subsiding a bit, we felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan. He was happy to oblige our request, after making sure to meet some deadlines at the paper first.

Newsarama:The coverage of Cap’s death, after you and the NY Daily News broke the story, was fairly far-reaching. Was that something you were expecting?

Ethan Sacks: By about 2 pm on the day the story broke, I realized that Captain America’s death had snowballed to ridiculous proportions – certainly the biggest “pickup” of any story I’ve ever been a part of. In fact, one editor later told me that the story got more pickup – references from other media outlets – than even the incredible revelation that Rev. Al Sharpton’s ancestor may have been owned by Strom Thurmond’s family during the times of slavery! That’s made me the butt of a few jokes – so I leave my underoos at home now. I honestly believe there were three main reasons for the huge publicity: 1.) it was a relatively slow news day. 2.) That it came out in one paper first, then hit the AP wire, then hit Web sites, etc. – it made the other outlets feel like they needed to catch up and thus give it more play than it probably deserved. 3.) Because he is a well known character.

NRAMA: What are the sort of concerns you see at such a large paper when it comes to deciding what kind of coverage to give to a big development in what is seen by many as a niche entertainment medium?

ES: As a comic book fan for most of my life, I know that selling the paper on a comic book story, even the features section, is an uphill battle. Newspaper’s news holes are shrinking because of drops in circulation and “fluff” is the first thing to go. The vast majority of newspaper readers are as mainstream as you can get; they believe comic books are for kids, even though they run out eagerly to shell out $10 for the new Spider-Man or Batman movie. And the editors’ tastes reflect that. Once I a while they let me sneak a story in, but for the most part I use my online weekly column on the Daily News web site – it’s about comics, sci-fi, kung-fu, horror, anime and video games – to spread the word.

NRAMA: I’m guessing you may have received some reader e-mails just by your address being attached to the article. What sort of reaction have you personally seen?

ES: The vast majority of the emails I personally received, and there weren’t that many, were complaints: either that I spoiled the shocker for them or that they’ll never forgive Marvel. I got more emails from reporters/TV producers I know who congratulated me on the scoop than from actual readers.

NRAMA: Speaking of the scoop; there had to be a good level of coordination between you (the NY Daily News) and Marvel Entertainment. Approximately when would you say the exclusive was agreed upon?

ES: The exclusive was agreed on about two months ago. The New York Post – the Daily News’ arch-rival (picture an Australian Galactus running a paper) – had an exclusive when Spider-Man unmasked in Civil War #2 and I heard plenty about it from my editors. When I whined to Marvel that they should’ve kept me in the loop, too, they promised me a future exclusive when a story with mainstream interest would surface. So two months ago, I got a call from Marvel’s PR contact calling me into the Marvel Bullpen for a little powwow. They revealed the plans for Cap right then and there. The publisher wanted several conditions for us to get the exclusive: That we commit to most of a page up front and put a good-sized piece of art with it. It was a no-brainer for us, and my editor gave the green light later that afternoon. I didn’t even tell my wife.

NRAMA: I don’t know which to be more impressed with: the Murdoch/Galactus reference or holding the secret that tightly for a few months.

ES: To be honest, my wife probably wouldn’t have cared anyway. She thinks spending money on my daughter’s college fund would be a better use of resources than my weekly comic stack, but I digress. Seriously though, it was tough to keep the secret, especially from any co-workers who were especially interested in comic books. While nothing was told to me off the record, I did realize early on that an exclusive of this nature required it not to be leaked on our end to a message-board even inadvertently through an off-hand comment. I had a vested interest in keeping my mouth shut.

NRAMA: It sounds like only you and your editor knew about the story at the paper. Would that be accurate or were there other people that had to be brought into the process that far out from when it saw print? When did the list of people who knew at the paper start increasing, that is, layouts made, art selected, etc?

ES: I had to alert at least three editors to get permission for Marvel’s list of requirements, but that circle didn’t spread until a few days before the spread. Being a daily paper, they didn’t even think about the layout until Monday - the paper came out Wednesday.

NRAMA: With about two months of lead time, how long did you actually take to put this story together? Were there any angles you wanted to cover or individuals you wanted to get reaction from that you just weren't able to?

