Why Did Boom! Change Their Paper?

[beaker]

That too, but I'm talking about the large number of poorly done B&W indie comics, most of which had "parodies" of TMNT *actually knock offs to see if they can get a toy line and cartoon show as well). It didn't help the indie comic industry at all, and it even started to hurt the popular and well liked titles. There's an editorial in one of the old TMNT comics about how the indie market was flooded with such bad, poorly written, poorly drawn, and howlingly unfunny titles. If anyone has graced the quarter bin of a comic book store, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I did kinda like Psycho Duck... but I've seen stuff that isn't even worth a quarter.

Personally, until these Muppet comics came out, the only comics I bothered reading were either Japanese (Ultimate Muscle and Dr. Slump specifically) or Franco-Belgian (Asterix, Lucky Luke). Sure, I'd grab the occasional Sonic X or whatever I found at half off sales, but I have to admit, I'm more of a fan of the animated series the comics spring from in most cases (though I like the original Tick and TMNT comics better than both their respective series).

LOL! You're talking about quarter bin comics one could find around 1989/1990! I remember in the late 80's grabbing a ton of
anthropomorphic comic titles(Miami Mice, Fish Police, Radioactive Hamsters, etc) and absolutely loving those. I have fond memories of those...long live 80's inide comics!

I mostly was collecting cyberpunkish American manga sci fi stuff
as well as Oni Press/Slave Labor Graphic indie comics as far as my post millennial comic habits. Anything by Vasquez of course.
Though I just don't collect comics like I used to...never ever liked Archie Comics, but I collect anything Sonic X.

You so didn't mention Liefeld. LOL! He must be one of the most disliked comic book hacks of this era. The whole Shatter Star controversy is odd. I wonder if Disney will keep it going now that they purchased Marvel. By the way, has anyone confirmed when this deal officially goes through? Being a Muppet fan we know it ain't over until the ink is dry and filed away.

Heh, I remember in 1992(as a HUUUUGE diehard obsessive comic fan back then) hearing all over how Liefeld was the wave of the future, the new generation. Haven't heard what he was up to, but I did see an ad for a comic series that brings all the 1992-1993 era Image characters(who of course have gone on to Wildstorm, Top Cow, etc) back for a story arc.

 

[Drtooth]

LOL! You're talking about quarter bin comics one could find around 1989/1990! I remember in the late 80's grabbing a ton of
anthropomorphic comic titles(Miami Mice, Fish Police, Radioactive Hamsters, etc) and absolutely loving those. I have fond memories of those...long live 80's inide comics!

The good ones anyway... I still find those types of quarter bins, and every so often I'll find an old TMNT in them. But sometimes you just see wave after wave of bad TMNT "Parody." I see there's a resurgence of indie comics and all, but it's not too long before the market is flooded with the stuff. Otherwise I'd look into it myself. I wouldn't want to be accused of making the comic that killed the industry.

 

[Amy]

I know I mentioned the paper change, but ****** if I can remember the reason, either!
Probably the simple reason of cost-cutting. I think there's a bit of aesthetic reasoning too, with newsprint stock being more 'old school'.
It bugs me too, for the very reason stated - the colours look muddier and details don't pop as well.
Personally, I think at the VERY least, limited editions like variant covers should be on the glossy stock, especially as they often carry a higher price than the regular $2.99, but that's totally at the discretion of whomever is selling it.

But the graphic novel compilations of the Pixar/Muppet titles ARE on the glossy stock.

(edit - I can't say the D word? Oh fer cryin' out loud...)

 

[beaker]

I know I mentioned the paper change, but ****** if I can remember the reason, either!
Probably the simple reason of cost-cutting. I think there's a bit of aesthetic reasoning too, with newsprint stock being more 'old school'.
It bugs me too, for the very reason stated - the colours look muddier and details don't pop as well.
Personally, I think at the VERY least, limited editions like variant covers should be on the glossy stock, especially as they often carry a higher price than the regular $2.99, but that's totally at the discretion of whomever is selling it.

But the graphic novel compilations of the Pixar/Muppet titles ARE on the glossy stock.

(edit - I can't say the D word? Oh fer cryin' out loud...)

I'm an 80's(and 90's) kid, but some of the retro stuff bugs me...like intentionally faded/messed up t shirt graphics at $22 a shirt.

By the way, do you know if you're exclusive cover for the TMS comic #1 is available anywhere? I know they only made about 500, I just loved that art on there(wish they had made a poster of it) Anyways good to see a fellow West coast comic artist and fellow diehard Muppet fan!

The good ones anyway... I still find those types of quarter bins, and every so often I'll find an old TMNT in them. But sometimes you just see wave after wave of bad TMNT "Parody." I see there's a resurgence of indie comics and all, but it's not too long before the market is flooded with the stuff. Otherwise I'd look into it myself. I wouldn't want to be accused of making the comic that killed the industry.

lol, I don't think super obscure 1980's b/w indie TMNT spoof comics ruined the comic industry. I would say people's general lack of interest by the late 1990's of comics in general helped kill the industry; whereby collectible card games and anime related things were the only things keeping a lot of comic shops afloat. Look at Battletoads, I don't think there was a bigger TMNT ripoff than that, but in it's own way it was pretty successful for an early 90's brand(I personally didnt like the Bucky Ohare/Moo Mesa/Battletoads type stuff of the early 1990's)

 

[Drtooth]

(edit - I can't say the D word? Oh fer cryin' out loud...)

You can't even say the H word in the biblical sense. It's that strict a filler.

lol, I don't think super obscure 1980's b/w indie TMNT spoof comics ruined the comic industry. I would say people's general lack of interest by the late 1990's of comics in general helped kill the industry; whereby collectible card games and anime related things were the only things keeping a lot of comic shops afloat. Look at Battletoads, I don't think there was a bigger TMNT ripoff than that, but in it's own way it was pretty successful for an early 90's brand(I personally didnt like the Bucky Ohare/Moo Mesa/Battletoads type stuff of the early 1990's)

Well, It's a bit of both. Oversaturation and lack of interrest both contributed to it. There are bigger, deeper details... anyone with even a mimeograph machine could release a comic in those days, and people were starting to walk away from the medium all together... add it up, and it spells trouble.

Of course, Bucky O' Hare came out in the late 70's, years before TMNT (and it was one of the reasons why they couldn't sell a Usagi Yojimbo/ Space Usagi series in the 90's). And Moo Mesa was created by a close friend and contribute of the TMNT team. In fact, there's a TMNT Moo Mesa crossover comic I never got around to actually reading. It was released a little over a year ago.

 

[beaker]

So, why is Boom one of the only companies releasing comics on such horrible paper, when even the super low run indie publishers all are doing glossy high quality color comics? Disney's work shineth not I'm afraid.

 

[frogboy4]

So, why is Boom one of the only companies releasing comics on such horrible paper, when even the super low run indie publishers all are doing glossy high quality color comics? Disney's work shineth not I'm afraid.

Could this paper be greener?

 

[dwmckim]

"Why did Boom! change their paper?"

Well, i mean, isn't it obvious?

If you don't change the paper every so often, things get kind of...funky...

 

[Aaron Sparrow]

Cost is the primary concern. The royalty rate we pay, production costs, etc. all contribute to our choice of paper stock...but the main reason is our continuing efforts to keep our BOOM Kids! line at a $2.99 cover price. Glossier stock would necessitate a cost hike to the $3.99 BOOM! Studios price, and I don't think any of us want that on the kids line.

-A