DC Shipping Comics on Time...For Better or Worse

[blamito]

TIMELY COMICS

There's been a lot of fuss of late about late comics. How they damage publishers, retailers, brands and consumer loyalty. Well, DC are taking a stand and it's gong to be brutal for some.

Sources close to freelancers inform me that DC Comics has a new in house policy for pencillers. Aside from very specific contracted creators (such as Jim Lee), any penciller contracted to work on a monthly book must deliver complete turnaround of 22 pages of work in four weeks. Not a month, four weeks. If that schedule isn't maintained, they'll pull pages and assign them to other creators. And you may run short of future work. A reduction in quality is more acceptable than a reduction in quantity.

Specific examples I've been given include the recent issue of "Wonder Woman" was half Dodson and half Ron Randall. Also why Koi Turnball was dropped from "Jack Hawksmoor." And it has been pointed out that there are already three fill-ins on the new "Legion" schedule.

Creators are also being dropped from exclusive contracts over this new regime. Expect certain publishing vultures to swarm.

Quoted from LitG over at cbr.com:
http://comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=13

Not sure how to feel about this. I deffinitly like comics coming out on time, but I also don't like single issues drawn by two or more people, or crappy art.

[ScottEwen]

I think I'd rather have a John Cassiday or Bryan Hitch book come out every other month (or every six months) then have a crappy looking book every month that I won't read.

[sdowner]

Hmm. Interesting.
The only book I buy of DC's (in a floppy format anyhow) is The Spirit. It was late on occasion. but the final result was well worth it. Having a fill-in artist replace Cooke would have been a deal-breaker for me.

As with most things, this will have good points(comics on time! Yay!) and bad(rushed artwork! Boo!!). If they keep with it, it'll probably be a good thing in the long run- artists (pencilers mostly- they seem to be the main cause of lateness) will just have to be faster.

I could see it being bad if the policy alienates artists enough so that they leave the industry for greener pastures though. That would suck.

In conclusion, I'll wait and see. This is likely to be a good thing.

[ScottEwen]

Hmm. Interesting.
The only book I buy of DC's (in a floppy format anyhow) is The Spirit. It was late on occasion. but the final result was well worth it. Having a fill-in artist replace Cooke would have been a deal-breaker for me.

Exactly. I buy The Spirit too, and I buy it for Darwyn Cooke. I don't have a lot of money to buy comics nowadays, so I have to pick and choose a lot of times. If I pick up an issue of The Spirit off the shelf and see Darwyn Cooke didn't draw it, I'm putting it back.

[shoryukenmaster]

With any changes, there will be some growing pains, but I think most artists will adapt (or lose their jobs) and we'll start to see some great works on a monthly schedule. There are plenty of artist that have done this and should do it now. I think it'll be a good thing in the long run.

[nate lovett]

i think it's a great idea, and in turn could easily lead to more doors opening for artists who can get there stuff done on time.

it's not hard to pencil 22 pages in four weeks, especially if that's your main job, it's all time management. put your priorities in order, and do it.

[Knigge]

HAHA, okay...

I'll label this as a "we'll see" and move on.

[jeremy dale]

There are plenty of brilliant artists out there that CAN hit their deadlines-- there are miniseries and the like out there for those that can't. I like this rumor.

[e_t_i]

If I pick up an issue of The Spirit off the shelf and see Darwyn Cooke didn't draw it, I'm putting it back.

Same here, and that's all of them from now on.

[sdowner]

e_t_i, you're not gonna give Aragones and Ploog a chance? That's a helluva creative team...