ES: While I had an enormous lead time, to be honest, I wrote the story a couple of days before. I had done the interviews with Quesada, Simon, Brubaker and a comic book store owner over the previous two weeks. I probably spent no more than two hours total – not counting transcribing the interviews – because our special constraints as a tabloid don’t give much room for prose. Besides, this really is a story that tells itself. But God, I wish I had more space to talk about Civil War, the legacy, throw in a good quote from Quesada, etc. Color art would’ve been nice, too.

NRAMA: Maybe you can do a Director’s Cut version of the coverage on your NY Daily news online column.

On a personal level, what did you think of the news? Did you see it as a political statement? An indication of where we are as a nation? Just a fictional death in the funny books?

ES: What do I think of the news? I’m a cynical bastard, so I know Steve Rogers will be back, though probably not before someone else picks up the shield and chucks it around for a bit. Nobody stays dead for long in comics, which really dilutes the plot device. With all the publicity, though, Marvel can’t exactly bring him back right away, though. Symbolically, obviously because of the star-spangled costume and the Civil War mini-series this will give a lot of fodder to pundits on both sides. But it’s really, in my opinion, just as much a marketing ploy as anything else. The important thing is Brubaker is good at his job and the story is a great read. I just hope the comeback will be handled as gracefully.

[nickmaynard]

i am in 100% support of more features like this.

[Bugaboo-X]

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

[HomoSuperior]

Stories like this are good....as the mainstream embraces comics, we should also embrace fans who don't devote their lives to message boards. It's a two-way street, that if navigated correctly, could reap serious rewards for comics without, i think, undermining its 'purity' of geekdom at the hands of 'the man'.


...or something.

[kingofcities]

Great interview Khux.

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by Bugaboo-X

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

Because no one has ever interviewed Bob Woodward ...not that Cap's death was Watergate, but it was the biggest major media story related to comics in years.

MattB

[STL]

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by kingofcities

Great interview Khux.

Thank you, sir.

[kalabro]

Originally Posted by STL

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

They didn't believe that killing Captain frakkin America would be a "big story." Oh, come. ON. When CNN or some other "news" outlet is doing a story on Civil War, to not expect that one of the major developments of that storyline wouldn't receive moderate news coverage is utterly disingenuous.

[si, rodrigo]

Originally Posted by Bugaboo-X

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

You could also, you know....NOT read the article? you don't have to complain about everything.

[Rebis]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

It was the biggest major media story related to comics in years.

MattB

To Matt and Kevin:

Well done. I suppose this "death" has been overplayed in the mainstream media — we've probably all read accounts by journalists who don't typically cover comics and get the facts wrong — but that doesn't mean you at Newsarama shouldn't be covering the hell out of it.

Furthermore, I think this type of feature, this peering into Sacks' exclusive, is interesting in the same way that any sort of behind-the-scenes feature is interesting. I'm always curious to know what goes on backstage at a concert or theater, or how a director and his film team made a certain special effect happen, etc. You've given us a glimpse into a process that most of us don't know anything about, and that's always elucidating. (Except to the naysayers, but hey, they don't have to read this article.)

[Hurnslice]

Quality story, great Q & A.

It's such a crazy phenomenon when something like this happens. And the fact that it happened with a comic book amazes me and the fact that my Mom knew about it has to lend credence to it.

Very cool, Khux, talking to the source. Well done.

Did it just take a phone call, or is there more watergate to this story???

[McGuirk]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: What are the sort of concerns you see at such a large paper when it comes to deciding what kind of coverage to give to a big development in what is seen by many as a niche entertainment medium?

ES: As a comic book fan for most of my life, I know that selling the paper on a comic book story, even the features section, is an uphill battle. Newspaper’s news holes are shrinking because of drops in circulation and “fluff” is the first thing to go. The vast majority of newspaper readers are as mainstream as you can get; they believe comic books are for kids, even though they run out eagerly to shell out $10 for the new Spider-Man or Batman movie. And the editors’ tastes reflect that. Once I a while they let me sneak a story in, but for the most part I use my online weekly column on the Daily News web site – it’s about comics, sci-fi, kung-fu, horror, anime and video games – to spread the word.

