DC Layoffs

Everything else comic-related that's not VALIANT-related.

Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg

Post Reply
dornwolf
Just jumpin' through time arcs, that's all.
Just jumpin' through time arcs, that's all.
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:36:40 am
DC Layoffs

Post by dornwolf »

I'm surprised no one posted this yet but DC is going through some massive layoffs at the moment.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-comi ... right-now/

There's more but it's a lot to wade through. Before someone starts hitting the death-knell realize that this is AT&T laying people off all over WarnerMedia. They've got A LOT OF DEBT and Covid probably didn't help

User avatar
geocarr
Those responsible for those remarks have been sacked.
Those responsible for those remarks have been sacked.
Posts: 4368
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:07:56 pm
Valiant fan since: 1992
Favorite character: Vincent the Goat!
Favorite title: All of them!
Location: Woods of Southeastern NC
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by geocarr »

I read one of Rich's articles about this yesterday and thought about posting it here but was just overall hit by sadness at the possible thought of the decline of comic books which I hope is not true but hard to avoid the feeling as:
we loyal lifelong fans age
the world turns away from print and toward digital
print runs and readership decline (seemingly)
comic stores close
Valiant repeats Shooter/Dinesh getting ousted and Acclaim/DMG takeover with decline in quality
gimmick covers of the 1990's vs. variant covers of the 2010's
Valiant closing their office space
DC layoffs

I have a handful of favorite things in this world and in my life of 47 years and comic books have been with me longer than any of the others.

It's just sad and sometimes too sad to write about.

But at the end of all that I see how much love the Marvel Cinematic Universe has created and endeared for the characters and stories and I have hope and will remain hopeful despite these temporary episodes of sadness. The form and delivery may change but I don't think "comics" are going anywhere anytime soon.
***Support your local farmers!***

User avatar
nycjadie
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Posts: 7288
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:38:36 am
Valiant fan since: Solar #1
Favorite character: Rai
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Kindt
Favorite artist: Too many to choose.
Location: Virginia
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by nycjadie »

DC is definitely putting a lot of the print business to bed.

I wouldn't be surprised if Valiant does the same.

Marvel still seems to be plugging away with the Direct Market, with just a few casualties.

We still have a lot of indie producers producing great stuff.

But yeah, the comic industry may never be the same.

dornwolf
Just jumpin' through time arcs, that's all.
Just jumpin' through time arcs, that's all.
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:36:40 am
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by dornwolf »

nycjadie wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2020 1:09:27 pm DC is definitely putting a lot of the print business to bed.

I wouldn't be surprised if Valiant does the same.

Marvel still seems to be plugging away with the Direct Market, with just a few casualties.

We still have a lot of indie producers producing great stuff.

But yeah, the comic industry may never be the same.
It might need to evolve a little and this might help. Big on the might though. The new AT&T guy I guess is all in on expanding the brand and digital and streaming. So yeah getting floppies from DC might be fewer and far between with digital and OGN picking up the slack.

Until actual information comes out instead of all the rumor mongering feedback loop that we've found ourselves in we just don't know. What ever changes made could either give the industry a much needed kick in the *SQUEE* or kill it.

User avatar
Chiclo
I'm Chiclo. My strong Dongs paid off well.
I'm Chiclo.  My strong Dongs paid off well.
Posts: 21667
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:09:11 am
Favorite character: Kris
Location: Texas
Contact:
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by Chiclo »

I can’t remember the last time I ordered a new DC comic. Maybe I am a part of the problem, and the corporate people are just reacting to many people like me, who haven’t bought a DC comic in a while. Maybe if I and other like-minded folks had bought more of their comics of decreasing quality... they’d probably still be withdrawing from a dying medium. What do I know? I have a subscription to my local newspaper still.

I can probably count on one hand the number of DC comics I have pre-ordered since they separated their comic pre-orders out of Previews magazine. And now they have even discontinued that!

User avatar
ShadowTuga
Chapa Zero in Portuguese translated to English would be Chapa Zero.
Chapa Zero in Portuguese translated to English would be Chapa Zero.
Posts: 3692
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:06:13 am
Valiant fan since: 2012
Location: Lisboa, Portugal
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by ShadowTuga »

So, Death Metal, DC's latest BIG event is supposed to be an "Anti-Crisis" where at the end we'll realise that "everything/every story matters". Snyder's words.
I take from this that DC is going to give up on a shared linewide continuity for future monthlies- and with these more recent news, I also take it that there will be a LOT less monthly "paper" comics and that digital and collections is the new way they'll do most of their business. :?

