Your Thoughts: The Muppet Show Comic Book

[Drtooth]

If Wormwood Soams was an actual Muppet character, I'd expect him to have been performed by Richard Hunt. The character does have a bit of resemblance to Wayne.

I'd say he'd be a Jerry Nelson one (that's how I read it) since he had a Sherlock Holmes parody on Sesame Street. Somehow the design seemed to hint at a slight Sherlock Hemlock influence.

So...Any scans of the Muppet Comics online, yet?

Uh... no. Go out and buy some, cheapskate

 

[minor muppetz]

So...Any scans of the Muppet Comics online, yet?

You can check out just about any online review of the comics. Those include images.

And every time a new issue come sout, www.comicbookresources.com and www.toughpigs.com include previews of the new issues (usually the first five pages).

 

[LamangoNumber2]

Uh... no. Go out and buy some, cheapskate

Hard to buy something when most of the pocket change ya make goes to food and clothes, isn't it?

You can check out just about any online review of the comics. Those include images.

But no site has the actual comics? Eh.

 

[Drtooth]

But no site has the actual comics? Eh.

Can I be brutally honest here? That would be MUNDO illegal! Scanilations of comics, especially current ones is one of the major no nos of the internet. Why buy something if it's free, yes... but then no one's gonna wanna shell out the money for it. And as this is a smaller comics company, I actually will side with them. Remember "No portion of this book may be reproduced" is written in bold letters at the bottom of every issue.

 

[LamangoNumber2]

Can I be brutally honest here? That would be MUNDO illegal! Scanilations of comics, especially current ones is one of the major no nos of the internet. Why buy something if it's free, yes... but then no one's gonna wanna shell out the money for it. And as this is a smaller comics company, I actually will side with them. Remember "No portion of this book may be reproduced" is written in bold letters at the bottom of every issue.

Well, they could you know... They being the owners...Put them on a website...Would help some poor people, like myself, cause to be honest, I don't think I'll skip a week of eating just to read about Skeeter and Fozzie being a couple.

 

[dwmckim]

Diplomacy time!

I can certainly understand and sympathize with both sides. I know all too well what it's like to be financially disadvantaged and not being able to afford wants when rent/food has to come first (one of the reasons i to this day access the web from home via a webtv and have to wait til my trips to the library to enjoy all the goodness of muppets.com, youtube or sesamestreet.org) and even comics that are just a couple of dollars can be a big sacrifice.

But Boom Studios nor any other entertainment company is a charity. They can exist and provide such wonderful goodness via sales which support their existance and allows more to be created. Not just the specific company but related networks. Sales of Muppet comics not only mean more Muppet comics but also help support the popularity and financial viability of the Muppets as a brand which leads to more products, dvds, and yes...The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time! There's a very direct relationship between things like issues of the Muppet comics selling out the day of release and going into second printings and Disney willing to throw its full support and promotional muscle between the next Muppet movie complete with coveted Christmas release date and (to quote someone else) promotion on the level of Toy Story 3.

Because of the internet and its place in modern society, it's very easy to lose perspective about how everything isn't free. We download free music, free videos (many times against the wishes of the actual owners) - lots of stuff we want we can find somewhere online without having to pay for it.

No, you're not going to find (legal) full copies of the Muppet comics online (and if you do, it will most likely be years after the initial release). Yes, it would be nice if such stuff was more readily available to those struggling with money.

But just because Boom has to charge money to make money to make more comics doesn't make them meanies or bad guys. On the contrary, they're very committed to keeping the prices of their comics as low as feasible. Let's not also forget the very cool thing that the whole comic book industry does in the form of Free Comic Book Day (and while there hasn't yet been a free Muppet comic yet, there was a free Fraggle comic this year). We get free preview pages of the first six pages of each issue!

