Year-End Best of 2015 Episode

[drew]

FYI, you guys mentioned me as voting but I did not this year.

Mike Myers

my bad since I put the spreadsheet together - there was a submitter who at the time his handle was Myers (it now reads: ChrisMyers or if it never changed I was on drugs) and we both must have assumed it was you

should have known it wasn't you since there wasn't anything from amigo or black mask on there

Sorry to you and Chris for the mix up

[drew]

If you’re a trade waiter, or a casual comic reader, this service could benefit you.

For podcasters, like John and Drew, (Derek, Kyle, etc) that need to be up to date, and know everything that’s going on in the 616 universe and beyond, the service might not be as useful, .

when I am retired from the podcast game, I am signing up in a heartbeat, it sounds like an awesome deal

[JohnMayo]

FYI, you guys mentioned me as voting but I did not this year.

Mike Myers

my bad since I put the spreadsheet together - there was a submitter who at the time his handle was Myers (it now reads: ChrisMyers or if it never changed I was on drugs) and we both must have assumed it was you

should have known it wasn't you since there wasn't anything from amigo or black mask on there

Sorry to you and Chris for the mix up

The username was just Myers. Chris Myers emailed me about the confusion and we switched his username to clear things up. Personally, I have a really hard time keeping usernames and real names correctly linked in my mind.

Mike Myers, sorry for the confusion.

[comicm]

FYI, you guys mentioned me as voting but I did not this year.

Mike Myers

my bad since I put the spreadsheet together - there was a submitter who at the time his handle was Myers (it now reads: ChrisMyers or if it never changed I was on drugs) and we both must have assumed it was you

should have known it wasn't you since there wasn't anything from amigo or black mask on there

Sorry to you and Chris for the mix up

The username was just Myers. Chris Myers emailed me about the confusion and we switched his username to clear things up. Personally, I have a really hard time keeping usernames and real names correctly linked in my mind.

Mike Myers, sorry for the confusion.

Oh it is no a problem. That Chris Myers has good taste . Great job by the way. I am always listening and very thankful for the work you guys do.

[MrAloha]

Dear John and Drew,

Great episode!

Thank you for all your guys hard work on the episode!

1) Drew spoke about Ron Richards' experience at Image
Drew was referring to iFanboy podcast episode #491 (Airdate: 6/28/2015) about Ron Richards working at Image for about two years. It's great he (Ron) is back on the iFanboy podcast.

If you guys get a chance check out that episode. Especially, the last 15 or 20 minutes of the episode where Ron talks about his experience working at Image. I heard it.
It was great! It gave peak behind the curtain of the comic book industry from, to me, a fan boy living a dream but reality sets in and it turns into daily grind. The word "grind' was the only thing that stuck with me after hearing Ron's experience.

2) Comic Book Price Hike predictions for 2016
John's, and other listeners, predictions seem to be coming true.
I noticed in the Marvel's April Previews' solicits there are, at least, a handful of comics priced at $4.99 (Such as, Invincible Iron Man #8. It is not a anniversary issue or anything like that.) or more, with more pages. Scary.

These price hikes-spikes at Marvel are one of the reasons why I subscribed to Marvel Unlimited and cutting back on their comics (hard copies).

Aloha!

[doctormo]

2) Comic Book Price Hike predictions for 2016
John's, and other listeners, predictions seem to be coming true.
I noticed in the Marvel's April Previews' solicits there are, at least, a handful of comics priced at $4.99 (Such as, Invincible Iron Man #8. It is not a anniversary issue or anything like that.) or more, with more pages. Scary.

These price hikes-spikes at Marvel are one of the reasons why I subscribed to Marvel Unlimited and cutting back on their comics (hard copies).

Aloha!

Mr. Aloha's post got me a little worried so I looked up Marvel's solicitations on CBR and saw that Iron Man #8 and International Iron Man #2 were both $3.99.

Also, I liked Drew's suggestion of a cover category. I have given some thoughts about how covers would be judged.
1). Is the cover aesthetically pleasing?
2). Is the text/logo easy to read? (I remember John discussing the logo for Adam.3.)
3). Des the cover convey information about the interior's contents?
4). Does the cover add or detract from your enjoyment of the book?

