Volume 4 News!!

[Mutated Leo]

Thought you all might like to read this. It's from the TMNT mailing list newsletter. Could be intresting...

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Howdy folks,

Some news regarding the TMNT Volume Four comic book series directly from Peter Laird:

Welcome back to TMNT Volume 4!

Well, not quite yet... but soon. Volume 4 is going to return this year, but in a slightly different form -- or forms, to be more precise. There will be an inexpensive -- or possibly free -- online form, as well as a more expensive limited edition collectible printed version.
There are a few reasons for this new approach, mostly related to my work habits. For quite some time, before I took most of the last year off from doing the Vol. 4 comics, I had been getting more and more frustrated by what was required of me, with every issue, to meet the requirements of Diamond Comics, the major comics distributor. This included preparing solicitation material three months in advance for the "Diamond Previews" catalog, along with ads and such. For whatever reason, preparing these materials on this schedule, along with actually getting the book ready to go to the printer by a set deadline, was just really starting to get to me. (Don't get me wrong -- Diamond's system is a fine, reasonable, businesslike approach to distributing comics, and works very well. I just can't deal with it anymore.)
I was also getting frustrated with the time lag between finishing the book and actually seeing it appear before the eyes of the fans, on comic store shelves. It would very often be up to four or five weeks from the time we sent the materials to our printer. Again, not uncommon and completely reasonable -- it takes time to print, bind, trim and ship a comic book.
So, while I was on hiatus, I started thinking about it, and came up with a new scheme. It may turn out to be harebrained, or it might be really good... or maybe just okay. We'll see.
Here's the plan:

1.) Digital Distribution: Each issue will be posted online at the ninjaturtles.com official TMNT website, within a few days (or maybe even hours) of being completed. Access to each issue will very likely be free to anyone with an internet connection and a decent browser, though I am looking into possibly charging a small fee... haven't figured that one out quite yet.
In addition, if feasible technically, I may try something new for TMNT -- a somewhat interactive online letters page. I'm not completely sure how or even if this will work, but I'm mulling it over.

2.) Limited-Edition Printed Distribution: Each issue will also be printed in a "collectible" limited edition, very likely somewhere between 1000 and 3000 copies. These will be available via mail order from Mirage, and will probably cost $10.00 each, shipping included. The first hundred books ordered per issue will have an original black and white TMNT head sketch drawn and signed by me on the inside front or back cover.
These print versions will almost certainly not appear at the same time that the online version is posted, but probably several weeks later.

I'm hoping that these changes will work, and will allow me to continue doing Volume 4 with the same sense of fun which has sustained the book from its inception in 2001 up until the beginning of my hiatus in June of 2006. I think it's worth a shot... and I hope you do too!

-- Peter Laird

[turkishproverb]

Ten dollars an issue? (**()&.

HOpefully he'll also put them into collected editions, so I can get them for an affordable price. I'd prefer not to do the read online thing, honestly.

[Mutated Leo]

$10 seems steep. If its a CBR File that would be cool... But any #4 news is good in my book!

[CyberCubed]

I find reading comics online to be incredibly annoying. And like most people, I prefer owning comics in a tangible form that I can "keep" and store.

I'm not sure how I feel about this, as I hope they just release Volume 4 collected books then instead of individual issues.

[OA]

sheesh $10 a pop is going to start hurting...but I'd rather have it like this than not at all...

I wonder how long till this actually comes to fruitition...?

[Chris]

I'm happy at the news.

Free (or very low cost) online volume 4 is far better than no volume 4 at all.

As for $10 I think it's a fair price. The book was making a loss every issue and Peter was doing it just for the fans. With such a limited print run that $10 is probably just covering costs, and those that don't want to pay it can read the free online version.

I know it's not ideal as I (like most) would prefer to have the whole set in print (and at this time I'm planning to get them, though it will be the most expensive on-going comic I've ever bought and living in the UK I'll probably have to pay extra postage on top). But if it's this or nothing I'd say it's a very good deal, especially since he will likely make little (if any) profit from this and it is just for the fans.

