So anyway, as I was saying….
Sorry for the extended hiatus, pals…my eye isn’t *quite* back to where it was before the last incident, but it’s getting there. Now all I have to do is try to remember where I left off.
jmurphy mentioned in the comments from my last post about reprinting the unreprinted comic book series:
“Nearly one-fifth of the way through the 21st century, and Print-On-Demand can’t handle this? One of Warner’s other subsidiaries uses On-Demand technology for out-of-print audio CDs and movie DVDs. Books can be printed on demand, maybe someday the technology will be applied to comic trades as well.”
I’m pretty sure it has been, to some extent. I believe at least a couple of Rick Veitch’s original graphic novels available through Amazon (Boy Maximortal and Rare Bit Fiends), and surely there must be other examples. Turan thinks that ownership shenanigans may give some folks cold feet about doing something similiar, but I suspect wouldn’t be doing it if he thought his intellectual property was at risk.
Hooper triples down on this reprint idea:
“Finally thought of something I wish was/is collected in print – Impact’s Fly by Parobeck and Strazewski.”
Hey, did I ever mention I once met Len Strazewski? Years ago he came into my former place of employment. Nice guy. Anyway, since this is a licensed title from Archie Comics and published by DC, I support it falls within the “non-Marvel/DC” parameters of the original inquiry as to what we’d like to see reprinted And Impact Comics as a whole, I thought, was pretty good. I had the complete set, including the looseleaf Who’s Who binder pages.
Anyway, The Fly is a nice suggestion, and it’s a shame that any Mike Parobeck work is out of print. I was quite partial to The Jaguar as well. In fact, I think there was a lot of solid work in these comics, and if there’s any consolation, at least they should be cheap if you happen to find them in any shops. I’m not even 100& sure I have any in my shop right now.
The King of the Moon proclaims
“I’ve got a cool idea, they could finish MiracleMan”
Oof…again, it’s a Marvel property now, but it started out as someone else’s so we’ll let it slide in there. Yeah, it’s too bad that it all started out as such a big deal and then just kinda…went away. I suppose we’ll see the new, hopefully concluding issues of Miracleman eventually, then reprinted in collected editions forever and ever until Marvel inevitably lets volume 2 fall out of print, requiring anyone waqnting to complete their set of the books to go pay stupid prices for it on eBay. I mean, I’ve waited this long for the story to continue, I suppose I could wait a little longer. Not too much longer, though, I’ve probably only got about 25 to 30 years of life left in me, so let’s get cracking, people. Though every time I hear about Neil Gaiman getting a new TV or movie deal, I think “well, that’s Miracleman pushed back another year or three.” Good for him, honestly, but the comic fan in me is like “ACK, COME BACK TO US NEIL.”
Okay, my eye is twitching at me, so I’ll wrap up this post here. Oh, wait, I thought of another thing I’d like to see in print: Popeye from Charlton Comics. I know IDW did a lot of the Dell/Gold Key stuff, but I have a real soft spot for those ’70s Popeyes. Probably zero market for them right now, but we’re talkin’ ideally, not realistically.
THE EYE SAYS STOP TYPING. Back Wednesday. Thanks for reading, pals.
Print on demand comics: https://www.facebook.com/gwandanaland/
If it can be done for public domain, it can be done for anyone.
An unreprinted series that drives me nuts is the Spectacular Spider-Mans done by JM DeMatteis and Sal Buscema. Probably the most readable Spidey comics at the time…and they’re not even digitized on Marvel Unlimited or Comixology! I can understand no trade, but no digital?
Hey, you’re getting new Gaiman Miracleman tomorrow! (granted, it’s only one page…)
I agree that all of Parobeck’s work should be in print but DC doesn’t seem interested in any of it that isn’t Batman comics. His JSA has been solicited and cancelled more times than I can remember and his El Diablo run was written by Gerard Jones, whose work DC has quite understandably been reluctant to reprint of late.
Here at About Comics, we use print-on-demand both to keep previously traditionally-printed-and-distributed books available (such out our collection of the Busiek & Fry Liberty Project series, or the Lela Dowling-illustrated Alice in Wonderland adaptation) and to publish collections of things that had not previously been put into book form, like Evanier & Spiegle’s Hollywood Superstars, or Roadways, our our collection of Bernie Mirault stories.
However, all of those are black-and-white. POD color is significantly more expensive, making it hard to hit an attractive price point.