Gemstone re-re-printing stories

comics, books

Postby Egg » Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:58 am

Two emails taken from the Disney Comics Mailing List, about Gemstone re-re-reprinting stories by Barks and Rosa. The second email is a reply by David Gerstein of Gemstone.

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Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 01:06:03 -0500
From: "deanmary"
Subject: Upcoming Gemstone titles and re-re-reprinting
To: dcml

If you go this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?search- ... tton1.y=12

you can see the titles Gemstone has listed they are publishing through August 1st.

At first glance, I noticed there were no "Shonen Jump" style titles listed. However, there very well may be some titles released in this format by August 2007. Amazon never listed the $2.95 titles, so I think there is a good chance that they also would not list or sell a Shonen Jump style title that is sold for a cheap price more as a magazine than a book. So hopefully we will get a few issues of such a title by or before August of next year.

In April the first "Spring Fever" volume is listed which I assume is one of the two new annuals that Gemstone is releasing.

May brings a $8.50 title that reprints Barks' classic Pygmy Indian story along with Rosa's "War of the Wendigo".

June brings two trade paperbacks. The first is the next Walt Disney Treasures Volume. The other is a collection of DuckTales stories first printed when Disney Comics had the North American license.

Finally, in July comes the $8.50 "Donald Duck: Case of the Missing Mummy"

I have to admit that at first glance I am not very impressed, and am in fact kind of worried at what seems to be a new direction for Gemstone.

First a more minor point, that being prices. Why are the two $8.50 titles priced that high? They both have the same page amount as the monthly prestige titles but have a higher price. Why is that necessary?

I very much understood Gemstone raising the price of the prestige titles to $7.50, especially since there had not been a price increase in about a decade. However by July, they are raising prices *again* this time to $7.99! Are paper prices going up *that* fast? From a PR point of view, wouldn't it have made more sense to just raise them to $7.99 to begin with? Why anger buyers with *two* price increase in 6 months when there had been no price increases for about 10 years? I just do not get that.

My overall biggest disappointment and concern is that Gemstone seems to be starting to focus primarily on re-re-reprinting stories. So far I have thought Gemstone has done a pretty good job concerning reprints. There have been some Barks, Rosa, and Van Horn reprints, but they have not dominated the titles. This seems to be changing though. Even titles like the next two annuals and the next Treasures TPB have more re-re-prints than before. Along with the two new TPBs including either all or mostly reprinted stories, how about a TPB that contains all *new* stories? Is there so little confidence that an all new TPB would just not sell?

We now only have two regular titles each month. With less titles each month, you would think re-re-reprints should be kept to a minimum. Yet that seems to be the opposite of what is happening. In the first 8 issues of Uncle Scrooge to be published in 2007, 4 of these issues have a Rosa reprint! Before there were not 4 Rosa reprints in U$ in a whole year, and that is when we had more titles each month! Of course that does not even count Vacation Parade 4, Pygmy/Wendigo and the next Walt Disney Treasures TPB which *all* feature Rosa reprints! Does Gemstone feel it cannot sell even two monthly titles without continually re-re-reprinting Barks and Rosa stories? If so, I would at least like them to come out and say so. If that is the case though, I do not see much of a future for Disney comics in North America. Also, what happens in say 3 or 4 years when they have reprinted all of Don's stories again in U$ or WDC&S or annuals? Do we then start over having them re-re-rep!
rinted *again*? Should I "look forward" to seeing the Life and Times of Scrooge stories re-re-reprinted in U$ in 2009 or 2010?

I don't think the readers of any other line of comics have to deal with getting so many re-reprints all of the time. Try this example. Marvel Comics has printed a monthly comic book called "Fantastic Four" since the early 1960's. The first 100 or so issue were done by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and are considered classic stories. "FF" is still published monthly to this day. Imagine though if every second or third issue of "FF" had a Lee and Kirby reprint in it? Would not that be absurd? Aren't readers each month looking for *new* stories which they have not read before? I don't think any other comic publisher could get away with re-reprinting stories in their monthly titles like we have to deal with Disney comics!

Now lets take it one step further. Imagine Marvel using a Lee and Kirby "FF" re-reprint every few months if there were *hundreds* of "FF" stories that were already written and drawn but never printed yet! Imagine how fans would feel then! Yet that is just the case when it comes to Disney comics. We get re-reprints after re-reprints when there are *thousands* of stories that have never seen print in North America! Does that make any sense? Why in the world can't we have more new stories, especially considering that Gemstone does not even have to pay for them to be written or drawn??? I realize that Gemstone still has to color them and letter them, and sometimes have new dialogue written. However isn't that a *far* cry from having to pay for the new stories themselves?

