I figured Sluggo just sprang fully formed from the forehead of Zeus.

§ February 8th, 2013 § Filed under retailing, sir-links-a-lot, sluggo, swamp thing § 7 Comments

So Paul wrote in and asked if I had any comment on this week’s delayed arrival of Scarlet #6 from Marvel’s Icon imprint. And I said, “oh, was it late?” and I checked our cycle sheets at the store, and BEHOLD:

#1 – 7/8/10
#2 – 9/1/10
#3 – 11/4/10
#4 – 1/19/10
#5 – 3/28/11
#6 – 2/6/13

Wow, nearly two years between the last two issues. Not quite Ultimate Hulk Vs. Wolverine level, but pretty close. I probably just didn’t notice it because, unlike that Hulk/Wolverine thing, I didn’t have people asking me every day when it was coming out. Or any day, for that matter. Is anything really late if nobody’s waiting for it? …Ooh, okay, that’s a bit harsh. I’m sorry. But not too sorry, because I have to sell these things, and a two-year gap between issues is kind of bullshit, and certainly no way to keep a readership.

And of course there’s the other end of the spectrum, in which we got three issues of The Avengers over the last three weeks, which is also ridiculous. Or two issues of Superior Spider-Man over the last two weeks. Or seven issues of All-New X-Men since mid-November. I’d like to see comics released on a rational, responsible schedule, one where retailers and customers can plan out their spending, and one where the market isn’t flooded so quickly with consecutive issues of a series to the point of discouraging readership, but I suspect I’ll see “Steve Ditko Sings The Hits – Live On-Stage Revue” before that ever happens.

Mmm. Okay, now I’m angry. WHY MUST YOU POKE THE BULL, PAUL?

Let us go on to happier things:

  • I am getting comments and multiple emails from folks telling me that the current Nancy comic strips are retelling the origin of Sluggo. Read ’em yourself, starting here. …To think I’d ever see the word “reboot” in a Nancy strip, that wasn’t about, say, Sluggo putting on two pairs of boots.
  • Big Rich Handley, creator of the Roots of the Swamp Thing website, recently interviewed former Swampy artist Steve Bissette and former Thingy writer Nancy Collins. Good readin’ all around…go check those out.
  • This is interesting…John MacLeod, one of the contributors to this issue of Ultra Klutz I discussed a while back, popped up in the comments to that post with a couple of details about his contribution to the comic. And it turns out you can read his Dishman comics online (along with his commentary)…and be sure to take a look at his more recent project, Space Kid.

7 Responses to “I figured Sluggo just sprang fully formed from the forehead of Zeus.”

  • Mike Zeidler says:

    What’s the point of putting out 7 issues of a [purportedly monthly] series in three months? Why not actually put them out monthly, in case an artist suddenly gets a case of the slows?

    The same could be said about that miniseries “The Twelve.” It’s twelve issues, a vanity project, and out of continuity. Why not wait until you’ve got all twelve scripts in house to schedule it?

  • D says:

    I’d like to know how many of that issue of Scarlet you end up selling.

  • Tim O'Neil says:

    THE TWELVES was in continuity, but none of the characters have shown up anywhere else yet (probably because the book was in limbo for so long). But I actually didn’t mind the series and would be interested in actually seeing some of those guys again, one day.

  • Paul Di Filippo says:

    Bizarro Paul sez: “Me am so sad Mike am angry. Not make for funny post at all!”

  • Adam Farrar says:

    What I think is interesting about the unrelenting nature of Hickman’s Avengers and New Avengers is that it seemed from the beginning of the NOW! promotion that Remender’s Uncanny Avengers would be the flagship Avengers series. It had a strong promotional push, spun out of the recent event and started first. However due to delays (which just about everyone saw coming), it’s not the book someone thinks of when they think of “Avengers.”

    Uncanny Avengers has put out three issues in four months. Hickman’s two Avengers books have put out eight issues in nine weeks and shows no sign of slowing down. Of course, Uncanny Avengers is also scheduled to catch up on it’s backlog thanks to having different artists for different arcs. There should be three straight issues in three straight weeks, the last of those issues (Uncanny Avengers 6) is being promoted in this week’s Marvel Comics’ in-house ads.

    That catch-up period still won’t compete with Hickman’s twin books. By the end of March there should be six issues of Uncanny Avengers (six months) and twelve issues of Avengers/New Avengers (four months). This is why I’m not buying Hickman’s books. But I do plan to read the Uncanny Avengers story beginning with #6 which deals with Archangel’s unborn child and Apocalypse’s history with Kang and the Celestials. That sounds great.

    Here’s what’s come out (of the NOW! Avengers comics, not including the Avengers books that have ended):
    10/10/12 – Uncanny Avengers #1
    11/28 – UA 2
    12/12 – Avengers #1
    12/19 – A 2
    1/2/13 – New Avengers #1
    1/16 – NA 2
    1/23 – UA 3 and A 3
    1/30 – A 4
    2/6 – A 5 and NA 3

    Here’s what’s projected to come out:
    2/13 – Secret Avengers #1
    2/20 – UA 4 and A 6
    2/27 – UA 5
    3/6 – UA 6 and A 7 and NA 4
    3/13 – SA 2
    3/20 – A 8
    4/3 – NA 5
    4/10 – A 9 and SA 3
    4/24 – A 10

  • rubber cat says:

    So, the Sluggo “reboot” doesn’t appear to contradict the original “origin,” and everybody still looks like they’re from the 30’s. I guess they just really wanted to drop in a random MMA reference?

  • swamp mark says:

    Thanx for the interview links,Mike! I can’t get enough of those behind-the-scenes stories about older material I love. Sorry to see Wheeler’s run get slammed yet again. On re-read,I always enjoy it. Sure,it went on too long,but so did the Rot.
    I’m hoping you do a review of the Rot story now that it’s finally (kind of) ended. Swampy #17 was a huge disappointment for me. The difference in art style between Animal Man #17 and Swampy #17 was jarring,to say the least. Arcane was laughable, and the Abby clones went from truly horrific to childish. Really makes me wonder what the editors get paid for.