John Bryne says "Waiting for the Trades" is killing industry

WebHobbit · 12-29-2003, 11:45 PM

My comicshop owner just emailed me a link to a couple of threads on the John Byrne messageboard where the subject of Trade Paperbacks comes up and John Byrne had this (among other things) to say:

Quote:

"Waiting for the Trade" has become one of those fanboy mantras meant, primarily, to demonstrate how KEWL and IN THE KNOW the individual is. After all, he is SO KEWL he does not have to race out to buy the new issues -- which are beneath him anyway, being merely comicbooks and not REAL BOOKS like trade paperbacks -- and he gets to be IN THE KNOW by bandying about terms like "the trade" as if he really has clue one what that means.

Next time you run into someone who says he is "waiting for the trade" be sure to bombard him with as many SPOILERS as you can think of, from having read the books as they come out. Maybe that will help banish yet another thing driving nails into the coffin of this industry.

I'm still slogging through these threads:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/...&lp=1072721703

& then continues here:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/...&lp=1072747400

wolfpacker · 12-29-2003, 11:57 PM

Byrne is such a frigging whiner. Why can't it just be that some people prefer the trade format. It isn't as flimsy as the regular comic, doesn't have annoying ads for zit medicine and video games, and is a better value. And most of the stuff being told these days is written with the trade in mind, so you get one complete story to read in one sitting instead of trying to remember what happened last month (assuming the creators can crank out a monthly).

What a putz.

youdontlikeme · 12-30-2003, 12:10 AM

Going by the what you just posted, I think Byrne is blaming the wrong people. The industry(MARVEL in particular) is making nearly all of their books in the the trade format. If a fan wants to skip the lateness problem with a lot of the books out there and instead read the entire story in one serving that is cool. Many writers quite frankly are not giving enough story in an issue to make it worth buying ono by one. I wish they stop making ongoing series a monthly trail of minis. Why cant they write a story that has sub plots that lead into the next issue.I , for the most part do not subscribe to waiting for tpb mantra because the books that I somehing I want to see every month.

WebHobbit · 12-30-2003, 12:14 AM

YDLM - he touches on that too!

Read the threads if you have time....pretty interesting.

Taylor Porter · 12-30-2003, 12:16 AM

Byrne's a nut. He lost all credibility in my mind long ago.

tralfaz · 12-30-2003, 12:26 AM

he has it partly true... the mentality of waiting for the trade is killing the comic book periodical format. Maybe companies should start doing trades on certain books... those that are always late for instances. Another thing they could do is wait a good year before releasing a trade of a story arc, but have the story arc in trade come out. works for JLA and JSA

now, wheres my fuckin Legion trades dammit?!?!

MudshovelForYou · 12-30-2003, 12:28 AM

Why is it always a devisive line of monthly or trade? Can't we have a world of comic book harmony where both exist? For instance, it's not like Marvel and DC are losing money when they publish trades, so I'm not sure how it's bad for the industry. Or maybe I've consumed waaaaay too much Fanta...

On a side note... Is anyone else a little put off by the flashing of everyone's IP on that msg board?

gOgIver · 12-30-2003, 12:35 AM

It's more fun to get them when they come out.

echoshifting · 12-30-2003, 12:35 AM

Remember when John Byrne wrote himself into a Galactus story?

Heh. Putz.

jawaplumber · 12-30-2003, 12:37 AM

You know, Byrne is intelligent enough to make valid points on subjects like this, but then he fucks it all up with shit like suggesting to his mindless nimrod followers that they give away spoilers to those who like trade paperbacks. He continues to prove that he has the sourest of sour grapes in comics. The medium passed him by a long time ago, with Alan Moore and Frank Miller turning around to give him double middle fingers as they steamrolled along. What a bitch.

WebHobbit · 12-30-2003, 12:39 AM

Quote:

On a side note... Is anyone else a little put off by the flashing of everyone's IP on that msg board?

Yeah that is lame and unnecessary. That must be the lamest messageboard software ever.

I do sort of agree that perhaps Marvel should wait a while before bringing the TPBs out of new books. I'm just not sure how long "a while" should be...

MudshovelForYou · 12-30-2003, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WebHobbit

I do sort of agree that perhaps Marvel should wait a while before bringing the TPBs out of new books. I'm just not sure how long "a while" should be...

I sort of agreed with that, too. (Although, if they don't hurry with the final trade of Paradise X.... (I missed several issues of the series and wanna finish it)). There's no real reason the trade has to come out a week after the story finishes. They could treat it like DVD releases to movies (i.e. a couple of months later.)

Richard Werder · 12-30-2003, 01:21 AM

What a prick. What a moron. How angry is this idiot, anyway? Who buys trades thinking they're "above" comics? A TPB is just a collection of comics anyway, Byrne, you deluded old has been.
Most people (myself included)buy trades for the convenience, or because they couldn't find the all the individual issues.
On a side note, how can trades be killing the industry? It's not like people are spending their money elsewhere. They're still giving their money to Marvel and DC.

And when was the last time ANYONE ANYWHERE said "kewl"?

