|
|
Post by G on Apr 12, 2011 23:03:12 GMT -5
Even more bad news for comics.... www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31840Layoffs Hit Dark Horse ComicsCBR News learned today that Dark Horse Comics has laid off a number of staffers including people from their editorial and marketing departments. Believed to be included in the layoffs (though not the sum total of persons leaving the company) are editors Shawna Gore and Dave Land as well as sales assistant Max Sato. Reached by phone, a representative for Dark Horse declined to comment. A longstanding Editorial presence, Gore had been with the company since 1997 when she was brought on as Dark Horse's publicist. Though she served on many projects both new and archival for the publisher since joining editorial in 2002, Gore was perhaps best known for shepherding works in their horror division including the recent relaunch of the classic series "Creepy" and licensed work such as "Emily The Strange." Similarly, Land worked with Dark Horse since the late '90s working on a number of licensed and original properties including the Star Wars line, "Fear Agent" and "Samurai: Heaven & Earth." He also wrote the three-issue mini series "Werewolves On The Moon" and recently help craft stories for the "MySpace Dark Horse Presents" anthology. Sato had been with the company at least two years, previously serving as an Account Executive. He was a regular fixture on Dark Horse's in-house news blog. CBR wishes all employees laid off the best of luck, and will have more on the future of Dark Horse as it becomes available. |
|
|
|
Post by defiant1 on Apr 13, 2011 15:56:17 GMT -5
Even more bad news for comics.... www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31840Layoffs Hit Dark Horse ComicsCBR News learned today that Dark Horse Comics has laid off a number of staffers including people from their editorial and marketing departments. Believed to be included in the layoffs (though not the sum total of persons leaving the company) are editors Shawna Gore and Dave Land as well as sales assistant Max Sato. Reached by phone, a representative for Dark Horse declined to comment. A longstanding Editorial presence, Gore had been with the company since 1997 when she was brought on as Dark Horse's publicist. Though she served on many projects both new and archival for the publisher since joining editorial in 2002, Gore was perhaps best known for shepherding works in their horror division including the recent relaunch of the classic series "Creepy" and licensed work such as "Emily The Strange." Similarly, Land worked with Dark Horse since the late '90s working on a number of licensed and original properties including the Star Wars line, "Fear Agent" and "Samurai: Heaven & Earth." He also wrote the three-issue mini series "Werewolves On The Moon" and recently help craft stories for the "MySpace Dark Horse Presents" anthology. Sato had been with the company at least two years, previously serving as an Account Executive. He was a regular fixture on Dark Horse's in-house news blog. CBR wishes all employees laid off the best of luck, and will have more on the future of Dark Horse as it becomes available. It sounds like the roles of people who were ignoring Jim's Gold Key relaunch. A publicist and a news person. df1 |
|
|
|
Post by G on Apr 13, 2011 23:17:28 GMT -5
Yeah, serves them right.....
|
|
|
|
Post by bigw1966 on Apr 14, 2011 9:13:48 GMT -5
I understand that part of this had to do with the launch of the Digital comics initiative. Bleedingcool.com has a story about it.
|
|
|
|
Post by cyberstrike on Apr 14, 2011 11:09:11 GMT -5
Dark Horse's marketing department is a joke.
You want to know how I learned about Mass Effect: Redemption, and the current Mass Effect: Evolution mini-series, the "interactive" comic book for the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 and various offical web comics? I learned all of them from Bioware, the company that makes the games! They are the ones who really promoted the Mass Effect comics (which makes sense since it's their property) not Dark Horse.
Dark Horse dropped the ball on Gold Key revival again not promoting the hell out of it by using social media (like facebook, twitter, and myspace).
Their biggest mistake IMHO was launching it with Dr. Solar: Man of the Atom, Magnus: Robot Fighter, and Turok: Son of Stone and trying to make it look like Valiant version 3.57 (or however you want to count the various revamp attempts with Valiant).
Instead what I think they should have done is launched it with GK characters that Valiant never revived like Might Samson and Dr. Spektor (maybe even having other writers write them but working with Shooter) first then launched the rest of the line backwards (Turok: Son of Stone, Magnus: Robot Fighter, and then finally Dr. Solar: Man of the Atom in that order) they also should have hired some halfway decent artists who make their deadlines that would also helped out considerably.
