AA2009 Exclusive Comic...?

[Deleted]

Would anyone be interested in an exclusive comic at Auto Assembly 2009 this year? I'm not talking about a fan-produced or self produced title, but a full-blown existing IDW title with an Auto Assembly exclusive variant cover!

I've spoken to Chris Ryall over at IDW and he's up for helping us to produce something so it's just a case of seeing if we can find a distributor or retailer to help us bring them over who has an account with their distributor as they don't handle sales directly.

Whether we go for an older title (Spotlight: Grimlock perhaps?!) or a new book that will be released closer to the convention is some way off right now as this is just an initial thought, but I just want to get views on whether people would buy one (or more) to see if it's worth doing.

I would probably guess that the price would be no more than £4-£5 and have a print run limited to 1,000 copies.

Thoughts guys...

[Bogatan]

That would be great.

Andy

[blueshift]

Definately, one of the stand-alone spotlight issues would be best I would imagine, and preferably something by Furman.

I imagine it would have to be reprinted / a variant of something released the same month rather than any new content, however small?

[The Doctor]

I'd pick one up.

A Spotlight issue would be ideal. Perhaps Spotlight: Kup as Nick Roche is a guest?

-Ralph

[primenova]

Great idea!

[jameso]

I'd definitely get one.

[Deleted]

Spotlight Grimlock wouldn't go amiss as Greg Berger is appearing at the convention and anyone who gets the issue signed by him could be holding a rare issue that could go for a fair few quid on Ebay.

[Andy Turnbull]

Problem being is that Spotlight:Grimlock had the really rushed colour job and isn't the best individual issue on offer.

Though I'd certainly get behind the idea of an exclusive comic.

Andy

[Deleted]

If IDW do a movie adaptation of this years movie maybe that would be a good bet.

[Deleted]

I'd prefer to do a one-shot book as it might be more appealing to the casual comic collector rather than one issue of a multi-part series which is what a cover variant of the movie adaptation would likely to be to be honest.

[grahamthomson]

How about the first issue of Maximum Dinobots?

It features Grimlock, written by Furman, drawn by Roche... so that's three guests it links to. Plus an "issue 1" will appeal to casual collectors.

[Deleted]

I had been toying with Maximum Dinobots or Spotlight Grimlock but one concern I do have with those is the age of the books by the time of the convention and whether or not that might put people off.

[blueshift]

I wouldn't worry so much about that. Personally I think something tried and tested and popular would be better than bolting on an exclusive cover to AHM #whatever.

Spotlight Grimlock would be perfect if not for those colouring issues. I read it recently and was a bit surprised by that to be honest.

What about one of the IDW reprints of the old UK stuff, providing that is available. Like, uh, they fit The Icarus Theory into one issue didn't they?

Maybe Maximum Dinobots 1 is your best bet?

[Deleted]

I will check with Chris Ryall to see what one-shots are planned around the same time as AA as well to see what might be workable then as options. Obviously whatever we can get produced will need to have a print run of 1,000 copies so it will need some level of commercial viability to make it possible.

[blueshift]

From off the top of my head, it is likely to be AHM 12 / AHM coda 1. I imagine Spotlights Metroplex and Cliffjumper will pop up around then too.

AHM coda might be a good move if it has stuff by Furman / Roche, especially if it continues a Grimlock thread.

[Deleted]

I can say for definite that it won't be AHM 12.

[Benn]

I'm behind this idea. Anything to make the thing more of an event! Make Hasbro realise that they do have collectors in Blighty, maybe?

[Kingoji]

I think it's a great idea, and I'd definitely pick one up.
But my thoughts are that it would be nice to have the book tie in to as many guests as possible. So if we had Max Dino's #1, then that's three right there, and if they could arrange it so that the cover is also drawn by a guest artist and coloured by a guest colourist... Win!

[Deleted]

I've talked to Chris Ryall today and it will HAVE to be a new book coming out nearer to the convention. To hae an older title like Maximum Dinobots or Spotlight: Grimlock reprinted, we'd need to have a print run of 4,000 produced and that's just way outside our capabilities so to be able to pull this off we're talking about adding a new cover to an existing print run so we can cope with a 1,000 copy run.

[blueshift]

Booo. Damn you economics!

That said, in that case AHM Coda might be a good bet, depending what is actually in it

[KoshNaranek]

Is there any chance that the Maximum Dinobots trade will be coming out around that time? I know it's a little more expensice than a single issue, but it would be "current" by then. I'd be very interested in a Spotlight: Metroplex exclusive. Anything other than AHM.

- Tony

[blueshift]

A trade would be nice, but thats a whole other ballgame.

And I am reminded of the fate of the Fallen Angel exclusive trade which could be found floating about unsold and unloved for years afterwards

[Deleted]

It really will need to be a single book to be honest. We're going to need to order 1,000 copies of whatever title is produced and work with a partner to make it happen and even that many copies of a single book is a pretty hefty outlay. Expand that up to a trade paperback and the cost could be crippling if it didn't sell.

[primenova]

Andrew Wildman did ink/colour Geoff Seniors cover for the Botcon 200 cover.

[Deleted]

If you haven't already seen it elsewhere on the net, it's been officially confirmed...

Auto Assembly 2009 IS having a convention exclusive variant cover IDW comic this year. The full details and a preview of the cover can be found over at www.transformertoys.co.uk where they have an interview with me about the convention! ;D

Simon

[Andy Turnbull]

Very nice looking cover from Nick.

Andy

[blueshift]

That looks utterly fantastic.

Will it be one of the 'coda' issues or one of the main 'All Hail Megatron' issues?

[grahamthomson]

Looks great!

Who's colouring it?

[KoshNaranek]

That's a fantastic cover! I'll be picking up a few copies of that.

I just read the interview at TF@TM and I'm very intrigued by everything that goes in to making it all happen. The one thing that does disappoint me a bit though is the fact that you could have Uncle Bob there and now it's not possible. Voice actors are fine, but I'd much rather hear what Mr Budiansky has to say as he had such a huge part in the creation of the TF mythology. I hope that dosen't sound like a criticism, I just think it a missed opportunity.

- Tony

[Deleted]

Like everything else, it's purely a case of economics. I have to make Auto Assembly as viable as possible and when it comes to guests, voice actors are a bigger draw than comic guests so I have to be realistic when it comes to bringing any guests from overseas and assess how many people would be interested in seeing them.

While we never really talked about costs in much detail, Bob would have been a four-figure sum and it would have meant making cuts in other areas of the event. Ideally I'd love to have the budget to bring him over but it's something that's always going to hold us back as long as I have to deal with air fares for guests.

The only thing that would make a difference to be honest is more pre-registrations. I know it's something I do talk about a lot, but this is where they really do count. When people leave booking until the last minute, it stops me from being able to confirm guests or bring people along because I can't guarantee that we can pay for them.

Last year we had a massive rush in the last month or so and it meant that we couldn't do much until then (hence the late addition of extra guests!). Bookings are coming in quicker this year so it helps, but to get someone like Bob along, I would need to hit the magic 500 pre-registrants about 6 weeks in advance to be able to have a chance of pulling it off!

Back to the comic, the colours are being handled by Liam Shalloo and as for the issue number, Coda has been integrated into the regular AHM run so Coda #1 has now been renamed AHM #13 so the AA2009 comic is basically Coda #1 with just a different number!

Simon