DAN SLOTT WANTS YOU TO PULL HIS "THING"

[MattBrady]

Dan Slott loves writing Marvel's The Thing, he just doesn't know how long he'll be able to keep on writing it. Early sales on the ongoing series leave something to be desired, and if things don't change ... well, you know the rest.

So Slott is taking the grassroots, creator-driven, campaign-to-raise-sales thing up a notch. He recently talked to Newsarama about his plans in a conversation unmistakenly... well... Dan Slottian...

Newsarama: So Dan, let’s just right in this and not mince words…Hard, cold world-wise, The Thing isn't lighting up the charts.

Dan Slott: Nope. We are in a very scary place, numbers-wise.

NRAMA: Any thoughts on why people aren't jumping on? After all, it seems that you hear lots of people saying they want more traditional, fun comics, and this is surely that.

DS: Tell me about it! People are reading the book and having a fun time. The response is great. The reviews are great. The problem isn’t the sales, it’s the orders. We’ve got fan interest. What we need is retailer confidence.

Before fans ever got a chance to crack open The Thing, it was set to launch as the fifth ongoing Fantastic Four title during the start of Decimation and Infinite Crisis, at the end of House of M, and at a time when most of the ink was going to promote Spider-Man: The Other. I can totally understand why our first issue didn’t order well.

But here’s the thing, retailers aren’t going to turn around and magically start ordering more copies. Especially not with Civil War around the corner and a zillion “One Year Later” books vying for their attention. Right now, if anything is going to save this book, it’s going to be the fans!



NRAMA: So how do you, as the writer, take the bull by the horns to get the fans to help out?

DS: One word, sir: Bribery. Scratch that. I meant to say: a content!

Andrea DiVito and I really love working on this book, and we so want to keep working on it, that we’re starting up a pretty nifty contest. And for the big, grand prize, we’re offering some cool loot! For his part, Andrea is putting up an original page of Thing art - a sweet piece with a nice shot of the Thing on it! And on my end, I’m throwing in signed copies of the first two She-Hulk trades, the all-new third trade (when it comes out in June), the GLA trade, the GLX-MAS Special, and the Spider-Man/Human Torch: I’m With Stupid Digest!

NRAMA: Nice! So what are you calling this contest?

DS: “Pull My Thing and Win a Prize!”

NRAMA: Um… I don’t think we can print that…

DS: Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. That’s “pull” as in “pull list.”

NRAMA: For our readers who may not know what a “pull list” is, it’s something you can set up with the owner of your Local Comic Shop - a list where you reserve copies that you will definitely buy. When they come out, your LCS owner will put them aside for you, and that way you’re guaranteed to get your books even when the store sells out.

DS: Exactly! For any one title, most LCS owners order a set number of copies for the store. And they usually up their orders for that title by the number of customers that have it on their pull list.

So here’s the deal - it’s too late for a grassroots letter writing campaign. We need a grassroots pull list campaign!

If you like this book, put it on your pull list. If you don’t have a pull list, start one - even if it’s just for The Thing. If you’ve heard good things about the book, but you’re a wait-for-the-trade-person? Please understand, you are not hurting us - but if you step up now, you can help save us!

Seriously, if we do not start getting some back-to-press level numbers right away, this is all going to be moot. Moot with a capital “M” and a capital “OOT.”

NRAMA: So how does this “contest” work?

DS: There’s one grand prize, the whole kit-and-kaboodle, and it’s going to the best pitchman on the message boards! We need people pounding the virtual-beat, getting the word out about our pull list campaign, and letting people know what they like about the title. I’ll be scouring all the boards and declaring a winner by the end of June.

What I’m looking for is the person who’s doing the best job promoting “Pull My Thing and Win a Prize” - but without being pushy or derailing any threads. And you gotta bring the love [laughs].

NRAMA: We're four issues in - where are things, currently?

DS: Ben Grimm, the original “Kevin Bacon” of the Marvel Universe, is now one of the richest men in America. But he’s just starting to realize that there are some things that are more important than money.

His longtime girlfriend, Alicia, has moved on to a new relationship. She’s now dating a really nice guy named Arlo North. And what’s his story, huh?

Lockjaw, the loveable teleportin’ pup, has decided that he’d rather live with Ben than be with all a’ them stuffy Inhumans up there on the moon.

And… Oh yeah… There’s been a lotta two-fisted team ups with a whole mess a’ Marvel superguys like Nighthawk, Constrictor, and Tony Stark. All new supervillains in the form of Shockjock and Cauldron: The Scalding Man. Oh! And you got to see a Pirate Thing-bot beat up a Clown Hulk-bot. Nifty!

