AA Exclusive IDW Comic Musings

[Kingoji]

Last year we got the first Coda issue with an exclusive AA cover by Nick and Liam. I know that Mr. Plumbe is interested in trying to have something similar happen again this year if possible, but nothing is guaranteed.

I was just browsing Amazon and saw that the street date for the LSotW collected edition is the end of August.

So my thoughts are, How possible would it be for the AA Exclusive to be the Wreckers trade with a new cover? I know it would have to be out a couple weeks early to make the convention, but surely with it being a con-exclusive book, and with there being no content which could be spoiled by online gossiping, IDW might be a bit more open to the idea?

What are you guy's thoughts? If not this, what would you say is a likely candidate for the AA exclusive book?

[Deleted]

IDW can only do exclusive books by incorporating the new cover variants into their existing print runs so we would have to fit into their production schedule for anything and even then, we'd have to order a minimum of 1,000 books AND go through a business partner to make it happen.

As we're talking about a TPB reprint that would likely to have a high-ish trade price, then we'd need to find someone willing to invest a significant four figure sum into the convention with no guarantee that enough copies would sell to recover that cost. A single book, even though it may not appeal as much, is guaranteed to be a better seller.

To get a new cover variant outside of it's regular production run is even more complicated and needs a print run of at least 4,000 copies, so no Maximum Dinobots reprint for us! lol And yes, we DID look into that for last year!

[Kingoji]

Thanks Simon. I suspected there would be a financial reason why the trade wouldn't work. It would have been nice tho'.

What other books are out at that time then? What would people like to see?
Top of my head I guess we'd have the ongoing, and maybe the Ironhide and Drift minis running...

[primenova]

Botcon would get a trade cover - but we need to have a convention able to hold 2000 people for use to have a trade paperback cover - that would be having the trade at the same price as the normal trade. Maybe in few years when AA is in the NEC.

But i'd guess Simon & co could talk with IDW about one of the following.

Ongoing #10 - maybe Don character sketch cover for this issue but in B&W with AA logo on it
Ironhide #4
[we don't really want Drift #1-4]

Nefariuos #6
last issue by Simon Furman

[Deleted]

I was actually thinking about the Nefarious series when this topic arose. If issue 6 is out at around about the same time as this years AA then that would likely be the better candidate.

[Kingoji]

Heh. If last years theme sticks, then Nefarious would need a movieverse Optimus Primal on the cover!

[primenova]

The pre Earth Movie Prime look more like Bat Primal than Prime when I read the comics.

So we could have a Beastwars style Movie pre Earth cover [it's mainly that shade of blue IDW use that make him look bat like]

[Deleted]

In my opinion the only logical comic for this years AA would be an Animated one due to the guest appearance of the bloke behind the cartoon. I'm not up to scratch on the cartoon so I don't know if Gary Chalk provides voices for it but if he does then an Animated comic would be ideal for this years AA. Unfortunately there is no current Animated comic at the moment.

[blueshift]

Insofar as what would probably sell best, and thus be best for the convention, I'd imagine an issue of the ongoing rather than a random issue of a miniseries. Also you get a wider selection of characters.

I really liked the fact that last year's cover was specifically Auto-Assembly themed. I like that sort of thing far more than the generic 'sketch covers' other conventions get.

[Bogatan]

Get Derrick Wyatt to reinterpret Animatred Style whatever issues cover is used.
That would be awesome.

Andy

[blueshift]

Apr 3, 2010 11:08:07 GMT Bogatan said:

Get Derrick Wyatt to reinterpret Animatred Style whatever issues cover is used.
That would be awesome.

Andy

Haha YES, that would be amazing

[primenova]

What about a double cover - front & back with text - instead of how we had last years - back had the text on with clip of the front cover.

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2010 11:08:07 GMT Bogatan said:

Get Derrick Wyatt to reinterpret Animatred Style whatever issues cover is used.
That would be awesome.

Andy

That would be good.

[grahamthomson]

An issue of Transformers: Drift with Drift on the cover using all three of his swords at once, impaling any and all cosplayers who aren't dressed as Drift.

[Kingoji]

With the Drift toy as product placement, after being chauffered in in a car painted like Drift's own vehicle mode by a driver in a Drift t-shirt. Drawn, inked and coloured by Drift.

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2010 6:58:23 GMT Kingoji said:

With the Drift toy as product placement, after being chauffered in in a car painted like Drift's own vehicle mode by a driver in a Drift t-shirt. Drawn, inked and coloured by Drift.

BECAUSE DRIFT IS AWESUM! *brainwashed by Hasbro*

[Deleted]

Any August books would be a no-go because of IDW's release schedule as they wouldn't be due until mid-August and possible not until a couple of days after the convention - it's too close to take the risk so we'd be looking at a new version of a July book.

We are looking into the possibility of a 2010 comic right now and just waiting for IDW to get back to us but with regards to the title, we're not saying anything right now. Back cover... as we'd have to work with a partner company again to make it happen, it's only fair to share the content of that and let them use that space for advertising as they'd need to invest a hefty four-figure sum to make the comic happen.

[primenova]

Back cover - have it the same as last year but with a new image in a small box on it instead of smaller image of the front cover. maybe just an image of a character taking up top left of page leaving room for the title & all text for the rest of page.



Ongoing #9
Nefariuos #5

[Deleted]

If we do go ahead with another comic, I can say for definite now that the back cover won't have a new image simply because of cost. The front cover will cost to get it produced and to have a second piece of art on the back will mean that another piece of artwork will need to be commissioned and that will need to be paid for.

The production of an alternate cover with IDW allows for one cover image to be included in the price of having it done but any additional art has to be borne by the company requesting the exclusive i.e. US so it would either be a case of a plain text back cover or the cover being re-used in some way.

[primenova]

It could be somehting to try for a future event to mark a landmark. Hopefully with all costs covered. We have 10yrs of AA - 11 IDW - But Transformers isnt at landmark year, maybe 30, 40, 50.

[Deleted]

Well, if you look carefully, most years have some anniversary of note for Transformers... last year was not only the 25th Anniversary but the 10th Anniversary of Beast Machines so it worked pretty well for us having a G1 and BW / BM voice actor present.

This year sees the launch of TFA in Japan and we've got Derrick J Wyatt (just a pity that IDW dropped the comic otherwise that would have been a perfect choice) and next year has a few anniversaries too...

[primenova]

For next year would be 10yrs for RID - it would be good if IDW did a summer comic to tie in with events of ** years of said Transformers line, bit like how Wizard keep doing their issues to tie in with stuff [but only if its starwars] {that's just going slightly off topic talking about what we would like to see in future years}

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2010 14:06:36 GMT primenova said:

it would be good if IDW did a summer comic to tie in with events of ** years of said Transformers line

As long as you don't do the **th anniversary of the Kiss Players line then you're on pretty safe ground!