MARGARET LISS:
We’re continuing our look at Dave Sim’s 21st notebook used during the creation of Cerebus #164 to 187. We’ll be looking at this notebook, which there were 260 out of 300 pages scanned, until we’ve seen every single page of it. Well, the pages scanned. If you want to see all of the notebook #21 posts to date, just use the Notebook 21 tag.
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Just kidding. I was curious about the Campaign '93 material mixed in with Cerebus #167 and Spawn #10 material. So instead of notebook #21, I went to Cerebus #167 - not the phonebook - and looked at the other material in the issue. So instead of a notebook page with a wall of text - you can look forward to that next week - here is Dave's "letter" to retailers about Cerebus Campaign '93 taken from the 'back matter' in Cerebus #167, pictures included.
Next week will be the notebook matter that refers to these pages.
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Aardvark Comment will return next issue. Please do not adjust your comic book.
Dear Retailer:
I drew this issue, one page a day, every day, for the first three weeks of this
year. It was luxurious. For the first time in over a year, I climbed back into
my ivory tower and immersed myself in pure creativity. No airport departure
lounges. No hotel rooms. No warehouses. No media interviews. No store
appearances. A large part of me would be very happy to do that for the next
eleven years and one month that remain of the CEREBUS project.
But our work isn’t finished.
TOUR ’92 was a great beginning; a solid foundation for the task that lies ahead
in defining and developing Larry Marder’s Direct Link; the Direct Link between
creators and retailers; the vital connection that will allow creators and
retailers (if they choose) to stop functioning as mere puppets and chess-pieces
in the direct market and to become, instead, full and equal partners.
On the next few pages, I have outlined what I think is a reasonable, low-budget approach to promoting a marginal black & white book like CEREBUS, tailored to the needs and limited resources of comic book stores. It requires belief in yourself and your abilities as a retailer, as well as a conviction that CEREBUS can sell more copies in your store than it does now; whether that number, currently, is two, or five, or fifty or one hundred.
CAMPAIGN ’93 puts control in your hands. I’m not going to send you a dozen t-shirts. I’m going to send you a t-shirt design. I’m not going to send you a boxful of buttons. I’m going to send you button designs. You can print a dozen of them or you can print five thousand. You can give them away or you can sell them for profit. If you put those profits back into CAMPAIGN ’93; the program outlined on the next few pages and the future program as it evolves through the year; then I think the Direct Link has every chance of success.
Other creators will be watching.
All of them are torn between my description of the retail community as largely
idealistic, autonomous individuals who feel hamstrung and impotent in the face
of Big Picture Distribution and Multi-National Corporate Comic Book Companies.
I have found that the majority of retailers, when given the opportunity to take
the reins in their OWN hands and make things happen in their OWN store, will
rise to the occasion and (as I saw so often on TOUR ’92) exceed even the
wildest expectations for success.
Creators are torn between that perception and the more widely-held vision of your community (with few exceptions); as money-grubbing, short-sighted panderers to the lowest common denominator, disinterested in quality; fan-boy pimps for four-colour crap.
This is not intended as an end-run around the distributors. It is a CAMPAIGN which is open to anyone who wants to participate. If it succeeds, it means more profit for the distributors on the monthly book and the reprint volumes.
I feel that CEREBUS NUMBER ZERO and SPAWN #10 offer a ‘window of opportunity’ to prove that when creators cooperate with retailers and retailers cooperate with creators, each doing their share and remaining aware that we are human beings dealing with human beings and each has limitations in terms of time and money and energy; that great things can be accomplished for both parties.
The success or failure of CAMPAIGN ’93 rests on your collective shoulders. Success, I hope, would bring about a new and multi-faceted era of cooperation between creators and retailers. Failure would reinforce the view that individuals can’t and shouldn’t make a difference; that art and commerce are, and must be, mutually exclusive; that control of the direct market should be left in the hands of large publishing companies and large distribution concerns and that we all should and must accept the status q...
I sincerely hope that is not the case.
Dave Sim
CEREBUS NUMBER ZERO got off on the wrong foot. By now you will have been solicited for and probably ordered the “poly-bagged, gold logo edition with a hologram card insert”. I’m afraid I succumbed to the pressure to launch CAMPAIGN ’93 immediately (like, four days after I got back from Houston). I projected a net loss on the project of between eight and ten thousand dollars (it was, after all, a promotion tool; not a cash cow), but when I had the final quotes in hand, the projected loss had risen to b...
Back, as they say, to the drawing board.
