No kidding, I read all 265 posts on Newsrama and over a hundred more on Ain’t it cool/Jinx World etc. Never having done that before - I never realized how much fun you all have been having. Haters, lovers, thinkers, screamers, peacemakers, cheesemakers - you guys are on recess and I tossed out a couple of basketballs and said knock yourselves out.

Then I though of typing this . . .

For Newsrama and Ain’t it cool news

Given the massive and universal fan and retailer support for Marvel’s offer to publish the censored Authority issues, AOL Comics - a publisher that prides itself on fan and retailer support - must now be getting ready to accept Marvel’s offer. Unfortunately, there was a typo in my original e-mail - I meant to say 10-cent royalty, not 10 per cent. Now, if AOL will go for the 10 cents, we can do business.

Bill Jemas

PS - knock yourselves out boys and girls.

But I just couldn’t hit the send button because you all really do deserve an explanation, from me, of what this is all about.

No I’m not talking about the Authority part - that’s obvious - and most of you get it. Marvel has had a ‘get back to business’ approach to dealing with the terrorist attacks and a general policy of pushing the envelope creatively. The “offer” illustrates that point.

No, I’m not talking about the DC part - that’s obvious too. DC really is the distinguished competition, and they are pretty good guys, and true believers in this medium. They spend much more money and do much more work than Marvel does to support this industry - trade shows, retail summits, trade ads - you name it - DC does it. I wouldn’t harm a hair on their little heads.

I want to talk about procedure not substance, and I want to talk to the nastiest fanniest boys. I’m fixin’ to tell you why I’ve been rattling your cage and my saber. I’m talking ‘bout trash talkin’ and what’s up with that. I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to, and why I chose tonight to tell you.

Coming back to Marvel (19 months ago) I found a mass of creators, editors, administrators and executives huddling in fear of their own shadows. Thank goodness Joe and Nancy were there; along with Peter Cuneo (my boss) and a handful of bright and energetic individuals (some on the board, some on staff and, some creating the comics). But they were outnumbered and Marvel Comics was running scared.

When you are scared: you don’t look ahead, you look over your shoulder; you never do what’s important; you only do what’s urgent; you don’t plan; you react.

We didn’t have retail policies - we had knee-jerk reactions to random calls from angry people purporting to be successful retailers, or from random columns in Comic Book Trade Magazines (from angry people purporting to be successful retailers). We did not reach out to Mile High, Midtown or Lone Star on important issues. We just listened to the squeaky wheels and gave them all the grease.

We raised prices and cut quality, because and we were afraid the comics wouldn’t sell (low prices and high quality require high volume). We didn’t keep trade paperback inventory, because we were afraid the books wouldn’t sell. We cut title count and failed to diversify because we were afraid that nothing new would sell. So when the bean counters said cut your titles and your inventory and your quality and raise your price - we just listened and caved.

OK, you say, those were the suits, what about the editors and creators. Well, most of our editors saw of themselves as “custodians” of the characters and the keepers of the continuity. Stan and Jack and Chris and John and Frank and Todd did all the creating all those years ago, and our job is not to screw it up. Many editors were afraid to tell the Origin of Wolverine because (a) it could ruin the character and (b) it could be a bad and embarrassing story. Please realize what I’m saying; Marvel was afraid to tell a story about the most courageous character in our universe.

All of which brings me to you, dear fan boy, because even our freelance creators, including the best and brightest among them, were afraid of something. They were afraid of you. Comic creators would alter powerful story arcs mid-stream because of bad on-line buzz about a comic or a concept. And, as you know, the more creative and innovative the comic or concept, the sharper the sting from the angry on-line swarm.

So, I decided to stand on the front line and fly the wave the no fear flag. And, luckily for Marvel and me, Joe Quesada was ready to stand there with me. And over time, we have been joined by powerful creators and by our editors and by our business partners.

