Mayo Report - 2008-02

[JohnMayo]

I'll also point out that Spawn has to hold some kind of record for "most issues solicited & not shipped". I have 5 issues (#178-182) on order, whereas most titles run in the 2-3 issue backlog range.

I think Spawn might indeed hold the record for the biggest backlog.

The following were canceled (and later resolicited) in July 2004:
SPAWN #138
SPAWN #139
SPAWN #140
SPAWN #141
SPAWN #142
SPAWN #143
SPAWN #144

The following were canceled (and later resolicited) in October 2004:
SPAWN #145
SPAWN #146
SPAWN #147
SPAWN #148
SPAWN #149

At one point, Spawn was a year behind in publishing and continued to solicit a new issue each month.

I'm not saying that Walking Dead is doing a great job at coming out on time but I don't think it has ever gotten as behind as Spawn did.

[mikemclarty]

...those numbers are staggering, John.

Image is going to have a hard time disassociating itself from the "perceptually late" fan mentality if they continue spawning (drum roll) inconsistent shipping schedules.

Remember how bad they were in the early 90s? Ack!

On a completely different not, and I don't want to hijack the thread at all, but Image is to be admired for their overall "non-traditional" comic book titles. I commend them for trying to think outside of the box and go with non-superhero books. Now...if we can just stop all these late shipping problems with publishers...

[Lobo]

...those numbers are staggering, John.

Image is going to have a hard time disassociating itself from the "perceptually late" fan mentality if they continue spawning (drum roll) inconsistent shipping schedules.

I know. The Walking Dead has almost never shipped on time!

[JohnMayo]

...those numbers are staggering, John.

Image is going to have a hard time disassociating itself from the "perceptually late" fan mentality if they continue spawning (drum roll) inconsistent shipping schedules.

I know. The Walking Dead has almost never shipped on time!

Okay, Lobo, you know that I had to fact check that sort of statement. I don't have expected shipping dates for all of the issues so I marked them as unknown...

Walking Dead
#1: Expected on 2003/10/01, shipped on 2003/10/08 = 1 weeks late
#2: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2003/11/12 = (unknown) weeks late
#3: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2003/12/10 = (unknown) weeks late
#4: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/01/28 = (unknown) weeks late
#5: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/03/17 = (unknown) weeks late
#6: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/04/21 = (unknown) weeks late
#7: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/05/12 = (unknown) weeks late
#8: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/06/09 = (unknown) weeks late
#9: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/07/28 = (unknown) weeks late
#10: Expected on 2004/07/07, shipped on 2004/09/09 = 9 weeks late
#11: Expected on 2004/08/04, shipped on 2004/09/22 = 7 weeks late
#12: Expected on 2004/09/01, shipped on 2004/11/10 = 10 weeks late
#13: Expected on 2004/10/06, shipped on 2004/11/17 = 6 weeks late
#14: Expected on 2004/11/03, shipped on 2004/12/29 = 8 weeks late
#15: Expected on 2004/12/01, shipped on 2005/02/09 = 10 weeks late
#16: Expected on 2005/01/05, shipped on 2005/03/02 = 8 weeks late
#17: Expected on 2005/02/02, shipped on 2005/04/06 = 9 weeks late
#18: Expected on 2005/03/02, shipped on 2005/04/20 = 7 weeks late
#19: Expected on 2005/04/13, shipped on 2005/06/02 = 7 weeks late
#20: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/07/13 = (unknown) weeks late
#21: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/08/24 = (unknown) weeks late
#22: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/10/19 = (unknown) weeks late
#23: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/11/09 = (unknown) weeks late
#24: Expected on 2005/10/12, shipped on 2005/11/23 = 6 weeks late
#25: Expected on 2005/11/16, shipped on 2006/01/18 = 9 weeks late
#26: Expected on 2005/12/14, shipped on 2006/03/15 = 13 weeks late
#27: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2006/03/29 = (unknown) weeks late
#28: Expected on 2006/02/15, shipped on 2006/06/07 = 16 weeks late
#29: Expected on 2006/03/15, shipped on 2006/07/12 = 17 weeks late
#30: Expected on 2006/04/29, shipped on (unknown) = (unknown) weeks late
#31: Expected on 2006/08/16, shipped on 2006/09/20 = 5 weeks late
#32: Expected on 2006/09/20, shipped on 2006/11/22 = 9 weeks late
#33: Expected on 2006/10/18, shipped on 2006/12/06 = 7 weeks late
#34: Expected on 2006/11/15, shipped on 2007/01/31 = 11 weeks late
#35: Expected on 2006/12/13, shipped on 2007/02/28 = 11 weeks late
#36: Expected on 2007/01/31, shipped on 2007/03/21 = 7 weeks late
#37: Expected on 2007/03/28, shipped on 2007/04/25 = 4 weeks late
#38: Expected on 2007/04/25, shipped on 2007/06/27 = 9 weeks late
#39: Expected on 2007/05/23, shipped on 2007/07/25 = 9 weeks late
#40: Expected on 2007/06/20, shipped on 2007/08/22 = 9 weeks late
#41: Expected on 2007/07/18, shipped on 2007/08/29 = 6 weeks late
#42: Expected on 2007/08/22, shipped on 2007/09/12 = 3 weeks late
#43: Expected on 2007/09/19, shipped on 2007/10/24 = 5 weeks late
#44: Expected on 2007/10/31, shipped on 2007/11/21 = 3 weeks late
#45: Expected on 2007/11/28, shipped on 2007/12/12 = 2 weeks late
#46: Expected on 2007/12/27, shipped on 2008/02/13 = 7 weeks late
#47: Expected on 2008/01/30, shipped on 2008/03/12 = 6 weeks late