It seemed more practical to release CEREBUS NUMBER ZERO in two versions; a
white logo and a gold logo. It is still 96 pages; reprinting “Exodus” (Cerebus
51), “Square One” (Cerebus 112/113) and “Like-a-looks” (Cerebus 137–138). It
will include introductions outlining where the stories fit into the CEREBUS
continuity (between High Society and Church & State volume one, between
Church & State volume two and Jaka’s Story and between Jaka’s Story and
Melmoth respectively) and should be exactly the kind of in...
As is usually the case with these kinds of projects, one copy of the gold logo edition will be sent to retailers who order fifty copies of the white logo edition; five copies if they order two hundred of the white logo edition.
For the average store, the gold logo is a standard “incentive” along the lines of Vertigo’s platinum Death #1. For the CAMPAIGN ’93 stores, I would hope that the gold logo edition (either by auction or raffle or some other way) could provide some cash on hand for investment in the CAMPAIGN; functioning as a CAMPAIGN fundraiser. Since the gold logo edition will probably be purchased by a Cerebus fan, the Direct Link becomes a three party “axis”; creator-retailer-patron. Obviously, I (and I hope you don’t)...
Since CEREBUS NUMBER ZERO will be in very high demand from fans who have all the reprint volumes and should be a steady seller as a supplement to the reprint volumes, I think I’m safe in saying that this is a good spot to invest your primary amounts of time and energy and money.
Obviously the biggest selling feature or “hook” to use for traditional comic book fans is “three for the price of one” since the 96 page comic will be the same price as a regular issue. Now that Image has helped to break the “Two Dollar Barrier” I don’t think there will be as much resistance as usual, and it seems a much better use for a few thousand dollars of what we have allotted for subsidizing the CAMPAIGN.
Solicitation would be for June, to allow us all time to get things off on the RIGHT foot with the rest of the CAMPAIGN in the next few months and to capitalize on whatever interest is generated by SPAWN #10 in the late spring.
The next most important element after CEREBUS NUMBER ZERO and SPAWN #10 in CAMPAIGN ’93 will be two pamphlets promoting CEREBUS to the two most likely target audiences for the book; traditional comic book fans and women.
First the traditional comic book fans.
As Marvel is dying on the vine, and as Image continues to attract rabid fan attention (which is not being serviced by anyone except Todd), traditional comic fans are more open than at any time in the history of the direct market to experimentation and sampling of other kinds of work. Maybe not a majority of them, but I believe a significant number are now more curious than ever before about what is available.
The front cover addresses CEREBUS’ strengths in the comic book field; no fill-in issues, genuine continuity over the course of three thousand plus pages and value for the money. These are not only CEREBUS’ strengths (I feel), but also the mainstream’s greatest weaknesses; musical chairs creative teams, non-continuity, often stretched out over five or six titles with no good reason except greed, and inflated prices on very, very slim graphic “novels” (Tell Me, Dark at 35.95 in Canada? It took me all of twenty minutes to read. Give me a break).
The pamphlet idea I got from Marty Hyder of Black Dragon in Tennessee. It is essentially an 11 x 17 sheet, printed on both sides and folded once to form an 8-1/2 x 11 four page pamphlet. Again, these would be supplied as glossy originals with space for the store logo (address, etc. etc.) at the top. The inside front would be a condensed version of Don Thompson’s very flattering Cerebus review from the December 2 issue of the CBG (I hope that’s all right, Don?). The inside back page would reproduce the covers of the CEREBUS reprint volumes, short descriptions and their suggested retail price under CEREBUS: THE FIRST HALF (Cerebus, High Society, Church & State I and II, Jaka’s Story, and Melmoth).
The back page would feature a personal pitch from the store owner (or manager) for the CEREBUS series and reprint volumes. We’ll typeset a suggested “note” which you are, of course, free to modify or change completely. Some stores have already expressed willingness to include a money-back guarantee on this page, or a coupon for a free copy of the current issue or a free t-shirt with any new Cerebus subscription for one year. A lot of possibilities here. I would also strongly suggest that the owner (or manager) sign the note on the back personally. I know it’s a drag signing your name a bunch of times (boy, do I know it), but I really think that personal touch will mean as much if not more than the rest of the pamphlet in showing that you genuinely stand behind the quality of CEREBUS reprint volumes and the monthly series.
