Things I Like and Don’t Like for October 30th, 2019

It’s that time again, where I tell you what’s really grinding my gears for the week of October 30th, 2019.

Some weeks it’s mostly likes, other weeks it’s dislikes.

 

So what’s grinding my gears this week?

 

Comic Book Media Deals and Options

Is it me or does it seem like there have been a lot of media deals and option announcements lately?

Now, don’t get me wrong, production studios do this all the time to hold the rights on a particular book for it’s story and characters to explore if it will be good fit for television or film but it certainly seems like a lot of these recent options are coming off as marketing tactics to boost sales. Particularly the ones that are announced around the time the book even debuts.

A book getting media deals or options is great for the creators but doesn’t it seem odd that they (the studios) would be so quick to pick up the rights for a book before it even proves itself in print form? Are studios and production companies in a battle of owning the rights of potential shows due to lack of their own creativity or lack of material from other sources? Is it creators hinting media deals if there’s even nothing signed but just general interest when there’s no studio named?

Maybe it’s just me but I think these really early announcements are doing more harm on the overall comic industry market than good. It’s almost as if they’re creating false demand. There are so many great books that have the potential to be great television series or movies out there that have come and gone, while still picking up new readers with the trades and hardcovers, etc.

Regardless of whether a book goes the whole way after a media option, the only thing we can do is buy low, sell high. Right? Unless you’re not flipping books, keep reading what interests you then.

And on a side note, Anthony and I have started a spreadsheet of books that have been optioned. Trying to nail down the date of announcement, who made the announcement and other details of such deal. Hopefully we can get a comprehensive list going and then keep it updated when new deals are announced as sort of a tracker for these things since so many books get options, we tend to lose track who’s gotten them and who hasn’t.

 

That’s all I got this week for my gripes this week. What’s bugging everyone else? Or what else is everyone liking this week?

23 thoughts on “Things I Like and Don’t Like for October 30th, 2019”

  4. It is odd how some of the comics are being optioned before they even release and anybody has had a chance to read the first issue on some of them like The Dark Age. Maybe the creators are sending early drafts or previews to a lot of the entertainment companies in the hopes of selling the rights to their properties. I’m very interested in what you find out.

  5. I think it’s all BS, the list of optioned comic books is longer than the I-75 from Michigan to Florida.

      2. Thanks for posting that link to longest routes in US, now I feel obligated to put some of them on the bucket list for a really long ass road trip.. who’s down? Not you D-Rog… since you can’t even drive, we don’t need no back seat drivers 😉

        1. no worries…I’m not allowed to leave the house for a while…

          Ironically many of these start somewhere within a few hours drive from me.

  6. That’s the pay off for a creator. after that, why go through the labor and drudgery of creating and drawing a book. That’s why, if any of these books last into double digits, i’ll eat every issue after 10!

    1. Well for some, it’s just the possibility of media option payout and media deal if it goes further. For some I’d imagine (like BKV who seems to have the entire story plotted out from start to middle to end in his head before he starts), they like to see their creation from start to finish. If a creator is only starting a book to kick it off strong with no real intentions of finishing it in hopes they get a media deal for the story or plot, then I wish I’d know cause I wouldn’t waste my time picking it up to read.

  7. People are just confused over what ‘optioned’ means. Optioned does not mean production. Essentially, when a book is ‘optioned’, all that means is a producer or studio has acquired the rights to said property. Thats it. It does not mean it will ever see a screen of any kind. Thats why you sell on news of an option, and not buy. Chances are…

    1. Yup, spot on. It’s just to retain the rights of said property. The creators probably get a decent chunk of change, kind of like a non-refundable deposit and then the production company starts the explore process of if such property will make a good show or movie. Most options seem to last about a year.. then expire. That’s why you likely see a lot of books optioned and then you never hear back. If the first studio didn’t think it was going to be successful or they couldn’t round up a good crew to come up with a concept, other production companies likely aren’t quick to go grab the options or rights after the expiration.

  10. I’ve actually written two books (not comics, books) .. both got optioned, neither got made .. Options start at $500 and go up. In today’s market, $5,000 is excellent .. the Entertainment Business has so much money and so much content need these days as well as so much that gets written, producers can afford to buy a lot more than they need, and then cherry-pick their projects .. you need an Agent in order to even try and get a deal .. most Options are pretty cheap ..

    Now, if your Option does make it into production / green light, generally you’re looking at around 2% of the budget for the project as your compensation ..

    Comics are unique in this area, since most all literary books do not suddenly see a price increase the way a comic does when/if it’s optioned ..

    These days, it is in the Comic Writer / Artist / Publishers best interest to tout an Option .. for obvious reasons .. in fact, it would be in their interest to sell the option for a buck just to be able to say they have an option ..

    The current Market could easily be attributed to Market Manipulation, if looked at thru those glasses .. the true litmus test is, how many of the numerous Options have actually been made .. ?? And the even more rare find is, how many that did get made were hits .. ??

    I see it as sad that the mere whiff of an Option causes FOMO in some ..

    Good topic, Mr Poyo ..

      1. Thank you for noticing .. my Health took a turn for the worse for a time .. and although I semi-lurked periodically, depression had also seemed to set in and I just could not get into Posting .. I’m in better shape now and hope that I will sometimes be inspired to write something

        .. your take on the “option” issue did offer up some inspiration for me .. 🙂

    2. There needs to be a PSA for books that are optioned…it’s like taking the place of the shop/store variant craze…

      1. This is the new gimmick. And it works. FOC covers that are announce 2 days before FOC and these announcements create FOMO

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