Newsgroups: alt.comics.alternative,rec.arts.comics.misc
From: [lf 7 z] at [ellis.uchicago.edu] ("alt.binaries.pictures.glenn")
Subject: VERTIGO: Mr. Punch
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 18:07:25 GMT



Neil Gaiman recently replied to my post concerning the print run Mr.
Punch on COMICS-L.  Since the post originated here, I enquired about
forwarding his comments here, where the post appeared originally, but
had not gotten a response.  Tom Galloway recently asked him about it
and said this to the comix list:

> Neil's response to my query about reposting said msg was that he'd had
> second thoughts after sending it and wanted to write a more diplomatic
> version. However, it'd already gone out. Neil does *not* grant permission
> for it to be posted elsewhere. He did say it can be paraphrased or used
> for raw information (and I'm sure he's aware that his permission for those
> things is not necessary), but he explicitly denies permission for its repost.

And of course, I'll comply with his wishes, and hope that other
subscribers of COMICS-L will do the same.  In hopes of heading off any
possible re-posts of that message, as well as general FYI, here is a
summary of what Neil told the COMICS-L:

The relationship between and VG and DH was already strained prior to
the question at hand, and there was no agreement between VG and anyone
concerning Mr. Punch.  Because of the fact that DH let Signal to Noise
go out of print after only 10,000 copies some time ago, Neil and Dave
requested VG to go with Vertigo, hoping they could avoid the out of
print problem, and VG subsequently reached an agreement with DC.  In
the UK, Mr. Punch comes out in hardback and paperback simultaneously,
the hardbacks are already sold.  The limited solicitation of a single
15,000 print run in the US was the idea of DC Marketing (Bruce Bristow
and Bob Wayne), later citing prohibitive reprint costs as the
rationale.  When Neil discovered it, he talked Karen Berger, and she
went to Marketing, with the result that the solicitation was changed
to "no other editions planned at this time," which is how it appeared
in the catalogs.  As is well known, the initial orders rang in at
17,000, so the book is effectively out of print in the US as soon as
it ships.  From the tone, it is clear that Neil is very frustrated
with the situation.  As a creator who's justifiably proud of his work,
I'm sure he would like everyone that wants a copy of his book to be
able to buy one.  Me, too. :-)

My comment on all this is that I'm looking forward with much
anticipation to buying the book in it's UK paperback incarnation, but
not as much as I'm looking forward to reading it. >B^) These books
won't be in bookstores, or libraries, and they are unlikely to be on
hand to buy on Neil and Dave's promotional tour.  No one benefits from
this, IMO.  However, if you live in the Chicago area, and have trouble
getting it once it does ship, e-mail me and I'm virtually certain I
can help you get one.

Pax ex machina,
Glenn
......................................................................
"When the Americans left the Earth,
 they left some very strange artifacts."
    --- Andrei Codrescu
[g carnagey] at [uchicago.edu], if you must know
......................................................................