"Fluff" is one of the major reasons why my family dropped the Daily News last month. Way too much garbage in that paper, especially in the front part. At least keep that garbage in the back. Just like the advertorial portions, with press releases running as journalistic copy hyping whatever it is that's being sold that week.

Of course as I write this, I'm sitting in a newspaper office.

[NewChad]

Thanks for this article - a nice insight into how these stories break in the mainstream

[The Guvnor]

Nice article. Boy did Marvel take a huge gamble in letting him know about the death months beforehand.

[NielsVanEekelen]

Originally Posted by STL

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

They didn't think it wouldn't be big--they didn't think it would be this big, but they put effort into building up the story by controlling how it came out.

That could be seen as a positive thing, you know. I guess this was the one out of ten times that a publicity stunt worked--and it was a publicity stunt in support of a good story too, instead of the other way around.

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by STL

Marvel said they didn't believe the story would be this big. That they didn't even see that big a deal when the story was first tabled. Yet 3 months ago, late last year, they went about looking for publicity and getting conditions of leaking the news. Right.

Just like all that 'misinformation' they give us. And that's why I've fallen off the Marvel bandwagon. So many events feel like publicity stunts rather than an attempt at storytelling. There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

This betrays the typical fan naivity about how news and PR actually works.

You work your ass off and HOPE it gets noticed. 999 times out of a thousand, you do what Marvel did and it sinks without a trace, page 1 or no page 1. The one time it DOES get noticed, it's usually a mild furor that dies down within a week.

Marvel hit a gold mine---you ride the whirlwind for all its worth, thank your lucky stars and then get to work on the next project.

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by NielsVanEekelen

They didn't think it wouldn't be big--they didn't think it would be this big, but they put effort into building up the story by controlling how it came out.

Truly. It wouldn't have been nearly this big if they didn't work on it.

[ANGELDOGGIE]

Originally Posted by Bugaboo-X

"(W)e felt it would be interesting to get some thoughts and observations from Mr. Sacks as both a reporter and fan."

OK, OK already. Sheesh. Give us a break.

It's a clear sign -- a huge flashing police light with sirens sort of signal -- that it's time to let a topic die when the media starts to report on itself.

"Bob, I'm here outside the courthouse WHERE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, but you can tell by the mass of reporters that..."

"Why does the media frenzy over Anna Nicole Smith's death keep feeding on itself? We've asked Self-Referential Entertainment Expert Hakim Updyke to explain..."

"Seven days after the first news reports of Captain America's death, comic book fan message boards and news sites are still a'buzz, largely because SOMEONE keeps generating more topics about the news coverage itself. Let's take a look at why that is..."

.....................................and YOU posted too.

[wakko379]

Bugaboo-X is just jealous Cap willed his shield to Steve Colbert.

[jedifish]

Actually, I found this more interesting than any of the articles with the people at Marvel. Good article.

[Kolimar]

Interesting interview, Khux.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by nickmaynard

i am in 100% support of more features like this.

agreed, and nice job

[shineman]

Originally Posted by STL

There was a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. I'm not saying you can't make a good story out of a publicity stunt but 9 times out of 10, it's not gonna work.

As someone who works in marketing communications, I can say unequivocally that there was NEVER a time when telling good, engaging stories was enough. Unless you mean that time when those good, engaging stories just weren't selling...

The role of marketing is to use the tools available to sell things, be they comic books, a brand, etc. In this case, that tool was the press, and the product (issue #25) and the brand (Captain America) was VERY well suited to promote Marvel's interests as a publisher. Quite frankly, I think the marketing was well done, if not more than a little transparent.

It's not often that you get the potential product sympathy like this that allows you to broaden public awareness of a product, so when you're in marketing, and you find it, you really run with it. The degree to which it spread was probably hoped for, but not expected.

All in all, I'd say it's a win for a well written story (great publicity for Brubaker), as well as Marvel, and the Captain America brand.

S.

[sniperboy65]

All I can say is what should Marvel do for an encore? I think they should kill Spider-Man off next!