NRAMA: Wait. So Lockjaw is now staying with Ben?

DS: Wouldn’t you? It’s fun to pal around with Benjamin J. Grimm. The grub’s always good. And when it comes to playing fetch, Ben’s really good at tossing that manhole cover-frisbee around.

NRAMA: What aspect of Ben do you find the most appealing? What specifically about him really strikes to your core and resonates?

DS: He is the Ultimate blend of Stan and Jack. He’s equal parts cosmic and down-to-earth, raw power and raw emotion, tragic and comic, flawed and heroic. Without a doubt, he is the quintessential Marvel character.

NRAMA: What's the most important thing in the world to Ben?

DS: His spirit. He’s the guy that you just can’t break! You could hit ‘em with everything you got - and, I don’t care if you’re the Incredible Hulk - he’s not going down! That’s his greatest super power.

You have characters like Batman or Captain America - and their shtick is that they always “find a way”. Well, Ben might not have the smarts to figure that stuff out, but you know what? It don’t matter! He’s gonna come through for ya! He’s gonna get up offa that mat, he’s gonna hold that line, and he’s gonna get the dang job done!

NRAMA: How long did it take you to come up with that answer?

DS: Under a Yancy Street minute. Which is much less than a New York minute. ‘Cause on Yancy Street, we can’t be bothered to count up ta sixty!



NRAMA: Coming up in issue #5 then - looks ominous. So, one can take it that there are elements that don’t like seeing Ben back on Yancy Street?

DS: They never do, don’t they? Frickin’ Yancy Streeters!

NRAMA: Why not?

DS: Well, dis time around, maybe it’s because a certain sumbuddy’s a li’l too big fer his billion dollar britches? Or maybe Benjy’s just stepped on the wrong toes with his size 36 quadruple E’s? Whatever the case, you can bet it’s gonna lead to a big throwdown!

NRAMA: A big throwdown? Is this against another new villain?

DS: Nope. Actually, it’s somebody that a lot of the readers have been asking to see… Who? You’ll just have to pick up #5 this Wednesday to find out. And Spidey fans better jump on now. Because this leads into our big, fun lovin’ Spider-Man team-up in Thing #6!

NRAMA: So - moving on...issue #7 - time travel? Time Travel? What the? Why does Ben need to take a trip to Ancient Greece?

DS: Well? Can you think of a better place to take Alicia for her birthday? Huh? No? Didn’t think so.

NRAMA: And the Hercules he meets back then doesn't recognize him at all, right?

DS: Not even a little. Thanks to the wonders of time travel, this is actually going to be the first time the Son of Zeus meets the Nephew of Petunia.

NRAMA: And finally, with what's been solicited - #8 - poker night, right...but with a billionaire twist?

DS: Yup! This isn’t one of Ben’s normal poker nights. He’s throwing the first ever Superhero Poker Tournament!

NRAMA: What can you say about the tournament?

DS: It’s all for fun. And everybody’s got a story to swap about the Idol of Millions. So it’s not just a poker game, it’s one tall tale after another. (Which, of course, will include lots a’ clobberin’!)

NRAMA: How many guest stars will see in that issue?

DS: A gazillion! From big name headliners like Wolverine and Captain America, to Marvel Two-In-One stalwarts like Goliath and Stingray, to some of my personal faves like She-Hulk and Squirrel Girl. Yeah, you read that right: Squirrel Girl!

NRAMA: Of course, one of the traditions of Ben's poker nights was that there was always the haze of smoke overhead. Any chance on getting Marvel to relax the no smoking ban for this issue?

DS: Nah. Probably not. The only smoke you might see would be over Johnny Storm’s head - if he takes a ‘bad beat’. (Can you tell I’ve been watching lots of Poker on ESPN2?)



NRAMA: At the New York Comic-Con, you mentioned that you'd have a "first" coming up in the series.

DS: You’ll see it in Thing #8. It’s the real reason all these heroes have gathered together.

NRAMA: Any hints?

DS: No.

NRAMA: Are you sure it's never been seen?

DS: Yes. Absolutely.

NRAMA: And it has to do with Ben?

DS: Well, it is his book.

NRAMA: Any particular aspect of him?

DS: That would be a hint. Check us out in June. Cough up the $2.99. It’s going to be well worth it. Trust me. I think this is going to be my favorite issue all year.

NRAMA: Also - speaking of stuff coming up, will the series play into or out of Civil War?

