Author |
|
Eric Sofer Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 January 2014 Location: United States Posts: 4789
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 3:21pm | IP Logged | 1
|
post reply
|
|
From another topic, what are your feelings about blown deadlines? Notwithstanding hating them - I figure EVERYONE hates 'em - what's the best way to handle them?
I've seen three schools of thought for a book that is not going to have a regular issue ready to release for any given scheduled slot:
1) Reprint an old story (maybe with a little new framing art and story.) 2) Run a fill-in / inventory story 3) Get a fill-in writer or artist to continue the storyline with a (sobbing) editor standing very close by. 4) Skip that month and continue as planned the following month.
I would think at first that missing a month is the worst possible thing to do with an ongoing series... but I think back on some of the really dreadful fill-in stories I've read, and I wonder if that doesn't hurt the book more than no product.
Opinions, fellow Byrne victims? Mr. Byrne, I doubt that you've missed very many deadlines at all... it seems your work ethic doesn't allow it. But you're the Pro from Dover... do you have an opinion, please?
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 3:34pm | IP Logged | 2
|
post reply
|
|
I'll resist my angry rant about one issue of ALL-STAR BATMAN shipping in 2006 because Jim Lee was busy working on a videogame. Didn't this 'bimonthly' book start again in 2011? Will it ever be completed? Perhaps it will, when I cash in my pension.
As for your options, Eric, I appreciate that a fill-in story can be jarring, but it's better than nothing. In an era where there were standalone tales, it was doable, also.
I'd rather they did that because we have been conditioned to accept monthly comics (or weekly for us Brits). When a title skips a month - or several years in the case of ALL-STAR BATMAN - one just loses interest. Even the most mediocre fill-in writer/artist story is preferable to skipped months.
Your question is a fair one, but I'm not even sure skipped months have existed in recent years. More like skipped years. And when fans complain, we get the likes of Grant Morrison dismissing our views and telling us we'll get our books when we get our books.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Shane Matlock Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 August 2012 Location: United States Posts: 1760
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 3:56pm | IP Logged | 3
|
post reply
|
|
I was never a fan of those inventory stories. If it's the artists being late, I'd say get a fill-in artist for that month that can do the issue really quickly. If it's the writer, skipping the month would probably be preferable although not very professional. And it's something like a mini-series and not a monthly title, I'd say just skip that month as the timeliness is less important as it isn't really a book that comes out every month anyway (although again still very unprofessional that deadlines were missed).
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 4:01pm | IP Logged | 4
|
post reply
|
|
I think the problem with skipping months, certainly in the modern era, is that there's already an unprofessional mindset in existence - by accepting it and condoning it, you allow *some* artists/writers to take huge breaks.
I hate to have to labour the point again, but a strong person at DC should have either not given Jim Lee the ALL-STAR BATMAN assignment or taken him away from the videogame project. Or insisted that he get the art done. Of course, with the likes of Grant Morrison dismissing fans' concerns, well we know what we are dealing with.
I read very few US superhero comics now so am unaware if delays and late books are still a problem. Problem nowadays is that fill-ins could be problematic in the "decompression age". I'd be fine with them, but some people would want to say, "When are we returning to part 6 of 8?"
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 132347
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 5:13pm | IP Logged | 5
|
post reply
|
|
No book of mine has ever missed shipping due to something I did. Saddest part of that statement, there was a time I used to be able to say it without the last five words.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Wallace Sellars Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004 Location: United States Posts: 17671
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 5:21pm | IP Logged | 6
|
post reply
|
|
I've seen three schools of thought…
—
Just three, Eric? <insert silly grin here>
I'm going to agree with Robbie. Of the choices you've provided, I'll take a well- drawn, well-written fill-in until the regularly scheduled story can resume the following month.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
| www
|
|
Tim Cousar Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 May 2006 Location: United States Posts: 1665
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 5:23pm | IP Logged | 7
|
post reply
|
|
Fill-in
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Shane Matlock Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 August 2012 Location: United States Posts: 1760
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 6:14pm | IP Logged | 8
|
post reply
|
|
A fill-in doesn't always work though, does it? Crisis on Infinite Earth #12 was at least a month late as was Watchmen #12. Can't really see a fill-in working with either of those books at all. That's why I stated if it's a mini-series it's better to just skip the month. If it's a monthly title, a fill-in is definitely preferable to no issue at all.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 6:20pm | IP Logged | 9
|
post reply
|
|
Naturally, those would be exceptions. You could hardly have had a fill-in for something like CRISIS. ;-)
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Shane Matlock Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 August 2012 Location: United States Posts: 1760
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 6:23pm | IP Logged | 10
|
post reply
|
|
They did get a fill-in artist to finish Infinity Gauntlet for Perez but, no offense to Ron Lim, it just wasn't the same. In that case too Perez was not going to ever finish it.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 6:26pm | IP Logged | 11
|
post reply
|
|
The 1985 SUPER POWERS mini-series had a fill-in artist (if memory serves me right) and it was jarring.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|
Eric Jansen Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013 Location: United States Posts: 2294
|
Posted: 26 July 2017 at 6:29pm | IP Logged | 12
|
post reply
|
|
For an ongoing, company-owned series, fill-ins were not only OK with me, sometimes they were really fun and even better than the regular team/storyline.
When I was a kid, Roy Thomas (and others, I'm sure) resorted to reprints WAY too often! Even then, when reprint editions were rare and it was unlikely I would ever get to see those stories elsewhere, I felt ripped off by those (even when they had new framing sequences). When I caught on that some stories were inventory, I actually appreciated the forethought--at least they weren't reprints!
These days, I would say say just make everything bi-monthly since very few people seem capable of meeting a monthly deadline (and everything's so expensive!). For creator-owned stuff, sure, just delay until the issue's ready--I'm probably just buying for that particular writer or artist anyhow.
|
Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
|