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Topic: Fantastic Four 645 - The end? (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Marcio Ferreira
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Posted: 04 May 2015 at 11:04am | IP Logged | 1  

I just read that Marvel cancelled the Fantastic Four (!!!) in the edition 645. I wonder if this is just the begin of the end for all comic book magazines (mass production mind you). Thoughts?

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Brian J Nelson
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Posted: 04 May 2015 at 11:16am | IP Logged | 2  

This particular ending has been talked about for quite some time. Many outlets are suggesting it is Marvel's silent boycott of the FF movie (similar to how a writer will change his credit to Alan Smithee).

Disney has no interest in closing up its comic printing production yet. That specific arm is incredibly, and increasingly profitable (according to Disney shareholder reports) along with the rest of the Marvel based business units. Since acquiring Marvel in 2008, Disney's stock has nearly tripled. Shareholders don't want to see an organization jeopardizing valuation too much by changing too much something that has that high of an operating income. 

But I expect the FF will be back with a brand new number 1 early next year, sometime after the movie has come out on DVD.
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Peter Martin
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Posted: 04 May 2015 at 12:47pm | IP Logged | 3  


 QUOTE:
That specific arm is incredibly, and increasingly profitable (according to Disney shareholder reports)
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You must be reading different shareholder reports to me.


 QUOTE:
Since acquiring Marvel in 2008, Disney's stock has nearly tripled.
Disney bouncing back from the financial crisis in 2008 has less to do with Marvel than it does with the fact that we were bouncing back from a financial crisis, especially given Disney did not acquire Marvel until the third quarter of 2009.

Some facts: the actual performance of its share price over that time has more than quadrupled ($26 in late August 2009 to $111 today). Disney's profits are dominated by its Media Networks and Parks & Resorts segments (the likes of ESPN, ABC, Disney Channel, DisneyWorld, DisneyLand, etc drive its earnings). Studio Enterntainment (of which Marvel Studios is just a part) is a distant third. The publishing side of Marvel comics is not very significant -- to put it into context, going by Q1 2015, the Media Networks segment makes profits that are three times as big as Studio Entertinament.  Studio Entertainment makes earnings that are twice as big as Consumer Products (Disney's 4th biggest segment out of 5 segments). Marvel comics is a small part of Consumer Products (this segment includes all retail, all merchandising licensing). In the Q1 segment, Spider-Man merchandising got a mention in the Consumer Products section along with Frozen merchandising, as did growth in their retail stores. Marvel Comics publishing got no mention.

Edited to add: which is not to say that Marvel as a whole is not importnt to Disney -- clearly it is. Marvel characters feed into its parks, its films, its licensing. But the published comics in themselves are not significant beyond maintaining copyrights and farming new properties.


Edited by Peter Martin on 04 May 2015 at 12:51pm
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Steve De Young
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Posted: 04 May 2015 at 3:17pm | IP Logged | 4  

But the published comics in themselves are not significant beyond maintaining copyrights and farming new properties.
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You also have to remember that it's not just an issue of profitable vs. unprofitable. Its an issue of return on the dollar invested. So, for example, if the gross revenues of Marvel's comic book publishing is double what they spend to produce it, but they're tripling their money on TPB's through a book publishing arm, and quadrupling their money on Marvel-based TV cartoons, they'll shut down their (quite profitable) comic book publishing in a second in order to reinvest that money in the other divisions where they're reaping bigger profits. They can always then license the characters to another comic publisher for some pure profit on the side.
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Marc Cheek
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Posted: 04 May 2015 at 4:14pm | IP Logged | 5  

Well, with the way the FF has been heading lately, it's probably a
mercy-killing...
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Brian J Nelson
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Posted: 05 May 2015 at 11:06am | IP Logged | 6  

"They can always then license the characters to another comic publisher for some pure profit on the side."

Though I have a feeling that they learned something about handing characters over to another company through their film department. If there is one thing that Disney wants, its control.
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Stephen Churay
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Posted: 05 May 2015 at 8:43pm | IP Logged | 7  

Although, it would be a great day if Marvel was willing to licence the
FF to IDW for awhile. I can think of a certain writer/artist that might
like another crack at him.
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Brad Teschner
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Posted: 05 May 2015 at 10:21pm | IP Logged | 8  

Maybe if they just went back to being Marvel...???
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John Byrne
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Posted: 06 May 2015 at 4:36am | IP Logged | 9  

Although, it would be a great day if Marvel was willing to licence the FF to IDW for awhile. I can think of a certain writer/artist that might like another crack at him.

••

The problem with this idea is that such a license would be for the Fantastic Four, and only the Fantastic Four. Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny. And, as we all know, the FF are so much more. . .

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Peter Martin
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Posted: 06 May 2015 at 6:06am | IP Logged | 10  

Looking at that picture makes me think an FF TV series would be far more likely to succeed than an FF movie.
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Adam Hutchinson
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Posted: 06 May 2015 at 6:41am | IP Logged | 11  

I'm willing to bet this cancellation has less to do with the FF movie and
more to do with the fact that the series has been selling poorly for the
last few years despite two big relaunches with popular "name" talent. To
me it seems more likely that they're simply giving the title a rest, like
they did with Thor, than any Disney/Fox kerfluffle conspiracy theory.
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Brad Teschner
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Posted: 06 May 2015 at 9:37am | IP Logged | 12  

That FF poster is one of my all-time favorite posters...so awesome. a
friend of mine had it and gave me some pretty serious poster envy when
I was a wee lad!
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