I assume that the big guys like Batman and Superman will probably have their books as usual, but the New Gods books, for a random example, will probably be now available as a digital offering only AND If its good and it sells, then print a tpb. From Jim Lee's talk today, it sure sounds like that.
“To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.”
Yamamoto Tsunetomo

User avatar
tarheelmarine
Ask me about the Mellow Mushroom
Ask me about the Mellow Mushroom
Posts: 3747
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:14:44 pm
Valiant fan since: 1992
Favorite character: Magnus Robot Fighter
Favorite title: Shadowman
Favorite writer: Jim Shooter
Favorite artist: Jim Calafiore
Location: Japan
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by tarheelmarine »

I just read Mile High Comic's newsletter and ole Chuck seems to think most of DC's print will be dead.I don't think it will be that drastic. Personally, I don't care whether DC loses 50% of the print titles out there. Of course I am only interested in Wonder Woman Dead Earth, The Question, Last God, and the new Batman White Knight_ Harley series. Very few titles interest me, and the only Marvel books I am buying are Conan related (House of X was good, but there are way to many X books).

I hope DC doesn't cut the Last God and Batman White Knight but maybe a focus on a few titles will make them better. Back issues seem better and better to me everyday.

User avatar
nycjadie
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Posts: 7288
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:38:36 am
Valiant fan since: Solar #1
Favorite character: Rai
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Kindt
Favorite artist: Too many to choose.
Location: Virginia
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by nycjadie »

tarheelmarine wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:47:05 am I just read Mile High Comic's newsletter and ole Chuck seems to think most of DC's print will be dead.I don't think it will be that drastic. Personally, I don't care whether DC loses 50% of the print titles out there. Of course I am only interested in Wonder Woman Dead Earth, The Question, Last God, and the new Batman White Knight_ Harley series. Very few titles interest me, and the only Marvel books I am buying are Conan related (House of X was good, but there are way to many X books).

I hope DC doesn't cut the Last God and Batman White Knight but maybe a focus on a few titles will make them better. Back issues seem better and better to me everyday.
Chuck's newsletter was interesting to me in that it said that most of the management was let go. I wonder how bad the team has been decimated. I feel like COVID is quickening the long slow decline of the comic hobby as we know it.

User avatar
IMJ
I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
Posts: 4752
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:05:45 am
Valiant fan since: VH1 X-O Manowar #1
Favorite character: VH1 Sting | VH2 Rai
Favorite title: VH2 Rai
Favorite writer: Kurt Busiek
Favorite artist: Sean Chen
Location: Chicago, IL
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by IMJ »

nycjadie wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:39:59 am
tarheelmarine wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:47:05 am I just read Mile High Comic's newsletter and ole Chuck seems to think most of DC's print will be dead.I don't think it will be that drastic. Personally, I don't care whether DC loses 50% of the print titles out there. Of course I am only interested in Wonder Woman Dead Earth, The Question, Last God, and the new Batman White Knight_ Harley series. Very few titles interest me, and the only Marvel books I am buying are Conan related (House of X was good, but there are way to many X books).

I hope DC doesn't cut the Last God and Batman White Knight but maybe a focus on a few titles will make them better. Back issues seem better and better to me everyday.
Chuck's newsletter was interesting to me in that it said that most of the management was let go. I wonder how bad the team has been decimated. I feel like COVID is quickening the long slow decline of the comic hobby as we know it.
I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?

User avatar
nycjadie
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Posts: 7288
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:38:36 am
Valiant fan since: Solar #1
Favorite character: Rai
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Kindt
Favorite artist: Too many to choose.
Location: Virginia
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by nycjadie »

IMJ wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:07:14 pm
nycjadie wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:39:59 am
tarheelmarine wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:47:05 am I just read Mile High Comic's newsletter and ole Chuck seems to think most of DC's print will be dead.I don't think it will be that drastic. Personally, I don't care whether DC loses 50% of the print titles out there. Of course I am only interested in Wonder Woman Dead Earth, The Question, Last God, and the new Batman White Knight_ Harley series. Very few titles interest me, and the only Marvel books I am buying are Conan related (House of X was good, but there are way to many X books).