I think people who produce sub-par crap like "Lab Rats" and the latest "Generations" are more damaging to the industry than people who wait for trades.

one more thing-I haven't visited that thread yet, but I'll bet you cash money the sheep posters are in unanimous agreement with their infallible idol.

echoshifting · 12-30-2003, 01:57 AM

John Byrne is kewl.

Rod Odom · 12-30-2003, 02:32 AM

Here's what I posted on the Byrne board:

The more stories are written for TPBs, the less incentive we readers have to buy the monthlies. The less we buy the monthlies, the less likely a TPB will come out for the story. Also, the less we buy monthlies, the more dependent publishers are on TPBs, and will become even more reluctant to publish new concepts. Look at Marvel's solicitation for March and compare it to DC/Vertigo/Wildstorm. Who is putting out the TPB immediately after a story arc ends? Who has far more diversity of genre?

And to further illustrate the last point:

TPB oriented publishing program probably puts a company at the mercy of the book chains. I think some have said Crossgen's recent brush with bankruptcy has to do with their TPBs bombing at the bookstores and the company getting left with returned product. At the local Half-Price Books they have stacks of brand new Crossgen collections at pennies on the dollar. Such risks would force publishers to TPB only things they know for sure would sell, i.e. Spider-Man/X-Men.

Rod Odom · 12-30-2003, 02:34 AM

Quote:

The medium passed him by a long time ago, with Alan Moore and Frank Miller turning around to give him double middle fingers as they steamrolled along.

I don't know about Moore, but Miller and Byrne are known to be good friends.

Rod Odom · 12-30-2003, 02:37 AM

Quote:

one more thing-I haven't visited that thread yet, but I'll bet you cash money the sheep posters are in unanimous agreement with their infallible idol.

No, there is quite a lively debate between those for and against TPBs. Hence, the 100+ posts that had to be divided up between two threads.

Richard Werder · 12-30-2003, 02:42 AM

Rod, why aren't you this reasonable over at Byrne's board?

Rod Odom · 12-30-2003, 02:45 AM

How am I different?

Richard Werder · 12-30-2003, 03:07 AM

Well, at the Byrne board, you're pretty vociferous in your defense of all things Byrne. Over there you just come across as less tolerant, more rabid. Whereas your posts here, from what I've seen are just the opposite.
I go to Byrne's board on occasion, and I hate you over there.

Richard Werder · 12-30-2003, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rod Odom
How am I different?

Also, you never call anymore. You've become so distant.

Rod Odom · 12-30-2003, 03:17 AM

It's like going to different sports bars. If you're at "your" team's bar, and people come in to trash-talk that team, then you give 'em what for. If you're at "their" bar, just give 'em the facts. If they don't like it, no need to stuff it down their throats.

P.S. I'd call you, darlin'. But you never seem to be at home

Richard Werder · 12-30-2003, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rod Odom
It's like going to different sports bars. If you're at "your" team's bar, and people come in to trash-talk that team, then you give 'em what for. If you're at "their" bar, just give 'em the facts. If they don't like it, no need to stuff it down their throats.

That's a pretty decent attitude, Rod. I salute you.

John Osen · 12-30-2003, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolfpacker
Byrne is such a frigging whiner. Why can't it just be that some people prefer the trade format. It isn't as flimsy as the regular comic, doesn't have annoying ads for zit medicine and video games, and is a better value. And most of the stuff being told these days is written with the trade in mind, so you get one complete story to read in one sitting instead of trying to remember what happened last month (assuming the creators can crank out a monthly). What a putz.

The rumors of comics death are greatly exaggerated. Trades are a legitimate alternative. Some companies only publish trades and OGNs. Yes John, I know the difference. Some books like Lucifer sell relatively better in trades compared to better sellin monthlies. Maybe they're the future, who knows? 3 things are hurtin the industry. 1. Prices: Some monthlies are $3-3.50 which many people like me can't afford, hence I do Mail Order. 2. Less people were born after 1964 so there are less potential young fans. 3. The smaller potential group of young fans have more alternatives due to computer/satellite technology such as Blogs (I swear I'm the last person w/o 1!), Broadband/DSL, CDs, Cable TV, Card games such as Yu Gi Oh, Chatrooms, Comic News Sites/MBs, Computer games, DirecTV/Dish Network, DVDs, fantasy sports, Online Comics (talk about the future!), RPGs on the net, surfin the internet, etc.

12-30-2003, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by WebHobbit
"Waiting for the Trade" has become one of those fanboy mantras meant, primarily, to demonstrate how KEWL and IN THE KNOW the individual is. After all, he is SO KEWL he does not have to race out to buy the new issues -- which are beneath him anyway, being merely comicbooks and not REAL BOOKS like trade paperbacks -- and he gets to be IN THE KNOW by bandying about terms like "the trade" as if he really has clue one what that means.

Next time you run into someone who says he is "waiting for the trade" be sure to bombard him with as many SPOILERS as you can think of, from having read the books as they come out. Maybe that will help banish yet another thing driving nails into the coffin of this industry.

He makes a perfect point.