Here's an online chat I had at deviantArt
As you will lots of good questions and answers regarding Red One, publishing schedule, and the Upcoming Hardcover.
See it in whole here -
I've highlighted some of the more important answers.
Thanks for your questions and permission Jevon!
Enjoy!
Terry, A retailer here (Electric City Comics, Schenectady NY) and I wanted to say that we've had great success with Red One, due to your art, but also the excellent writing on the series. Many customers remarked to me this week how quickly they found themselves caring for the lead. It's selling with our levels of top end Images (Lazarus, Velvet, Autumnlands and Saga). Thank you for providing more product that my customers love.
I hoped that I could ask a few questions. Based on what I've read, the publishing plan is that Red One will be a continuing series of Minis? Each being collected into trade/HC as they end? My customers like to commit to things that they know they will see a regular flow of, and be ongoing in some form. Can you give me a firmer idea of plans?
My second question is pure curiosity. I know the book published in France as Red Widow/Skin, has the American Image run seen any content editing due to America's issues with some content (ahemnudityahem) I'm just curious as to the sort of calls that need to be made in such 'import' cases.
Thanks for all you contribute to the medium, and my business.
Awesome, so great to hear!
RED ONE will be a mini per year and published like as floppies 1st than a 9 x12 European style HC each year/mini
RED ONE's first mini "Welcome to America" is completed (as it has already been published in Europe) and the second mini "Undercover" is being scripted as we speak and I will start drawing after I finish the LEIA mini with a planned March 2016 release date for the floppies. Some firmly, it is an ongoing annual miniseries.
We believe the book will be worth the wait - we compare it's schedule to TV shows like Games of Thrones/Mad Men/The Sopranos - once a year but higher quality.
We've had 0 interferance/editing form IMAGE - any editing/changes on the book are by Xavier and me - we set the Reader label to Mature to avoid any problems and actually, all editing has been for clarity and a second chance of improving the art/coloring/lettering so the American version is now the improved "HD/Bluray" version.
Thanks again for the support - really appreciate it!
Thank you very much for the clear info on how things will work. This is exactly what I need to sell effectively to my customers.
All my luck in the project, and I hope it becomes an Image mainstay for many years to come.
Thanks again for your feedback!
I'm going to put a write up in the next issue of RED ONE explaining the structure of release for retailers and readers.
We also have a website
that will help provide info and previews/sneak peeks in the "inbetween" period.
The website will be useful. Staying connected to the fans will be important.
From a retail point of view Red One will present some new challenges based upon it's frequency. But I'm also of the mind that customers will be willing to adapt to it's form. But it will take some effort on our (retailers) part to educate them. It's not something that they are really used to, with the only comparable product in the US market, the Nemo LOEG books by Moore, which pop up at about one a year.
Interestingly I often have customers complaining there is 'too much' good stuff out there for the budget they have, so a quality series that asks less of their wallet each year might be a very good fit. This will be an interesting and educational experience.
Thanks again for your input - it's great!
It's a brave new world
And one I'm willing to take a chance on it - I personally would rather read/watch something that is really good and then wait for the next season/arc. It 's very important that we stick to a set schedule - and we are shooting for a January 2016 release for Europe so the RED ONE arc should hit here in March 2016. And there is a possibility that the 3rd arc would be even sooner but as this is my first time doing this I'm not going to start prognisticating...
The second arc is all fleshed out - overflowing with ideas that actually need to trimmed down or possible even expand the number of pages...
It's funny, I've heard from fans who happy it's not a monthly they have to buy, but something that stays in their budget which is something I didn't think about but a great bonus!
Thanks again!
I feel it's important for the on the ground retailers to give feedback. More so for those of you who have found traction with Image and are publishing create owned via them based on personal choices, and are learning things on the fly as you do. It's a very brave new world. Agreed.
We (and customers) are very understanding about the production limitations that come with delivering quality and consistency. And I know that your style demands longer timeframes to deliver work. I wouldn't want a faster Red One if it meant it not being your art. That's part of what makes it special, and makes it sellable.
Customers are still getting used to the new idea of one consistent team, And that there won't be fill ins to make monthly, that a life time of Big Two reading has trained them in. Saga, with it's 6-on, 4 or so off schedule, and Lazarus with its 10 a year pace have helped them adapt though. And more are buying in trade format only so the gaps for them are built in. It's been an interesting market to learn and adapt to. We are an old store (33 years old) and it's one of the biggest industry changes we've lived thru.
I do have a format comment that you might find valuable. When the 2nd arc starts, will it be issue #3? That consistency makes it a bit easier for a retailer to service a series with customers, as when each iteration is a mini series with a #1, it makes customers evaluate it each time it starts over. It also becomes a chore to remember what the order for floppies is after a few years pass. (BPRD had that issue until Mike gave it a running series number, which shares the cover with each mini series name and number) It's something worth thinking about early on as you set precedent. Of course the HC's will be numbered I assume, and will not suffer the same problem.
It's good to hear that you might have too much and need to edit. That tells me that the series is growing organically and trying to flow in directions unexpected. Always good in my eyes, and the best ideas often come out of small side paths. I deeply look forward to things, and ask your pardon for my wordy replies to your posts. I just like to try and be helpful with my retailer perspectives. I find it delightful that you've taken the time to talk with someone from a small store, and appreciate it.
Wow, that's all some great info.
I've given a lot of thought to numbering. I "think" since each arc has it's own title that those parts will be numbered so the next arc of floppies will be Red One Undercover #1 and #2 etc but I will try to follow the BPRD model and have the series number included like you mentioned on floppies as well. The books themselves will be numbered.
RE-Story- The story is all developed from start to finish but we keep having so many ideas that it keeps growing - which is a good thing as you say. The first draft of the script for the next "book" just came in at 66 pages.
Thanks again!
No, thank you.
The collectors of the individual issues in the future (however many there may be) will thank you for built in organizational cues for the chapters.
I'm glad to hear your plot is sprawling. Vera deserves a complex and interesting world and friends to play in, and share her stories from.
Looking forward to issue #2 and things in the future.
Oh, a customer asked if the HC's will have any bonus material? (Sketches, Design history, Pin ups etc.)
Cool - all good to hear and thanks for your info!
16 pages of Bonus Material for HC! They do this a lot with the DELUXE versions in France but I thought, why wait, let's make the first collection the deluxe one! And
RED ONE #2 will have a 2 page preview of some of it - to whet your appetite!
Thanks!
Reply
And a couple of notes/updates/corrections -
-writer Xavier Dorison has already finished scripting the first 29 pages of the next arc, Red One Book 2 Undercover. He has also wrote the full synopsis for books 2 and 3 and it looks like there will be a book 4 (speaking realisticlly here - not hoping or planning).
-I'm still on schedule to start drawing Red One Book 2 Undercover in June so everything is looking good deadline wise.
-The Hardcover will be 9.5" x 12.5"
TD
