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Posts: 8667
Jun 11 11 7:55 PM
Fin Fang Foom wrote: I wonder if a key part of this problem isn't that, for the most part, the only people left who have an interest these characters to begin with are the same people who had an interest in one of the previous incarnations. It often seems like the biggest selling point in this sort of situation is, inevitably, that it's the relaunch of a licensed property -- and sure, I understand, that's an attempt to build on whatever equity there might be. But the problem is, by this point, that might not be much.
Posts: 5970
Jun 14 11 9:30 PM
Fin Fang Foom wrote:...all these other characters have been "redefined" so many times by so many hands that the fans neither recognize nor care about them anymore. I wonder if a key part of this problem isn't that, for the most part, the only people left who have an interest these characters to begin with are the same people who had an interest in one of the previous incarnations. It often seems like the biggest selling point in this sort of situation is, inevitably, that it's the relaunch of a licensed property -- and sure, I understand, that's an attempt to build on whatever equity there might be. But the problem is, by this point, that might not be much. And I wonder if making too big a point about these properties as an acquired license, doesn't turn people away -- as though if you aren't already familiar with these characters, you shouldn't bother. (Never mind that readers of mainstream comics seem loathe to stray too far out of their comfort zone, to begin with). So you remake the characters in a new image, then, to try to make them more new -- but then you're just pushing away those people who liked those characters as they were. We might be at the point where all of these acquisitions and licenses and whatnot just don't have the build-in advantages they used to.
...all these other characters have been "redefined" so many times by so many hands that the fans neither recognize nor care about them anymore.
Posts: 4498
Jun 15 11 2:47 AM
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Posts: 2582
Jun 15 11 1:57 PM
leveret1 wrote:Fin Fang Foom wrote: I wonder if a key part of this problem isn't that, for the most part, the only people left who have an interest these characters to begin with are the same people who had an interest in one of the previous incarnations. It often seems like the biggest selling point in this sort of situation is, inevitably, that it's the relaunch of a licensed property -- and sure, I understand, that's an attempt to build on whatever equity there might be. But the problem is, by this point, that might not be much. That's why I think it's odd to see so many licensed comics again: Green Hornet, John Carter, Six Million Dollar Man, THUNDER Agents, etc. Nostalgia works for movies and TV because the audience is that much larger, both in terms in of lapsed fans and potential audience because of the widespread availability of format. New comics based on old licenses already have to deal with a shrinking comic audience. Many former fans have left the hobby. Comics are already limited by their distribution to the Direct Market. Add to this the fact that most publishers throw these comics out with little outside advertising/promotion means that most of these licenses won't last long. What would be considered the most successful and enduring comic license? My guess would be Star Wars (especially under Dark Horse).
Posts: 1816
Jun 15 11 2:09 PM
Jun 15 11 9:51 PM
kirbyfanatic wrote:"And we already saw Magnus grow older and have a son and defeat all the robots...it's over. The show is over and nobody told Jim Shooter or Dark Horse!!" Heck, no one even told me, OwlzinDaBarn! I didn't have any idea that Magnus defeated all the robots. What was left for him to do, then? That was the reason for the entire series. It's like having a sequel to the Terminator movies after the robots for the future have been defeated. Allen Smith
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