Now is there is a place for reprinting these Lee and Kirby classic "FF" stories? Of course! However, the one place *not* to reprint them is the current monthly "FF" title! Marvel and DC both reprint their most classic stories in not just one but *two* formats! They both have a line of high priced archives. And they also both have low priced black and white versions where you get over 500 pages for about $16.00. Why can't Gemstone have a line or two that reprints classic stories, and at the same time leave their monthly titles for new to North America stories? Why do we have to get so many re-reprints with comparatively few new stories?

I would really like to hear what other members on this mailing list who buy Gemstone comics monthly have to think about this. And if there are people who *do* like seeing re-re-reprints much more than new stories, can you please explain why? Perhaps I am just not seeing this the right way and someone can help me look at it from a different view.

At this point though I am losing much of my enthusiasm for the future of Disney comics in North America and I *love* Disney comics, even more than it perhaps makes sense to do so! How exciting can it be though to get even *more* copies of stories I already have... Perhaps the new Shonen Jump style title will focus on new stories. Yet I have a bad feeling that Gemstone will take the "cheap" and "easy" way out and just fill lots of them with more re-re-reprints.

I realize that Gemstone wants to talk about their new titles and direction at their own place and time. Wherever and whenever that happens though, could Gemstone *please* address why they are to my way of thinking largely giving up on new stories?

Dean Rekich


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Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:26:27 -0500
From: David Gerstein
Subject: Re: DCML Digest, Vol 45, Issue 3
To: dcml

Hi Dean,

I'll have to save some of your concerns for an upcoming letter... I
really appreciate you voicing so many thoughts about this stuff. But
I can at least address one issue right away...

> With less titles each month, you would think re-re-reprints should
> be kept to a minimum. Yet that seems to be the opposite of what is
> happening. In the first 8 issues of Uncle Scrooge to be published
> in 2007, 4 of these issues have a Rosa reprint!

Hmm. There are Rosa reprints in the January ("Return to Plain
Awful"), April ("Treasure Under Glass"), and July-ship ("Guardians of
the Lost Library") issues. That's three issues, not four.

> Before there were not 4 Rosa reprints in U$ in a whole year, and
> that is when we had more titles each month!

As has actually been our routine for two years now (!), we generally
try to feature a Rosa story in one out of every three US issues. This
Rosa story can be either an original or a reprint. When Don produces
more new stories, those will naturally occupy this spot. We're not
wedded specifically to reprints as a rule.

> Of course that does not even count Vacation Parade 4, Pygmy/
> Wendigo and the next Walt Disney Treasures TPB which *all* feature
> Rosa reprints!

Er... the subject of the Treasures TPB is the history of Scrooge.
Would you expect a TPB based on this subject not to include a Rosa
story?

> Does Gemstone feel it cannot sell even two monthly titles without
> continually re-re-reprinting Barks and Rosa stories?

Uh... er... another one of our usual techniques, for at least the
past year and a half, has been to feature a long Barks story in one
out of every three US issues, too.
Remember, each of these issues has roughly 60 pages of comics
material. That's 180 in every three months. Subtract roughly 60 pages
for long and short Barks and Rosa stories and you'll still get 120
pages of almost entirely new, or new-to-North-America, material over
that time. Do you really think we're being that stingy with the new
stories?

> If so, I would at least like them to come out and say so.

Sure; it's not like we've got anything to hide.
Barks and Rosa are our most popular Uncle Scrooge creators, with
many readers of the Scrooge title repeatedly requesting reprints. But
not much about our technique of satisfying those readers is any
different now than it has ever been. And in the meantime, the book is
still two-thirds full of new-to-America material by Scarpa, Kari
Korhonen, Mau Heymans, Lars Jensen, Daniel Branca, Daan Jippes, Tony
Strobl, and many other greats.

> Also, what happens in say 3 or 4 years when they have reprinted all
> of Don's stories again in U$ or WDC&S or annuals? Do we then start
> over having them re-re-reprinted *again*?

Hmm. Good question...

> Imagine though if every second or third issue of "FF" had a Lee and
> Kirby reprint in it? Would not that be absurd?