DS: No. The Thing is gonna be a Civil War Free Zone. From day one, we’ve done our best to make The Thing a book that readers can escape to If you’re one of those readers that’s feeling bogged by all of the “Infinite This” and “House of That:, then we’re your oasis. Heck, we’re an oasis that comes complete with a fun waterslide! Or maybe you’re someone who’s neck deep into event books and loving every minute of it? In that case, think of those as your savory main course, and The Thing as your sweet and tasty desert!

NRAMA: Any final thoughts?

DS: Just this - if you like this book, you’re gonna have to fight for it. Right now! You’re gonna have to channel some a’ the Ever Lovin’ Blued Eye Thing! You’re gonna have to start swinging, and not stop till we get up off the mat and go back to the presses!

Selfishly? I want to keep doing this book! I’m having a blast! I love working with Andrea DiVito, Kieron Dwyer, and Laura Villari ! I think these guys are hitting every single issue out of the park! And, super-selfishly, I know the next big storyline coming up could be one of the best things I’ve done for Marvel - it’s a pretty big arc - and I want to get to it!

I’ve walked other creators through the key beats of the story - and I hear things like “Oh my God!” and “They’re gonna let you do that?!” and (my favorite, from inker Keith Williams) “You just made all the hairs on my neck stand up!” Trust me, it’s that good! You wanna read it? Well, I’m gonna need your help on this one, guys! So please…

…PULL MY THING!

[Mike S Miller]

Looks good, I like the Thing, is it really selling that poorly? I wonder what the numbers are?

[jedifish]

From the Pulse

90. THING
Nov 05 Thing #1 - 30,188
Dec 05 Thing #2 - 23,606 (-21.8%)
Jan 06 Thing #3 - 21,839 ( -7.5%)

This is an excellent title. One of my favorites at Marvel. #4 was great and was a standalone story so check it out.

[Bakema NL]

I'm buying it, of course this is fun. Too bad not many people think it's worth it.

[bomaya]

I love this book so much it makes me wet myself!

Oh and Dan, Tom B just called and said to ge the next script to him pronto!!!!

[amlah6]

More people need to buy Thing. It's a great book!

[BatWolverine]

For Feb' 2006 its (Thing #4) numbers were 21,190.

Previous Issues:

#3 - 21,839
#2 - 23,606
#1 - 30,188

BW

[AntManArmy]

man i love slott's energy and positivity.

i wasn't buck wild about the storyline of the the first three issues but i liked them. but given slott's track record and the drop dead gorgeous art i know that what's coming down the pipe will be gold.

i wish there was some way to get people to drop three bucks (and honestly, what else can you buy with three bucks? that won't even rent you a movie at blockbuster) on this book (and while you're at it: nextwave, she-hulk, runaways and ex machina)

[Sharcque]

Before fans ever got a chance to crack open The Thing, it was set to launch as the fifth ongoing Fantastic Four title

Fifth?!?!? Huh?

[Varrus]

Fantastic Four
Marvel Knights 4
Ultimate Fantastic Four
The Thing
?????

[AntManArmy]

Originally posted by Varrus
Fantastic Four
Marvel Knights 4
Ultimate Fantastic Four
The Thing
?????

let's count she-hulk

[Mark Cardwell]

I suppose guys like me are to blame: I consider myself a fan of Dan The Man, yet decided to wait for the trade on this one. Whoops! Will rectify straight away.

[KevinQuass]

Pulling for the Thing

I dropped Thing because I was getting too many books and chose to stick with She-Hulk. But I am jumping back on now that I found a store with a better discount so I can pick up a few more titles again. I love Slott's writing and Marvel canceled one of my favorites with Spider-Girl so this will be my fun "old school" replacement.

Off to do some promotion.

Make Mine Slott.

Kevin

[dingo]

Originally posted by Varrus
Fantastic Four
Marvel Knights 4
Ultimate Fantastic Four
The Thing
?????

