Comments on: Twomorrows Sales Slump: Maybe you’re diluting your own product?

By: Ray Cornwall

Ray Cornwall — Mon, 21 May 2007 02:03:36 +0000

Back Issue and Alter Ego are really aimed at two different audiences, frankly. I read nearly every TwoMorrows mag, but just don’t follow Golden Age material enough to really enjoy Alter Ego. Back Issue aims at comics from the 80s and up, while Alter Ego really looks at comics from before that, especially comics from the 40s and 50s.

I’d love to see Rough Stuff and Back Issue combined into one oversized mag, though. That would make a lot of sense. And I would understand a merger of Write and Draw into some sort of Comic Creator mag.

Of course, before TwoMorrows expanded, I had a tough time finding their mags in retailer-rich NJ. TwoMorrows might need to streamline their product line, but I don’t think you’d see a sales increase; I think that the same stores that order the product would order the same numbers on the books, resulting in sales decreases, not increases. I think Morrow’s got an accurate idea of the amount of product that the DM will handle. And it’s his business. Whatever he decides, I’ll be happy to back his business with my money.

By: Jesse Post

Jesse Post — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:53:00 +0000

I for one would love to see TwoMorrows combine their three “artistic insider” magazines into one. Even at a higher price point I would love to have every issue on my shelf as reference. As it is, I can’t keep up with (or afford) all of them.

I haven’t given much thought to their other magazines but I think a similar approach would work for “Back Issue” and “Alter Ego” since those are both for fans. Now that I think of it, I would pick that up as well if it were combined into one (at the moment I read neither of them).

“Kirby Collector” is too niche to combine with anything else, and if it sells then by all means keep making more!

Why does it matter at all? Because respectful, valuable insight into the comics industry is needed and TwoMorrows clearly has the ability to pull it off, if only they would make it easier for consumers to partake.

By: Benjamin Hall

Benjamin Hall — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:59:41 +0000

I have to agree with you.

I’ve always thought Twomorrows books were fantastic, but too pricey for me to pick up all of them.

I would love it if they consolidated into one or two magazines.

By: Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » May 18, 2007: The unbeatable high

Fri, 18 May 2007 08:42:58 +0000

[...] Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is less than impressed with Tim Leong’s plans to bring his magazine Comic Foundry to market in print form, and more than sympathetic to Diamond Distributors’ rejection of same. Johanna Draper Carlson has more on the subject, while — moving further afield — Christopher Butcher wonders if TwoMorrows Publishing might be the author of its own troubles.. (First link via Tom Spurgeon, who also offers further commentary.) [...]

By: Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd — Thu, 17 May 2007 19:07:21 +0000

Well, as a person that regularly orders Alter Ego, Back Issue, Rough Stuff and the Modern Masters (and the occasional additional book), I don’t DISLIKE the magazines. My problem is that there’s just TOO MUCH of it… there’s just no way I can keep up with it. I’ve got 6 or 7 unopened issues of Alter Ego on my “to read” pile — it worked much better as a bi-monthly magazine.

So while combining those mags into a single sell-able product might be a good idea to you, I’m already hooked. I’m their core audience. My problem is the AMOUNT of material being generated by the company and my inability to keep up with it. I just don’t have that much time in my day to read up about the minor details of comics history — and I like to read about the minor details of comics history!