As you point out, "FF" has had numerous reprint books, published
rather frequently. If there was only one "FF" title per year, and
this was the only outlet for ALL "FF" stories, both new and old, then
I wouldn't be surprised to see a reprint in every third issue.
With Scrooge, we're putting out a few specials to celebrate his 60th
anniversary in 2007; but more typically, he only gets one regularly
published title. Under these conditions, I think it's only natural to
include some reprints, as long as we make sure that the great
majority of the material is new.

> Why can't Gemstone have a line or two that reprints classic
> stories, and at the same time leave their monthly titles for new to
> North America stories?

Because as far as we're able to gauge, most readers really seem to
appreciate a mix (though of course, we'd always like to hear more
opinions!). Even TREASURES, which for many publishers might have been
an all-reprint book, is better IMHO with some new-to-North-America
material too.

> We get re-reprints after re-reprints when there are *thousands* of
> stories that have never seen print in North America! Does that
> make any sense? Why in the world can't we have more new stories,
> especially considering that Gemstone does not even have to pay for
> them to be written or drawn???

In the early days, Gemstone did feature a little more new material
and somewhat fewer Barks and Rosa reprints. Speaking for myself, I
might personally have preferred it that way, but Gemstone got large
amounts of feedback asking for more Barks and Rosa... to the point
where it was very clear that the feedback represented a significant
part of our readership.

> I realize that Gemstone wants to talk about their new titles and
> direction at their own place and time. Wherever and whenever that
> happens though, could Gemstone *please* address why they are to my
> way of thinking largely giving up on new stories?

All I can say is... we're not giving up on new stories anytime soon,
nor would we want to.
More thoughts later.

Best, David


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Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:15 pm

Three more emails taken from the Disney Comics Mailing List. Including one by David Gerstein and one by Gary Leach.

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Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 13:44:33 -0500
From: "Leo Schulte"
Subject: Re: Gemstone and the Future
To: dcml

One reason why I have not bought hardly any comic books is the lack of
new Rosa and Van Horn stories! I know that Don Rosa is famous for
working slowly and meticulously, so his output is not prodigious. But
what about the other American authors? Why not more new stories from
Block and Fernandez ?

And if there are still not enough authors to fill a comic book with new
things, why not a little talent search?

A friend of mine cancelled his subscription more than a year ago: same
complaint. Not enough new Don Rosa stories!

--

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Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 14:23:35 -0500
From: "David Gerstein"
Subject: RE: Gemstone and the Future
To: dcml

Hi Leo,

<<One reason why I have not bought hardly any [Gemstone] comic books is the lack of new Rosa and Van Horn stories! I know that Don Rosa is famous for working slowly and meticulously, so his output is not prodigious. But what about the other American authors?>>

Bill Van Horn doesn't produce quite as many stories as he used to. But we've still got a new Donald saga from him in every other issue of WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES. Sometimes even more often than that.
Pat and Carol McGreal, Michael T. and Janet Gilbert, Byron Erickson, Dave Rawson, John Lustig, John Blair Moore, and Terry Laban are also North Americans, and our comics include quite a lot of their work. Or were you only referring to American *artists*?

<<Why not more new stories from Block and Fernandez?>>

The upcoming "Case of the Missing Mummy" is a Gemstone-produced long adventure written and drawn by Pat and Shelly Block, with art by Pat Block. Admittedly, one reason you don't see more stories drawn by Pat is that he is presently drawing for no Disney comics producer besides Gemstone, and we ourselves have never had a high budget for producing our own stories- so we couldn't take many more from him even if we wanted to.
We will, however, have more short Egmont stories *written* by the Blocks in the near future.

As for Ron Fernandez, I'm not sure of his whereabouts at present. He hasn't worked with the Blocks for many years, and I'm not aware that he's tried to write for any other Disney comics producer.

Best, David

[email is slightly edited, by marking the quoted text that David is replying to. --Egg]


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Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 12:46:15 -0700
From: Gary Leach
Subject: Re-re-reprints
To: dcml

Dean:

> Perhaps the new Shonen Jump style title will focus on new stories.
> Yet I have a bad feeling that Gemstone will take the "cheap" and
> "easy" way out and just fill lots of them with more re-re-reprints.

As Sue and I don't review Gemstone's solicitations, I won't speak to
the contents of upcoming prestige and one-shot issues, other than to
say I never put much faith in the product information supplied by
Amazon. However, I can say that the "Shonen Jump"-type books are
intended to feature all-new (for the U.S. market) material.

