"Why Aren't You Ladies Reading Supergirl?!"

Perhaps the most funny/sad thing I've read in a while is this week's DC Nation. In it, editor Eddie Berganza implores female readers to please please please read the current Supergirl comic.

I can understand why Berganza would be worried. Once one of DC's top selling titles, sales on Supergirl have recently begun to plummet. This corresponds with a perceived change in direction for the title, with Berganza, writer Joe Kelly, artist Ian Churchill, and asst. editor Jeanine Schaefer trying to make Supergirl more girl-friendly. But their plans seem to be backfiring, as apparently many of those previously buying the title are leaving.

If Berganza & DC are serious about creating a Supergirl comic that appeals to females, they need to completely change direction. A good start would be hiring the team behind the "Supergirl Adventures" issue of Superman Adventures: Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, & Brett Blevins. (Actually, a good artist capable of an animated and/or manga-influenced style would be perfect if Blevins isn't available.) They must also be prepared for the book to sell far less in the direct market, more in the realm of a Johnny DC book. Because most of the fanboys who bought the early issues won't buy it, and most of the ladies will prefer to buy it in bookstores.

If DC wants a Supergirl comic that appeals to teenage boys (and creepy middle-aged men...) then fine. But don't expect the same comic to appeal to female readers in any great number.

Monkeys in Space!

Oni's James Lucas Jones sent along this promotional piece for James Vining's upcoming First in Space GN:




Normally I don't post such blatant ads, but how can I resist monkeys in space?

Yet Another Music Moment: Best of Bootie

I'm a casual fan of the mash-ups; I don't care enough to go seeking out the latest, but I enjoy a clever bootleg mash-up when I come across it.

If you're like me then, you'll want to DL the Best of Bootie 2006, a compilation of 21 mash-ups from the past year (+10 bonus mash-ups). As with all mash-ups your mileage may vary, but for my taste they're an interesting batch. My favorite is the Chemical Brothers vs. Velvet Underground vs. U2 vs. Sugababes vs. MARRS track "Don't Hold Back, Sweet Jane."

(via Digital Music Weblog)

New Library Comics: Week of January 15, 2007

Here are the comics we added to the library collection last week:



Bilder zum Text. /[Germany?] : [s.n.], [200-?]

The bizmar experiment : bunnyinsectzombiemonkeyalienrobot-- : 6 elements, 17 stories. /San Diego, Calif. : Young American Comics, c2003.

Boots in "Someone to love!" /[United States?] : [s.n.], [19--]

Brown, Chester, 1960- Ed the happy clown. /Montreal : Drawn and Quarterly Productions, 2005. nos. 2, 4, 7, 9

Burgoon, Charles. Charles Burgoon's Epidermolysis bullosa narcissus. /Coldwater, MI : Ghost Train Press, [200-?]- vol. 1

Cicerone, Michelangelo. Introducing the kid konjurer Wizzah! : a free comic book day mini comic! /[Dearborn, Mich.?] : Michelangelo Cicerone, c2005.

Corby, Bob. Adjustable /Columbus, OH : Back Porch Comics, c2005.

Cuti, Nicola. Spanner's galaxy /New York, NY : DC Comics, 1984-1985. nos. 1-6

Estep, Joanna. Jungle love /[United States?] : Joanna Estep, c2005.

Gregg, Lydia. Cannibulimic : incomplete rejection /[Grand Rapids, Mich.?] : Mental Note Press, c2003.

Gregg, Lydia. Chimera /[Grand Rapids, Mich.?] : Mental Note Press, c2005.

Gregg, Lydia. Morning on the inside : a waiting-room read /[Grand Rapids, Mich.?] : Mental Note Press, c2004.

Hansen, Lance Christian. Don't cry /Philadelphia, PA : KettleDrummer Books, c2006.

Holton, Emily. Osoyoos /[Toronto?] : Emily Holton, c2003.

Kobayashi, Makoto, 1958- What's Michael? /Milwaukie, Ore. : Dark Horse Comics, 1997- vols. 10-11

Macisaac, Steve. You can tell us anything /[California?] : Steve Macisaac, c2001.

Mineshaft. /Brattleboro, VT : Mineshaft, c1999- no. 18

Morse, Scott. Noble boy /Emeryville, Calif. : Red Window, Inc., c2006.