For every issue I have both an expected and actual ship date for, Walking Dead shipped late. And that includes the first issue!

So, yeah, Walking Dead has pretty much never shipped on time based on this information...

And, for comparison...
Spawn
#129: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2003/10/22 = (unknown) weeks late
#130: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2003/11/19 = (unknown) weeks late
#131: Expected on 2003/02/26, shipped on 2004/01/02 = 44 weeks late
#132: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/02/18 = (unknown) weeks late
#132: Expected on 2003/03/26, shipped on 2004/02/18 = 47 weeks late
#133: Expected on 2003/04/30, shipped on 2004/03/17 = 46 weeks late
#134: Expected on 2003/05/28, shipped on 2004/04/21 = 47 weeks late
#135: Expected on 2003/06/25, shipped on 2004/06/03 = 49 weeks late
#136: Expected on 2003/07/30, shipped on 2004/07/21 = 51 weeks late
#137: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2004/08/11 = (unknown) weeks late
#138: Expected on 2004/09/29, shipped on 2004/09/29 = 0 weeks late
#139: Expected on 2004/10/27, shipped on 2004/10/27 = 0 weeks late
#140: Expected on 2004/11/24, shipped on 2004/11/24 = 0 weeks late
#141: Expected on 2004/12/29, shipped on 2004/12/29 = 0 weeks late
#142: Expected on 2005/01/26, shipped on 2005/01/26 = 0 weeks late
#143: Expected on 2005/02/23, shipped on 2005/02/23 = 0 weeks late
#144: Expected on 2005/03/30, shipped on 2005/03/23 = -1 weeks late
#145: Expected on 2005/04/27, shipped on 2005/04/20 = -1 weeks late
#146: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/06/02 = (unknown) weeks late
#147: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/06/29 = (unknown) weeks late
#148: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/08/17 = (unknown) weeks late
#149: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/09/28 = (unknown) weeks late
#150: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2005/10/26 = (unknown) weeks late
#151: Expected on 2005/10/26, shipped on 2005/12/07 = 6 weeks late
#152: Expected on 2005/11/30, shipped on 2006/01/25 = 8 weeks late
#153: Expected on 2005/12/29, shipped on 2006/02/22 = 8 weeks late
#154: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2006/03/29 = (unknown) weeks late
#155: Expected on 2006/02/22, shipped on 2006/04/26 = 9 weeks late
#156: Expected on 2006/03/29, shipped on 2006/05/24 = 8 weeks late
#157: Expected on 2006/04/26, shipped on 2006/06/28 = 9 weeks late
#158: Expected on (unknown), shipped on 2006/07/26 = (unknown) weeks late
#159: Expected on 2006/06/28, shipped on 2006/08/23 = 8 weeks late
#160: Expected on 2006/07/26, shipped on 2006/09/27 = 9 weeks late
#161: Expected on 2006/08/30, shipped on 2006/10/25 = 8 weeks late
#162: Expected on 2006/09/27, shipped on 2006/11/29 = 9 weeks late
#163: Expected on 2006/11/29, shipped on 2006/12/27 = 4 weeks late
#164: Expected on 2006/11/28, shipped on 2007/01/31 = 9 weeks late
#165: Expected on 2007/01/31, shipped on 2007/03/07 = 5 weeks late
#166: Expected on 2007/02/28, shipped on 2007/03/28 = 4 weeks late
#167: Expected on 2007/03/28, shipped on 2007/05/02 = 5 weeks late
#168: Expected on 2007/03/28, shipped on 2007/06/06 = 10 weeks late
#169: Expected on 2007/05/23, shipped on 2007/07/11 = 7 weeks late
#170: Expected on 2007/06/27, shipped on 2007/08/15 = 7 weeks late
#171: Expected on 2007/07/25, shipped on 2007/09/19 = 8 weeks late
#172: Expected on 2007/08/29, shipped on 2007/11/07 = 10 weeks late
#173: Expected on 2007/09/26, shipped on 2007/12/12 = 11 weeks late
#174: Expected on 2007/10/31, shipped on 2008/01/16 = 11 weeks late
#175: Expected on 2007/11/28, shipped on 2008/02/06 = 10 weeks late
#176: Expected on 2007/12/27, shipped on 2008/03/26 = 13 weeks late