I hope DC doesn't cut the Last God and Batman White Knight but maybe a focus on a few titles will make them better. Back issues seem better and better to me everyday.
Chuck's newsletter was interesting to me in that it said that most of the management was let go. I wonder how bad the team has been decimated. I feel like COVID is quickening the long slow decline of the comic hobby as we know it.
I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?
Kids don’t seem interested in serialized comics. Far fewer adults are as well. Comic characters are still valuable. Cons have never been bigger. However, people seem less interested in comic books as we grew up with them. They want Pop figures, video games, movies, tchotchkes, etc.

User avatar
tarheelmarine
Ask me about the Mellow Mushroom
Ask me about the Mellow Mushroom
Posts: 3747
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:14:44 pm
Valiant fan since: 1992
Favorite character: Magnus Robot Fighter
Favorite title: Shadowman
Favorite writer: Jim Shooter
Favorite artist: Jim Calafiore
Location: Japan
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by tarheelmarine »

nycjadie wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:22:09 pm
IMJ wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:07:14 pm
nycjadie wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:39:59 am
tarheelmarine wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:47:05 am I just read Mile High Comic's newsletter and ole Chuck seems to think most of DC's print will be dead.I don't think it will be that drastic. Personally, I don't care whether DC loses 50% of the print titles out there. Of course I am only interested in Wonder Woman Dead Earth, The Question, Last God, and the new Batman White Knight_ Harley series. Very few titles interest me, and the only Marvel books I am buying are Conan related (House of X was good, but there are way to many X books).

I hope DC doesn't cut the Last God and Batman White Knight but maybe a focus on a few titles will make them better. Back issues seem better and better to me everyday.
Chuck's newsletter was interesting to me in that it said that most of the management was let go. I wonder how bad the team has been decimated. I feel like COVID is quickening the long slow decline of the comic hobby as we know it.
I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?
Kids don’t seem interested in serialized comics. Far fewer adults are as well. Comic characters are still valuable. Cons have never been bigger. However, people seem less interested in comic books as we grew up with them. They want Pop figures, video games, movies, tchotchkes, etc.
COVID has shown how fragile the direct market system is, and how our retailers are living week to week and are dependent on new product. It's sad to see livelihoods taken away (I have not seen any stores shutdown in NOLA or Raleigh, and there are none in Japan) and Diamond's decision to cease distributing which resulted in DC going it's own way has not helped with books getting to stores in a timely manner. The inconsistency in shipping is going to hurt. Marvel is struggling in this area as well. As much as I like Conan, if the books don't ship soon then I am likely to drop the books.

As far as kids go, our industry has not capitalized on the format in which kids prefer to read comics. My kids love Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dogman which are not in a serialized format. I know all of us have commented on the price point of a serial comic is prohibitive to a kid, heck it's prohibitive to most adults. Dogman has 240 pages for $9-$14 depending on which vendor you purchase the book.

Many on this board have commented on how the big two have not maintained faith with the core group of comic buyers. I agree. That is one reason I don't follow what I grew up reading and have branched into Image and other independents. Perhaps if the big two cancel the majority of the books they are publishing and focus on producing stories that don't require a crossover, etc then it might be less confusing to new readers that venture into a store.

User avatar
mramsterdam
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Posts: 457
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:35:53 pm
Location: Home of the Devil/Devils
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by mramsterdam »

nycjadie wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:22:09 pm
IMJ wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:07:14 pm
nycjadie wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:39:59 am
tarheelmarine wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:47:05 am I just read Mile High Comic's newsletter and ole Chuck seems to think most of DC's print will be dead.I don't think it will be that drastic. Personally, I don't care whether DC loses 50% of the print titles out there. Of course I am only interested in Wonder Woman Dead Earth, The Question, Last God, and the new Batman White Knight_ Harley series. Very few titles interest me, and the only Marvel books I am buying are Conan related (House of X was good, but there are way to many X books).

I hope DC doesn't cut the Last God and Batman White Knight but maybe a focus on a few titles will make them better. Back issues seem better and better to me everyday.
Chuck's newsletter was interesting to me in that it said that most of the management was let go. I wonder how bad the team has been decimated. I feel like COVID is quickening the long slow decline of the comic hobby as we know it.
I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?
Kids don’t seem interested in serialized comics. Far fewer adults are as well. Comic characters are still valuable. Cons have never been bigger. However, people seem less interested in comic books as we grew up with them. They want Pop figures, video games, movies, tchotchkes, etc.
Add manga and anime too.I don't like the pop figures because sometimes i dont even know who the characters are without seeing a name and they look cheaply made.
I-Only judge porn by the cover.

