Incremental progress meets Zeno’s Paradox

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Elizabeth Sandifer

Elizabeth Sandifer created Eruditorum Press. She’s not really sure why she did that, and she apologizes for the inconvenience. She currently writes Last War in Albion, a history of the magical war between Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. She used to write TARDIS Eruditorum, a history of Britain told through the lens of a ropey sci-fi series. She also wrote Neoreaction a Basilisk, writes comics these days, and has ADHD so will probably just randomly write some other shit sooner or later. Support Elizabeth on Patreon.

8 Comments

  1. Jane Campbell
    October 30, 2015 @ 9:40 am

    That last line is a real killer!

    Reply

    • Elizabeth Sandifer
      October 30, 2015 @ 7:39 pm

      It’s one of my personal picks for funniest gags in the project.

      Reply

  2. Eric Gimlin
    October 30, 2015 @ 10:13 am

    I think you’re being slightly unfair saying that Watchmen cost double. Yes, the actual price was $1.50 when most newsprint comics were $0.75. But the “baxter book” format had been around for at least a couple years at this point, and compared to most of those Watchmen actually had more content pages for the same price, and significantly more pages than the $0.75 books. Never mind the fact that Watchmen was one of the few books that actually needed the format- the idea of ads scattered throughout the story is annoying, and Higgins’ colors are clearly done with the better paper in mind.

    I have no argument with any of the other myriad sins you blame on the marketing department, mind you. But I expect the format- and therefore the price- was a creative/ editorial decision, not marketing.

    Reply

    • Jordan Murphy
      October 30, 2015 @ 11:29 pm

      I second this. DC had been selling Direct Sales series of Teen Titans and Legion of Super Heroes on better paper for at the higher price point for a couple years, and Watchmen was still cheaper than the square-bound, “Prestige” format of Dark Knight Returns. The fact that it was a Direct Sales “Baxter” book reflected the fact that it was a more accomplished series than, say, Wild Dog.

      Also, the brilliant artist at the top of his game on Elektra: Assassin (and, with Moore, the aborted Big Numbers series a few years later) spells his name Sienkiewicz.

      Reply

      • Megara Justice Machine
        November 3, 2015 @ 8:00 am

        A second for a proper mention of Sienkiewicz, which I believe is pronounces “sin KEV itch,” for those curious.

        Reply

  3. Ben
    November 1, 2015 @ 2:05 pm

    I wonder if anyone can help me out with the chronology around that Jeanette Khan anecdote (re: potential Watchmen prequels – ‘but of course we wouldn’t do this if you were still working for us’). If Moore and co.’s lunch with Khan was while she was in the UK for UKCAC that would be September ’86. Post that date DC published 6 more issues of Moore’s Swamp Thing, 7 issues of Watchmen, a Phantom Stranger story for Secret Origins, a 6 page story for a Green Lantern Annual, a full length tale for a Batman Annual and the Killing Joke. Was all of this stuff already in the can when Moore and Khan met? (Barring the Killing Joke which I think was done explicitly as a favour to Bolland?)

    Personally I’m more inclined to believe some of DC managements more… erratic behaviour around this period is more down to their transitioning away from the comfort of the newsstand and forward into the bold new territory of the direct market than any kind of personal vendetta against Moore. What little public info there is around DC’s sales figures for that period suggest they likely wouldnt have survived the 80’s as a publishing force if they couldn’t make a mark there, so some desperation for sales at any cost is perhaps understandable (if not excusable).

    Reply

    • Ben
      November 12, 2015 @ 11:40 am

      Think I’ve found the answer on this Jenette Kahn thing – though Phil (and Alan Moore himself tbf) dates this to 1986, Kahn was back in the UK as a guest at UKCAC in September 1989 – at which point all of Moore’s DC work was behind him (hence “if you were still working for us”). This would also make much more sense of the meeting being with Joel Silver over the Watchmen movie. The series was a way off being finished in Spetember ’86 (in fact only four issues had come out), so the chances of a movie adaption or prequels even being in discussion at that point seem pretty slim.

      Reply

  4. Daru
    November 15, 2015 @ 9:29 am

    Love the juxtapositions that Moore brings into the narrative (both visual and textual. Jut catching up on essays, been away on holiday then chatting up on work – but loving the posts!

    Reply

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