In any event, redirecting a comic book line is not a turn-on-a-dime
proposition. Some tricky course corrections are involved, and the
final bearing is not necessarily going to be obvious from the initial
maneuvers taken to reach it.

Gary


------------------------------
Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:42 pm

Gary Leach wrote:As Sue and I don't review Gemstone's solicitations, I won't speak to the contents of upcoming prestige and one-shot issues, other than to say I never put much faith in the product information supplied by Amazon. However, I can say that the "Shonen Jump"-type books are intended to feature all-new (for the U.S. market) material.

In any event, redirecting a comic book line is not a turn-on-a-dime proposition. Some tricky course corrections are involved, and the final bearing is not necessarily going to be obvious from the initial maneuvers taken to reach it.

Egg gets clutchy by reading Gary Leach's answer. Can someone figure out what on Earth the man means?

Gary's criticism to Amazon is the only part that can clearly be followed. "...I never put much faith in the product information supplied by Amazon." By writing this, Gary just points at other people. How cheap. The complaint is about Gemstone, not about messenger Amazon.

Is it just Egg or has Gary written a typical official spokesman message? His answer looks like non-stop disclaimer that attempts to keep customers at a distance.
David's answers show enthousiasm and commitment, to both Gemstone ánd customers.
Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:45 pm

- - - - - - - -

Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2006 20:26:13 -0700
From: Gary Leach
Subject: Re: DCML Digest, Vol 45, Issue 6
To: dcml

Dean:

> Gary I am thrilled to hear that the "Shonen Jump" style title is
> intended to contain all new stories! I think that is a fantastic
> decision and really hope it works out. Two quick questions. One,
> do you have a ball park idea of when the first of these titles
> might be published? Two, will this title contain long stories like
> used to be in MMA and DDA, shorter stories that might have appeared
> if MM&F and DD&F were still around, or some of each?

The SJ-type books are a new format for Gemstone, so there's still
some ironing out to do before we can schedule them. One definite aim
is for them to feature the material that was previously going to go
into MMA and DDA, and they could well include material that would
have gone in MMF and DDF.

Personally, I hope that if all goes well we'll be able to get the
first ones out by no later than the fall of '07. We'll see what happens.

Gary

- - - - - - - -
Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:24 pm

- - - - - - - -

Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 18:19:49 +0200
From: "Marvinw"
Subject: Strip Reprints--It's worked for Peanuts and Garfield
To: dcml

The main thread regarding the Gemstone Cancellations has been the call for more new stories--mainly of Egmont origin-- and /or the call for more old stories-- primarily of Western Printing origin but also some of the King Features Gottfredson stories.
The general consensus, however is that present Disney comics will remain a small niche market within the world of english language comics.
There is a fear that even with new titles there may be an implosion as with the Disney Comics of the 1990's or worse a total cessation that occured with Gladstone II.
Available for many years with wide sales and usually prominently displayed in bookstores are the large number of volumes of reprints, both B/W and colorized, of the daily newspaper gag-a-day strips of the popular and well known comic characters of Peanuts and Garfield (but I doubt as popular and well known as Mickey and Donald).
There is a vast reserve of King Features Disney daily strips just "itching" to be reprinted. If volumes of these were also widely sold, advertisements within could call the attention to and whet appetites for WDC&S and other Disney comics.
Dark Horse Comics has recently taken a fairly big bite of the Disney comics field. They have had issues of The Incredibles as well as now the classic Gremlins characters--following a beautiful reprint of the original Disney/Dahl book.
Also Disney Press has reentered the comic book field with several issues that they refer to as Junior Graphic Novels.
However, if at all possible, I would expect and hope that Gemstone would consider the reprint of the daily strips, and particularly with the motivation of Mr.Geppi to explore new channels to revitalize pop culture.
Marvin Winitz

- - - - - - - -
Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:13 pm

More emails taken from the Disney Comics Mailing List. Including one by David Gerstein.

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Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:06:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Phantom Blot
Subject: Re: Upcoming Gemstone titles and re-re-reprinting
To: dcml

> Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 01:06:03 -0500
> From: "deanmary"
> Subject: Upcoming Gemstone titles and re-re-reprinting

> My overall biggest disappointment and concern is that Gemstone seems to be
> starting to focus primarily on re-re-reprinting stories.
> We now only have two regular titles each month. With less titles each month,
> you would think re-re-reprints should be kept to a minimum. Yet that seems
> to be the opposite of what is happening. In the first 8 issues of Uncle
> Scrooge to be published in 2007, 4 of these issues have a Rosa reprint!