So aside from the run of issues that were nearly year late that were canceled and resolicited, Spawn has also almost never shipped on time.

Both of these guys need to really work on their schedule and need to stop soliciting new issues once they get more than a month or two behind.

[Lobo]

Okay, Lobo, you know that I had to fact check that sort of statement. I don't have expected shipping dates for all of the issues so I marked them as unknown...

So aside from the run of issues that were nearly year late that were canceled and resolicited, Spawn has also almost never shipped on time.

Both of these guys need to really work on their schedule and need to stop soliciting new issues once they get more than a month or two behind.

Sorry for that John. Despite not having picked up Spawn in nearly 100 issues, seeing Spawn get bashed for things The Walking Dead is (more or less) equally guilty of doesn't sit right with me.

I honestly have no explanation why that is.

OTOH, I agree that both of Images highest selling/highest profile books need to work on their schedules.

[JohnMayo]

Okay, Lobo, you know that I had to fact check that sort of statement. I don't have expected shipping dates for all of the issues so I marked them as unknown...

So aside from the run of issues that were nearly year late that were canceled and resolicited, Spawn has also almost never shipped on time.

Both of these guys need to really work on their schedule and need to stop soliciting new issues once they get more than a month or two behind.

Sorry for that John. Despite not having picked up Spawn in nearly 100 issues, seeing Spawn get bashed for things The Walking Dead is (more or less) equally guilty of doesn't sit right with me.

I honestly have no explanation why that is.

OTOH, I agree that both of Images highest selling/highest profile books need to work on their schedules.

It was more a matter of me being curious if the statement held true or not. I knew Walking Dead had serious lateness issues but I figured that at least one issue had to have come out on time. I was surprised to find that everything I could check, including the first issue, was late.

I think the key difference is that while both titles are routinely late, Spawn managed to get an entire year behind while still soliciting a new issue each month like nothing was wrong. Diamond should have been canceling issues (of both titles) for lateness once they were over three months late.

Both titles should be held to the same standard. I don't think anybody was trying to play favorites or single out one title over another. Both have well deserved reputations for lateness.