But despite all that, what if you're still too strapped to splurge for an issue when you need it to eat that day? Well, if you can stand the wait, when the individual comics are released in four-issue compilation form, you may very well find copies you can read for free courtesy of your local libraries (the Phoenix libraries have the Muppet books so many others probably do too). Plus there's the second-hand market ranging from second-hand stores to this very forum where people will sell the copies they originally bought at a reduced used price (often those who bought the individual issues when they first came out and replaced them with the book compilations). Though a little more ethically sketchy, you can also do what countless kids across America do and read them in the store.

There are more affordable alternatives out there. But they may involve a little more work than clicking a button on your computer and having it come up on your screen in the comfort of your den.

 

[LamangoNumber2]

Diplomacy time!

I can certainly understand and sympathize with both sides. I know all too well what it's like to be financially disadvantaged and not being able to afford wants when rent/food has to come first (one of the reasons i to this day access the web from home via a webtv and have to wait til my trips to the library to enjoy all the goodness of muppets.com, youtube or sesamestreet.org) and even comics that are just a couple of dollars can be a big sacrifice.

But Boom Studios nor any other entertainment company is a charity. They can exist and provide such wonderful goodness via sales which support their existance and allows more to be created. Not just the specific company but related networks. Sales of Muppet comics not only mean more Muppet comics but also help support the popularity and financial viability of the Muppets as a brand which leads to more products, dvds, and yes...The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time! There's a very direct relationship between things like issues of the Muppet comics selling out the day of release and going into second printings and Disney willing to throw its full support and promotional muscle between the next Muppet movie complete with coveted Christmas release date and (to quote someone else) promotion on the level of Toy Story 3.

Because of the internet and its place in modern society, it's very easy to lose perspective about how everything isn't free. We download free music, free videos (many times against the wishes of the actual owners) - lots of stuff we want we can find somewhere online without having to pay for it.

No, you're not going to find (legal) full copies of the Muppet comics online (and if you do, it will most likely be years after the initial release). Yes, it would be nice if such stuff was more readily available to those struggling with money.

But just because Boom has to charge money to make money to make more comics doesn't make them meanies or bad guys. On the contrary, they're very committed to keeping the prices of their comics as low as feasible. Let's not also forget the very cool thing that the whole comic book industry does in the form of Free Comic Book Day (and while there hasn't yet been a free Muppet comic yet, there was a free Fraggle comic this year). We get free preview pages of the first six pages of each issue!

But despite all that, what if you're still too strapped to splurge for an issue when you need it to eat that day? Well, if you can stand the wait, when the individual comics are released in four-issue compilation form, you may very well find copies you can read for free courtesy of your local libraries (the Phoenix libraries have the Muppet books so many others probably do too). Plus there's the second-hand market ranging from second-hand stores to this very forum where people will sell the copies they originally bought at a reduced used price (often those who bought the individual issues when they first came out and replaced them with the book compilations). Though a little more ethically sketchy, you can also do what countless kids across America do and read them in the store.

There are more affordable alternatives out there. But they may involve a little more work than clicking a button on your computer and having it come up on your screen in the comfort of your den.

The only problem with this is that the owners of the comic can put them online, much like the Garfeild Comics did. Also, my two jobs now, (yay, getting paid fourty instead of thirty, i can go out and buy clothes!) also is to much... I don't even have a local comicbook store to look at the issues.

 

[dwmckim]

The only problem with this is that the owners of the comic can put them online, much like the Garfeild Comics did.

Comic strips and comic books are different in terms of how the artists get paid. While it is true that most comic strips do get collected in anthology book form, their initial money comes from the newspapers (and i'm guessing the online hosts) that run the daily strip. Comic books get get their revenue via sales of the physical books. Plus an entity like Garfield is an original liscense so Jim Davis gets money from Garfield products of all type be they plush figures, coffee mugs, etc. The Muppets are an already existing brand so while the owners of the overall brand (Disney) get money from sales of all stripe of Muppet products, Boom! only gets money from the sales of their books. If someone buys a Kermit plush, Boom! doesn't see any of that money. They rely solely on people buying the comic books and/or the paperback collections to turn a profit and make more comics.

