Thursday, September 27, 2001

MARVEL PRESS CONFERENCE

Marvel Comics announced further relief efforts and a gathering of retailers at its press conference on Wednesday.

Before the press conference, Marvel released an image from Heroes, its upcoming poster book.

"We have a few other books that we'll be producing that we'll have news about very shortly," Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada said.

Quesada said Marvel will be aiding the retailers were near the World Trade Center attacks.

"Marvel will be helping those retailers who were at Ground Zero and were effected tragically by this event," Quesada said. "One of the things that we'll be doing is that all Marvel product that's shipping for September, all that product will be given free to those retailers. October orders, (for) those retailers at Ground Zero, will be returnable, and all those retailers will receive the maximum discount for the remainder of the year.

"For retailers that were mildly effected, possibly experiencing a closed day here and there, September through October orders will be returnable. And that's just a start."

Marvel also announced that it is organizing a Retailer Rally Presentation on Monday at the China Club on 47th Street in Manhattan. Additional companies represented will include Alliance, Central Park Media, Chaos! Comics, Collectible Concepts, Diamond Distributors, Dynamic Forces, Harris Comics, Image Comics and Wizard Entertainment.

Several of the companies were represented at the press conference.

"Each one of these publishers is stepping up to the plate, I think, at a very important time for our country right now," Quesada said. "This is one of those few times where I personally happen to agree every single one of our political leaders who have stated, that in a situation like this where terrorism has hit our shores, this is not a time for us to hide. This is not for us to stop our normal way of being or change our lifestyles. Realistically speaking, that's what these attacks are all about. These attacks are to make us change our way of life and to alter that.

"One of these impetuses of this was, of course, the fact that the Baltimore retailer summit was canceled. And Marvel felt that we needed to take a little bit of an initiative and we felt that there were other publishers that most likely felt the same way, to create summit that would take place in New York.

"It's a sign of solidarity and a sign of patriotism because I think it's very important that we show that New York is a place that can bounce back. I respect every single one of these publishers who has joined in here."

Chaos!'s Brian Pulido said attending the retailers' gathering "just seemed right."

"We have to show, as an industry that we're strong," Pulido said. "We're moving into an era where we unite and look toward the common good, instead of the individual good. I saw of this rally as a symbolic gesture to show the retailers in New York and to show the country, that we're strong and we can put aside out differences and come together."

Said Dynamic Forces' Nick Barucci: "I think the most important thing about having this retailer summit is to be there and meet the retailers and let them know that their friends are here for them."

In response to a question about having the event too soon after Sept. 11, Quesada said:

"We're not forcing any one. We understand that there are problems with travel, but I believe the spirit of the event is really what counts. To be quite honest with you, the week after the World Trade Center, our country stopped. We mourned. Professional sports stopped. Everyone stopped. It was an appropriate thing to do.

"Our president, the mayor of New York, everyone said, 'Now is time to get back in the saddle.' The Baltimore summit was canceled on a weekend where I believe, personally, we should have been back in the saddle and we should have been back to show retailers.

"On that particular weekend, retailers were selling our product. They did not stop."

There will be "goodie bags" given away that Quesada said will be worth at least $400.

"This is not a Marvel event," Quesada said. "This is a comic industry event. Everyone is a sponsor, including Marvel."

"The bottom line is we will get through this," said Diamond's Steve Geppi. "The comic industry has been an amazingly resilient industry."

In other news from the press conference:

* Quesada said that Marvel has not changed any editorial plans for any of its characters "whatsoever" after the attacks.

* Quesada said that he has suggested putting all the industry relief books into "one giant volume" after they have been published.

* The tentatively titled Sept. 11 book, from Dark Horse and Chaos!, has contributors from all over the industry, including a pin-up from Quesada.

* Marvel's Bill Jemas said that "it's too early to tell" the effects of the terrorist attacks on the financial status of the comics industry. "We only have initial returns on Marvel numbers," Jemas said. "The encouraging thing is that we haven't seen any significant negative indications as it relates to the comic book industry yet."

* Barucci said that Dynamic Forces will feature Heroes on its next Home Shopping special on Oct. 17 at 2 a.m. (ET). "All the creators are signing it and waiving their signing fee," Barucci.

He said he hopes to get at least 20 signatures on the book for a $19.95 retail price.

* Jemas said virtually everything collected from retailers on Heroes will be collected for charity, which he estimated would bring in $300,000. As an industry, he expects all the comic relief efforts to generate from $500,000 to $1 million. "That will have a very positive impact," he said.