IDW to lose Hasbro license

[Toph]

Well, Transformers made IDW something approaching a powerhouse label in the industry.
And Transformers has been their backbone. The one that's kept them going.
Other than Star Trek and GI Joe, can you name anything significant that they have or done?

Logically, I can't see them wanting to give that up. Between Star Trek and Transformers, if they can keep the fans happy and the licensors satisfied, those two franchises alone can keep them going indefinitely.

But I've also seen small companies get full of themselves and make stupid decisions.

Either way, I have a feeling this somehow boils down to the reboot no one asked for.

[Philip Ayres]

I *believe* we reached the end of IDW' licence period, IDW & Skybound pitched for the next round and Hasbro preferred Skybound's pitch.

[Andy Turnbull]

Transformers didn't make them a powerhouse label in the industry, it was the range of books they were bringing out at the time. Transformers made some outside of the indy areas take notice, but they were in pretty good health at the time and were gaining marketshare anyway. It might have sped things up a bit but they were going that way.

The Joe Hill (Stephen King's son's books moved the numbers as did the various Ashley Wood projects). You can trace most of IDW publishing's difficulties to some workplace culture issues by all accounts, and the parent company spaffing money away.

They didn't give it up, Hasbro preferred the Skybound pitch.

The reboot was going to happen and it was with Hasbro's approval, IDW2 could have ended earlier, with the end of RID and MTMTE.

Did the external troubles of IDW's parent company have any bearing on the decision, well who can say, but I doubt it helped them.

[legios]

Ah! Ta Phil, Andy. That's interesting. I'd heard a lot of speculation and assumption, but it is good to get a bit of serious analysis of the situation. Thanks.

Karl

[Nigel]

Jul 2, 2023 4:15:12 GMT Toph said:

Other than Star Trek and GI Joe, can you name anything significant that they have or done?

Their Sonic The Hedgehog is my best-selling title after Amazing Spider-Man. Godzilla sells quite well. And they have My Little Pony, of course.