Disney-comics digest #301.

[Mark Semich]

>From: Don Rosa <72260.2635 at CompuServe.COM>
>The rest of the American comic industry has never been interested in
>helping me out in this regard since they know my situation can't effect
>the sweet deals they are now guaranteed, so why should they get
>involved? No, Disney does NOT own, nor do they claim to own, the
>artwork.

What could another comic book company do to help the situation between
you and Disney?

>GLADSTONE CIRCULATION FIGURES:
>	I suddenly realized the answer to the paradox of these
>much-too-high circulation figures found in Gladstone's first set of
>"statement-of-ownership"s. We KNOW that these Disney comics are not
>selling 160,000 copies per issue in America! It's more like half that
>many, if not 1/4 that many.

How do we know that?

>	But the deal is that Gladstone prints 160,000 copies, sells
>what they do in direct sales, and turns over a certain percentage of
>the run to MARVEL.

And then Marvel prints new covers (with the "Marvel Comics" imprint)
for these old issues?  It seems more likely to me that a big chunk of
Gladstone's market is the overseas market.

>	So, we really have NO idea how the Gladstones are selling by
>just looking at those statement-of-ownerships. But just judging from the
>level of interest I see between now and the Gladstones of 7-8 years ago,
>I don't think they are selling all that well, due to how much Disney
>Comics ruined the market for them.

Well, I've been seeing a great deal of interest.  All the Gladstones
(except for D&M) consistently sell-out at all the comic book stores
around here, and I've often seen people asking for them, only to be
turned away.