Apart from just having them out on the counter, the pamphlets (I think) would work well put in every store bag, in every subscription file, etc. etc. etc. The big advantage is that you control the quantity of pamphlets since they can be easily quick-printed or photo-copied as you need them. The critical element in any kind of promotion CAMPAIGN is a steady supply of CAMPAIGN materials. Again, you can print up a hundred, three hundred at a time or ten thousand. The extent of your involvement is entirely up to you. If you don’t like this pamphlet design or you’d prefer to do one of your own, you’re free to use all or part of it or use any panels from the book in your own promotion. It is important that you feel confident in the promotion that you do. I feel pretty confident that this pamphlet can do the trick, but your confidence is what really matters and will make the difference.
The second pamphlet targets a group that everyone seems to do a great deal of talking about but for whom nothing seems to be done: Women.
Cerebus has one of the larger female readerships in the world of direct market comic books and I get a great deal of fan mail from women who read Cerebus and Sandman (or Cerebus and Love and Rockets, etc.). There is usually a healthy representation of couples at any Cerebus signing; most particularly husbands or boy-friends who are long-time fans and who read a number of comics titles and their wives or girl-friends who, in an effort to share their interest and out of natural curiosity, have managed to find one or two titles that they enjoy and are interested in following.
And, obviously, a four year story-line entitled Mothers & Daughters should have some appeal for female readers, as well as the Jaka’s Story reprint volume.
I have intentionally directed the pamphlet at women, generally, as opposed to the smaller “fan-girl” audience or an indirect approach to mothers, wives and girl-friends through their sons, husbands or boy-friends (i.e. “A comic book even your girlfriend will like”). The greatest potential here, I think is the uncomfortable woman standing in the corner of your store, trying to be inconspicuous and just wishing she could leave (not altogether uncommon, right?).
I don’t think you have to go
overboard or anything, but going up and handing her the pamphlet (and perhaps a
Cerebus button pictured later in this section) and saying something very simple
along the lines of “Most of the comics are intended for a male audience, but
there are a few that men AND women like. Let me know if you’d like to see any
of them.” And just leave it at that.
It was Diana Schutz who suggested the approach for the interior of the pamphlet; pull quotes from letters written by women to Aardvark Comment broken down into two categories a) what a great comic book Cerebus is b) what a prick Dave Sim is. These would alternate on the inside front under the heading “What Women Have To Say About Cerebus… (and Dave Sim)”; what a great comic, what a prick, what a great comic, what a prick, etc. Diana was certain that this would spark more curiosity than review excerpts or panels from Jaka’s Story, and having gone back through Aardvark Comment to find the best examples of both category, I find myself in complete agreement.
The inside back would, again, be pictures of the reprint volumes, short descriptions, prices, etc.
The back would, again, be a
personal pitch from the owner or manager, addressing head-on (I think this is
critical) the fact that a comic book store is basically a boys’ club since
comic books have been traditionally an adolescent male medium full of guys in
long underwear beating each other up. This could be followed by a list of
critically acclaimed comics with female creators (Pini’s Elfquest,
Gregory’s Naughty Bits, Doran’s A Distant Soil, Duffy’s Nestrobber,
etc.) as well as books that enjoy a larger than average female audience (the
usual suspects: Sandman, Swamp Thing, Hate, Love &
Rockets, Beanworld, Hepcats, Yummy Fur). You could
include a coupon or money-back guarantee just as on the first pamphlet; or if
you’re really feeling adventurous, a straight twenty-per cent or ten per cent
discount on their first purchase. If you keep the note general enough, you
could even use it as a flier to hand out to women on college campuses,
coffee-houses, waitresses, etc.
Even if you choose not to do this in association with Cerebus and CAMPAIGN ’93, I think the idea is long overdue. Comic stores by their nature do not look like places that would welcome or tolerate women. If you don’t want to re-inforce that impression, I think you have to find a concrete way to change it and I think a pamphlet specifically tailored to a non-comic fan female audience that is informative without being aggressive and which will pique their curiosity would be a large step in the right direction.
Here, especially, I think it would be important to sign the back of each pamphlet, because you are dealing with a potential customer whose first reaction is apt to range from bemusement to outright horror (Oh My God I Don’t Look Like A Comic Book Fan, Do I?). It’s a personal touch and that means a lot if you want to accomplish your goal.