 

[JJandJanice]

Well, they could you know... They being the owners...Put them on a website...Would help some poor people, like myself, cause to be honest, I don't think I'll skip a week of eating just to read about Skeeter and Fozzie being a couple.

You know, I don't want to be mean or make it seem like I'm attacking you in anyway, shape, or form. And believe me, as a broke college student that (as much of a loser as this makes me sound) that still leaves with his grandparents at age 25, I feel for you bro, I really do. However, that still doesn't make it right to ask to view these comics for free, regardless if it's a BIG comic company like Marvel or DC or if it's a sightly smaller company like Boom studios. Remember they're in the bussiness of making money too and if people were to post their comics for free, it will hurt the profits of the sell of the comic, so in a way you're STEALING money from them, probably even stealing food from their kids' mouths. That's the bottom line and their is really no other way to look at it. Again I don't want to sound mean here, but people need to stop with this "oh they're a big company, it shouldn't hurt them if I see said comic/movie/tv show or whatever for free" way of thinking. It's not doing any of us favors. I don't mean to sound hard on ya, so forgive if you feel I am, but that's how it is, sorry you're not in the right for even asking that question.

Anyhow, with that being said. I actually got to pick up a copy of Darkwing Duck issue #1 today (cover B). I'm LOVING everything Boom kids is coming out with, it's top notch. So far in my collection I have...
Muppet show comic: Issue 4-The Miss. Piggy story (limited cover of 500)
Muppet show graphic novel-Meet the Muppets
Muppet: Snow White issues 1 and 2 (both cover B)
Toy Story: Return of Buzz Lightyear graphic novel
Darkwing Duck: Issue 1 cover B

I'll probably be reading that Darkwing Duck comic today and I'm HUGELY looking forward to it. Boom Kids keep up the GREAT WORK.

 

[Drtooth]

Comic strips and comic books are different in terms of how the artists get paid. While it is true that most comic strips do get collected in anthology book form, their initial money comes from the newspapers (and i'm guessing the online hosts) that run the daily strip. Comic books get get their revenue via sales of the physical books.

Let's ALSO not forget that comic strips actually have to thrive in the internet era as the decline of the newspaper industry is setting in. Sure, one day we'll actually have internet editions of comic books, but they ain't going to be free. I can see Kinder and E-reader editions of Spider-man and Batman... but you're gonnna have to pay for them like any other book.

Anyhow, with that being said. I actually got to pick up a copy of Darkwing Duck issue #1 today (cover B). I'm LOVING everything Boom kids is coming out with, it's top notch. So far in my collection I have...
Muppet show comic: Issue 4-The Miss. Piggy story (limited cover of 500)
Muppet show graphic novel-Meet the Muppets
Muppet: Snow White issues 1 and 2 (both cover B)
Toy Story: Return of Buzz Lightyear graphic novel
Darkwing Duck: Issue 1 cover B

Boom is a boon to Disney fans. Lemme just say that. They reprinted the entire Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. And one day, I'm gonna actually HAVE enough money to get it (I wish they would release it in soft cover, though my ONLY complaint). I have subsided on The Italian Ultraheroes and Double Duck series besides the Muppet comics, and they're brilliant. Even the translation. And i dunno if purists would agree, but I love the subtle references to other Disney Afternoon cartoons in these translations (references to St. Canard for one). I wish I had the money to get their entire catalog on a monthly basis.

And while we can debate about stealing from a big faceless company, there's NO debate when it's a smaller, independent firm like Boom. As it was said, ever issue bought means a step closer to more issues in the future If we all got it for free, we'd have like 4 issues and NOTHING else. We might as well just make fan comics. Boom makes some money off the Muppet comics, let's not forget. But Disney sees the sales and gives us more too. If you ever want to see the movie, DVD sets, and more virals, maybe picking up a comic or two won't hurt.