[BobBretall]

Lobo,

Making an observation that a book ships late (when it actually, factually does ship late) is not really "bashing" that book. I just re-read my original post, and while I did not come up with the Walking Dead lateness, I did concede the point when you made it.

Anyway, I'd call it more of an "observation" than "bashing".

[Lobo]

Perhaps "bashing" is too strong a word.

It just seems that whenever "observations" are being made about TWD, people (by no means limited to this forum) seem to feel compelled to make a contrasting "observation" about Spawn.

I'm not sure if it's for validation, or just to "stick it to Todd", but I don't feel that one is any more necessary than the other.

[Lobo]

So aside from the run of issues that were nearly year late that were canceled and resolicited, Spawn has also almost never shipped on time.

Both of these guys need to really work on their schedule and need to stop soliciting new issues once they get more than a month or two behind.

Any idea how late these issues were when they were canceled & re-solicited?

JUN061726 WALKING DEAD #31 (RES) (MR) $2.99
JUL061719 WALKING DEAD #32 (RES) (MR) $2.99

[JohnMayo]

So aside from the run of issues that were nearly year late that were canceled and resolicited, Spawn has also almost never shipped on time.

Both of these guys need to really work on their schedule and need to stop soliciting new issues once they get more than a month or two behind.

Any idea how late these issues were when they were canceled & re-solicited?

JUN061726 WALKING DEAD #31 (RES) (MR) $2.99
JUL061719 WALKING DEAD #32 (RES) (MR) $2.99

The original expected ship date for #31 was 2006-06-28 making it a total of 12 weeks late.
The original expected ship date for #32 was 2006-07-26 making it a total of 17 weeks late.

The query I threw together for the original post above only compared the expected and actual ship dates based on the item code for the item code that was released. It did not factor in resolicitations and compare the original expected ship date for the item to the actual ship date under the new item code. Which, in the case of Spawn if probably a good thing.

It think a lot of this comes down to what is more memorable, not which title is the worse offender. Some retailers made a huge stink about Spawn being a year behind which is what cause the 12 issues to get canceled and resolicited. That stuck in my mind. And while nobody is in favor of the lateness of The Walking Dead, it hasn't reached the level of insanity that Spawn has. That being said, it still has a horrible track record.

[BobBretall]

Perhaps "bashing" is too strong a word.
It just seems that whenever "observations" are being made about TWD, people (by no means limited to this forum) seem to feel compelled to make a contrasting "observation" about Spawn.
I'm not sure if it's for validation, or just to "stick it to Todd", but I don't feel that one is any more necessary than the other.

Well, I started with Spawn since you originally asked where a good point to start reading the series would be. When I went looking for what issue I started reading at, I noticed (or "observed", if you will) that I had an unusually large number of unshipped issues on order. I didn't subsequently do any analysis of other books that were also late (You brought up the TWD comparison, which I agreed with).

No intent on my part to "stick it to Todd", in fact I am unaware that he has anything whatsoever to do with Spawn on a monthly basis other than having his name on the production company. He does not write/draw/edit/etc. the book...... I hold Todd no more responsible for Spawn being late in recent years than I would have held Stan Lee responsible for Fantastic Four being late in the 1990s.

[Just Bill]

Ah, I'm back on the forum. Got lost and locked out for a while there.

Anyway, great episode guys, and I'm looking forward to see how the Amazing Spider-Man experiment continues to perform as a thrice per month book versus the old multiple monthlies featuring Spider-Man. I'm curious if/when we'll hit the point where the single title is selling same/less than the multiple titles.

[JohnMayo]

I'm curious if/when we'll hit the point where the single title is selling same/less than the multiple titles.

Compared to before or during One More Day?

[Webhead]

I'm curious if/when we'll hit the point where the single title is selling same/less than the multiple titles.

Compared to before or during One More Day?

I think this is why Marvel keeps bringing on new people to the Spider-man team, like Mark Waid. To try to keep the sales higher than it was before OMD.