A question about the Bumblebee series

[grahamthomson]

Could somebody please explain the audience of the Bumblebee series to me?

It's apparently targeted at a much younger audience (perhaps explaining the sub-soap opera intelligence of the characters), and yet, plot-wise, it spins out from the main "adult" title and is distributed to the same places as the main title (i.e. comic shops via Diamond).

Now I don't know where children are put when they're not at school, but they sure don't go to black-walled comic shops ripe with the stench of unwashed Metallica teeshirts.

So why target the comic to a certain audience, but not deliver it to them?

[Deleted]

You've hit IDW's marketing policy on the head there! IDW have actually gone on record by saying that Last Stand of the Wreckers is for a more hardcore TF fan while the Ongoing and the Bumblebee mini is for the casual fan - and then they go on to say that all three fit into the same story so you have to read and understand all three to get the bigger picture!

[charlesrocketboy]

The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Or what it's doing, for that matter.

[Nigel]

Mar 16, 2010 11:33:21 GMT @zudobug said:

and then they go on to say that all three fit into the same story so you have to read and understand all three to get the bigger picture!

I think the idea is more that they can be read and (hopefully) enjoyed independently but you'll get more out of the overall universe if you read them all.

As for distribution, isn't it the case that in the USA, unlike here, comics are widely available in bookshops, superstores etc rather than just specialist comic shops?

[blueshift]

Mar 16, 2010 15:36:53 GMT Nigel said:

As for distribution, isn't it the case that in the USA, unlike here, comics are widely available in bookshops, superstores etc rather than just specialist comic shops?

Nope, they are just as niche as over here!

[Kingoji]

Mar 16, 2010 9:40:50 GMT @grahamthomson said:

Now I don't know where children are put when they're not at school, but they sure don't go to black-walled comic shops ripe with the stench of unwashed Metallica teeshirts.

Ahem.

That's called "Eau de Hetfield", son!

[charlesrocketboy]

There are comics available in superstores and bookstores in the States, but it depends on the bookstore, the title, and the company. Most of them are direct market only - and as far as I know, that includes IDW.

[Jaymz]

They might be thinking more of the collected trade rather than individual issues. But I dunno what the market penetration for IDW trades is, and whether they would reach places where the younger audience [or their parents] would venture.

[dinogrrl]

I will say that the only time I spotted an IDW single issue comic outside of a dedicated comic store in the USA was the Star Trek movie adaptation, which was being flogged in a local Borders bookstore around the time said movie was out. The only other comics that turn up regularly in chain bookstores are the big name series like X-Men or Batman from Marvel or DC, never anyone smaller. I've never seen IDW stuff in supermarkets around here, or anywhere else.

Thus, pretty much the entirety of IDW's Transformers single issue market is dedicated comic book stores in the US. The trades can certainly turn up in large bookstores, but there are no IDW TF trades on the shelves at my local stores, and haven't been for some time.

[Deleted]

Can't you get comics on news-stands in the States anymore?

I reckon IDW is expecting all the 30-something TF fan dads to pick up Bumblebee for their kids. It might not be a bad way to get the next generation on to the franchise, but how are these dads supposed to know who the comic is aimed at?

Issue #4s A cover looked like something aimed at kids more than adults so that's a big clue - but its issue #4/4 - a bit late by then! There's nothing on the covers of 1-3 that I could see that said this comic is for the younger fan.