Marvel Adventures was the fifth

[chap22]

i have pimped this book non-stop since issue 1 hit the stands. i will continue to pimp it until either i die or it gets cancelled, whichever is first. i've started spoiler/review threads on the 'rama Marvel subforum for every issue. i've begged and pleaded with folks to try it out. and now Dan's offering free stuff to the person who continues to pimp it the best/hardest? excellent! but you know what? i don't care about Dan's free stuff, and i'm not gonna sit here and shill to try to win it. if i did win all that stuff, i'd gladly give it away to somebody who doesn't have all Dan's stuff and wants to try and get into it (well, OK, i'd keep the Divito original artwork... ).

but i'm still gonna pimp this book. and here's why:

it's just fun. you don't need to know 40 years of Marvel backstory to get it, but if you do, you'll enjoy little extras even more. you don't really even need to know 1 year of Marvel backstory. this book is just fun; an oasis like Dan said. it's got gorgeous art, fun stories, and IMO the single best superhero Marvel ever created. i want this book to survive. it's a 22(give or take)-page reminderof how comics used to be, while still being written with today's craft. i beg you people, if you haven't tried this book yet, give it a shot. just one issue is all you need; there's no huge decompressed stories, you can jump in any time. every one of us who reads these superheroes has got a little kid in us somewhere who still gets excited at reading "It's Clobberin' Time!". do yourself a favor and reconnect with that little kid. try the Thing; at least sign up to pre-order the first trade (out in August!!!!) and see how much fun comics can still be in today's world.

do it for Dan. do it for me. do it for Benjy and his Aunt Petunia. or just do it for that little kid inside you who got you started on this hobby. buy the Thing...you won't be sorry.

[Foenix]

Awwww, just message boards?

I've already been working on a big Thing article to push the title in my monthly column elsewhere... And that's on top of columns I've already done on She-Hulk (Several) and one on Spider-Man/Torch. I've been spreading the Slott love for awhile now. =)

This book definitely needs a big push. It's a great read, in the classic Marvel style, with gorgeous art from Andrea.

Hopefully this pulls in a few more sales, it would be a real shame for one of the stalwarts of the Marvel universe to have his solo title go away prematurely.

J

[Howard]

Fantastic Four
Marvel Knights 4
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four
The Thing

[chap22]

Originally posted by Mark Cardwell
I suppose guys like me are to blame: I consider myself a fan of Dan The Man, yet decided to wait for the trade on this one. Whoops! Will rectify straight away.

order now!! out in August!!!!!!!!

[AntManArmy]

i'd love to have some serious ____ you money. a few things i would do with it

a) have the most mind boggling amazing record collection you have ever seen. rows and rows of amazing albums and all the original vinyl pressing. and 78s? you bet.

b) i would order thing, nextwave, she-hulk, runaways and ex machina by the tens of thousands. push all their circulation up to at least 80k.

but i don't so i'm just going to continue to pimp the hell out of these books. really people, read the thing. it's three bucks. you have nothing to lose.

[adamcasey]

I've been excited for the The Thing series since it was announced (gosh, back at San Diego?) considering how Slott had Grimm down pat in the She-Hulk series.

I've been along for the ride since issue #1 and all I can say it's really one of the better comics out right now.

I mean, the Watcher/Lockjaw scene was hysterical!

[Tom Daylight]

First it's save She-Hulk, now the Thing? That's just greedy

In all seriousness... I already pull Dan Slott's Thing on a regular basis.

[Excelsior!]

I feel really guilty now - I've not been able to buy comics for the last few months due to work commitments (I've been up and down the country gigging, and with a tour starting next week that's not going to change any time soon ) and being broke. Otherwise I'd have snapped up #2 and #3 like a croc with a wildebeest, since I thought #1 was one of the best Marvel comics I've read in a long while. I'll definately pick the trade up as soon as it comes out, 'cos I really need my classic Marvel fix!

Here's hoping Marvel does the right thing and keeps this book going - it's not about sales, it's about quality books, and this is one, and then some.

[astronato]

As a Fantastic Four fan I could not be any more pleased with this book. If you like Ben Grimm or the FF or all the cool supporting players in the Marvel universe this is the book for you. So far it has been nothing but fun. I love Lockjaw moving in with Ben. Can't wait for the poker game but the no stogie rule is silly considering some of the things that do appear in Marvel comics.

Isn't Marvel Knight 4 coming to end shortly? Maybe having one less FF book on the market will help boost the Things sales.

[chap22]

try the Thing!!!!!! c'mon you know you can get that issue of X-Men in the dollar bin in a couple months...they're not gonna cancel that series, and your retailer ain't gonna run out anytime soon. drop Uncanny, pick up Thing and get that mutant stuff later for cheap. you'll be glad you did!!!!!!!

[artiepants]

while i'm a big, big fan of the Dan, i really, really gotta give it up for the Art Team on the Thing ~ they're knowking it out of the park with a style that manages to be flashy but old-school and Cartoony but realistic all at the same time, and the colours are drop-dead gorgeous.

BUY THIS BOOK