For this year 2006, we have had 11 Uncle Scrooge issues so far.

8 of the 11 issues have had a reprint (in English) as the opening story.

Uncle Scrooge #349 - January - The Doom Diamond (CB US#70 7/67)
Uncle Scrooge #350 - February - Last Sled To Dawson (DR AR113)
Uncle Scrooge #351 - March - Anti-Dollarosis (Scarpa)
Uncle Scrooge #352 - April - Isle of Golden Geese (CB US#45 10/63)
Uncle Scrooge #353 - May - The Great Paint Robbery
Uncle Scrooge #354 - June - The Black Knight Glorps Again (DR D2003-235)
Uncle Scrooge #355 - July - The Mysterious Stone Ray (CB US#8 12/54)
Uncle Scrooge #356 - August - Hall of The Mermaid Queen (CB US#68 3/67)
Uncle Scrooge #357 - September - Return To Xanadu (DR D90314)
Uncle Scrooge #358 - October - House of Haunts (CB US#63 5/66)
Uncle Scrooge #359 - November - The Incredible Shrinking Tightwad (DR D94202)


> I would really like to hear what other members on this mailing list who buy
> Gemstone comics monthly have to think about this.
> And if there are people who *do* like seeing re-re-reprints much more than
> new stories, can you please explain why?
> Perhaps I am just not seeing this the right way and someone can help me look
> at it from a different view.

> At this point though I am losing much of my enthusiasm for the future of
> Disney comics in North America and I *love* Disney comics, even more than
> it perhaps makes sense to do so! How exciting can it be though to get even
> *more* copies of stories I already have...
> Perhaps the new Shonen Jump style title will focus on new stories. Yet I
> have a bad feeling that Gemstone will take the "cheap" and "easy" way out
> and just fill lots of them with more re-re-reprints.

I share your disappointment. It has been a poor option.

Translating more Scarpa stories, appears to me, to be the best option for
future issues.

The Shonen Jump style books does sound like a "cheap and easy" replacement for
Donald Duck Adventures and Mickey Mouse Adventures. I have not seen a Shonen
Jump book, but I believe the books are more of a regular size, which is the one
thing I prefer over the "take-along" style books. However, I like the
production work of the "take-along" books, which will be missing.

I am also disappointed that the Mickey Mouse title is disappearing just as the
Paul Murry drawn serials were being printed in the one book. I was hoping for
every story of his to be published this way.

On the brighter side, the Gottfredson strips have been a nice addition to WDC.

> I realize that Gemstone wants to talk about their new titles and direction at
> their own place and time. Wherever and whenever that happens though, could
> Gemstone *please* address why they are to my way of thinking largely giving
> up on new stories?

The silence is deafening.

I am a little bit surprised that Gemstone cancelled 4 titles without even
trying to see if they could carry a price increase. The whole idea appears to
be very negative.


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Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 11:32:14 -0500
From: "David Gerstein"
Subject: RE: Upcoming Gemstone titles and re-re-reprinting
To: dcml, "Phantom Blot"
Cc: bangfish

Hi Blot,

> For this year 2006, we have had 11 Uncle Scrooge issues so far.
>
> 8 of the 11 issues have had a reprint (in English) as the opening story.
>
That initially sounds bad for fans of new stories; that's true. But let's turn the situation on its head and total up the pages of new-to-North-America stories per issue, regardless of whether the opening story was a reprint.

In UNCLE SCROOGE 349, 38 of 62 total comics pages were new to North America.
In US 350, 34 of 62 pages were new.
In US 351, all 62 pages were new.
In US 352, 39 of 62 pages were new.
In US 353, 57 of 61 pages were new.
In US 354, all 61 pages were new.
In US 355, 32 of 60 pages were new.
In US 356, 34 of 60 pages were new.
In US 357, 30 of 60 pages were new.
In US 358, 37 of 61 pages were new.
In US 359, 33 of 60 pages are new, if you count the three pages of "Incredible Shrinking Tightwad" material that weren't in the previous American printing.
And finally, in next month's US 360, you'll find that 56 pages of 60 will be new.

That's a year's worth of issues, and an average of 43 new pages per book out of 60-62 total comics pages. I think we're doing pretty well!
I've done a similar computation for next year's UNCLE SCROOGE issues as planned thus far, and find that we're even doing slightly better, with an average of 45 new pages per issue.

