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Antiyonder writes...

Most of us have been talking about the yet to be released Volume of Gargoyles, whether it's in the comment room or submitting in the Ask A Question. I do agree that that the Disney blaming has gone overboard at times (I'm guilty of it as well). I can't speak for everyone of course, but I'm going to do my best to describe why we tend to blame the company so to speak (I know you don't mean any offense). Since, you have more business experience than some of us, your POV would be helpful.

1. Again part of the reason why we aren't seeing anymore DVDs are lack of purchases from the previous sets. Yes part of it is due to lack of sales, but also lack of advertising. It's not just DVDs, but with say network television (Not just with Disney). Aside from quality there are many reasons a show would turn up with low ratings, like:

- Lack of commericals, hence the viewer doesn't know it exist.
- The show is aired so much that the viewer gets tired of it, or so little they don't have a chance to draw in fans. Odd thing about that is that a particular program is aired constantly when it only has 13/26 episodes, yet when/if it has 65-78 episode, then it's not aired so often. Should be the other way around.
- The show is aired in a timeslot that most people don't watch.

It just seems like the higher ups don't really understand their audience, or they do but don't want to take responsibility. After all, admiting to a mistake is viewed by some to be a sign of shame and humiliation rather than being responsible.

1a. Also, with the comics, I heard sales lowered for #3. That's due of course to lack of a consistant release. My question is if Disney will acknowledge that lower sales are due to delaying approval, or will they assume that the comic itself is the problem. You can count on us hardcore (in my case semi-hardcore) fans to stick with it to the end, but as has been said in the comment room newcomers or casual buyers are going to be put off by the delays if it keeps up. Regardless, I'm trusting that the situation should improve.

2. Then there's the concept of money. It seems like the higher ups in the business never heard of the saying "You have to spend money to make money". It just seems like with any product (DVD, Comics, etc) they expect to make a fortune by investing a few cents (not literaly mind you).

2a. I know that companies like Disney are in the business to make money and I repsect that. The problem is it seems their ambition is more of an obsession. For instance, I know that you're sure as heck not doing all of this work for free, but for you the money isn't a one-tracked mind thing. Same could be said of folks like Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Tom Defalco, Peter David, Steve Loter, Mark McCorkie, Bob Schooley.

I really hope this came across as a constructive complaint, rather than a mindless hatefilled rant. After all, I'm not always good at using the right words, to voice my opinion.

Greg responds...

You're preaching to the converted, but there is an element of naivete here. Marketing costs money. Disney has LITTLE evidence that they can make much money off of Gargoyles relative to what they could make off of, say, Power Rangers. So they are less inclined to spend the FINITE amount of money they have to promote a product which will without a doubt be profitable, but which without a doubt won't be AS profitable as others they might release. That's called "Opportunity cost".

Gargoyles was a good bet for them, when (a) it seemed that the fans would do all the marketing work for them... making the release very inexpensive and (b) the sales seemed relatively high... making the profit margin relatively high. But when the fans do NOT do the marketing for them and when the sales aren't high, then Gargoyles seems like less the good bet.

Again, I'm not saying that the marketing SHOULD be the fans responsibility. I'm simply saying that if the fans do not take responsibility, then no one will.

Companies don't have obsessions. People do. Individuals run companies, which is why as companies have employee turnover, the character of the place and the opportunites shit and alter. But comparing Peter David with "DISNEY" is truly comparing apples and ... I don't know... steam engines.

So in the end, yours is NOT a "constructive complaint". (Though it's not a hate-filled rant either.) It's just a complaint. Period. And you're entitled to complain. Believe me. But now that you've complained, the question is both individually and collectively, what's your NEXT move? Just more complaining? Or do you want to find a new way to help us SPREAD THE WORD?

Response recorded on May 08, 2007