Spider-Man vs. Barack Obama

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:41 pm

Marvel PR Machine wrote:To meet the overwhelming demand for 'Amazing Spider-Man' #583, Marvel is going back to press with 'Amazing Spider-Man' #583 Second Printing Variant. Marvel is rushing this to the printers over the weekend and urges all retailers to use Diamond Code NOV088096 to place orders by Monday to best ensure that they have quantity in stock for the upcoming historic United States Presidential Inauguration.

So, if you have a craving for that Barack cover, you can get a 2nd print with it......

Webhead · Post by **Webhead** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:22 pm

My sister emailed me this morning asking if I was gonna get this issue when it comes out this week. I told her yes and she asked if I would pick up couple of copies for my niece and nephew. After I finished laughing I explained to her the concept of variant covers. Now I will be able to send them the seconding printing copies and secure my position as the "cool uncle"

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:29 pm

Webhead wrote:My sister emailed me this morning asking if I was gonna get this issue when it comes out this week. I told her yes and she asked if I would pick up couple of copies for my niece and nephew. After I finished laughing I explained to her the concept of variant covers. Now I will be able to send them the seconding printing copies and secure my position as the "cool uncle"

Let us know how much you have to pay for the 1st print one......

Webhead · Post by **Webhead** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:50 pm

BobBretall wrote:
Webhead wrote:My sister emailed me this morning asking if I was gonna get this issue when it comes out this week. I told her yes and she asked if I would pick up couple of copies for my niece and nephew. After I finished laughing I explained to her the concept of variant covers. Now I will be able to send them the seconding printing copies and secure my position as the "cool uncle"
Let us know how much you have to pay for the 1st print one......

Cover Price less my discount... ya my LCS owner is just that cool

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:37 pm

Webhead wrote:
BobBretall wrote:
Webhead wrote:My sister emailed me this morning asking if I was gonna get this issue when it comes out this week. I told her yes and she asked if I would pick up couple of copies for my niece and nephew. After I finished laughing I explained to her the concept of variant covers. Now I will be able to send them the seconding printing copies and secure my position as the "cool uncle"
Let us know how much you have to pay for the 1st print one......
Cover Price less my discount... ya my LCS owner is just that cool

Nifty. See if you can get him to give you details on the hoops he had to jump through to qualify for even getting the variant. When I asked DCBS about it they told me they didn't hit some qualification and were not getting any copies.

Post by **JohnMayo** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:37 am

This article on ICv2 has an interesting take on the Obama variant cover...

Koete · Post by **Koete** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:54 am

JohnMayo wrote:This article on ICv2 has an interesting take on the Obama variant cover...

And my respect for Marvel falls yet another notch...

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:19 am

Well, maybe Wizard knew. They have the new printing variant up for sale (pre order) for 12.99 and 59.99 for a CGC 9.8 version!

IanG · Post by **IanG** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:24 pm

What Savage Dragon doesn't get any love in the general media. Savage Dragon endorsed Obama on a variant cover in the September '08 issue #137. I don't think he was in the actual comic. But Obama will be inside the comic and on a variant cover in issue #145 of Savage Dragon. The #137 variant cover looks to be going for about $40 on ebay. It looks like the Amazing Spider-Man Obama variant is already on ebay as a pre-order for $40. I pre-ordered the Savage Dragon #145 variant at regular price but I probably won't get the Amazing. I think it's fun to have but I won't pay more for it. What would be interesting to find out if Obama still reads comic books. I doubt it, but If he does than he'll probably keep it a secret.

zack kruse · Post by **zack kruse** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:00 pm

JohnMayo wrote:This article on ICv2 has an interesting take on the Obama variant cover...

The mind boggles

Alec Burkhardt · Post by **Alec Burkhardt** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:45 pm

BobBretall wrote: Nifty. See if you can get him to give you details on the hoops he had to jump through to qualify for even getting the variant. When I asked DCBS about it they told me they didn't hit some qualification and were not getting any copies.

According to a post by Zack over on the board you no longer visit, Bob, the requirement for the Obama variant was for stores to have ordered #583 in larger numbers than they ordered #575 (although he wasn't certain it was 575). But at the time orders were placed, I don't know that any one knew there was even going to be a variant cover, much less that it would involve Obama. Now, I'm not a ASM reader, but I'm assuming that the entire Obama 5 or 7 page may not have even been planned when the orders were solicited. And all the press I've seen on it sure makes it sound like the cover split is a 50/50, which it isn't. Basically sounds like Marvel has received some good publicity for the moment, but is going to get some backlash once the people go into the stores and find they can't get a copy. Sure, they can wait two weeks and come back for the second printing, but do any of us expect that to really go over well with the general public?

EDIT: And now having read the ICV2 article, that pretty much seems to be the gist of it. Although it's actually a month wait for the second printing, not two weeks.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:15 pm

Yeah, I like how the guy in the ICV2 article calls this the "blackmail" method of qualifying to order a variant......

Also, had they told retailers about the planned media coverage & Obama on the cover, they may have been willing to pop their orders by 20% or so to get back to #575 (or whatever) levels......

80sJunkie · Post by **80sJunkie** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:40 pm

JohnMayo wrote:This article on ICv2 has an interesting take on the Obama variant cover...

Marvel is blessed to have some truly fine creators on their books, because their editorial and marketing staff are effing useless.

Webhead · Post by **Webhead** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:29 pm

Alec Burkhardt wrote: Basically sounds like Marvel has received some good publicity for the moment, but is going to get some backlash once the people go into the stores and find they can't get a copy. Sure, they can wait two weeks and come back for the second printing, but do any of us expect that to really go over well with the general public?

This already happening at my LCS. Since the story broke they have been getting tons of calls from the non comic book buying public inquiring about getting this issue on wed. People are mad and cannot fathom the fact that they cannot get copies. They are really pissed when they find out my LCS is not jacking up the price and all the copies are reserved for regulars. People have been calling and asking " Would you please hold ten copies of the Obama comic for me" "Do you have that Obama comic" "what do you mean you are only getting three copies" If this was not pissing people off so much it would almost be funny. From what some of the people have told my LCS that other stores are charging a min of $50.00 and one copy per person and it is first come first serve. Most of the shops open around 10 or 11AM on wed. and they do not want to take an early lunch to go to a comic shop.

afroloq · Post by **afroloq** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:41 am

I am definentily getting 2 tomorrow and yeah a lot of people slept on the savage dragon cover (which I got 2 of)