[junkboy]

Apart from returning of Vol4 being awesome... It is said that each book is $10 shipping included. I hope it is that way for Europe, too, or at least just some low shipping price.

Also it would be great if the comics were sold from PaneltoPanel, too. Getting from Mirage as someone living out of US. That's really difficult cause of their hate and grim looks upon online orders or online paying methods.

[Andrew NDB]

It really changes nothing -- virtually no comic stores were carrying any TMNT comics toward the end of Vol. 4 anyway.

The way I see it, this is nothing but positive news for Volume 4 (though $10.00 seems a little high, but the niche market the TMNT comics seem to be catering to are probably willing to shell out a little more cash for the comics... no pun intended).

[TristanHuwJones]

I think what Pete's proposing is interesting in that I've been hearing a lot of rumblings about comic companies looking for new means of distribution, and it looks as though Mirage may start leading the way.

Digital comics, as everyone knows, is one of those hotly debated subjects at the moment, so I think if Mirage get this to work, then it's likely to become the model for other companies to base their own online distribution on.

Rose, I noticed you made the comment about it not really doing anything to expand the general readership - I think I may have to disagree to an extent. So many more people seem to be downloading comics illegally than actually going to a store and getting them (we even had people here on the boards admit to it), and I think if Pete ends up distributing them for free online, then it's going to do huge things for the readership. If Tales continues to run the way it always has, then the downloaders will likely take more notice of Tales and hopefully go in search of it physically. Ultimately too, though the pricing on the limited prints may seem steep, it would help cover whatever costs went into the production of it and go straight to the fans. In the end, there's really very little cost going into an online comic, outside of the actual physical work that's gone into it on the artist's behalf.

I'm pretty sure that, if promoted properly, this could be a big thing.

Either way, I'm just glad to see that Volume 4 is back up and running!

[Vegita-San]

Agreed. If properly promoted and or reasonably priced, this could only be GOOD for the comic. That, and I don't have that much time too go too my supported comic book stores these days anyway, since TMNT is now the only title I pick up...

Never heard of illegal comic downloads though...

[Revan]

Originally Posted by TristanHuwJones

I think if Pete ends up distributing them for free online, then it's going to do huge things for the readership.

That's an excellent point. Many fans don't read the comics simply because they are hard to come by. It would be great if the following picked up due to this new availability.

[junkboy]

This method might be easier than actually printing lots of comic books. But if the comic will be online and if there will be just a small fee, then ppl will again download it from some p2p sharing programs. Thinking that if my comic will be a digital one, why should i pay for it. At the end i will read it thru screen.
Tho ofc real tmnt fans will pay cause,, you now they will feel much better that way.
Downloading comics is another thing.. but tbh i really do not like digital comics and i can never get used to them. I would be much more happy if vol.4 was to go on the regular old school way.

As i said if PaneltoPanel sells those limited edition issues too then i will get every one of them eagerly, but if only Mirage sells as told in the interview, not very good news...

whatever...
conclusion...welcome back Vol.4... I have missed you very much

[Ratchet]

Does this mean that we'll be getting more freelancers working on Tales? Wasn't there some sort of discussion that mentioned that because Volume 4 was indefinite, the Mirage crew would have first dibs on the Tales stories? I really want to see some of the freelancer stories tied up or continued!

Still, I'm very happy that Pete's back on things!

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by TristanHuwJones

Rose, I noticed you made the comment about it not really doing anything to expand the general readership - I think I may have to disagree to an extent.

My point concerning readership is that distributing online isn't going to bring in a new reader who might otherwise not look twice at a TMNT comic book. You're only going to reach already existing fans who are looking for TMNT. This proposed method doesn't allow for browsing on a shelf of diverse titles. I'm not concerned about any of us reading this message board getting any of the comics, I'm concerned about those who are just discovering comics in general never discovering TMNT.

