92615_RAA_LooseCannon_Text_R1_PROOF

OK.

I give a shit about comics. The artform, the industry, the folks who make ‘em. The whole thing. I love comics so much I have to make my own.

But that’s not enough, for me. I also want to stretch the industry, in my own small way. Bring it forward.

The latest thing our company has tried would not be a big thing in the real world; in fact, it’s the smallest, least risky bit of real-world marketing that you can apply in the comics industry. But you’d think I’ve asked everyone to start writing left-handed, or something... It’s not brain surgery I’m talk ing about… your mom probably has a few of these things in a junk drawer in her kitchen right this very second.

Of course, I’m talking about the coupon.

You’ve seen these things, of course. Present this for fifty cents off a two liter bottle of Coke. Good for two dollars off a large two-item pizza. Buy fucking one, get one for fucking free .

This is not hard, and frankly, I’m a little pissed off I have to explain this.

The World’s Best Diamond Comics Brand Manager, Chris Schaff, helped me cook up the scheme you see on page 199 of the latest Previews.

On that page, you will see an advertisement for the AiT/Planet Lar books we have published. All of these books are in print and they were in stock at the Diamond warehouse at the time the ad hit stores sixteen days ago. If you want one or two or three or damn, every single one, all you have to do is rip the page out, tell your retailer which ones you want, and ask him to call his customer rep and order the books. To reward you for your obviously good taste in comics, I sweetened the deal by offering autographed copies of Double Image #1 or Astronauts in Trouble: Live from the Moon #1.

Your retailer places the order; you get the books the next week.

What could be simpler?

For some reason, I’ve had so many damn emails from people who just can not figure this out that I feel the need to address this in a column. Believe

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