Internally, at Marvel, Joe and me and the publishing group made a publishing business plan. It was 20 pages long and boiled down to this - hyper creativity, high quality, low prices, high volume, no fear. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

Externally, each in our own way, Joe and I became lightning rods for the controversy that comes with change. Joe chose good cop, because he’s a good guy. I chose bad cop. Why, because I’m a bad guy? I chose bad cop, because I felt that somebody had to take the *$#@% in public, and the company President was in the best position to do that. My message was, and is, directed at the people who work at Marvel and who make Marvel work. And the message is simple - do what we need to do to succeed, and don’t be afraid of the critism that is bound to follow. Nobody takes more %&@%& more than me, and nobody defends it less. But, here I stand and I’m doing fine thanks.

Notice I never cleared up the “retailer IQ” thing. Yes, of course, the real quote was not “retailers have low IQ’s”. But the misquotes were - are - hilarious. The message board buzz has been that Marvel is at war with retailers. The reality is that just the opposite; retailers support Marvel so strongly that we’ve had 20 of the top 25 books for three months in a row. (That’s not an exaggeration, that’s a record). The reality is that we support the Direct Market through significant and material policies (Marvel’s two most highly marketed programs - Origin and Ultimates - are Direct Market only). The reality is that we do listen to reasonable requests from key retailers - “send us more POS”, “move back the order cut-off date” - no problem. But, I have kept the “controversy” alive on line to remind our sales staff that Marvel is going to run our business per our business plan and not jump every time an individual shop owner yells frog.

Notice I never cleared up the “bad girls for fan boys” thing. Creativity and political correctness mix about as well as creativity and bureaucracy, and the message to Marvel creators is this - get back out there on the edge where you were always meant to be. Marvel will support you the best we know how with marketing and promotion. Marvel will support diversification into new genres and help you reach new audiences. But we will not jump every time a flock of fan boys (or a sequence of tarts) yells frog.

OK, like it or not - that’s what I’ve been up to, and if you believe what I’m typing, then you know that the “like it” and the “not” have both been fine by me for almost two years. But now - dag nabbit - I had to go and read 400 posts. Which, at long last brings me why I’m saying all of this stuff right now.

It’s because I think that I finally understand the haters of the “new” Marvel. Some of you work for DC - it’s pretty easy to spot you. Some of you work for CrossGen - it’s pretty easy to pity you. But most of you are nice smart people, who love comics and have been betrayed by Marvel and by comics. You were hurt and now you are pissed.

Listen; what you have been through (and how you feel now) is not unique to comic fans. The Dodgers abandoned Brooklyn; the NFL Players went on strike; the NBA owners “locked out” their players, and Major League Baseball cancelled the World Series - all for money. Take it from and ex sports exec, the fans love their sports, and way too many pros are in it for the money.

As a kid, I was the world’s greatest Yankee fan and they were the world’s worst team. Sure I wanted them to win, but I stuck with them when they lost. Then came George Steinbrenner - 30 years of George. They won lots of games and a couple of some Championships - but they were not the kind of team that I had grown to love. So one day, after George demoted a promising young second basement to the minor leagues, I turned my back on the Yanks - thinking I’d never go back. Right about that time, the team went into a long-term tailspin and I couldn’t have been happier.

I was a lot like a lot of the people who hate Marvel right now. I swore I’d never watch another Yankee game. But then Derek and Bernie and Mariano and Andy showed up with this guy named Joe - who had a plan for how the game is supposed to be played. And, I couldn’t resist opening my heart to that team who was showing their fans the beauty and glory of baseball.

Marvel has our own guy named Joe with a vision for how comics are supposed to be, and an all star comic book creative team showed up with him. Never thought I’d type this - and may never do it again - but I’m asking you to please come back and enjoy the beauty and glory of how comic books are supposed to be.

Rock’n’roll, Bill. It’s enough to make a man back into a true believer.

"Moriarty" out.