USTownhall RealStories presents Nick Purpura of Jim Hanley's Universe

Home

Books

Book-related Interviews

Written by Scott Katz

Sunday, 07 August 2011 22:37

Recent news from the comics industry – particularly DC Comics' May 31 announcement that it will be relaunching its entire line of superhero titles in September with new number one issues – has rocked comics fandom and has made headlines across the country in various entertainment-related websites and publications including USTownhall.com.

We wanted to go beyond the marketing hype and get a retailer's perspective on all of this in order to gauge just how effective, or risky, this bold move may be and what it, and other annoucements made recently – such as offering comics in digital format simultaneously with their print versions – mean for comics fans and for the comics industry as a whole.

JHU_logo_COLOR2-resize Toward that end, we sat down for an extended interview with Nick Purpura, the General Manager of Jim Hanley's Universe. Since Jim Hanley's Universe first opened its doors in 1985, it has become one of New York City's – and the country's – most preeminent retailers of comic books, graphic novels, and related merchandise. Mr. Purpura himself has been an enthusiastic advocate and cheerleader of the comic book artform during his long career at Jim Hanley's so his observations and insights are of particular interest both to comics fans and to the companies who put a lot of time and money into their publishing initiatives.

This interview was filmed in Jim Hanley's Universe's Manhattan location on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 and will be posted here in four parts. Enjoy part one now, and keep checking back during the week as we upload the remaining segments.

If you are in New York City, be sure to visit Jim Hanley's Universe at either of their two locations: 4 West 33rd Street (opposite the Empire State Building) in Manhattan, and 299B New Dorp Lane in Staten Island. Go to http://www.jhuniverse.com for more details.

SEGMENT 1

SEGMENT 1

SEGMENT 1 TOPICS

• When did retailers learn about DC's new 52 initiative?

• What were the initial reactions from fans?

• Inside info from the DC retailers roadshow

• Honoring scheduling and shipping dates

• Retailers' feelings about DC's relaunch before the roadshow vs. after

• Ordering the more speculative series & returnability

• Lessons learned from the Superman: Earth One graphic novel

• Fans voting with their dollars

• DC's planning and soliciting pitches for their relauches

• Superman titles declining sales

• Why did DC change their character designs for the relauch?

• Superman's power as an international icon

• Is Flashpoint selling to expectations? Are fans avoiding the tie-in miniseries?

• Was it wise for DC to launch 52 number ones in the same month?

• DC's continuing publishing efforts beyond the 52

• Can a fan possibly sample all 52 titles in a single month?

SEGMENT 2

SEGMENT 2

SEGMENT 2 TOPICS

• Does renumbering lead to increased sales in the long run?

• Digital day-and-date

• Will DC relaunch bring in new customers?

• How much will Jim Hanley increase its DC orders?

• Which new titles are fans interested in?

• Does a title always need to be published?

SEGMENT 3

SEGMENT 3

SEGMENT 3 TOPICS

• Is Marvel Comics currently in a good place creatively?

• The Image advantage

• Creator-owned comics

• Quality of Amazing-Spider-Man

• $3.99 comics

• Has the recession affected store sales?

• Notable projects from the Independents

• Can a non-DC or non-Marvel comic succeed in today's market?

• What to do and what not to do in order to make comics appeal to today's teens

SEGMENT 4

SEGMENT 4

SEGMENT 4 TOPICS

• More non-mainstream projects of note

• Do comic book movies still bring people into stores?

• Do DC and Marvel do a good enough job in bringing in new readers?

• Updating old properties for today's audience

• Comic fans getting upset by revamps

• Internet spoilers' effect on fan reaction and sales

• No more guaranteed trade paperback collections from DC

• Done-in-ones vs. writing for the trade

• Trade paperbacks that need to be available in print

• Secret Wars as a gateway comic for lapsed readers

• DC's new 52 titles: a recommendation from Nick

MORE INTERVIEWS...


cast of The Apprentice 10	BATMAN film producer MICHAEL USLAN	• Sherri Shepherd • Vanessa Minnillo	All My Children creator AGNES NIXON	Bronx Opera's BEN SPIERMAN	cast of Big Brother 12	BOBBY FLAY & STEVE ELLS of America's Next Great Restaurant	Cast of the play Bridgeboy

Library of American Comics' BRUCE CANWELL	RYAN McPARTLIN & SARAH LANCASTER	CRYSTAL CHAPPELL • part 1: Guiding Light • part 2: Days of Our Lives	soapcentral.com founder DAN KROLL	DAN PARENT of Archie Comics	DAVID LYONS of The Cape	DEBBIE GIBSON & TIFFANY	Author DEDE EMERSON of A Different Kind of Streetwalker

BOB DOWLING of the 3D Entertainment Summit	Indie filmmaker ELIANA UJUETA of Beneath the Rock	comic book artist JAMAL IGLE	Genesis Repertory's JAY MICHAELS, MARY MiCARI, & actors	Oscar-winning actor JEREMY IRONS	Animation historian JERRY BECK • 1st interview • 2nd interview	singer-songwriter JOSH GROBAN	web series producer KAI SOREMEKUN of Chick • 1st interview • 2nd interview

Oscar-winning actress KATHY BATES of Harry's Law	Television producer KENNETH JOHNSON of V, Bionic Woman, Incredible Hulk	KYLE BORNHEIMER & HAYES MacARTHUR of Perfect Couples	• Terrence Howard, René Balcer • Dick Wolf, Alfred Molina, Alana de la Garza	publisher DAN HERMAN of Hermes Press	COUNTESS LuANN de LESSEPS of The Real Housewives of New York City	author MAX ALLAN COLLINS of Road to Perdition	WWE Champion Mike "The MIz" Mizanin

JEFF HAYNE of Mill Creek Entertainment • 1st interview • 2nd interview	singer-actor NICK LACHEY	supermodel NIKI TAYLOR talks The Celebrity Apprentice	actor PAUL REISER of The Paul Reiser Show	actor-producer RICKY GERVAIS of The Office	actress-television host ROSIE O'DONNELL	comic book writer STEVE NILES	• Ian Anthony Dale, Nick Wauters • Jason Ritter, Sarah Roemer, Blair Underwood, Željko Ivanek

	THORE SCHÖLERMANN & JO WEIL of Verbotene Liebe	Peabody & Emmy award winning journalist TOM BROKAW	Emmy award winning actor TOM PELPHREY of Guiding Light	actors from The Apothecary Theatre Company	TORI SPELLING & DEAN McDERMOTT of sTORIbook Weddings