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(if there is already an existing talkback thread for this particular episode I apologize in advance)

John, thanks so much for recording this panel. I was looking forward to it, although I must admit that I was hoping for a bit more than a standard introduction to Previews 101. Overall it was a bit underwhelming. I understand you had some limitations on the audio and it wasn't bad except for a couple of the audience questions at the end. I guess I was hoping for some more behind-the-curtain material or even something salacious or surprising. But, what did I expect, it's a catalog company...

After wondering what I would've asked had I been there (or would've at least whispered to the person sitting next to me) I'm betting you know the answer to one of my questions... actually two questions:

1) How does Marvel have its own Preview catalog and DC does not? 2) And can you explain what the arrangement Marvel has with Previews and if there is anything inherently unfair about it?

Full disclosure: I am currently ordering NOTHING from DC and haven't since the just after the last issue of Trillium was solicited.

I wasn't really expecting anything surprising or sensational. As for behind the scenes stuff, is there anything in particular you were wondering. I hope to get Marty Grosser on the podcast at some point for an actual interview. Personally, I'd like to know more of the mechanics and timeline of how Previews gets put together.

As for Marvel having a Marvel Previews and DC not having a DC Previews, all of this happened as a result of what is known as the distributor wars of the 1990s. (I'm doing this from memory so forgive me if I don't get it 100% accurate.)

Marvel had bought a regional distributor, Heroes World, and was self distributing their comics for about 9 months. It didn't go well. Heroes World had some growth pains as it went national. Retailers were forced to work with two distributors which was doubled aspects of their workload. The other distributors, and there were dozens prior to all of this, started falling by the wayside and consolidating since they had all lost the revenue from distributing the Marvel products.

Some publishers started going exclusive with Diamond or Capital City (Diamond's main competitor at the time). The majoring turning point was when DC went exclusive with Diamond. That effectively signaled the end of the other distributors. In short order, Diamond became the clear winner and eventually bought out Capital City. This is also around the time that Previews split into the front half with the premier publishers and the back half with the other publishers. The only publisher to move from the back to the front so far is IDW.

When Marvel decided to stop self-distributing, they too signed an exclusive agreement with Diamond and I think part of that deal was having Marvel Previews since at that point, they'd had their own catalog for the better part of a year.

I don't think there is anything unfair about Marvel Previews provided if another premier publisher want to do one that they have that option. I'm glad the other publishers don't do it as having a single catalog simplifies things.

As for not ordering anything from DC, I can sort of understand that but I think you are missing some great stuff. I get not diving into the New 52 universe but DC publishes some excellent titles outside of that like Fables and Astro City.

I hope you can get Marty Grosser on the podcast at some point for an actual interview as I too would like to know more of the mechanics and timeline of how Previews gets put together and even what are some items he thought might do better or worse than they actually did.



P.S. I never tried Astro City, but I am getting Fables in tpb. The Vertigo titles are an altogether different thing to me.