As part of our continued look at the history and impact of variant covers, it felt prudent to get a bigger and more expanded look at the place variants hold here with some of the staff members of Multiversity Comics. As such, I sat down and chatted with frequently disagreeing editors David Harper and Matthew Meylikhov to discuss their perceptions on the variant system in conjunction with my own research on the subject. That discussion appears here, in its completely unedited form.
Drew Bradley: The best way to start off a conversation about variants is probably to figure out where we all stand on them personally.
When I first started reading comics again in 2004, I thought variants were awesome and I bought every one I could find for all the books I was reading. At the time, that was about 8 titles a month, so it was fairly easy to do. I specifically remember grabbing the only copy my LCS had of the 1:10 USM #100 variant and feeling like the coolest kid in town. It didn’t take long for my pull list to outgrow my budget, so the variants got pruned by necessity. Once I quit buying them, I never really missed them. Now I have a shelf devoted to displaying covers, but it only holds 5. I’ll buy a new variant if it’s cool enough to take a spot from one of those five. The more time goes by, the nicer those top 5 get and the less frequent I buy variants.
What about you guys?
David Harper: When I was a kid, I thought variants were pretty cool – I was a bigger fan of general gimmick covers like hologram or foil ones – but I’d buy the occasional variant if I thought it was cool enough, but it’d be in place of the standard cover comic, not in addition to it.
These days? Well, since I got back into reading comics in 2004 or so, I’ve bought exactly one variant. Well, that’s not even true, as technically it was given to me, but I now own one, and it was just a couple months back. To me, variants are not something I value. I love cover work, don’t get me wrong, and I appreciate things like Skottie Young’s baby variants as much as the next guy, but in terms of where I put my hard earned money, variants are never the place for me. I’m a story oriented comic reader, and buying 13 iterations of the same issue is not a good way for me to spend my money.
That’s especially considering many variants are ones like that 1:10 USM one you mentioned, and they end up costing more because of it.
I do, however, like variants in the way a book like “Zero” does it. I’m sure Matt can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think each issue of that book has like…one to three covers that come out at equal levels and do not cost any more because of it. I like being able to pick my poison amidst the covers without it costing an arm and a leg. It’s a cool value add for a book like that. In that situation – which is rare – I love variants. But those are hardly variants in the sense you mean. They’re just other 1:1 covers.
What about you Matt?
Matthew Meylikhov: In terms of variants, it — like most things — just depends on the scenario for me.
Full disclosure: my opinion on the idea of variants is more negative than it is positive. Generally speaking and decidedly due to doing my own bit of research and talking to retailers on the subject, but I see variants as large scale wastes of money more than I do cool incentives — at least when we’re talking about Marvel or DC. They can certainly be neat, and I’ve bought a few, but the way the incentive program works bugs me a fair deal in how it leaves the retailer at a disadvantage, banking on something to do “well” and ultimately being left with overstock after being suckered into a few nice sounding deals.
Continued belowBut that’s the negative nancy in me. I have certainly bought a few variants, and in fact have a variant sitting nearby my computer now as I type this (the Chip Zdarsky “Wicked + Divine” #2 variant). They can be very pretty, and about five years ago when I moved into my first apartment, I went to a local shop and bought a few comics and variants specifically to hang up as art. To me, that’s the only inherent benefit of a variant: displaying it. If it’s a cool cover that I’d hang on my wall in the same way I’d hang a $50 print, then yeah, I don’t mind paying a little bit extra for that.
That, or if it’s an artist I really really love who does not do work too often, and I can get it in an affordable fashion. Bryan Lee O’Malley, for example; in the four years between “Scott Pilgrim” v6 and “Seconds” we didn’t have much of his work to enjoy, so a “Young Avengers” variant bought at cover price on sale at a store that couldn’t move the item at a jacked up price? Don’t mind if I do! I’m a bargain shopper!
Otherwise, though, I do not often throw down for variants.
(As for the “Zero” thing, they’re very cool, but for what it’s worth, I believe it comes down to discretion of the retailer? Technically, all variants can be sold for cover price; it’s the retailer who makes that decision in the end.)
DB: I guess that makes me the most frequent variant buyer of the group then, because I would say I buy somewhere between 6 and 10 a year. In addition to the ones I want to display, I’ll also buy some if I expect to have a chance to get them signed by the artist.
DH: Yeah, you’re definitely the clubhouse leader. I think it’s worth noting that I wouldn’t cast aspersions to someone wanting to buy variants. Mostly, I don’t understand it, but it’s not something I’m against. Variant collectors are just different types of comic fans than me, as I don’t view comics as collectibles really.
One thing I wanted to respond to you about, Matt, is the idea that there is something inherently harmful or even predatory about incentive programs for variants. That I disagree with, as the only person who puts a retailer at a disadvantage in a situation where variants negatively impact their bottom line is themselves. No publisher can force a retailer to order enough to reach incentive levels, and if a retailer chooses to do that, that’s on them. Many retailers do not hit those levels because it’s just not a good business decision for them, but if a shop that normally sells 5 copies of a comic orders 50 to get a special variant, then that’s their own bad business practices that leave them at a disadvantage.