They also needed to downplay the whole "GK/Valiant" revival since as far I Know Dark Horse is not planning or reviving Valiant one damn bit. Now I like the phrase "Dark Key" it's sounds cool. it's combo of Dark Horse and Gold Key, and really tells you all you need to know about these comics.
|
|
|
|
Post by defiant1 on Apr 14, 2011 18:15:38 GMT -5
Dark Horse's marketing department is a joke. You want to know how I learned about Mass Effect: Redemption, and the current Mass Effect: Evolution mini-series, the "interactive" comic book for the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 and various offical web comics? I learned all of them from Bioware, the company that makes the games! They are the ones who really promoted the Mass Effect comics (which makes sense since it's their property) not Dark Horse. Dark Horse dropped the ball on Gold Key revival again not promoting the hell out of it by using social media (like facebook, twitter, and myspace). Their biggest mistake IMHO was launching it with Dr. Solar: Man of the Atom, Magnus: Robot Fighter, and Turok: Son of Stone and trying to make it look like Valiant version 3.57 (or however you want to count the various revamp attempts with Valiant). Instead what I think they should have done is launched it with GK characters that Valiant never revived like Might Samson and Dr. Spektor (maybe even having other writers write them but working with Shooter) first then launched the rest of the line backwards ( Turok: Son of Stone, Magnus: Robot Fighter, and then finally Dr. Solar: Man of the Atom in that order) they also should have hired some halfway decent artists who make their deadlines that would also helped out considerably. They also needed to downplay the whole "GK/Valiant" revival since as far I Know Dark Horse is not planning or reviving Valiant one damn bit. Now I like the phrase "Dark Key" it's sounds cool. it's combo of Dark Horse and Gold Key, and really tells you all you need to know about these comics. Just as a good story entices you to want more, I agree that starting the Dark Key line with Solar and Magnus was a mistake. There was an audience waiting for those characters, but they should indeed have ramped up a universe and kept Solar in the shadows. I think starting the universe with Dr. Spektor would have been a really wise idea. The minute Solar stepped into a title as a guest, the fans would have been in a frenzy. The sub-par art is flat out inexcusable in my opinion. The lack of promotion is inexcusable. The problem Dark Horse has is that it settles for and has created an environment of mediocrity. It's possible that Dark Horse artists can't meet the deadline or follow Jim's very detailed instructions, but I think it's a safer bet that cash flow is the problem with the delays. I don't think the money is there to pay the printer, so they are delaying the books hoping for reorders or owed revenue to come in. I think the problem was snowballing as sales dropped month after month. Dark Horse should opt out of Free Comic Book Day. It's an idiotic promotion. If you give your product away for free, you are pulling in customers who want something for nothing, not people who are going to invest in a $4 comic every month. df1 |
|
|
|
Post by G on Apr 14, 2011 21:28:49 GMT -5
The problem Dark Horse has is that it settles for and has created an environment of mediocrity. I feel like I have felt like this about Dark Horse seemingly forever. Every time they had something I even remotely enjoyed, it just never seemed enough to overcome all of their total overabundance of pure crap. I just have never been able to get excited about Dark Horse in any capacity. And to be honest, the Dark Key relaunch has been totally underwhelming. There is no way you can compare the quality of the original Valiant series and expect to be happy with it looking at the job Dark Horse has done with it. I have to be honest, I like the Acclaim Valiant's better than this shit. I think this gave Valiant one more black eye. The covers, the art, the lame stories, the promotion....I think it's all sucked. And it's not that the characters are not interesting enough to succeed. Just the concepts and the way it's being presented, is so sorry. I cannot compare what BWS, Layton, Shooter, Perlin and so many others did to what Dark Horse is doing today. If you can't put top level talent on it like they did then, then just leave it be. I don't think Valiant has any business being out this way now. I actually hope they get canceled. Get Valiant fucks to shut the hell up. Move on, it's over. Dark Horse sucks and now they made Valiant suck worse too. Damn, my Acclaims actually look cool now. Thanks Dark Horse for at least that! That is what Dark Horse is good at. Making other comic companies look better. |
|
|
|
Post by G on Apr 15, 2011 6:48:23 GMT -5
I understand that part of this had to do with the launch of the Digital comics initiative. Bleedingcool.com has a story about it. I understand that digital comics will be another source of income, but is it a good idea to let your printed comics suffer as you put a lot of your efforts into launching your digital comics? I would think your digital comics would be more successful if people were more excited about your printed comics. |
|
|
|
Post by cyberstrike on Apr 15, 2011 8:16:14 GMT -5
The only comic that DH puts out that got me excited was Mass Effect: Redemption because it's was IMHO an essential story to understand what happened to the character of Liara T'Soni (who is also one of my favorite video game characters of all time I even named my new cat after her) in between Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 video games, and the events of the comic was paid off in Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC.
The new mini-series Mass Effect: Evolution looks OK, but is a prequel to first game and deals with the origin of The Illusive Man (a dubious character in Mass Effect 2 and who is your boss/ally) but looks predictable as hell.
|
|
|
|
Post by bigw1966 on Apr 15, 2011 10:16:12 GMT -5
Hey Cyber have you seen the new GameInformer? It has a cover story abouot ME3 and holy crap am I excited for that game. I am playing through #2 again at this time.
I haven't read the comics of it yet, but I hear they and the novels are pretty damn good.
As for DH Digital, they are offering the books at $1.99 I think that is why some positions were cut.
|
|
