<a href="mailto:travis.joel.seitler@gmail.com" target="_blank"></a>On Nov 20, 2007 4:54 PM, <<a href="mailto:JTorci3511@aol.com" target="_blank">JTorci3511@aol.com</a>> wrote:<br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Another downside to the trade paperback is that, unlike
the periodical that is published in series, an isolated TPB is easier to
ignore.<span> </span>By this, I mean that, if
you're going to buy UNCLE SCROOGE # 380 and # 382, you are not likely to skip #
381 regardless of its contents.<span> </span>The
periodical fosters a "gotta get 'em all" mindset in its loyalists that the TPB
does not. [...] Offering this material as a non-series, non-periodical
trade paperback makes it all the easier for even a Gemstone die-hard like me to
ignore it.</font></font></p></font></font></div></font></div></blockquote></div>
<br>Joe,<br><br>You made an excellent point here, and I'd like to turn it on its head a bit...<br>
<br>
You see, the potential reader (<i>lector tiro</i>) and the established fan (<i>lector fanaticus</i>)
are entirely different species. As with much of nature, those
characteristics which are considered attractive by one species may be
incredibly repulsive to another.<br>
<br>
At Gemstone, we want to serve both species, but we have an ulterior motive—to transmogrify the <i>tiro</i> into a <i>fanaticus</i>! <b>(Bwah-ha-ha-ha!!!)</b> This, however, is a time- and labor-intensive process: given that Disney comics are not the
<i>lector tiro</i>'s natural diet, it must be approached cautiously and with small doses of this "new" food. Over time, the <i>tiro</i> develops a stronger taste for our fare, and eventually grows to crave it—thus completing the transformation!
<br>
<br>
Removing my tongue from the rut it has formed from having been so
firmly planted in my cheek... ;) ...unnumbered books don't carry the "baggage" of 300-700
previous issues, so they provide a better entry
point for new readers.
Potential readers can be intimidated by the perceived commitment
involved in picking up a long-established series, so making "isolated TPBs" available provides them with a low-risk taste of Disney comics.<br><br>Add that to Gary's comment regarding the shelf life of stand-alone books versus that of periodicals, and hopefully you can see why we make 'em: we wanna lasso us some newbies! ;)
<br><br>// Travis Seitler :: <a href="mailto:travis.joel.seitler@gmail.com" target="_blank">
travis.joel.seitler@gmail.com</a><br>