> Translating more Scarpa stories, appears to me, to be the best option for future issues.
>
While I don't think many readers would like to see Scarpa dominate the title, we've got a long Scarpa story next month and another long Scarpa coming in the spring. Scarpa isn't the only Italian creator with a long story coming, either.

> I am also disappointed that the Mickey Mouse title is disappearing just as the
> Paul Murry drawn serials were being printed in the one book. I was hoping for
> every story of his to be published this way.
>
Eh? Too many Scrooge reprints are a problem, but it seems you'd be perfectly happy to have Mickey's title dominated by reprints? (Or does your concern have something to do with the price of the Mickey book vs the Scrooge book?)
Whenever we get back to publishing a regular Mickey title, I'd really like to see it contain a mix... as it's actually been doing.

> > I realize that Gemstone wants to talk about their new titles and direction at
> > their own place and time. Wherever and whenever that happens though, could
> > Gemstone *please* address why they are to my way of thinking largely giving
> > up on new stories?
>
> The silence is deafening.
>
Huh? In a letter to Dean last week, I was hardly silent... in fact, I once again pointed out that we had a lot of new material coming. http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/2006-Nov ... 24647.html
The rumors of our reprint fixation have, I hope, been greatly exaggerated.

Best, David


------------------------------
Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:27 pm

David Gerstein wrote:[8 of the 11 issues have had a reprint (in English) as the opening story.]That initially sounds bad for fans of new stories; that's true. But let's turn the situation on its head and total up the pages of new-to-North-America stories per issue, regardless of whether the opening story was a reprint.

In UNCLE SCROOGE 349, 38 of 62 total comics pages were new to North America.
In US 350, 34 of 62 pages were new.
In US 351, all 62 pages were new.
In US 352, 39 of 62 pages were new.
In US 353, 57 of 61 pages were new.
In US 354, all 61 pages were new.
In US 355, 32 of 60 pages were new.
In US 356, 34 of 60 pages were new.
In US 357, 30 of 60 pages were new.
In US 358, 37 of 61 pages were new.
In US 359, 33 of 60 pages are new, if you count the three pages of "Incredible Shrinking Tightwad" material that weren't in the previous American printing.
And finally, in next month's US 360, you'll find that 56 pages of 60 will be new.

That's a year's worth of issues, and an average of 43 new pages per book out of 60-62 total comics pages. I think we're doing pretty well!
I've done a similar computation for next year's UNCLE SCROOGE issues as planned thus far, and find that we're even doing slightly better, with an average of 45 new pages per issue.

Doesn't David Gerstein realize that he's summing up a bad score for Gemstone? Most of the listed Uncle Scrooge comics have about 50% reprint in them. Add the expensive price to this and it's no wonder that Gemstone gets complaints.
Egg liked the first Gemstone issues, but the reprints and the price were too much. That David Gerstein is now praising himself and Gemstone is a bad sign.

David Gerstein wrote:The rumors of our reprint fixation have, I hope, been greatly exaggerated.

Mr. David Gerstein, where ever you are, these are not rumours. And you know it, because you're a smart man. Don't treat your customers as if they're wrong and you are right. The re-re-reprint complaints are valid.

Egg is surprised that not only Barks but also Rosa gets reprinted. Rosa is working since 1987, which is almost like yesterday. And Rosa's work is already a revival/recycling of older stuff. So now the revival gets a revival.
Is this in honour of Barks or Rosa? On the cover, yes. In reality reprints are easy money for the editors. Gemstone comics have become a very expensive way to buy pulp. Glossy pulp.
Egg
Member
 
Posts: 550
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:19 am

Postby Egg » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:01 pm

Another email taken from the Disney Comics Mailing List. An email which body got "scrubbed" by DCML's software:

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Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 16:33:13 GMT
From: "rodney-selfhelpbikeco"
Subject: Re: DCML Digest, Vol 45, Issue 3
To: dcml

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Since I do work in the paper industry, I feel that I can safely say that yes, paper prices ARE raising that much!However, I frankly have stopped buying the books monthly because I'm not satisfied with the quality of many of the newer stories. At this point, if a book is published and it contains a re-re-reprint, but it's of a story that I've not read (like War Of the Wendigo)I'm going to gladly purchase it. While I understand the point of your analogy to Fantastic Four, I don't think it quite works. Disney books are targeted more to a different audience. There are still plenty of comic strips being presented in papers today, but there is a large audience for Fantagraphics' Complete Peanuts book, even though much of that material is indeed re-re-reprinted. I think this is more along the lines of the audience that Gemstone is targeting with their books.Rodney


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