User avatar
Tim
Confession... I liked Psi-Lords.
Confession... I liked Psi-Lords.
Posts: 5345
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:34:09 am
Valiant fan since: 1992
Favorite title: Harbinger
Favorite writer: Joshua Dysart
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by Tim »

IMJ wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:07:14 pm I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?
Overall lack of quality / entertainment value for the money is big factor. Only crazy folks (us) would pay $3.99 for five or ten minutes of (often questionable) entertainment.

User avatar
IMJ
I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
Posts: 4752
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:05:45 am
Valiant fan since: VH1 X-O Manowar #1
Favorite character: VH1 Sting | VH2 Rai
Favorite title: VH2 Rai
Favorite writer: Kurt Busiek
Favorite artist: Sean Chen
Location: Chicago, IL
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by IMJ »

Tim wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:12:35 pm
IMJ wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:07:14 pm I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?
Overall lack of quality / entertainment value for the money is big factor. Only crazy folks (us) would pay $3.99 for five or ten minutes of (often questionable) entertainment.
Agreed on this. And even those crazy folks are jumping ship I think with the added influence regarding how many of these companies chose to embrace "diversity publishing", and not only that but market it as if it was a new thing or something. People can be apologists for this, or outright deniers, but look at the state of the industry with or without COVID.

User avatar
nycjadie
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Especially "dude." And "balls." Those terms work in the tech industry.
Posts: 7288
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:38:36 am
Valiant fan since: Solar #1
Favorite character: Rai
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Kindt
Favorite artist: Too many to choose.
Location: Virginia
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by nycjadie »

IMJ wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:58:46 pm
Tim wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:12:35 pm
IMJ wrote: Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:07:14 pm I agree that COVID hasn't helped. What other factors do you guys think has led to the decline in readership across the hobby so badly that this is happening?
Overall lack of quality / entertainment value for the money is big factor. Only crazy folks (us) would pay $3.99 for five or ten minutes of (often questionable) entertainment.
Agreed on this. And even those crazy folks are jumping ship I think with the added influence regarding how many of these companies chose to embrace "diversity publishing", and not only that but market it as if it was a new thing or something. People can be apologists for this, or outright deniers, but look at the state of the industry with or without COVID.
One of my old hobbies was tabletop war gaming. I was always the young guy in the room. They would constantly call it the graying of the hobby. So few of us younger folks. They were not wrong.

User avatar
The Harbinger
Cruisin' in Darpan's Winnebago
Cruisin' in Darpan's Winnebago
Posts: 712
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:10:16 pm
Location: Eggbreaking today, Gone tomorrow
Contact:
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by The Harbinger »

Related

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-comi ... -of-money/


Bleedingcool is garbage, but seems like the happenings are starting to happen

User avatar
Chiclo
I'm Chiclo. My strong Dongs paid off well.
I'm Chiclo.  My strong Dongs paid off well.
Posts: 21667
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:09:11 am
Favorite character: Kris
Location: Texas
Contact:
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by Chiclo »

Sales are up for DC, that is good.

I wonder what their ratio of editors to average number of titles published per month is. Are they one of those silly meritocracies that has more books than editors?

User avatar
caxiotis
Wang, Wang, Wang, I want all of your books.
Wang, Wang, Wang, I want all of your books.
Posts: 3314
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:28:45 pm
Valiant fan since: 1991
Location: Des Moines, IA
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by caxiotis »

I always thought Tiny Titans had a shot of bringing new kid readers to comics. My kids love them, but haven’t see Franco and Batazar publishing DC kids stuff in a long time.
Pull List: I only buy TPB's, HC's and Hellboy comics

User avatar
SwiftMann
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Posts: 504
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:09:42 pm
Valiant fan since: 1994
Favorite character: Solar
Favorite title: 90s Shadowman
Location: PA
Re: DC Layoffs

Post by SwiftMann »

Interesting. Also interesting that they say sales are way up. Anecdotal, but my LCBS isn't moving DC books at all. They are returning tons of Future State books because those haven't moved at all. It's not helped by the completely screwed up distribution changes and whatever DCBS's distribution is called and their minimums nonsense.
"If you think any of these [older comics/shows/movies] do not carry a political content and is not using the medium of science fiction to explore real-world ideas, than you have not been paying attention." - Dan Abnett, VCR #246


Post Reply