DB: David, that actually touches on the next point I wanted to discuss: whether you think variants are good or bad for the industry.
Most retailers I’ve talked to have told me incentives only increase their orders by a few books, and I think sales bear that sentiment out. When a book has a 1:10 incentive, sales jump by about 8%. Since 1:10 books are really 1:11 for most of the major publishers, and since 8% is close to 1/11, that means it averages out to retailers only ordering the incentives they qualify for with their regular orders. If they order a ton of extras for a really rare one, it’s because they’ve already sold it via pre-order.
To me, that says most retailers have sustainable business models in place.
MM: Well, I think it has to do with supply and demand. I don’t think there’s a lot of demand for most variants, so there’s not a lot of incentive for retailers to go after variants in the first place. There are exceptions to every rule, sure, and there are some variants that are hot in demand every once in a while (the Spider-Man/Obama variant, for example), but that’s few and far between.
One thing to consider, though, is that the playing field isn’t entirely level — at least not where I live in Boston. In Boston, we have a mega-chain store that exists throughout the city and in suburbs, Newbury Comics, which is more of a clothing/DVD/record store than a comic store. There are many smaller shops in Boston and surrounding areas, but then we have this huge chain that orders excessively in bulk to accommodate a large number of stores, and as such they get a lot of the variants that a smaller (better) store wouldn’t get. But because they have more product, and product that has a form of value to people who frankly don’t know that it’s only the inside that counts, it can drive people to go to Newbury over the smaller store, and that creates some less-than-healthy competition as certain smaller shops that want to draw people to a “real” comic store.
Continued belowI’m hesitant to name names as I don’t want to throw any smaller shops under the bus, but it’s certainly something I see around here. This business model isn’t present everywhere, but it is present. New York comes to mind.
DB: I think what you said about variants being for people who “don’t know that it’s only the inside that counts” is an outdated and residual attitude from the speculator boom of the 90s. Would you say the same thing to a stamp collector who pays more than face value for a stamp, and then never mails a letter? Or a book collector who hunts down first editions of Charles Dickens? I think most modern variant buyers aren’t planning to sell them in 20 years and put their kid through college. They’re buying them because they want to own them.
And really, the same argument could be applied to anyone who follows a favorite character. I think we all have some terrible comics in our long boxes because happened to fall between two great runs.
DH: Oh, I totally agree with you on that point, Drew. It’s like I said before, I don’t do it personally, but I’m fine with other people buying variants. It’s not what I look for in comics, but I’m not their market.
Do either of you guys ever look at Robot 6’s Shelf Porn column? People tend to prominently display variants because they love their look. Or they just keep them as prized pieces of their collections. It totally makes sense, just like it totally made sense for me to buy every Wolverine comic I could get my hands on as a kid even though not all of them were great (I have a lot of those sections you were talking about Drew).
I think variants can be good for comics just like most any concept has some goodness to it. Like, I think social media is a marvelous thing, but when people misuse it – which I think they do perpetually – then that’s where the struggle lies. Variant covers are inherently cool because they are new versions of cover art, and often, they can be a whole lot of fun. When they become bad is when publishers get greedy and over the top with them, or when retailers make bad ordering decisions because of them. But that isn’t the idea of variant covers faults, that’s just bad business practices as I mentioned previously.
Most retailers these days have their shit figured out at this point, and variants exist for many of them as value adds for customers who really, truly enjoy them. Sure, there are some exceptions to those rules, but I think variant covers do more good for all levels of the comic equation than they do bad.
MM: I guess I have the unfortunate situation of living in a city that has quite a few retailers in commuting distance (by public transport, or walking distance from house/last apartment) that I can see more misuse of the variant than anything that seemingly benefits the retailer. Some of my favorite shops that I visit have a wealth of variants that just sit there, and only one shop in the generally local area that I frequent — the magnificent Outer Limits in Waltham, which I’ve been going to since I was 14 — doesn’t overprice the variants, letting them sit on the shelf with every other issue. The rest, typically, have them sitting behind the counter or sitting somewhere otherwise special and marked up… and I tend to see the same variants at every shop, every time, not moving very well.
Massachusetts is also the birthplace of the Phantom Variant from Larry’s (as far as I know? I think that’s the case, but I’m not Googling it), so we certainly see a lot of those around here as well. But, hey, sometimes retailers put things out for cover price, and other times they put variants up for $75 to catch the speculator market and then deal with the consequences. I guess I just see that more often here. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have the comic market.
Continued belowDB: One unsold variant isn’t a problem, regardless of it’s price tag. It’s one unsold 1:200 variant and 157 unsold regular copies that’s a problem.
DH: Yeah, I agree with Drew in this situation. I don’t think what you’re characterizing as variant problems are those at all. Those are crappy retailers making bad life choices for themselves and for their customers.
DB: What ratio for an incentive cover do you guys think is optimal? It sounds like you’re most likely to buy them when they’re 1:1, but how high is to high?
