Next comic mini-series/one-shots?

[King Daniel]

Just to clarify some of my votes:

By post-TNG, I mean post-Countdown with Captain Data rather than the current TNG novel era.

By post-ENT I mean something that ignores the current version of the Romulan War.

By Titan, I mean part of the novel continuity.

'kay?

[Dimesdan]

Therin of Andor wrote:

---

Mmmm. Really regretting making the results public to all browsers. Lotsa lookers and only 17 voters? Is it really that difficult to check a few boxes?

Maybe they're like me, they don't read the comics, don't give much thought into them and only been poking their nose in as they're interested in the discussion. Now don't get you're knickers in a twist about not many voters, it's only been a few days since this poll was created after all.

[Therin of Andor]

Not in a twist at all, but 20 voters out of 281 lookers is even less than the ol' 10% rule of general survey returns.

Had I checked the box to only reveal the current scores to people who voted might have been more encouraging of some more votes. But then, we also know that IDW ST seems to be much harder to locate in stores than the old Gold Key, Marvel, DC, Malibu and Marvel/Paramount ST comics, so 20 out of 281 may be about what I should have been expecting after all.

No biggie.

[Daddy Todd]

I saw some sales figures for the IDW titles, and I was astonished to see that most of them sell in the 5000-10,000 copy range. Astonished, I tell you!

On top of that, virtually every issue has 2 or more covers, and I'm certain I'm far from the only fan who gets a copy of each cover. That could mean that as few as 2500-3500 readers for some issues.

I mean, how much can you pay the writer, artist(s), colorist, letterer and editor out of a $4 book that only sells 5000 copies?

I guess IDW must be making money selling the trades, and the monthly floppies are just "trailers" for the forthcoming trades...?

[King Daniel]

^Wow, Trek comics are really in the shitter.

Dare I ask how many an average Trek novel sells?

[Daddy Todd]

KingDaniel wrote:

---

Dare I ask how many an average Trek novel sells?

You can ask, but you won't get an answer. Sales figures are closely guarded trade secrets, and not released by Pocket Books.

I think the only reason we have comic book sales figures is because Diamond, who distribute virtually all direct-market comics (i.e., comics sold in comic book shops) releases them.

[Therin of Andor]

Daddy Todd wrote:

---

I mean, how much can you pay the writer, artist(s), colorist, letterer and editor out of a $4 book that only sells 5000 copies?

My big concern is that most comic shops I know order barely more copies of IDW ST issues than they need for their standing orders. The only shelf copies, if there are any at all, disappear in mere days of release, or sit there forever as lone examples of a segment of a mini-series long past.

As we know, there are many, many fans who refuse to place standing orders for anything, preferring to browse randomly (and complain bitterly about distribution) so they can pick and choose.

It's a very different market to ST's heyday.

[BillJ]

Therin of Andor wrote:

---

My big concern is that most comic shops I know order barely more copies of IDW ST issues than they need for their standing orders. The only shelf copies, if there are any at all, disappear in mere days of release, or sit there forever as lone examples of a segment of a mini-series long past.

As we know, there are many, many fans who refuse to place standing orders for anything, preferring to browse randomly (and complain bitterly about distribution) so they can pick and choose.

It's a very different market to ST's heyday.

The only thing I get from IDW (John Byrne, with a couple of exceptions) any more are the trades that I can pick up from a bookstore. I refuse to drive twenty minutes to the nearest comic shop to pick up individual issues anymore. They're overpriced for the entertainment they provide. Read the Nero TPB in twenty minutes and it cost me $18. IDW's number one problem is they need to figure out a way to increase the entertainment value of the issues.

I'm also one who never placed standing orders. I like to come in and browse and choose the issues I want to pick up.

[Andy Mangels]

As I've said for each of the three years that this poll has happened, I'd love to write some more Trek comics.

I sold my first Trek project (unpublished due to editor switching) to DC in the 1980s, then comics to Marvel in the 1990s (where I gave a chance to Mike Martin to be my co-writer), and Wildstorm in the early 2000s.

I've proposed things to four different IDW editors since they got the license; as the 2010 decade begins, I'm hoping the time will be right!

And as the polls have shown for three years running, the fans seem HUNGRY for a Titan series... a series which I co-created!

[Christopher]

I would also love to write Titan comics, given the chance.

[JD]

Just out of curiosity, how hard would it be to do Titan comics? Would they be able to include Tuvok, or other races/ideas from Enterprise or Voyager?

[Magnum]

I voted for every series except for Enterprise, as well as for Captain Sulu! I'm particularly anxious to see the latter, and DS9.

[Turtletrekker]

JD wrote:

---

Just out of curiosity, how hard would it be to do Titan comics? Would they be able to include Tuvok, or other races/ideas from Enterprise or Voyager?

Tuvok appeared in the TNG Myriad Universes comic, so I doubt it would be that much of a problem.

[elaithin]

Given that all the characters are owned by CBS, I don't see how it could be a problem in any way.

[Christopher]

^Yes, the characters are owned by CBS, but IDW is a separate company, and they have to pay for the rights to each series they want to adapt as a comic. And the various Trek series are licensed separately. IDW initially had only the TOS and TNG licenses and has recently obtained the DS9 license. So those are the ones they can do, because those are the ones they've paid for permission to do.