Palm, Marc. Quasioctix /[United States?] : MonsterHead, [2005]

Palm, Marc. The reclusives /[United States?] : MonsterHead, [200-?]

The return of the bizmar : 13 more bizarre tales of bunnies, insects, zombies, monkeys, aliens and robots! /[San Diego, Calif.?] : Young American Comics, c2003.

Rich, Jamie S. 12 reasons why I love her /Portland, Or. : Oni, 2006.

Rowntree, Winston. Bush vs everyone! : George W. Bush dies on every page! /[Toronto, Ont.?] : Virus Comics, c2004.

Steiner, Elke. Doc + Doctrix im Hochmoor : ein 24-Stunden-comic : 10.11.2002 1400 Uhr bis 11.11.2002 1400 Uhr /[Germany?] : [Elke Steiner?], [2002]

Takahashi, Rumiko, 1957- InuYasha /San Francisco, CA : Viz, LLC, c2003- vol. 27

Thorne, Frank. Ribit! /Norristown, PA : Comico the Comic Company, 1989. nos. 1-4

Uncle Phil in "Blah." /[United States?] : [s.n.], [19--]

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Oh no, a mischievous monkey has stolen Veronica's purse on Dan Parent & Hy Eisman's 1989 cover to Veronica #5!

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Yet Another Music Moment: Tift Merritt

This week's music pick is a singer songwriter with an alt-country flair. Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Tift Merritt first cut a (mostly covers) EP with the band Two Dollar Pistols before striking out on her own with her first album Bramble Rose in 2002. That album, picked as one of the year's best by both Time Magazine and The Times (of London), featured the great "Virginia, No One Can Warn You" as its lead single. Here's the also spectacular video for the song (in craptacular YouTube quality):



(If you want to shell out $2 you can get a better quality version from iTunes.)

And yes, that video is one continuous shot.

She followed up with Tambourine, which was less country and more bluesy. No sophomore slump, it featured the singles "Stray Paper" and "Good Hearted Man."

In 2005 she released a live album, and in early 2006 was on Austin City Limits.

She writes, she sings, and she's stunningly beautiful. Oh, and apparently she also does improv comedy too!

December Sales Figures

One of the essays/rants that's been running around in my head for some time now, yet has never cohered enough to be written, is about how I think that obsessing over the monthly Diamond sales figures is unhealthy for comics.

That said, I'm now going to obsess over the Diamond sales figures for December. I am nothing if not inconsistent in my beliefs.

Bad news for those who don't like Brad Meltzer's minutia-dwelling new JLA, as the 4th & 5th issues place as #1 & #2 on the charts. So don't look for things to change unless/until Meltzer wants to leave. (Justice League Unlimited, which is the sort of title that outspoken online JL fans say they want, sells less than 10% of JLofA...)

No issue of Civil War in December, so Marvel's missing a bunch of sales, both for the main title and all of the tie-ins that had to be pushed back as well.

I continue to be surprised though that Civil War: Front Line sells near 100K each month. (Happy though for pal Steve Lieber, as hopefully the payment he gets will allow him to do something less super-hero-y.) Look for DC to try to replicate Front Line's success on whatever their next big crossover is.

Looks like 52 fatigue is starting to creep in, as sales on the weekly comic dip below the 100K mark.

Sales on Supergirl are plummeting. Not that 56K is horrible, but this book used to sell over 100K back when it was plagued with delays.

Sales on newuniversal #1 were 43K, which is good for a Warren Ellis take on the old New Universe.

The Spirit #1 only moved 35K, which is darn near criminal.

Warhammer 40K moves nearly 10K units, which I think is the most that a Boom! title has ever done? Esp. good since the true market for this comic will most likely be looking for it in a trade edition outside of the direct market channels.

Poor sales on WildStorm's new licensed horror titles. I'm sure they're hoping for collected edition sales in the book market, but if those don't materialize look for these to be toast.

In fact, the whole chart shows, as it does most every month, the inability of the direct market to support a midlist (we proved this with graphs a few months ago). Comic sales may be up a healthy 15% for 2006, but that's mainly due to a few top performers in the form of event-driven super-hero comics. So look for DC & Marvel to continue to pursue that strategy for the near-to-mid-future.