Just a thought

[drew]

they (dozen Marvel books) are $4.99 here http://www.firstcomicsnews.com/?p=177963

[doctormo]

I have begrudgingly accepted 40/48 page comics for $4.99; I just have to decide whether my pain/wallet threshold can take it. What scared me about Mr. Aloha's post was Marvel trying to price a regular issue at $4.99. I remember Marvel pulling that stunt before when books such as Uncanny X-Men went from $2.99 to $3.99 (before the use of digital codes), or issues of Uncanny X-Men (during the Bendis run) that were 18 pages instead of 20 for $3.99.

[JohnMayo]

Also, I liked Drew's suggestion of a cover category. I have given some thoughts about how covers would be judged.
1). Is the cover aesthetically pleasing?
2). Is the text/logo easy to read? (I remember John discussing the logo for Adam.3.)
3). Does the cover convey information about the interior's contents?
4). Does the cover add or detract from your enjoyment of the book?

Just a thought

I like the idea of a logo category distinct from the cover category.

[bralinator]

they (dozen Marvel books) are $4.99 here http://www.firstcomicsnews.com/?p=177963

Marvel is definitely getting greedy on prices with these $5 first issues. These books can't be easy decisions for retailers to bet on, when they potentially end up in a dollar box.

But what particularly irks me for instance, if you're a reader of the Doctor Strange series and you're planning to pick up issue #7, you need to know that it features part 2 of a new story line. But, in order to get part 1 you have to purchase Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic #1, a 56 page one-shot for $5.99

So if you read the Doctor Strange series from Jason Aaron, instead of being able to just go from issue #6 to issue #7, you will not be able to start the next story arc from the beginning unless you buy an additional $6 comic, which - by the way - is only 1/3 of the book. There are other stories in there.

I'd prefer they just double-ship instead of these shenanigans. Or, should we call it "price-gouging" or "cash grab"?

And don't get me started on the laughable price point of the Amadeus Cho: GENIUS AT WORK which is an $8 book of reprinted material. Back in the early 70's, DC published 100 Page Super Spectacular comics for .50 a piece. And while I get that there is measurable inflation over 45 years time, according to this handy online inflation calendar, what cost .50 in 1972 should only cost $2.84 today (as of December 2015).

Yes, paper and printing costs have increased, but an additional 300% above inflation? C'mon.

This is greed.

[SpideySavestheDay]

Great show guys! I would love to hear all three of the co-hosts on a year-end episode with John moderating. Maybe something to think about...

[Perseus]

John and Drew,
This episode was the best of the year in my opinion. So great and I've listened to it at least 3 times now.

Thank you for all you guys do also including Kay, TJ, and Sam. These podcasts are the best about the industry.

I know next year's end of year episode will be fantastic.

Thanks again from us forum members and most importantly, comics fans.

[drew]

John and Drew,
This episode was the best of the year in my opinion. So great and I've listened to it at least 3 times now.

Thank you for all you guys do also including Kay, TJ, and Sam. These podcasts are the best about the industry.

I know next year's end of year episode will be fantastic.

Thanks again from us forum members and most importantly, comics fans.

Thank you it was a lot of fun to do that one - I really think having all the listeners choices made it even better...

[JohnMayo]

I really think having all the listeners choices made it even better...

I completely agree. There were a couple of listener picks which I found really interesting.

[MrAloha]

2) Comic Book Price Hike predictions for 2016
John's, and other listeners, predictions seem to be coming true.
I noticed in the Marvel's April Previews' solicits there are, at least, a handful of comics priced at $4.99 (Such as, Invincible Iron Man #8. It is not a anniversary issue or anything like that.) or more, with more pages. Scary.

These price hikes-spikes at Marvel are one of the reasons why I subscribed to Marvel Unlimited and cutting back on their comics (hard copies).

Aloha!

Mr. Aloha's post got me a little worried so I looked up Marvel's solicitations on CBR and saw that Iron Man #8 and International Iron Man #2 were both $3.99.

Also, I liked Drew's suggestion of a cover category. I have given some thoughts about how covers would be judged.
1). Is the cover aesthetically pleasing?
2). Is the text/logo easy to read? (I remember John discussing the logo for Adam.3.)
3). Des the cover convey information about the interior's contents?
4). Does the cover add or detract from your enjoyment of the book?

Just a thought

Dear doctormo,

I'm sorry about mentioning the wrong price on the Invincible Iron Man #8. When I looked at your snap shot attachment you sent, I realized I misread the Marvel's on-line solicits.
I'm sorry about that.

Aloha!