The Four Color Media Monitor

The Greenfield Recorder's announced the annual Western Massachusetts Comic Book Show, and again, we seem to have a most ill-advised form of "marketing" in motion:

For those seeking to purchase comics, Henry said they’ll have everything from everyday “reading comics” for a few dollars to “investment copies,” which can go for thousands of dollars.

Among the artists and writers that will be on hand Sunday are Marcus McLaurin, who developed the “Marvels” comic; Casey and Rose Coller, who have worked on “Transformers” comics; and writer Jim Lawson and artist Michael Dooney, who worked on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

“They’re the best local artists we can find,” Henry said. “The focus is really staying on collectible comics and the artists who create them.”

I've argued before that the speculator market isn't something healthy for comicdom's reputation, and those retailers who cater to it aren't improving the situation. Why, even the emphasis on pamphlets rather than paperbacks and hardcovers also undermines the industry's image. Certainly, it's great if the organizers found some interesting artists to attend the convention, but that still doesn't improve upon the farce of putting an emphasis on selling for thousands on the speculator market. A real shame nobody in retail marketing seems to have learned.

Labels: conventions, msm propaganda, sales