That said, I do think this method works fine for what Peter wants to do, as he can publish irregularly and it really won't be that big of a deal.

I think the TMNT as a whole would be better served if there was a monthly title with a continuing storyline that was on the shelf to be found by anyone.

All of which I said in my comment that you are referring to.

[TristanHuwJones]

Sorry Rose, I realise that, but what I meant was that with a lot of comic readers being the online "pirates", I think that IF promoted properly, it will probably have a better chance of luring in new readers than actually putting it on shelves. There are already a huge number of instances where comic shops don't carry TMNT because they either don't know about it, or they don't think it sells.

All that really needs to be done is a bit of well placed word spreading, and some promo stuff over at Newsarama, CBR and the other major news feeds.

And what was mentioned about the downloading fee, I think ultimately the fee thing might not work out, as was mentioned, because someone will pay the fee, download it, then put it illegally up on a p2p network. Still, it's early days, and there's only one way you can find these things out.

[Roseangelo]

I was trying to refrain from snide comments, but the problem with sales and lack of stores carrying the book could easily be fixed if the quality increased 10-fold. I'm going to give Peter the benefit of the doubt until I see one of these new books, but as it was that majority of TMNT fans I know stopped buying the comic long ago or were only buying it to keep their collections complete. When you've lost your already existing fans, you're not going to have a successful book. If a quality product is delivered, there's no reason a TMNT book can't be successful.

[TristanHuwJones]

Either way, I think Tales will still be hitting the shelves like clockwork, so that will still be there, and hopefully people keep picking it up. It was cool seeing the sales figures on my own issue, so hopefully things pick up a bit more with the seemingly renewed interest in TMNT, and with the anniversary approaching.

I'm not sure the quality of the comics is that big a factor in the stores not carrying TMNT. The thing that was surprising to me most was how few BIG newsfeeds were even aware that there was a Turtles comic running! Tales or otherwise! When I was doing the solicitations and promo's just before the editorial change-over (something I've gotta get back onto now actually) it was astonishing how many of the writers at Newsarama, the EIC at CBR, Comicnewsinternation, comic-con.com, comicbookresources.com, none of them even realised! Heck, even IGN's comics section and Crave online's comic section didn't know! Most people, even in the industry, have the original toon still heavy in their memory, and when you say 'comics' a lot immediately think "Archie".

All that needs to happen is a little more aggressive PR and I genuinely think Mirage's comics would find the sales they deserve. I also think NECA's new Mirage line of figures is going to help bolster the profile of the original TMNT comics.

[Raph's Girl]

I like this idea. There's no comic book store in my area (the closest one is like an hour away) and the only way for me to get comics is online. The only book store in town (Barnes & Noble) does carry TPB's but Mirage doesn't distribute their TPB's to B&N for some reason (thank the gods for Panel to Panel).

It almost sounds like the $10 cost is for a TPB.

[Roseangelo]

Thing is, when Vol. 4 originally launched there WAS hype and excitement. So much so that the first two issues completely sold out and Mirage actually reprinted them. But as the book progressed, sales declined and suddenly we were reading in the letters page about how the book wasn't making any profit. That didn't happen by accident. This relaunch will no doubt drum up some hype, but long-term success isn't going to happen unless there's a quality product being delivered.

Tales is a good book, but when the creative team changes on each issue and subsequently the quality waxes and wanes (although the quality outlook is very positive ATM), it's hard for any but the largest comic shops to commit to the title. I know fans with limited budgets who find it hard to commit to the title, but they can only commit to all or none of it. They get stuck buying an issue even if it doesn't interest them at all.

I agree that Mirage needs to put more effort into publicity, but publicity can only do so much.

[TristanHuwJones]

I still think the coolest thing I heard was something fan wrote in, telling me that their store actually started carrying TMNT because of Tales #36. That blew me away. Probably had more to do with Paul's art though

Though I still can't get over the retailer outlook on the TMNT comics