<<The real comparison would be "If Ultimates shipped 12 times vs. 4, we'd make three times as much money">>

That is EXACTLY the point!

Howard

The printing costs would be the same (maybe more for new plates) , but the cost of labor would be more, I don't have a clue about royalties, someone here else may know.

The publishers may prefer to ship less books, but with higher sales.

The real comparison would be "If Ultimates shipped 12 times vs. 4, we'd make three times as much money"

The guys who really get screwed (at least financially) are the retailers.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

<<No ... it's late shipping, incomprehensible, grim, realistic, ninja death
warrior books from here on in ... whaddaya mean guys who can fly ain't
realistic? As long as they're killing people and agonizing about stuff, you
can be damn sure it's realistic. >>

Point taken.

Howard

I think the thing that burns my biscuits most about the whole "growing roses" crap is that not one artist in ten is really spending all that extra time at the drawingboard. Refer to Leifeld's comment upthread. Late because he's hangin' in the Holly 'hood, not because he's slaving over a hot drawingboard all day. Sad thing is, there are just enough clueless fans and retailers to float this particular boat.

I think the thing that burns my biscuits most about the whole "growing roses" crap is that not one artist in ten is really spending all that extra time at the drawingboard.

***

As if that's not bad enough, I want to know what the late writers are doing. There is absolutely no way it should take a month or more to WRITE a 22 page comic story, whether in Marvel format or full script.

This example has been used here often and I agree in theory, but I think one
thing everybody forgets. The publisher has to pay four times as much for
the second book to make the same amount as the first book.

••

In point of fact, if the publisher gets his monthlies to the printer as
monthlies, guaranteed, he avoids things like late fees and can actually work
out deals where he pays less to print 12 than to print 10 or 8.

I have no idea where you plucked this "four times as much" nonsense from.
If that were true, no comicbook company would last past its second issue.

***

From here:

if you're putting out a comic that sells 100,000 copies an issue but only comes out four times a year you're selling 400,000 comics.  A comic that ships monthly only has to sell 33,333 copies an issue to match that.

Based on the fact the creative team for the lesser selling book would get paid for doing more pages. (it should have been three times, not four. I'm sick, faulty math!)