Merchandise is going to involve more of a judgement call on your part. As I mentioned in the introductory letter, I’ll be providing you with two button designs and a t-shirt design. You can limit your participation to just producing enough of each for use by your staff. Or you can mass-produce them in whatever quantity. I would hope that you would incorporate your store logo into the t-shirt design so that both the logo and design are recognizable (some stores on the TOUR ran their store information so large in the co-op advertising plan that Larry Marder’s ads couldn’t be read with a magnifying glass). I think everyone would agree that a black t-shirt is going to sell better than a white one which will require printing the design in white ink (basically a reverse of what you see here, printing all the write parts in white ink rather than the black parts in black ink). The store logo can go at the top or at the bottom. Either the full address of the store or just the store logo and “(name of city) CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS.” Or you might want to pool your resources with other stores in your city or area and put all of the logos and addresses on the back. Where the judgement call (or , more accurately, the balancing act) comes in is on pricing. You can set a price that is comparable to current market prices (about fifteen or sixteen dollars, I guess) and turn a pretty health profit, which can then be used to help finance other aspects of your store’s CAMPAIGN ’93. Or you can price the t-shirts at a dollar or two over cost, which would probably mean more of them would be out in circulation working as promotional tools, but less profit for your CAMPAIGN. Same thing with the buttons. The “I Love Cerebus” button is two colour (I mean, the heart should be red). If you price them at or near cost, you’ll cell more, but have less of a profit. If you get them printed commercially, it’s going to cost more than if you buy one of those badge-a-minute button makers and do them yourself (Depending on the cost for your labour or that of an employee).
I should probably mention again what I said about Cerebus merchandise in last issue’s letters page; if someone you know wants to produce Cerebus merchandise of any kind during 1993 and sell it in your store, by all means go for it. The same principle obtains; you can keep the price close to your cost and sell a lot, or raise the price and produce revenues that can go toward the CAMPAIGN. Yes, I’m well aware that there are unscrupulous individuals out there who are going to take advantage of this to produce over-priced merchandise and use the proceeds only to line their own pockets. It's the cost of doing business and having a wide-ranging and effective campaign in place. Thank you for your concern, but we make our money off of the monthly book and the reprint volumes; I figure the least I can do is let the stores have whatever merchandising revenues they can rustle up on their own (and it is only the individual stores; if someone wants to solicit the distributors for any merchandise they are going to need written permission from me).
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| Margaret notes: this 'cover' was never published, so don't get my hopes up. |
Okay, that’s the basic ‘bare bones’ of CAMPAIGN ’93.
If you are a store owner or manager and you’d like to be included on the mailing list for CAMPAIGN materials, please fax your name, the name of your store, mailing address, phone and/or fax number to me at (519) 576-0955. The core mailing list consists of the TOUR ’92 sponsor stores as well as any store whose owner, manager or employee gave me a business card throughout the course of last year.
I wish I could do a personal appearance at every CAMPAIGN store, but it simply isn’t practical. I am very open to any suggestions about the future course of the CAMPAIGN and I will be publishing the better ideas here in Cerebus as we go along. As an example, Carol Denbow (Star Clipper in St. Louis) has suggested in-store displays featuring colour photo-copy enlargements of Cerebus covers. In considering ideas for the CAMPAIGN, the key is to keep the costs down to amounts that any store can comfortably afford and which require some, but not a lot, of time and effort.
I would also like to know if stores participating in CAMPAIGN ’93; the Cerebus Direct Link stores; are interested in having their names and addresses published in Cerebus as stores that are willing to get involved in more Direct Link programs of this kind (i.e. Steve Bissette’s Tyrant). Not as a way to get “free stuff” but as a means of connecting with creators who want to work with you to promote their books; who will match your efforts with their own best efforts. Of course all of this would be strictly voluntary; while you would be on the mailing list you would be free to participate in or pass on any program that came across your desk.
I’m also willing to do a certain amount of ‘specialty artwork’; designs for in-store t-shirts and such that would be exclusive to your store. Again, this would be on the basis of reciprocal effort; I’m not going to fly down and paint your front window for you or do a group shot of ten Cerebus characters for your staff t-shirts, but I am very open to any ideas you might have. Let me know.
If you’re a Cerebus fan and you know a store owner who might be interested in CAMPAIGN ’93, I would appreciate it if you would show him (or her) your copy of Cerebus or photo-copy this section so he (or she) can look at it at their leisure. And if any of you have any ideas, I’d be happy to take a look at those as well.
Next time I hope to have a few preliminary details on radio and TV advertisements (which Tom Kintner has generously offered to supply to interested stores just at the cost of the videotape and which he will be producing at Atlantic Video in the Washington area).
Okay. I’m all done yammering at you. You know what has to be done.
Let’s give ’em hell.
2 comments:
Very interesting Margaret. Thank you for sharing!!!
With the benefit of hindsight, I have a suggestion to help with Dave’s attempt to attract more female readers: Do not publish #186.
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