IDW Publishing's License Concludes

[TJ Sinclair]

Bleeding Cool says Titan has picked up the license. Also, BC believes that Titan, unlike IDW, will be able to distribute their Doctor Who comics in the UK.

However, BC is wrong when they say that they broke the news that the BBC and IDW were parting ways. IDW did that themselves in the press release, and I'd make the initial post here, pointing out the relevant passages, before BC made their post with the news. So, if you were reading here, you knew before BC's readers did.

If Titan's got it, I'm glad that at least it didn't go to some of the other options.

But what does this mean for US distribution. Titan's very much a niche publisher over here.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

If Titan's got it, I'm glad that at least it didn't go to some of the other options.

But what does this mean for US distribution. Titan's very much a niche publisher over here.

In the comic market, they have the same access as IDW did; a store that was carrying IDW's output will be able to get Titan's books just as easily. They don't have much a book market presence, however, so I don't know how visible the collected editions will be outside of comic shops.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Bleeding Cool says Titan has picked up the license. Also, BC believes that Titan, unlike IDW, will be able to distribute their Doctor Who comics in the UK.

oooh, interesting

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The part that I'm curious about is the UK distribution, because that has implications in several different directions.

Panini's license is the reason IDW couldn't distribute in the UK; they held the UK comics rights for Doctor Who and were able to block IDW from the UK. (I've heard that IDW didn't realize this when they picked up the license, that they believed they had bought worldwide comics rights to Doctor Who. I don't quite believe that, though, as Panini and IDW worked together on Doctor Who Classics, with Panini providing IDW with the cleaned-up, remastered pages. If Panini were being a stickler in one area, why be cooperative in other areas?)

So, I see three possibilities if Titan is able to distribute Doctor Who comics in the UK.

One, Titan's comics won't be considered an infringement on Panini's license. (Doctor Who Adventures and Doctor Who Battles In Time, even though they publish comics like Doctor Who Magazine and neither is published by Panini, are allowed through some loophole.)

Two, Titan is paying Panini for a sublicense.

Or three, Panini won't be publishing a Doctor Who comic strip after the end of this year because their comic strip license has expired.

No, I don't know which one of these is the most likely. I don't find the second very likely at all; that would only increase Titan's cost of doing business. The third, if true, would pose all sorts of questions about the future of Doctor Who Magazine, questions that have been asked for much of the spring and summer.

 

[ATimson]

In the comic market, they have the same access as IDW did; a store that was carrying IDW's output will be able to get Titan's books just as easily. They don't have much a book market presence, however, so I don't know how visible the collected editions will be outside of comic shops.

It seems to me that Titan's novels (they were the publisher of the Terminator: Salvation tie-ins, for example) have reasonable bookstore presence. I think they'll be fine there.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

It seems to me that Titan's novels (they were the publisher of the Terminator: Salvation tie-ins, for example) have reasonable bookstore presence. I think they'll be fine there.

Oh, that's true. Their Sherlock Holmes novels are readily available in B&N every time I go in. I hadn't considered that. I was just going on what I've seen on the graphic novel racks.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

I was wondering, did I miss anything or hasn't there actually been an announcement of new DW comics from Titan, yet? I mean, it's December, IDW is finishing its run, I thought at least there should have been an announcement from Titan.

 

[The Wormhole]

No, no announcements yet from Titan. But all that means is that there won't be anything in January or February.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

What I'm hearing, Kai Kringle, is that they can't announce it until IDW's license is concluded.

I'm expecting an announcement in the early part of the year with a launch, probably, in August/September, to coincide with Capaldi's series.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

What I'm hearing, Kai Kringle, is that they can't announce it until IDW's license is concluded.

Ah. That kinda makes some sense. Thanks.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

IDW's final comic, "The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who," is out in shops on Tuesday.

I read it this week. (I received a copy at work.) It's good. It's a nice note on which to end the IDW era.

It does all the things you'd expect to happen with this premise of the Doctor landing in our world (not really a secret there; Cornell said as much in a Radio Free Skaro interview a few months ago), but it's actually something more. It's a Doctor Who story about stories, fandom, and what they mean to people. In that regard, it's very much like some of Neil Gaiman's work ("One Life, Furnished with Early Moorcock" and "The Problem of Susan" both come quickly to mind).

"A Valentine to the fans" is how my coworker described it after he'd read it.

 

[The Wormhole]

"A Valentine to the fans" is how my coworker described it after he'd read it.

Now there's a term that generally generates a negative response is some fandoms.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

"A Valentine to the fans" is how my coworker described it after he'd read it.

Now there's a term that generally generates a negative response is some fandoms.

That did occur to me. But it's nothing at all like "There Are the Voyages."

 

[Sindatur]

"A Valentine to the fans" is how my coworker described it after he'd read it.

Now there's a term that generally generates a negative response is some fandoms.

That did occur to me. But it's nothing at all like "There Are the Voyages."

LOL, yea, I was gonna say I hope he's not using the definition that was apparently used when TATV was made