DH: Well, that all depends on your perspective doesn’t it? For me, it doesn’t really make a difference, and the ideal ratio would be 1:1 because then it provides variety for me to choose from. From a general, conceptual perspective, I think 1:10 is a good base level. That’s not something that is so egregiously large to kill smaller retailers, but also high enough that it keeps the variants reasonably rare. I think once you get into1:50 or higher, that’s when it’s a pond that only the big fish can swim in.
Honest question for you Drew, and I apologize if you cover this in your other pieces, but who do you perceive variants being for? Matt and I are clearly not their target market. It sounds like you aren’t really. The average comic shop can’t afford to order high enough levels to reach really desirable variant levels. I am curious as to your perspective on what the Venn diagram slices for the general consumer base of variants is.
Drew: Honestly, I think variants are for comic collectors of all types. Licensed comics like “My Little Pony” have built-in fanbases that extend much further than the comic shops, and the comparatively low price of being a completist (3 covers @$4 each vs toys @$15-30 each) offers some fan appeal. Themed variants like DC’s Bombshell covers are aimed at art fans who are less interested in the content, not readers. Rarer covers for books like Batman or Spider-Man give their fans several options and opportunities to own a rare, pricey book.
I think all collectors have an innate desire to have one or more centerpieces to their collection. Books to display, and to be a conversational focus when people inquire about their collection. For some people, that’s having full runs of “ROM”, or having all of Matt Kindt’s books, or having some nice graded copies of “Fantastic Four” #1.
You’ve been quiet, Matt. Is there an incentive ratio you think is particularly abusive?
MM: I don’t know. Most of them? I mean, I think the general idea of the incentive ratios is done in a fashion that sort of preys on that kind of collector, because I think we’ve all sort of concluded that variants are somewhat worthless pieces of ephemera. They can be neat, sure, but there’s no real need to have a variant since it’s the same content inside; the second we start over-pricing and flailing all over some one in whatever variant I think that’s where we start getting into the problematic territory of retailers either getting stuck with bad deals or collectors coming up against some price-gouging.
And yes, I know, I know — you’re both going to say “well, the retailer/collector is doing it to themselves” as sort of a catch-all reply. But after reading essays by folks like Brian Hibbs, yes, retailers are responsible for their own stock and a collector is responsible for their own sense of value, but it’s not like the system is made particularly easy to work within sometimes for anyone.
David: I think someone like Brian Hibbs would be at the top of the list of people agreeing with that “retailer/collectors are doing this to themselves” idea, but the idea that incentive ratios preying upon collectors is a weird one, as I’d wager your average variant buyer has absolute no clue what incentive ratios are or that they exist. I think most people who buy variants are like “that cover is badass and I want it in my collection” and not necessarily thinking “oh man, that cover is a 1:75 and I need it in my life.”
Continued belowI think we’re looking at the idea of variants too deeply, as these covers are literally throw-ins for hitting certain levels of ordering. The vast majority of shops aren’t going to hit the higher ones, and they’re not going to order more to hit those levels unless they’re making bad choices. Incentive variants are just designed to reward high ordering, really. I guess I just don’t see why they’re just problematic offerings.
DB: Let’s try to end this on a positive note. What makes you notice and want (even if you don’t buy) a variant? I’m usually drawn to basic ones, like this one from “Locke and Key.” And ‘virgin’ ones without logos always catch my eye, too.
David: Well, the only true chase type variant I own is the Jetpack Comics/Forbidden Planet variant to “The Wicked + The Divine” #1, and it kind of fits the type of covers I like in general – clean, lots of negative space but still stylish. One type I like are Phantom/Ghost Variants, and how they’re specially created art for certain retailers rather than the general variants. Those can be really cool, and I like it when it’s a specialized piece rather than just something thrown together. Jim Rugg did a cool story on the Ghost Variants, and that Fatale cover Darwyn Cooke did for that run was just sublime.
Basically, if I’m going to notice a variant, it better be something that stands out as different than the regular cover and from other potential variants. A wildly different style or a simpler look or something that just seems different. I agree with you though, I like the ‘virgin’ ones as well. Those are always a treat. What about you, Matt?
MM: For me it’s about the artist. On the “Wicked + Divine” path, I really liked Bryan Lee O’Malley’s variant for issue #1, as well as Chip Zdarsky’s variant for #2. These are both artists that I really like so that’s where the appeal is born out of. Same goes for other Image books or things at other publishers — if I really like the artist then I’ll probably want to go after the cover more than if it’s a funny gimmick or something like that (I’m specifically referring to when Marvel/DC do month-long promotions, like the DC #selfie thing — though that month where Marvel put out Wolverine variants done in the style of famous painters like Van Gogh or Dali was pretty neat!).
That, and I have to really like the book. I should through that out as a qualifier, I think; if O’Malley or whoever did a cover for a book that I don’t read like “Teen Titans” then obviously there’s literally zero appeal for me there. But “Young Avengers?” Lets party.
And, I mean, I think things like Phantom/Ghost Variants are certainly neat. A lot of artists I like have done those — Yuko Shimizu on “Sex Criminals,” CP Wilson III on “Bedlam.” But, yeah, for me I’d say it’s not about being stylish or ‘virgin’ or anything like that; I just want artists that I like providing covers for series that I really enjoy that they’re not normally involved with.
