Prestige comics at prestige prices

[Dan Shane]

GARY WROTE:

> After the prestige monthly, the trade paperback will be Gemstone's
> format of choice. The album and the pocket book (the digest) are also
> contenders. Less certain is the newsstand (magazine) format, but the
> door hasn't been closed on that either.

AND I REPLY:

Long-time readers may recall that I was one of a handful who expressed
displeasure at the disappearance of standard format "comic magazines" in
favor of the high-priced prestige books toward the end of the Gladstone run.
Gary certainly has better access than I to actual figures on comparative
sales of the two formats, and I'm guessing those figures may have influenced
Gemstone's decision to again produce Disney titles in the pricier style.

I tend to be very selective about the reading material I spend my dollars
on, and buying a smallish book with only one story I care about for $5+ is
not an attractive option.  I've never had a problem with spending more for
the larger albums, as they have always been pleasurable reading from cover
to cover.  My opinion about this may be in the minority, and for Gemstone's
sake I hope that is true.  I'm probably looking at this from the perspective
of the old nostalgic fart who just wants his comic books to look like they
did when he was a kid.

Dan